WHO AM I?
I am the Tarantula! The female version of me is plump and covered in brown hair and can live for about 20-22 years. The male version of me is lengthier and covered in black hair and can only live for about 10-12 years. I can grow up to four inched long here in the Sonoran Desert! I have no teeth, and instead of chewing I use my venom to liquefy my prey and then suck it down with my stomach. Pretty neat huh? Keep reading to find out lots more about me.

WHERE DO I LIVE?
You can find me worldwide. However I am mostly found in the southwestern United States, particularly the Sonoran Desert, but I also like to live in Mexico, and Central and South America too. I live in a deep burrow that I line with silk so that it won’t cave in on me. Occasionally, if I can’t find soil that is right for me and my family to make my home I will use an old log for the time being.

 

WHAT DO I EAT?
The only time I hunt for my food is at night. On an average day I will eat grasshoppers, beetles, and other small spiders. I would prefer to eat small lizards, but don’t often get the chance too. Although I typically stick to the same foods I might attempt to eat anything smaller then me that comes my way. You’ll do what you gotta do when you’re hungry…you know?

HOW DO I LOOK?
As I mentioned before the male and female version of me differ greatly. If you were to see a female version of me you would see a rather plump, light brown to tan colored hair, and typically three inch critter. If you were to see a male version of me you would see a lankier, dark brown or black, up to four inch critter. Sometimes you might even be able to see red hair on a males belly.     

        Female                Male

 

HOW DO I REPRODUCE?
After a male and female tarantula mate, I the female will create an egg sac. After that I care for and guard the sac until my hundreds of babies hatch. The guarding and protecting process can take me up to seven whole weeks. I can also get a bit more aggressive during this time, which is only natural for a mama to do. Once my babies are born they stick around for a little while and continue to feed off of the rest of the yolk sac before taking off on their own.

FUN FACTS
-The largest tarantulas have a leg span of 10 inches, about the size of a dinner plate.

-Tarantulas rarely bite humans.

-Tarantulas defend themselves by throwing needle like hairs onto its enemy. 

-A fall can kill a tarantula.

-Tarantulas can re-grow a lost leg. 

In groups of four create a desert habitat for a tarantula to live in. You will be using a shoe box and materials you can find around your schools campus. For second and third graders include a few facts about tarantulas. Afterwords present your habitat to the class and see what the the class feels works well in a turantula habitat, and what materials do not belong in a tarantula habitat.