Spiders

The tarantula’s appearance is worse than its bite. A Tarantula Spiders venom is weaker than that of a honeybee and, though painful, is virtually harmless to humans.

Spiders

The Ten Most Poisonous Spiders
Spiders are either loved or despised by the world’s population. We appreciate them for their ability to catch other pests, kill them and eat them, but at the same time, there’s that “yucky-out” factor that many people cannot stand to have. Whether the spiders are small or large, they bring chills to some and celebration to others. They are found in and outside of the home and can even be poisonous. Here is a small list of the ten most poisonous spiders found in the United States.

1. Brown Recluse Spiders – found across the United States, predominantly in the South. Venom from this spider can cause injuries of tissue loss and necrosis.

2. Black Widow Spiders – Found outdoors and in sheds and cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces. Bites can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, hypertension and abdominal pain. There were anti-venoms developed in 1956 for bites from these spiders.

3. Hobo Spiders – Normally found in some of the north western states, this spider is usually found at ground level and below (in basements). Bites will blister and break open. Symptoms include headache, nausea, fatigue, weakness, temporary memory loss, and even vision impairment.

4. Grass Spiders – Found mostly in the Pacific Northwest, these spiders have a low risk to humans.

5. Female Mouse Spiders – Both the male and female mouse spiders normally won’t bite unless provoked. Male spiders will tend to bite before the female, and their fangs are rather large and produce a very painful bite. It’s vital to seek medical attention immediately. These spiders are ground dwellers and burrow up to 3 feet into the ground.

6. Male Mouse Spiders – Can be found in both coastal and drier habitats. Symptoms include tingling around the mouth and tongue, facial muscle twitching,nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating,salivation and shortness of breath.

7. Black House Spiders – While not lethal, black house spiders’ bites are poisonous. People who have been bitten have experienced pain, sweating, muscular pains, headaches, and vomiting. First aid should be sought immediately.

8. Wolf Spiders – Like the Black House Spider, the wolf spider is poisonous, but not lethal. If provoked, the spider will bite freely. If a child or elder is bit, seek medical attention immediately.

9. Female Trap-door spiders – Trap door spiders present a non-toxic bit to humans and aren’t very aggressive. They rarely bite, but if so, it can be very painful.

10. Garden Orb-weaving spiders – These spiders present a non-toxic venom to humans. They rarely bite, and can be found in garden areas around the home. Their webs can be 6 feet or more in size and can be found between buildings or shrubs.

Spiders

Black Widow – Shiny black with a red hourglass on its abdomen. It is only the females who have a perilous bite. They like to hide in shoes left outside (seriously), under rocks, between bricks, and will not usually get inside. They make very messy webs.
Brown Recluse – This a brown spider that has a horrible painful bite. On its back is the signature violin pattern. They do not build webs and will reproduce very quick inside of a home.
Daring Jumping Spider – Black, small and furry. It’s pretty quick and curious too. May have a white spot on its abdomen.
Yellow Sac Spider – Yellow or green bodied spider that can be found running around outside. This spider is responsible for more bites than any other spider in the United States.
Wolf Spider – Large brown spider with a tan strip running across its carapace. Does not construct webs and sometimes mothers can be seen carrying live babies on her back.
Cellar Spider – Translucent tan color, very long legs and skinny abdomen. They make messy webs in the corners of your home.
Nursery Web Spider – Looks just like a wolf spider except the females can be seen carrying eggs with their mouth parts. They are prominent around creeks and bodies of water. Does not usually get inside the house.
Garden Spiders – Black and yellow with white in between. This spider is huge and terrifying. They build large webs between shrubbery to catch and eat crickets.

We’ve skimmed the surface briefly. Spiders belonging to the order Agriope are very common as well, but because there are so many subspecies, it is impossible to provide a unique description. Spiders in the Agriope order build webs around eaves, windows, and below decking. They have a bulbous abdomen and vary in colors of orange, red, black, yellow, etc. The legs are usually striped as well.

Tarantula Spiders – More Terrific Than Terrifying!
Tarantulas have been a relatively well loved pet now for several years. They are unique, silent, and need small space, and keeping tarantulas as pets can make a fascinating leisure activity. In fact, tarantulas are one of the most low maintenance yet exotic pets you will find. In addition, tarantulas are gentle and can be trained quite well as pets.

Tarantulas are a member of the spider family. Like other spiders, they have 8 legs, and 8 eyes close together. Beyond that, there are some very fascinating and distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from other spiders. They have very hairy bodies and legs, and can live about 30 years. They spin no webs but catch prey by pursuit and fighting. Many tarantulas also “speak” by produce a hissing sound by rubbing their jaws or front legs against each other.

There are over 800 species of tarantula. They are native to many areas and climates in the wild. They are roughly divided into two groups: “ancient world” (from the eastern hemisphere) and “new world” (from the western hemisphere). In terms of pet care, they are further divided into desert or tropical species, and ground-dwelling or aboreal (tree-dwelling).

Tarantulas range in size from only an inch or so to relative giants measuring nearly a foot across. The Goliath Tarantula, which inhabits South America, reaches a body length of 5 inches with a leg span of up to 12 inches. Even the small tarantulas reach a relatively large body length of 1.5 inches. But, the vast majority of species stay small enough to be safely and comfortably housed in a standard 5 to 10 gallon terrarium or aquarium tank (a cover should be provided to prevent escape).

The majority of tarantulas are black (most males) or brown (most females), but some species exhibit striking colors. The Mexican Red-Legged Tarantula has bright red leg markings and Cobalt Blue Tarantula has legs colored deep blue. The degree of coloring varies with the species and geographical location. Even “plain” brown spiders vary greatly in shade from a soft tan, through reddish brown to dark brown.

