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Wildlife Wonderings – Along Came a Spider (or Two“Nothing’s more fun than a barrel of moneys, you’ve heard people say…” Well, except for possibly a pair of tarantulas! Find out for yourself on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 12 p.m., for Wildlife Wonderings, when our guests are a pair of awesome arachnids. Joining us in person will be two of our eight-legged ambassador: a Curlyhair Tarantula and a Mexican Redknee Tarantula.
The Curlyhair Tarantula (Tliltocatl albopilosus) is a plump-bodied spider, covered with dark brown to black bristles that start light in coloration as a juvenile and darken as the tarantula ages. It has a golden-bronze sheen due to longer gold bristles that cover the whole body, which are particularly dense on the hind legs. In captivity both male and female specimens have grown to have a leg span of just over 6 inches (15 cm); however, males live a shorter life at only 5 years in captivity opposed to females reportedly living up to 20 years. Males are often a lighter bronze color than females.
The species' native range is Costa Rica. They are largely terrestrial, opportunistically burrowing spiders. This tarantula is covered in long bristles that have a characteristic curl to them giving them a unique look, which is why they are nick-named "curly-haired" tarantulas. Itis found in tropical scrubland, either around the base of large trees, near rivers, or in patches of cleared rain forest.
Primarily a nocturnal, opportunistic ambusher, the Curlyhair Tarantula preys on insects and small vertebrates. An area on the end of each leg is sensitive to smell, taste and vibration, and is used to detect prey. The tarantula holds its prey with its pedipalps (front limbs) and injects it with venom delivered via two hollow fangs. This venom has a double purpose, paralyzing the prey, as well as beginning digestion.
Also on view in this program will be a Mexican Redknee Rarantula (Brachypelma smithi) that lives in the tropical deciduous forests, dry forests, and deserts of, you guessed it, Mexico.
Mexican Redknee Tarantulas hide during the heat of the day in their silk-lined burrows, which are located under thorny vegetation such as cacti. Once darkness descends, their burrows transform into the perfect location to ambush unsuspecting prey such as insects, frogs, lizards, and mice. The burrow’s camouflaged silk welcome mat transmits the vibrations of passing prey to the tarantula so that it knows when to rush out and grab its next meal. After delivering a venomous bite, which paralyzes and liquefies the victim, the tarantula can then suck up the juices through its straw-like mouthparts. No need to fear for your own safety though, because while a Mexican Redknee Tarantula’s venom is fatal to its small prey, it’s only the equivalent of a bee sting to humans.
Biting also isn’t a tarantula’s first line of defense. When threatened, tarantulas will rear up to display their fangs or flick the barbed hairs off their abdomen. These “urticating” hairs can penetrate the skin of the attacker and cause painful irritation, and if they enter the eye they can cause blindness. Speaking of eyes, despite having 8 of them, tarantulas have poor vision. Instead, they rely on the ends of their legs to detect vibrations, smells, and tastes to help locate prey and other tarantulas. Each of their eight legs is also equipped with two claws that help them scale a variety of surfaces with ease.
Tarantulas have a unique claim to fame in that they were named after a high-energy Italian dance called the tarantella, in which the frenzied movements involved were thought to be the result of, or a cure for, the bite of a spider.
Mating occurs in the summer during the rainy season, though the male doesn’t stick around for long. The real work is left to the female, who waits until spring to deposit 200-400 eggs into a silk egg sac. She then carries, cares for, and protects her offspring until they’re ready to become independent. This process may take a while though, since the eggs hatch after three months but the tiny freeloaders, also known as spiderlings, don’t leave the egg sac for another three weeks! Give it another 2 weeks though, and then the spiderlings are finally ready to disperse from their mother’s burrow. Despite being able to care for themselves at this point, they won’t be considered mature adults until they are four-seven years old.
The learn more about these interesting arachnids, join us at the Nature Center for Wildlife Wonderings at 12 noon on Wednesday, Feb, 18. This program is open to tarantula enthusiasts of all ages and is free of charge and open to the public.
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