Hobbies And Interests
Habitat
Tarantulas live in desert regions of California. They are often seen on dry hills where crumbly soil allows them to dig. California tarantulas live in underground burrows. Although they actively hunt most of their food, they sometimes build nests across the doorways of their homes to catch prey.
Activities
Tarantulas are most active after a rainfall. Insects often hatch at that time due to the increased moisture on the ground and in the air, and tarantulas go on the hunt for them. The California tarantula seizes prey with its front legs and injects paralyzing venom with two fangs.
As a tarantula grows, it sheds its brittle exoskeleton, leaving behind what may appear to be a tarantula but is really only a skin. Adult tarantulas shed about once per year, while young spiders grow more rapidly and shed their exoskeleton more often. Male tarantulas can live up to 10 years and females up to 20 years.
Diet
Tarantulas consume almost anything smaller than themselves. This includes many kinds of insects, such as crickets, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Large adult tarantulas consume baby western fence lizards that are common in California, as well as baby mice and small frogs. Tarantulas also eat other spiders.
Physical Characteristics
Tarantulas have eight eyes, while some spiders have only six eyes. Tarantulas cannot see colors or make out distinct shapes. They primarily sense movement. These spiders have retractable hooks at the end of each leg, which they use to grip and climb. Tarantulas' jaws open vertically, while the jaws of many other spiders open horizontally. These characteristics can help identify a California tarantula and differentiate it from the wolf spider, for which it is commonly mistaken.
Adaptations
The California tarantula has a built-in defense system against predators in the form of tiny hairs on its body. When a mammal gets too close, the tarantula releases these hairs, which irritate the eyes, nose and mouth of the predator. While the animal coughs, sneezes and blinks, the tarantula uses its speed to escape. These hairs make the California tarantula unusual because many Asian and African species rely instead on stronger venom.
Relationship to Humans
Tarantulas are beneficial to humans because they eat insects that destroy crops and bite. The tarantulas found in California are not aggressive and as a result rarely bite humans. Tarantulas can be kept as pets, and pet stores sometimes de-fang them so that they can be handled.