As an example of the pet tarantula, a fantastic and well loved choice for the beginning spider owner is the pink rose or the Chilean Rose tarantula. It grows to a manageable size of 3 to 4 inches and has a relatively mild temperament. They are naturally docile and slow moving animals that can be easily handled by the novice keeper with some care. It is also a ground dwelling spider, meaning that it lives in a burrow during the day and feeds usually at night. The ground dweller is a much simpler habitat to replicate to make your spider feel at home and be comfortable.

Yet another fascinating phenomenon showed by the tarantula is molting. Tarantulas have exoskeletons and do not have internal skeletons. Exoskeletons do not allow for growth so in order for the tarantula to grow it has to molt out of its ancient exoskeleton. The ancient exoskeleton splits and the spider works its way out. Adult tarantulas molt once or twice a year, and baby tarantulas molt more often since they are growing so quickly.

Observing the molting of tarantulas is surely one of the most exciting experiences in keeping them. If you notice your tarantula on its back, it is probably molting. Most tarantulas will quick for about a week before the molting starts and they certainly will not eat during the molting. Do not place live crickets or other food in the cage during the molting. It takes several days for the new exoskeleton to harden. Molting is stressful on a spider, and it is also completely vulnerable at that time, so do not handle or disturb it at all at this time, but observe with fascination!

As we said at the beginning, tarantulas are one of the most low maintenance pets you will find. A 5 to 10 gallon terrarium or aquarium tank (with a cover to prevent escape) will do fantastic. And once a habitat is initially set up, the only essential things left to do is a weekly or twice-a-week feeding, and regular misting of the habitat with some room-temperature bottled water to maintain proper humidity.

For food, live crickets or some other similar insects can be bought at your local pet shop, but you should not capture and feed to your tarantula insects from the wild because of the possibility of pesticides and other contaminants. One or two crickets per feeding is usually excellent, depending on the size of your tarantula. Water should be always available for your tarantula to drink, and should be offered in a dish that is large enough for the tarantula to fit its body in but not too deep so that it will not accidentally drown.

You should try to keep the tarantula’s enclosure clean. Insects that you feed your spider can be a bit messy when the spider is done consuming it so clean the remains up. The spider’s excrement can be easily cleaned up with a tissue or paper towel. With regular light housekeeping, the caging material and cage itself need not be cleaned out more than a once or twice a year.

For humidity, desert species can be sprayed lightly about once per week, and rain forest dwellers as much as once per day. Desert tarantulas prefer a humidity of 30% to 50% range. Tropical species require higher humidity from 75% to 100%. Most tarantulas can be maintained comfortably in a temperature range of 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and this means small or no supplemental heating is required to maintain these animals. Having a humidity gauge and a thermometer is a excellent thought just to make sure your spider’s conditions are about right. Do keep the cage or tank out of direct sunlight. Glass containers especially can get very hot which can kill your tarantula. Also, added lighting is not needed and can be harmful.

For maximum enjoyment for both you the pet owner and your pet, you can decorate your tarantula’s habitat a small bit. It is not hard to design a simple, yet aesthetically pleasing and naturally gorgeous enclosure. Simple experimentation will reveal what works for you and for your pet. In fact, decorating and designing your pet’s habitat can be one of the most fun and creative experiences in keeping a tarantula! It is a excellent thought to research the origins, behaviors, and needs of the species that interests you before you buy it or start filling and decorating a habitat.

As mentioned, some species come from harsh deserts, and these tarantulas tend to be ground-dwelling burrowers. Others live high in the rainforest canopies of Asia and South America. Obviously keeping a tropical tree spider in a dry setup with no vertical height for climbing would result in a stressed and small-lived animal. Tropical, tree-dwelling species can be kept in taller encloses with slightly less floor space than previously recommended. Likewise, deeper enclosures can be utilized for burrowing desert species. Given some time in their home, most tarantulas will start to make their own hide-outs, some even moving around cage furnishings. This is excellent, let them do it. Your tarantula knows better than you do what it likes.

You should keep in mind of some bare minimums common to all tarantula habitats. There should be a simple hiding structure or shelter such as a half-log or coconut hut, or perhaps some pieces of stone or driftwood. But you choose to do it, remember the basic thought of making your tarantula feel secure at home. Do not overdo the decorating, you should probably leave about 1/3 to 1/2 of the habitat floor bare and in the open for your tarantula to explore. Some substrate (cage bedding) will be needed, the best being pure orchid bark, coconut husk peat bedding, pure vermiculite, or relatively clean potting soil, or even a mixture of these.

The most hard thing for most people is getting close enough to a tarantula for the first time to see them for what they really are. Not scary beasts out to bite you, but instead, incredibly agile and fascinating creatures. Tarantulas are delicate animals, and when handling them be very careful that they do not fall, as they can be skittish and a small fall can injure them severely or even kill them.

It is right that tarantulas are not the best choice as a pet that you will be able to handle very much, but this is largely due to stress and danger to the spider rather than danger to the handler. For the tarantula owner, the chances of being bitten by a tarantula are extremely rare and even if through carelessness a bite should occur, the venom when injected into a person usually causes only slight swelling, with some numbness and itching which disappears in a small time. If it occurs, clean the bite site with soap and water and protect against infection.

Although they are not the cuddly variety, tarantulas are fascinating creatures, spiders that can be wonderful, gentle pets. The key to successfully owning any exotic animal is to know as much as you can about the species itself and the care of it.