Tarantula: types photo description, keeping at home, breeding

The tarantula is definitely not the most pleasant representative of the animal kingdom, given that in addition to its peculiar appearance, it is also a poisonous insect. The name of this spider, “tarantula,” came to us from Renaissance Italy. In those distant times, there were many of these spiders in the cities of Italy and, as a result, many people were bitten by them. Because of the bite, the unfortunate people suffered from convulsive seizures; of course, these conditions could have been caused by other reasons, but then they were associated specifically with spider bites. And the largest number of people bitten was in the Italian city of Taranto, which gave the name to this spider - tarantula.

An interesting fact: to cure the consequences of a bite from this spider, medieval doctors prescribed dancing until you drop a special dance - the tarantella, which, by its name and history of origin, is also directly connected with the city of Taranto, and with the hero of our today's publication - the tarantula spider.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Tarantula spider

The genus Lycosa comes from the wolf spider family. The name of the species originated in the Renaissance. In the past, Italian cities were infested with these arachnids, which is why many bites were reported, accompanied by convulsions. The disease was called tarantism. Most of the bites were recorded in the city of Taranto, where the name of the spider came from.

Interesting fact: To recover, medieval healers instructed patients to dance until they dropped the Italian tarantella dance, which also originated in Taranto, located in southern Italy. Doctors believed that only this would save those bitten from death. There is a version that all this was arranged for feasts hidden from the eyes of the authorities.

The genus belongs to the phylum arthropods and has 221 subspecies. The most famous of them is the Apulian tarantula. In the 15th century, its poison was believed to cause madness and a variety of epidemiological diseases. It has now been proven that the toxin has no effect on humans. The South Russian tarantula lives in Russia and Ukraine and is known for its black cap.

Interesting fact: The species Lycosa aragogi, found in Iran, is named after the huge spider Aragog from the books about the young wizard “Harry Potter”.

In many European languages, the word tarantula refers to tarantulas. This leads to confusion when translating texts from foreign languages, in particular from English. In modern biology, groups of tarantulas and tarantulas do not intersect. The former belong to araneomorphic spiders, the latter to mygalomorphic ones.

Tarantula: description, structure, characteristics

The tarantula belongs to the phylum Arthropods, the class Arachnids, the order Spiders, the family Wolf Spiders and the genus Tarantulas proper. Like many arthropods, the body of the tarantula is covered with small hairs. In general, the tarantula’s body structure has two main parts: the cephalothorax and abdomen.

At the top of the tarantula's head there are as many as eight eyes, with 4 of them located in a straight line, and the remaining larger eyes located in a trapezoid. Thanks to this arrangement of the eyes, tarantulas have a viewing angle of 360 degrees. Also, in addition to well-developed vision, these spiders also have an excellent sense of smell, with which they can sense potential prey at a considerable distance (for these insects).

The size of the tarantula varies from 2.5 to 10 cm. The span of the legs of this spider can reach 30 cm. Like many insects in the world, female tarantulas are usually several times larger than males.

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Throughout their lives, tarantulas change the peculiar chitinous “armor” that covers their body several times. The tarantula also has four pairs of long, hairy legs, allowing the spider to move comfortably across loose or even water surfaces. The mandibles of the tarantula are covered with poisonous channels, they are very strong and serve the spider as a means of defense and attack.

The color of the tarantula is usually brown, gray or black. Although sometimes there are representatives of these spiders that have lighter colors.

Types of tarantulas

The genus Tarantula includes more than 200 species of spiders. Among them, the most famous are the following types.

Apulian tarantula (true tarantula)

It has a size of 7 cm. Females of this species are characterized by a combined coloration, consisting of a dark cephalothorax outlined by a light thin stripe and a red abdomen decorated with several transverse stripes framed by a red and white border. The male tarantula has a more modest, monochromatic appearance. Apulian tarantulas live mainly on mountain slopes in vertical burrows up to 0.6 m deep, which can be detected by a characteristic roll of dried leaves framing the entrance.

Unlike many of their fellow spiders, true tarantulas do not spin webs. During the day they prefer to hide in a hole, and at twilight and night hours they leave their shelter to hunt insects. On the eve of winter cold, poisonous spiders seal the entrance to their home using dry grass intertwined with cobwebs and hibernate.

The life expectancy of a tarantula in natural conditions after the onset of puberty does not exceed 2-3 years for males and 4-5 years for females. Apulian tarantulas live in countries such as Italy and Algeria, Spain and Libya, Portugal and Morocco, Egypt and Sudan.

