Caption: Photographer David Tremblay said he thought about placing his hand next to the tarantula for a size comparison. The spider is about 5 inches across. (David Tremblay/For The Ruidoso News)Watch out!:
“Male tarantulas live 10 to 12 years. Females can live twice as long,” he said. “Predators of tarantulas include lizards, snakes, spider-eating birds, coyotes and foxes.
“Tarantulas are nocturnal hunters. They feed primarily on insects like grasshoppers, beetles, other small spiders and arthropods, and will sometimes eat small lizards.”
Tarantulas are found worldwide. Those in North America live in the southern and southwestern states, with many other species to the south throughout Mexico, Central and South America.
They are very sensitive to vibrations in the ground that may indicate the presence of prey or danger, Tremblay said. They are equipped with urticating hairs on their abdomen that can be released by kicking with their back legs; these hairs irritate the nose and eyes of would-be attackers.
“I’ve read that they are docile, but they can leap nearly five feet into the air,” Tremblay said.
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