interesting tarantula facts

November 9, 2009 | In: Animal facts for kids

Tarantulas were named after Taranto, a town in Southern Italy.

Tarantulas can live in rainforests and desserts.

The oldest tarantula lived to be 49 years old.Female tarantulas can live 30 years or longer in the wild.

There are around 700 kinds, or species, of Tarantulas.

Their worst enemy is the Spider-Wasp.

A tarantula doesn’t use a web to ensnare prey.

The hunting technique of the tarantula is to stay and wait inside their burrows and to attack rapidly when they detect the presence of the prey.

There are a few species of tarantula that will grow to be 9 or 10 inches, but the largest on record is the Theraphosa blondi (Goliath Birdeater), which can reach approximately one foot (12 inches) in length. (source)

Some of the largest tarantulas have been known to eat frogs and lizards!

Tarantulas have retractable claws on each leg, like cats.