South Russian tarantula or Mizgir

It is an inhabitant of fields, gardens and orchards, slopes of ravines and river banks. The habitat of the tarantula is the steppe, semi-desert and desert zones of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the countries of Central Asia. The size of the Mizgir tarantula rarely exceeds 35 mm in females and 25 mm in males. The color of the spider depends on the color of the soil in the area where it lives, so there are light brown, black-brown or reddish specimens with spots of various shapes and sizes.

A characteristic feature of this type of spider is the presence of a dark “cap” on its head. The depth of the burrows in which poisonous tarantulas live often reaches 0.5 m. The entrance to the burrow is protected by a low wall consisting of excavated soil and reinforced with grass and plant remains. During the rain or molting process, the entrance to the shelter is sealed with earth and cobwebs.

Like all members of the wolf spider family, Mizgiri do not weave webs to catch prey, but hunt insects while sitting in or near a burrow. In anticipation of the onset of cold weather, South Russian tarantulas descend to the very bottom of the hole, having previously sealed the entrance to it with a thick earthen plug. South Russian tarantulas live no more than 3-5 years. The life expectancy of females is longer than that of males.

Tarantula Lycosa narbonensis

Reaches a size of 5-6 cm. The body of the poisonous spider is brown-black, the legs are long, covered with hairs. Tarantulas are found in Italy, France, Macedonia, Malta, Spain, the countries of the former Yugoslavia and northern Africa.

Spanish tarantula

Lives in southern Europe and northern African countries. Tarantulas eat small invertebrates and also practice cannibalism. Previously, the spider was considered a subspecies of the Apulian tarantula, but since 2013 it has been considered as a separate species.

Brazilian tarantula

It lives in the countries of South America: Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, in the northern, northeastern and central parts of Argentina. Like other members of the genus, the Brazilian tarantula has 8 eyes arranged in 3 rows. In the bottom row there are 4 small eyes, a little higher there are 2 large eyes, and 2 more are on the sides of the head. The size of the tarantula is approximately 3 cm excluding the legs. The color of the spider is dark brown. There is a light longitudinal stripe on the head, which acquires a yellowish tint in the upper part of the back. In the center of the upper part of the abdomen, the stripe takes the shape of an arrow that points forward. The lower part of the abdomen of a poisonous spider is black. The chelicerae are reddish-brown in color. Tarantulas feed on crickets, cockroaches and other spiders.

Tarantula Lycosa poliostoma

Lives in South American countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay. It lives in gardens, steppes, meadows, during the day it hides among the grass or in trees, in stones or holes, and is nocturnal. Like other species, these tarantulas eat crickets, cockroaches, small insects and other spiders. The length of the spider, excluding the legs, is 3 cm. The color of the tarantula is gray-brown or dark brown. There is a light longitudinal stripe on the head. In the upper part of the abdomen, the strip takes the shape of an arrow that points forward. The lower part of the tarantula's abdomen is black. The color of the chelicerae is light, which distinguishes this type of spider from the Brazilian tarantula. Females are larger than males, but females have shorter legs.

Tarantula Lycosa leuckarti

This is a gray-brown spider. The length of males reaches 0.9 cm, females - 1.2 cm (excluding paws). This species of tarantula lives in Australia.

Tarantula Lycosa coelestis

Lives in Japan and Taiwan. The length of females reaches 13-18 mm. The male tarantula measures 11-13 mm. The body color is brown, there are 2 longitudinal dark stripes on the back. The inner side of the tarantula's abdomen is black, for which the spider received the name "black-bellied tarantula."

Range, habitats

The South Russian tarantula is the most impressive spider that lives in the vast territory of the former Soviet Union. Lycosa singoriensis lives in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine and Belarus (where it was spotted in the floodplains of the Sozh, Dnieper and Pripyat rivers in 2008).

In our country, it is distributed almost everywhere: residents of the Tambov, Oryol, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Belgorod, Kursk and Lipetsk regions find it in their garden beds.

The spider is found in large quantities in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions (especially near the Volga), as well as in the Stavropol Territory. The tarantula has long been “registered” in Crimea, after which it managed to crawl to Bashkiria, Siberia and even to the Trans-Baikal Territory.

The South Russian tarantula loves arid climates, often settling in steppe, semi-desert and desert zones (with access to natural bodies of water). Villagers encounter the spider in fields, garden plots, orchards (during potato harvest) and on hillsides.

