INTRODUCTION
Why hello there. I’m here to help you learn a little bit about a ginormous, super hairy spider, otherwise known as the TARANTULA! Tarantulas belong to the arachnid family, and are among some of the largest arachnids out there. Currently over 900 species of tarantulas have been discovered! Only in the Sonoran Desert do tarantulas grow to be 3-4 inches long, though! That’s huge for a spider!!! Take a look around this page to learn many more interesting facts about the tarantula as well as have a bit of fun at the same time too! 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. 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.
ACTIVITY
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.
ASSESSMENT
The following information was found from these websites:
The following pictures were found from these websites:
Tarantula in rocks and dirt,
Tarantula coming out of a hole,
Female tarantula,
Male tarantula,
Mating tarantulas,
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