I was bitten by a tarantula. What does a tarantula spider look like - who is it? is it poisonous or not. Complications and consequences

Tarantulas are large, poisonous wolf spiders. This means that the animal hunts, unlike its relatives, most of which feed on prey caught in trapping nets. He needs the web only for arranging the nest.

For food it catches insects and small vertebrates, which it kills with poison. Tarantula bites of any kind are poisonous, so in this case a person experiences quite strong and unpleasant sensations, and some may develop an extremely violent allergic reaction.

The habitats of spiders of this species are dry deserts, steppes or wastelands, where there are stones, branches or other shelters. Sporadically found in forests and forest-steppe. The nest is made in vertical burrows, where they are found during daylight hours and where they obtain food during the dark.

All representatives of the genus have poisonous glands that release poison into the chelicerae (elements of the jaw apparatus), the latter pierce the body of the victim and inject toxins. Several milligrams are released at a time. More details about the biology of these animals can be seen in the video provided in this article.

After wintering (at the end of April), spiders begin to become sluggish for the first time. At this time, the venom of even a very large individual is not as toxic as in summer. Breeding begins in May.

By the middle of the month, the toxicity doubles, and at the beginning of summer the poison becomes three times stronger. This coincides with the migration period. In autumn, toxicity begins to gradually decrease and by the time of hibernation the spiders have the same poison as after hibernation.

Tarantulas are common in Europe (everywhere), southern regions Russia, Ukraine and sporadically in Belarus. Only two species are most widespread (table).

Table. Known species:

Spider name	a brief description of	Bite
	Southern regions of the Russian Federation, Europe, Ukraine. Size up to 3 cm, lives in deep burrows.	The bite is not fatal, but quite unpleasant.
	This is the most famous species. Distribution area: Europe. Size up to 7 cm, lives in burrows.	The poison is not fatal to humans and animals, but causes swelling and pain.

Features of poison and bite

For humans, toxic substances that enter the bloodstream when the skin is pierced are very painful, but mortal danger don't imagine. In rare cases, a violent allergic reaction may develop, and even less often, anaphylactic shock. The poison is used to attack invertebrates and small mammals - mice, shrews, lizards and others.

When bitten, pain occurs and swelling is approximately twice as much as after contact with a wasp. Immediately, two small marks from the puncture of the chelicerae remain on the skin (depending on the type of spider and its size, the distance between the puncture marks will be different - 5-15 mm). The location where the bite occurs is important.

If a leg or arm is injured (statistically, these parts of the body account for the majority of spider attacks), then other than swelling there will be no disturbances, but if the poison gets into the neck, then the consequences can be more serious - the voice will change, breathing will be difficult due to for edema, sometimes there is a possibility of inability to breathe at all, without medical assistance.

It is very important to correctly understand when a person develops an increased reaction to poison. With allergies, suffocation, changes in heart rhythm, and severe rapid swelling are observed. For such people, the location of the bite does not matter at all, and in some cases, even just getting the toxin on the skin is enough to trigger a powerful allergic reaction.

Interesting. The most popular and world-famous large spider is the Apulian tarantula, native to Italy. Most often he was met in the outskirts of the town of Taranto. It was believed that its bite was unusually toxic, and in order to neutralize it, one must constantly move. For treatment, they came up with a special melody, which is now better known as tarantella.

Symptoms of a South Russian tarantula bite

The severity of the body's reaction to spider toxins largely depends on the seasonality, type, size and gender of the animal, as well as the individual characteristics of the body of the bitten person (weight, gender, age, general health, sensitivity to poison).

The standard clinical picture is as follows:

severe pain at the site of the bite;
swelling and redness;
hyperemia and hyperthermia at the site of the bite;
mild tissue necrosis (at puncture sites);
weakness, malaise, drowsiness and low-grade fever are evidence of increased sensitivity to poison.

If a person becomes clearly ill, has difficulty breathing, becomes very dizzy, and signs of dyspepsia or other negative manifestations join the general negative symptoms, this is evidence of an allergy. In this case, you must immediately seek qualified medical help (take the patient to the toxicology department or call an ambulance).

Interesting. Previously, they tried to treat tarantula bites with an infusion of these spiders in vegetable oil, since they have an antidote to their own poison, but doctors proved the uselessness of this remedy, and if the patient claimed that he felt better, it was most likely a placebo effect.

What to do

If a healthy person is injured, then no special action will have to be taken. You can wash the wound with soap, then cover it with a bactericidal plaster. If you apply cold, this will somewhat reduce the sharp pain and slow down the spread of the poison.

You can take any antihistamine that you have on hand (suprastin, diphenhydramine, edem, cetrin and others). This will help relieve allergic symptoms. In principle, the instructions have been exhausted and you can continue to do your usual activities, as far as the swelling allows, which, as a rule, begins to subside after a few days and soon disappears.

If a person turns out to be more sensitive to poison, then he should be provided with complete rest and plenty of fluids. In this case, it is necessary to take powerful antiallergic drugs, for example, tavegil or glucocorticosteroids (intramuscularly, or preferably intravenously) - dexamethasone, prednisolone and others.

It is highly desirable that a person with an allergy knows a set of correct measures, which the attending physician can advise. The algorithm of actions is similar if you have been bitten Small child, and his condition worsens. After first aid provided on your own, the victim should be transported to a medical facility.

What not to do

It is important to be aware of the mistakes that people often make, thinking that it will have some benefit, but in fact it does not.

