Tarantula Facts for Kids

The word tarantula brings to mind a big, hairy, scary spider. Thanks to the movies which have used giant mutated spiders with exaggerated prowess to strike fear in our hearts, most people have a distorted view of spiders (especially the large hairy ones). However, an ideal time to clear away misconception, and set the record straight is in childhood. By teaching tarantula facts for kids in schools and homes, many of the misconceptions that stand can be cleared away, and a time may come when spiders are no longer received with shrieks.

The word tarantula does not refers to one kind of spider, but is the name given to several hundreds of species. They are found in most of the tropical, subtropical, and arid regions of the world, such as forests and the desert. Tarantula facts state that their color and behavior varies according to the environment of the region they inhabit.

Interesting Facts for Children

• The name tarantula is given to a group of large spiders with hairy bodies and legs. There are approximately 900 species of spiders that fall into this category. The largest tarantula is the Goliath bird-eating species, while the smallest, acanthopelma annae, is the size of a fingernail.
• The name 'tarantula' is borrowed from the town of Taranto in Southern Italy. These spiders have many different regional names, including "baboon spiders" in Africa, and "bird-eating spiders" or "earth tigers" in Asia. Some species native to Australia are referred to as "whistling spiders", "barking spiders" or "bird-eating spiders".
• While a fearsome reputation precedes them, in reality, it is only the tarantulas bite that is painful, but the venom they inject is weaker than a typical bee's. Even the largest (Goliath) tarantulas bite, is usually not lethal to humans, but can make a person sweat profusely and feel nauseous. The venom of some can cause discomfort for a few days, but it is only fatal for those allergic to it.
• They move slowly and deliberately, which is often perceived as stealth. Nocturnal hunting is an area of expertise, though it does not spin a web as a trap for its prey, or leap upon it. Some of them put in place a trip wire which alerts it when something approaches its burrow. The spiders then grab the prey with its appendages, and inject paralyzing venom into them. They then inject digestive juices into their victims, which break down soft tissue liquefying their victims' bodies, so that they can then be sucked up through their straw-like mouth.
• Some species hunt prey primarily in trees, while others hunt on or near the ground. Like most spiders, tarantulas mostly feed on insects, though they occasionally feed on small animals such as frogs, toads, small snakes, lizards, mice and bats. The Goliath bird-eating tarantula, as the name suggests, eats small, young birds, but only rarely. If a tarantula has a particularly large meal, it can go without food for nearly a month.
• Like many other insects, they also shed their external skeletons after a given period of time. The process is called molting, and in the case of tarantulas, it may include the replacement of internal organs, such as female genitalia and stomach lining. They are even known to regrow lost appendages.
• Another ingenious weapon (apart from the nasty fangs) that the tarantula has is that it can release hairlike setae (looks like strands of hair) from its body, when it perceives a threat. When this tiny, almost invisible hair comes in contact with the objectionable person or animal, it irritates the skin. The situation can turn fairly grave if the delicate mucous membranes around eyes or mouth are exposed to this released hair.
• Information about Goliath tarantulas throws up intriguing facts, such as that they make a sound, without the use of vocal cords! This fairly distinct hissing sound (called stridulation) that can be heard up to 15 feet away is generated by the rubbing of bristles on its legs together!
• While tarantulas do not have many natural enemies, parasitic pepsis wasps presents quite a threat. This wasp first paralyzes a tarantula with its sting, and then lays its eggs on it. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the living tarantula to grow and sustain themselves.

Some species, especially the vividly colored ones, are popular in the exotic pet trade. Their popularity as pets is on the rise, and they are easily available. However, one must know how to properly handle a pet tarantula, and be well versed with the care guide before bringing one home. Among tarantula facts for kids, a disturbing one is that tarantula populations are under pressure from habitat destruction.