Where did the word "tarantula" come from?

There is no exact information about the etymology of the name of this genus of spiders. However, most researchers believe that its origins go back to the Renaissance. Then, many convulsive seizures that occur in humans were associated with spider bites, which lived in large numbers in the vicinity of Italian cities, including in the city of Taranto in southern Italy, where the largest number of bites was noted. It was thanks to this city that the spiders got their name. It is noteworthy that to cure a disease, medieval doctors prescribed dancing a special dance to exhaustion - the tarantella.

Interesting Facts

1. There is no exact information about the etymology of the name of this genus of spiders. However, most researchers believe that its origins go back to the Renaissance. Then, many convulsive seizures that occur in humans were associated with spider bites, which lived in large numbers in the vicinity of Italian cities, including in the city of Taranto in southern Italy, where the largest number of bites was noted. It was thanks to this city that the spiders got their name. It is noteworthy that to cure a disease, medieval doctors prescribed dancing a special dance to exhaustion - the tarantella.
2. The tarantula is literally tied to its hole. When a spider crawls out of its home, a web trails behind it. And if the web suddenly breaks, the tarantula often loses coordination and is unable to find its hole. In this case, the spider digs a new home for itself.
3. The tarantula's blood contains an antidote to its poison. Therefore, when bitten, if possible, it is necessary to knead the spider and lubricate the bite site with its blood.
4. Tarantula can regenerate its legs. If a tarantula loses a leg, then after the next molt, a new one, only smaller in size, grows in place of the lost leg.
5. The body length of the largest tarantulas is about six centimeters, excluding the paw span.
6. Tarantulas can make webs, but they do not make webs for hunting. They use cobwebs to cover egg clutches and insulate their burrows for the winter.
7. The chitinous outer skeleton of tarantulas is very fragile, so any fall can cause fatal injury.
8. The ends of the tarantula's paws have retractable claws, like a cat's, that help them hold on as they climb wherever they please.
9. All tarantulas are poisonous, but their poison is not capable of killing humans.
10. Female tarantulas live up to thirty years, but males live three to five times less.
11. With a relatively modest body size, the paw span of a tarantula can reach 20-25 centimeters. No wonder people are afraid of them.
12. In terms of toxicity and consequences, a tarantula bite for humans is comparable to a bee sting.
13. The tarantula will bite a person only when cornered, otherwise it will prefer to run away.
14. In case of a serious threat, tarantulas with their hind legs tear out the prickly, burning hairs from the abdomen and forcefully throw them at the enemy.
15. Tarantulas are nocturnal. They hunt by sneaking up on prey and suddenly attacking it.
16. Tarantulas are easily wounded creatures. They have very thin skin on their abdomen. Falling is deadly for him. Therefore, there is no need to pick up the spider. They produce silk for their web. Females need silk in the “interior” of the burrow to strengthen the walls; males need silk as a packaging material for storing eggs; traps near the burrow are also made from silk.

Video

What is the difference between a tarantula and a tarantula?

Tarantulas are often confused with the tarantula spider, so to put an end to this, here are the differences between them:

• Tarantulas differ from tarantulas in the structure of their chelicerae. In tarantulas they move in a parallel direction, in tarantulas in a medal direction towards each other.
• Also, these spiders belong to different families, tarantulas belong to the family of wolf spiders, tarantulas belong to the family of tarantulas.

Biological certificate

Now let's move on to a description of the tarantula, the characteristics of its behavior, nutrition and reproduction, and give it a brief description as a representative of the animal world.

Scientific classification and lifestyle

The genus of tarantulas belongs to the wolf spider family. They live mainly in burrows, in which they spend all daylight hours, and at night they go out hunting. These arthropods also weave a web, but they use it not as a trapping net, but as a decoration for the walls of their underground apartments and for arranging an oviposition cocoon.

Tarantulas are often confused with tarantula spiders, which is greatly facilitated by the fact that in some languages ​​the word “tarantula” is used to refer to representatives of this family, and even if we ignore the differences in size, these arthropods are similar to each other.

The main difference between the two families is the structure and functioning of the chylicerae. In wolves they move towards each other, in tarantulas they move in parallel.

Description

What does a tarantula look like? These are quite large spiders, reaching a leg span of 30 centimeters. Males are always slightly smaller than females. The bodies of spiders are covered with hairs of gray, brown or brown color, depending on the species.

The largest sizes are tarantulas representing South America; their European relatives rarely exceed a body length of five centimeters.

