Baby Tarantula
They may be dark colored when they first hatch but before long baby tarantulas molt and acquire their hair and colorful designs like the adult tarantula. However, they don’t have venom whey when they first hatch
Like other spiders tarantulas carry an egg sac contain many spiderlings on average from 500 to 1000. Once the eggs hatch their parental responsibility ends there. Hundreds of spiderlings crawl out when the eggs hatch and they are left to fend for themselves.
As pets, tarantulas live anywhere. In their natural setting they like drier and warmer climates. In North America they inhabit the desert regions of Arizona, Texas and carlifonia. A majority of tarantulas species live in burrows abandoned by other spiders or burrows the holes themselves working with their fore legs and fangs. Some tarantula species weave webs in trees. These webs are funnel shaped.
What tarantulas eat
Like most spider species, tarantulas feed on insects like beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars and cicadas. But the big tarantulas eat bigger prey such as birds, frogs, snakes, bats and rodents.
Most tarantulas have to hunt since they don’t have webs. They feel vibrations through their feet and body hairs. When they detect prey they jump on it and hold it using their front legs. They bite the prey and inject venom and digestive enzymes liquefying it for ingestion. Though some tarantulas can kill their prey with a bite, they cannot eat solid food.
All species of tarantula are venomous and use the venom to primarily inject and paralyze prey. Tarantulas are not interested in biting people, they will first try to get away from a threat, if that fails they bare their fangs and rear up in a threatening position. This is usually enough of a deterrent. Even then when they bite they will often bite without injecting any venom. The bite feels like a bee sting. In case you get bitten, err on the side of caution and seek medical attention.
Mating
Tarantulas are nocturnal and territorial but when the mating urge is on it overpowers every other sense and that’s when males will move during daylight regardless of the danger they are exposing themselves to. Female tarantulas hang around in their burrows waiting for a male to show up. Male tarantulas wander around looking for a mate. They deposit sperm on a web ball and carry it in on themselves as they move, searching for a female. When they locate a burrow with a female occupant they will tap on webbing lining the burrow to announce their presence. The male will engage in a mating ritual and if the female tarantula is receptive he will deposit the sperm and escape to avoid getting eaten. Males will die shortly after reproduction even if they avoid getting snacked on by the female.
After fertilization the female lays a silk cocoon with an egg sac holding at least 500 eggs. This happens inside the burrow. She will stay with the eggs guarding them until hatching time.
When the weather turns cold tarantulas will seek warm places such as a burrow or even inside homes. If you see them inside your home it is best to call a pest control professional.
