Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula
Brachypelma smithii
Tarantulaa are the largest spiders in the world, but don’t let them scare you. If you leave them alone, they are happy to leave you alone. Like all spiders, tarantulas have two body segments; an area with the head and thorax combined called a cephalothorax and an abdomen. Of course, they all have 8 legs, unlike insects which only have 6 legs.
They have very strong jaws with fangs to bite their prey and inject venom. The venom kills their prey and liquefies it to enable the tarantula to suck out the liquid. Their diet does not include humans, only insects, other spiders, frogs, mice and other small animals.
Tarantulas are known for their hairy legs, but these legs serve a purpose other than grossing out humans! Many tarantula species use their legs to flick special hairs called utricating hairs, off their abdomens when disturbed. These hairs are barbed and lodge in the eyes and mucus membranes of would-be attackers, causing irritation.