Description: Golden brown and reddish rust color. Leg span may exceed 11” with 1” long fangs. This species of spider is the largest spider in the world.
Adaptations/Habitat: When threatened, this species kicks off a plume of urticating hairs from its legs and abdomen. Urticating hairs are an irritant and may cause a severe rash and/or swelling. This spider, along with other tarantulas, has been known to produce a hissing sound by rubbing together the bristles on its back legs. This spider is nocturnal, and spends most of its time in burrows. At night, it may venture out of its burrow to pursue prey.
Breeding/Growth: Male tarantulas mature more rapidly than females, who may take as long as 4 years. Females may live for over 20 years, while males may only survive a year after sexual maturation. Mating is like a ritualized dance between the male and the female. The male courts the female with touches and taps and holds the female up while he deposits the sperm with his embolus in the seminal receptacles. This process may last between 1 to 15 minutes. After mating occurs, males retreat quickly to avoid any aggression from the females.
Diet: Includes anything that it may subdue with its size and venom, including other invertebrates and several small vertebrates such as reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds.
Exhibit: Eeeww!
Notes: The venom of this spider is not harmful to humans, although a bite may cause severe pain due to the large fangs. Predators of this species include medium-sized mammals and humans who may dig them out of their burrows. Their most formidable predator is the pepsis wasp or tarantula hawks.