An interesting question is about the organs of vision of representatives of this family. Curious lovers of the animal world are often interested in how many eyes a tarantula has. We answer - he has eight of them, which allows you to view the entire panorama around both horizontally and vertically.

Nutrition

It is also important to know what tarantulas eat. This is especially true for those lovers of arthropods who are going to breed them in their own apartment. And what, as the character in “The Twelve Chairs” said: “Who needs a mare as a bride!”

And what, as the character in “The Twelve Chairs” said: “Who cares for a mare!”

So, the night hunter feeds on everything that is shorter. It could be an insect, an arachnid of another species, or even small mammals and birds. Digestion in tarantulas, like many other spiders, is external. First, the predator introduces poison and digestive juices into the body of the victim, which decompose the tissues of the victim, and only then absorbs the digested substrate.

Spreading

The question of where tarantulas are found is the most popular among arachnophobes, people who are afraid of spiders. In this regard, residents of central Russia and regions with similar or more severe climatic conditions can rest easy. Here the tarantula can only be found in various zoos and apartments of enthusiasts and Spider-Man fans.

But in the south of our country, our neighboring states, the south of Europe, the African, Asian and American continents, tarantulas are found in large numbers.

Reproduction

Tarantula spiders reproduce like representatives of other spider families, but they still have their own characteristics. First of all, this is the famous mating dance, by which the spider recognizes the male of its own species. In general, the mating process can be divided into the following stages:

1. At the end of summer, the male decides that it is time to extend his tarantula lineage and goes in search of a female.
2. Having found the intended bride, he begins to perform a ritual dance.
3. She, in turn, takes a closer look at the gentleman, and if she decides that he is the man of her dreams and belongs to the same species, she begins to respond to him, copying the dance steps.
4. After such identification, mating itself occurs, after which the groom hurries to quickly retreat before the missus decides to eat him. It must be said that in this respect, male tarantulas are more agile than representatives of the male population of other spiders.

Next, the female finds a burrow suitable for wintering, where she spends the entire winter. With the onset of spring, she crawls out of her home and exposes her abdomen to the warm rays of the young sun.

In the female’s body, warmed by the warmth of the sun, eggs begin to form, up to 700 eggs depending on the species. At the end of this process, the female weaves a cocoon from the web directly on her stomach, where she places the formed eggs.

So she carries her offspring on herself until the young begin to hatch. Sensing this moment, the young mother gnaws through the cocoon and releases her children into the wild.

However, the babies do not leave their mother, but move onto her back, where she carries them until they learn to feed themselves.

What do tarantulas eat?

As you probably already guessed, tarantulas are notorious predators, their food consists of numerous small insects and amphibians: caterpillars, mole crickets, crickets, beetles, cockroaches, small frogs, etc. Tarantulas guard their prey from a hiding place, and then quickly attack. Having attacked, they paralyze the prey with their poison, which subsequently turns its insides into a nutritious liquid, then the tarantula sucks it out like a “cocktail”.

The process of absorption of food by a tarantula can last several days, but in general they are not very voracious and can do without food for a long time, as long as they have access to water.

Content Features

The most common species in the post-Soviet space is the Mizgir (South Russian tarantula). The length of adult females of this species reaches 3 cm.

They are not one of the brightest and most memorable representatives of the family, but they are very popular because they are unpretentious and well suited for those who are getting a pet spider for the first time.

The domestic tarantula is kept without much difficulty. First of all, they set up a terrarium for him.

Dimensions and volume

If the size of the pet is more than 8 cm, then the length and width of the walls of the terrarium should be at least 80 cm. For individuals ranging in size from 2 to 7 cm, 50 cm is sufficient.

Particular attention is paid to safety. The terrarium should always be covered with a lid. This will protect your pet from escaping or eating it (live insects).

To make the tarantula comfortable, the terrarium should visually resemble its natural refuge . Pet owners have several options: make something like a mink or an open area with a mink.

If the first option is chosen, then the size of the terrarium should be 2 times the size of the spider’s body.

If the terrarium is large and lacks a secluded place, then the pet will feel uncomfortable, being constantly in a state of stress.

If the owners prefer a large terrarium, then they should take care of a shallow shelter where the domestic tarantula will hide.

Boxes for pets can be glass (a regular aquarium will do) or plastic. Tarantulas do well even in lunch boxes.

Many breeders prefer this option, since such containers have reliable latches to prevent escape.

