Range
Tarantulas occur worldwide. Those found in North America occur in the southern and southwestern states. These generally have a body length of less than 2 inches and a leg span of from 3 to 4 inches.

Curious Facts

• Tarantulas are harmless to humans and can be trained as pets.
• The Tarantula spins no web but catches its prey by pursuit.
• There are more than 800 species of Tarantulas.
• After mating, the male may be eaten by the female.

Their 8 eyes are closely grouped, with a pair in the middle and 3 on each side of the face. They have large fangs 2 pairs of slits on the underside of the abdomen that lead to the respiratory organs called book lungs. Book lungs have many folds lying close together like the pages of a book through which blood passesto acquire oxygen from the outside air. Many also produce a hissing sound by rubbing their jaws, front legs, or palps against each other.

Tarantulas are sluggish spend most of their time hidden in burrows or other retreats, becoming active in the late afternoon from spring through fall. Some dig their own burrows, others use ready-made crevices or abandoned rodent holes. Some make their homes under rocks or logs or under the bark of  trees. They are not gregarious, meaning there is only one spider per burrow.

Food & Hunting
The tarantula is a nocturnal hunter. It does not spin a web to capture its prey, but catches food by speed. It will take virtually anything of the right size that moves within range, but feeds primarily on small insects like grasshoppers, beetles, sow bugs, other small spiders and sometimes small lizards.

The tarantula strikes with its fangs, injecting venom and grasping the prey with its palps, armlike appendages between the mouth and legs. Then the Tarantula grinds its victim into a ball, secretes digestive juices onto it, and sucks up the liquefied prey. It may also wrap the ball in silk for a later meal.
 

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