| What is a Tarantula? | ||
| Before proceeding
further, let us clear up a popular misconception regarding tarantulas. In
fact, the name itself is a misnomer going back over many years. There is a real 'tarantula; which is a small spider coming from Southern Europe and which was particularly prolific around the town of Taranto. A true spider, as opposed to a Theraphosid, the good people of Taranto were terrified and popularly believed that the bite - if not treated quickly - was fatal. The only way they could think of to rid the victim of the poison was to dance. That dance became known as the 'Tarantella' and the spider as the 'Tarantula'. Over the years, the term has become generally used for all large hairy spiders and now that this Americanism is in such common use, it is all but impossible to change the name and make the correction. Most people nowadays will know immediately what you mean when you say 'Tarantula', but few would understand the term 'Theraphosid'. So, what is a Theraphosid spider? With 30,000 species of spider in the World, categorising is a necessity. Tarantulas (Theraphosids) belong to the Mygalomorphs and are very primitive. In fact, they are often referred to as the dinosaurs of the spider world! The main difference between true spiders and tarantulas is the fangs. In true spiders, the fangs have evolved so that they move around upon an axis giving them the ability to snare prey at various angles, whilst the tarantula has fangs which fold underneath and have to be used in a striking motion, up and down, thereby limiting the scope for trapping their next meal! Many a myth is at large throughout the World today about spiders in general and tarantulas in particular. The first question always asked is, "They can kill you, can't they?". Well, of course, they cannot!! Spiders and their kin, eg scorpions, have a very bad press, the media often treating them with a certain amount of contempt, expressing the view that those of us who keep and care for them are somewhat peculiar. Perhaps we are?! Caring for tarantulas is not as difficult as might be thought. A feed once a week is sufficient for most adult tarantulas, in addition to keeping fresh water ALWAYS on hand. There are no messing problems and they do not need to be taken for walks! Tarantulas excrete a transparent and odourless material. They carry no known diseases communicable to man or other domestic livestock. A noiseless creature, actually many species are quite docile, although there are notable exceptions. If the tarantula should bite, which is rare, the resultant wound is, in most cases, equivalent to a bee sting and, therefore, only those unfortunate enough to be allergic to such stings should steer clear of tarantulas. It is thought, in fact, that tarantulas do not like the taste of human flesh and, let us assure you, that a bite from a hamster can be far, far worse - we speak from bitter experience! The fear of spiders is prolific, but really there is not completely valid reason for this. They give a service second to none in relieving us of harmful insect pests, so we should be more tolerant - or at least try to be so! |
||
Home Page | Newsletter and Gallery | Keeping Tarantulas | What is a Tarantula? | About the S&WTS | Care of Locusts | Care of Crickets | Links Page | Forthcoming shows and events | Membership Form |
||
Email: spidernorton@compuserve.com |
||