Climatic conditions

The domestic tarantula feels good at an average living room temperature of 23-25 ​​°C.

If the room is warmer (25-30 °C), then the spiders begin to grow more intensively. Their size increases noticeably, and they reach sexual maturity faster.

Additional accessories

The tarantula spider thrives in the most modest conditions. This pet lives quite calmly on an orchid substrate with periodic spraying to maintain moisture.

But it is possible to furnish his home with more imagination.:

1. To monitor the humidity in the terrarium, some breeders purchase a hygrometer.
2. If your pet tarantula is notoriously weak at escaping, then a terrarium lock would be a worthwhile purchase.
3. To maintain the required level of humidity, some owners purchase special sprayers.

A pet should always have access to water, since quite often representatives of this family die from dehydration.

Experienced breeders arrange the terrarium so that it has 1-3 holes. Through them, animals will hide from human eyes.

To create such burrows, various plants or tree bark are used. Thanks to this, artificially created conditions become close to the natural habitat.

Home cleaning

Your pet's home requires constant care. To do this safely, you need to purchase medical tweezers. Its optimal length should be 25–30 cm.

Using tweezers, breeders move the spider from place to place, remove its waste products, the corpses of uneaten insects, and replace the water container.

If tweezers are not available, the pet must first be fenced off with a plastic lid or covered with a plastic container. This will help protect yourself from an animal bite and prevent it from escaping.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Poisonous tarantula spider

The period of sexual activity occurs in the last month of summer. The male weaves a web, after which he begins to rub his belly against it. This provokes ejaculation of seminal fluid, which flows onto the web. The male plunges his pedipalps into it, which absorb sperm and become ready for fertilization.

Next comes the stage of searching for a female. Having found a suitable candidate, the male emits vibrations with his abdomen and performs ritual dances, which attracts females. They lure out hiding females by tapping their paws on the ground. If the partner reciprocates, the spider inserts its pedipalps into her cloaca and fertilization occurs.

Then the male quickly retreats so as not to become food for his chosen one. The female weaves a cocoon in the hole in which she lays eggs. Their number can reach 50-2000 pieces at a time. The female carries the offspring on herself for another 40-50 days. The hatched babies move from the mother's abdomen to the back and remain there until they are able to hunt on their own.

The spiderlings grow quickly and soon begin to taste the prey caught by their mother. After the first moult they scatter. By 2-3 years, predators become sexually mature. During this period, arthropods lose their instinct of self-preservation and are easy to meet in broad daylight.

Is it possible to reproduce

Sexual maturity in females occurs 1.5-2 years later than in males. If for males this is 1.5-2 years, then for females it is 4-5 years. The mating period begins at the end of summer. After mating, the male usually dies, and the female begins to prepare for the winter. Female tarantulas lay eggs and place them in a silk cocoon, which is attached to the outside of the abdomen. “Gestation” lasts 40-50 days. During this period, under natural conditions, the female tries to be in the sun more often in order to speed up the incubation process, but at home it is worth increasing the temperature in the terrarium to +30...+32 °C.

A clutch can contain from 50 to 500 eggs. After the incubation period is completed, the little spiderlings remain with their mother for another month, sometimes covering her entire body. After the expiration of a month, the babies leave the female and begin to lead an adult lifestyle. There are cases when the female herself drives away the young or even eats some part of it, so the babies need to be weaned on time.

Well, now you have the necessary knowledge on how to properly keep a tarantula at home, let this knowledge be useful to you, and remember: we are responsible for those we have tamed.

Among the wolf spiders there are interesting, surprising representatives. For some, their appearance is terrifying, while for others, on the contrary, they seem incredibly beautiful. Large araneomorphic venomous spiders called tarantulas

They are an incredibly beautiful furry creature, which in the old days was considered poisonous and dangerous to humans.

Tarantula tarantula

A lot has changed since then. It has been proven that tarantulas are not too dangerous for humanity, but this does not stop some people from looking at them with caution. Just the sight of it makes you shiver involuntarily, even in the photo of a tarantula.

Tarantula bite

although not fatal, it can cause some trouble. After it, the victim may experience a feverish state.

Sometimes, judging by numerous literary descriptions, the aggressive behavior of these spiders was noticed. But this does not mean that such behavior is characteristic of all their representatives.

Tarantula bite

In fact, they live more according to the law - “don’t touch me, and I won’t touch you.” And to a greater extent they can bite only for the purpose of self-defense. By the way, according to eyewitnesses, the bite of these spiders resembles a wasp bite. They do not produce such a large amount of toxins that could negatively affect the health of a person who has been bitten.

Natural enemies of tarantula spiders

Photo: Black tarantula spider

The tarantula has quite a few enemies. The main culprits in the death of arthropods are birds, since they are part of the diet of birds. Wasps encroach on the life of arachnids, just as spiders do with their victims. They inject poison into the tarantula's body, paralyzing the predator.

They then lay eggs inside the spider. Parasites live and develop, after which they get out. Natural enemies include some types of ants and mantises, which are not at all picky about food and eat everything that moves. Frogs and lizards are not averse to eating tarantulas.

The most dangerous enemy is still the same spider. Arthropods tend to eat each other. A female, during the process of fertilization, can encroach on the life of a male individual, like a female praying mantis, or eat her offspring if she cannot trap some insect.

There is continuous hostility between tarantulas and mole crickets. Their habitats overlap. Mole crickets dig the soil, where spiders often climb. Sometimes individuals manage to escape. Wounded or molting arthropods usually become food for the enemy.

In general, the population suffers most in early spring. When lethargic and sleepy arachnids crawl out of their shelters, the mole cricket is right there. Sometimes they climb into spider holes and attack tarantulas with their forelimbs, delivering heavy blows. When the spider loses a lot of blood, the mole cricket eats it.

Hunt and hole

It digs vertical holes up to 30-40 cm deep, lined with cobwebs; when an insect appears near the hole, it quickly jumps out of the hole and catches it. The spider also catches and kills insects that may accidentally crawl into its hole. As a rule, the signal for a tarantula to attack is the shadow of an insect running across the entrance to the hole, and the spider is sensitive to what is happening near the surface, including the movement of passing insects, which also serves as a reason for the attack. By tying a plasticine ball or button to a thread and shaking it in front of the hole, you can lure the tarantula out. At night, the spider becomes more active and leaves the shelter a short distance and hunts for insects. The prey of a tarantula is any insect that comes into view or comes within throwing distance (an example of predation on other, smaller species of spiders is not uncommon). Some specimens can climb into residential buildings, especially in small towns.

Keeping a tarantula at home

If you have decided that you want to have such an unusual companion at home, then you can be completely calm - caring for him requires a minimum of effort. For this reason, if you are a busy person, but want to get a little friend, you have made the right choice. Having provided him with the necessary living conditions at the very beginning of your friendship, you can assume that the most difficult thing is already behind you.

Typically, small terrariums serve as a home for arthropods indoors. A prerequisite for your comfortable living together will be the presence of a lid for the terrarium. After all, we must not forget for a second that this is still a spider. And he tends to weave a web, which can serve as a ladder from his house to yours, and also that this is a poisonous creature and its bite, although not fatal, is, nevertheless, not very pleasant.

It is also recommended to arrange his home so that he can sometimes retire. Natural materials, such as tree crowns or various branches, are best suited for constructing shelters. And you won’t have to spend money, and your student will feel almost like in their native lands.

The flooring should be prepared from moss, sand, earth and clay. We must remember that this spider is a hard worker and loves to build houses for himself, so the flooring layer should allow the terrarium inhabitant to dig at least a small hole for himself.

A necessary attribute in his house will be a container that will always be filled with clean drinking water and a small pool. It is in the pool that he will swim. After all, the most common cause of death of tarantulas is dehydration. To prevent such an unpleasant situation, it is also necessary to carry out regular spraying of its territory. The temperature in his “apartment” should always be within 24–28 degrees, and the air humidity should be at least 50%.

1. Menu for the big-eyed pet. The diet of a domestic tarantula is not much different from this process in the wild. Its food list should include a variety of living creatures that fit the size of your pet arachnite, such as cockroaches, crickets, small worms and grasshoppers. The regularity of eating varies depending on the age category of your arthropod. If this is a young individual, then it needs to be fed twice a week, but if we are talking about an adult spider, then the optimal frequency of meals is once every 8–10 days. It is necessary to immediately remove any leftovers from your companion’s “table”. It would be a very good idea to feed your tenant with various vitamin complexes from time to time, which will have a very positive effect on his health, and, accordingly, on the duration of his life period.
2. The right neighborhood. It is not recommended to place several individuals in one terrarium; this can not only provoke their aggression towards each other, but in a fit of anger they will simply eat each other.
3. Dealing with a toxic friend. "Everything has its time!" - this saying, by the way, is perfect for tarantulas. After some time, he will get used to you and will not perceive you as an object that poses a threat to him. You should pick up this unique pet carefully and carefully, avoiding sudden movements.

Danger

All types of tarantulas are poisonous. The poison lies in the glands located in the cephalothorax and opening at the top of the tentacles-mandibles, with which the spider pierces the skin of its prey in order to then suck it out. Tarantulas do not attack humans on their own, but if they are teased, especially females wearing an egg cocoon or having young spiders on them, jump up and can bite a person.

For humans, a tarantula bite is never fatal, but causes swelling and pain in the bitten area. In addition, sometimes the skin turns yellow and remains that way for quite a long time (up to 2 months). There is no reliable information about the fatal outcome for humans from a tarantula bite.

What to do if you are bitten?

After a tarantula bite, you must immediately provide first aid to the injured person. It is very important to slow down the spread of poison throughout the body and speed up its elimination. If a child or a person prone to developing allergies has suffered from an arachnid attack, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Signs of a bite

Usually a person feels that he has been bitten by a tarantula. The sensations are approximately the same as when a hornet stings - a painful, burning sting. The local reaction manifests itself as follows:

• two noticeable punctures from the chelicerae;
• redness and swelling of the affected skin area;
• painful burning at the site of the bite, less often itching;
• the temperature of the skin next to the wound rises.

Some victims after a bite experience dizziness, weakness, and their pulse quickens.

The body of allergy sufferers reacts much more severely to tarantula venom. They may experience:

• a sharp increase in temperature;
• headache;
• muscle pain;
• severe swelling;
• low pressure;
• nausea;
• numbness of the limbs;
• labored breathing.

In severe cases, anaphylactic shock develops and the victim may die, so medical attention should be provided immediately.

First aid for a bite

Providing first aid to a victim bitten by a tarantula is as follows:

• thoroughly rinse the bite site with clean water;
• treat the wound with an antiseptic;
• Apply a cold compress to the affected area.

If the pain is severe, you can take a pain reliever, and to prevent the development of an allergic reaction, an antihistamine.

Bite

After a tarantula bite, it is very important for a person to remain calm and drink plenty of warm liquids. This will speed up the elimination of toxins and alleviate the general condition.

What not to do?

To avoid serious consequences after a tarantula bite, you should not:

• warm the bite site;
• try to squeeze out the poison (this will only speed up its spread);
• scratch or cut the skin in the affected area.

As for the advice to smear the wound with the blood of an attacking spider, it is very doubtful. Indeed, the blood of a tarantula is an antidote to its poison, but by applying the blood of a killed arthropod to an open wound, you can introduce an infection into the body, which will lead to the development of serious complications.

Population and species status

Photo: Tarantula spider

Tarantulas are most common in forest-steppe, steppe and desert areas. Their numbers are gradually decreasing every year, but over the past ten years, wolf spiders have managed to stop the process of population decline and even stabilize it. Climate warming has had a beneficial effect on this.

One of the main reasons for the decline in arthropod numbers is commercial activity. In third world countries, arachnids are caught in order to sell them for little money and earn food. In countries with less developed economies, there has been a significant decline in the number of tarantulas.

From 1995 to 2004 in the Republic of Tatarstan, the species was recorded in the Nizhnekamsk, Elabuga, Zelenodolsk, Tetyushsky, Chistopol, and Almetyevsk regions, where its appearance was recorded from 3 to 10 times. Mostly, individuals are found alone.

Tropical forests are being cut down at a significant rate due to population growth. In Bolivia and Brazil, artisanal methods of gold and diamond mining are used, which destroys the soil. Water is pumped underground, as a result of which the integrity of the earth's surface is damaged. This, in turn, leads to negative consequences for the existence of the animal world.

Lifestyle

The tarantula digs burrows mainly on mountain slopes. Burrows are up to 50-60 centimeters deep. The entrance to them is bordered by a small ridge consisting of dry leaves. During the day, the tarantula usually sits in a hole, and at night it goes for prey, which consists of various insects. In winter, the tarantula clogs its home with dry plants intertwined with cobwebs. Young spiders (up to 300 pieces) emerge from the facial cocoon and stay on the mother’s body for some time.

In Russia, the most common type of tarantula is the Mizgir (Latin name Lycosa singoriensis). Its color is very variable and can be black-brown, light brown, or reddish with various spots. It has been noticed that the color is largely adapted to the surrounding environment, mainly the color of the soil.

Tarantula Spider Conservation

Photo: Tarantula spider from the Red Book

The South Russian tarantula, which has the second name Mizgir, is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan and classified as category 3 of species that are reducing their numbers; in the Red Book of Udmurtia, where it was assigned category 4 with an uncertain status; Red Data Book of the Nizhny Novgorod Region in category B3.

Limiting factors are active human agricultural activity, natural enemies, destruction of characteristic habitats, loss of dry grass, changes in groundwater levels, trampling of wet biotopes, military operations in semi-deserts, and an increase in plowed areas.

The species is protected by the Zhigulevsky Nature Reserve, the Prisursky Nature Reserve on the territory of the Batyrevsky site and the Samarskaya Luka National Park. Conservation measures include educational work among residents to limit the catching of arthropods. There are farms for breeding tarantulas in Mexico.

Conservation measures that need to be implemented include identifying the arachnid's natural habitats and providing the protection required for the species. The dry grass has stopped falling in the spring. Organization of NP "Zavolzhye". Restriction or cessation of economic activity, limitation of chemicals for spraying plants, suspension of livestock grazing.

The tarantula spider is not an aggressive animal. He will prefer to escape than attack a person. An attack can be provoked by the actions of people who touch the spider or get too close to the hole. Fortunately, the bite of a predator is comparable to a bee sting, and the blood of the spider itself can best neutralize the effect of the poison.

Buy a tarantula

This can be done through free classifieds sites, social networks or specialized forums where lovers of large spiders gather.

An individual of the South Russian tarantula is offered to be purchased for 1 thousand . rubles and send it to you in another city with opportunity. Before purchasing, do not forget to find out how responsible the seller of arthropods is, and only then transfer money. Watching a tarantula is undoubtedly very interesting, but do not relax - it is, after all, poisonous and bites without much thought.

How to get rid of tarantulas in the garden

Start fighting these arthropods as soon as you notice their burrows in your area. Tarantulas make deep underground passages, dig holes and thereby reduce soil productivity.

Walk through all the beds, checking the secluded places under the leaves and in the depressions in the soil where the tarantulas could lay their eggs. Collect and burn all cocoons found. Spray the rows with boric acid or lime.

If there are few tarantula burrows in your area, place baits in the form of lumps of plasticine attached to threads like a sinker and lower them into the burrows. Spiders will certainly cling to these baits, then they can be collected and destroyed.

As a repellent plant, plant peppermint bushes in your area. If possible, drive stakes into the area and put wind rattles on them. The vibration from the rotating ratchets will be transmitted underground along the stakes, and the tarantulas will leave your area.

Important! If you plan to breed these arthropods, place the babies and mother immediately after they reach one month of age. During this period, the female ceases to recognize her cubs and often eats a significant part of them.

tarantula spider: KEEPING AND CARE AT HOME, PHOTO, BREEDING

LIZARD: DESCRIPTION, PHOTO, REPRODUCTION, SPECIES, FOOD, LIFESTYLE

CHAMELEON: LIFESTYLE, HABITAT, PHOTO, SPECIES, REPRODUCTION, HUNTING

IGUANA: CARE AND MAINTENANCE AT HOME, PHOTO, DESCRIPTION

What to do if bitten by a tarantula?

The toxicity of tarantulas depends on many factors - their species, gender, age, time of year. For example, in April spiders are not particularly active. They just woke up and are practically in no danger.

There are fewer spider bites, and they are not very toxic. In mid-May, spiders begin to lay their eggs and become more active. Aggression awakens in them and along with this toxicity increases.

The beginning of June is characterized by a 3-fold increase in toxicity. It is at this time that spiders mate and migrate. This is the most dangerous time. Only in September does the toxicity of tarantulas decrease.

In essence, the poison of these invertebrates does not pose a great danger to humans. The only exceptions are people prone to allergies and small children.

A tarantula bite may be accompanied by local pain, redness of the skin at the site of the bite, swelling, general malaise, drowsiness, and increased temperature. For some, these symptoms include dizziness and nausea.

Apulian tarantula

The bite site is under no circumstances cauterized. The bite should not be cut. This can lead to infection. Scratching is also contraindicated. You must first wash the bite with antibacterial or regular soap, followed by an antiseptic.

Applying cold can reduce the pain comparatively. A large amount of water will help quickly remove toxic substances. And taking antihistamines will relieve allergies. In case of sudden deterioration in health or bite of small children, it is better to call an ambulance.