Cauterize the wounds or cut them with a knife. In the first case, you will only get burns that will take a long time to heal. Incisions are made, as a rule, to better suck out the venom, but in this case, an infection can occur, and then the spider’s venom quickly penetrates into the deeper layers, so such an operation will not be particularly successful.
Often, after several hours, severe itching develops, but if you scratch the body, the swelling intensifies and the skin is damaged, and this opens the gates for pathogenic microflora.

Prevention

Spiders do not attack first and are timid; when they meet, they try to leave or hide. The nests will be defended; females show the highest aggression during the period from laying eggs and while they are surrounded by offspring. If a spider is carelessly picked up, crushed or handled carelessly, then those that were raised at home and are accustomed to humans can also bite.

To avoid being bitten you need to:

in nature, wear closed clothes; when collecting anything, carefully monitor what you pick up;
during a hike, there should be no thick cobwebs or holes at the parking site; it is better to clear the place and thoroughly inspect it, remove branches and stones, cover the holes with earth;
do not keep tents open, carefully inspect all things before going to bed;
everything needed for a fire should be prepared in advance during daylight hours, there is no need to do this at night;
closely monitor children, who often find various animals themselves and begin to play with them;
summer cottages should have insect protection on doors and windows;
if a spider is found and you decide to inspect it, you do not need to get too close, as it can jump and bite in self-defense;
if there are spiders directly on summer cottage or near it, it is recommended to get rid of arthropods using insecticides, which can be purchased in specialized stores.

Important. Tarantulas never attack first. The spider bites a person solely for self-defense.

Tarantulas- exotic animals. Requires minimal care. Tarantula - big spider, covered with hairs. There are 900 different species of them on Earth. Habitat: tropical and temperate latitudes: Central and South America, Asia, southern Europe, Australia. IN Russian Federation lives in the southern steppes.

Description and features of the tarantula

Phylum - arthropods, class - arachnids. The furry body consists of two parts: 1-head-chest, 2-stomach, which are connected by a tube - a stalk. The head and chest are covered with chitin; the abdomen, on the contrary, is soft and tender. 8 eyes located at the top, reminiscent of a periscope, help you see the area from all sides at once.

The tarantula's feet are equipped with claws for extra traction when climbing, just like a cat's. IN wildlife Tarantulas usually move along the ground, but sometimes they have to climb a tree or other object.

In case of a threat to life, the tarantula uses its hind legs to rip off hairs from its abdomen and throw them at the enemy (if this happens, irritation and itching are felt - an allergic reaction).

Of course, the tarantula itself suffers from such actions, since a bald spot will remain on its abdomen. In moments of danger, they make sounds reminiscent of the vibration of the teeth of a comb. They have excellent hearing. Recognize the sounds of human steps at a distance of up to 15 km.

Tarantulas are brown or black in color with red spots and stripes. In nature there are small, medium, large tarantulas. American spiders reach sizes of up to 10 cm. Ours are much smaller than their overseas relatives: females -4.5 cm, males -2.5 cm.

A tarantula bite is not fatal to humans, but is very painful.

Minks dig to a depth of up to half a meter near water bodies. The stones are removed. The interior of the dwelling, closer to the entrance, is woven with cobwebs, the threads stretch deeper, their vibration tells the tarantula about the events taking place above. During the cold season, the hole is deepened and the entrance is covered with foliage intertwined with cobwebs.

Reproduction and lifespan of a tarantula

In the warm season, adults are busy searching for a mate. In males, the instinct of self-preservation is dulled, so they can be seen even during the day. When it finds a female, it taps its legs on the ground, vibrates its abdomen and quickly moves its limbs, announcing its presence.

If she accepts advances, she repeats his movements. Everything else happens at lightning speed. After transferring the sperm, the male runs away so as not to be eaten by the female, since during this period she needs protein. Then the female falls asleep in her burrow until spring.

In the spring, it will come to the surface to expose its abdomen to the sun's rays, then lay eggs (300-400 pieces) in a woven web. Then he puts it into a cocoon and carries it on himself.

As soon as the babies show signs of life, the mother will gnaw through the cocoon and help the spiderlings come out. The babies will be placed on their mother's body in multiple layers until they become independent. Then the mother will resettle the young people, gradually throwing them off of her.

Tarantula nutrition

They actively hunt at night. Big spiders catch , ; small ones - insects. And they do it very carefully. Slowly crawls towards the victim, then quickly jumps and bites. It pursues large prey for a long time.

The photo shows a rare blue tarantula

In fact, they are docile and rarely bite. For such a large predator as a person, the poison will not be enough. The spider will most likely act wisely and will not attack a large, dangerous object.

Tarantulas are easily wounded creatures. They have very thin skin on their abdomen. Falling is deadly for him. Therefore, there is no need to pick up the spider. They produce silk for their web. Females need silk in the “interior” of the burrow to strengthen the walls; males need silk as a packaging material for storing eggs; traps near the burrow are also made from silk.

Tarantulas grow throughout their lives and change their exoskeleton several times. Using this fact, they can regenerate lost limbs. If he lost a leg, he will get it in the next molt, as if by magic.

It may not come out the right size. What matters here is age and the time of the previous molt. But it doesn't matter. The leg will grow with each molt, gradually acquiring the desired length.

Types of tarantulas

Brazilian jet black is a popular house spider. Impressive, jet black, with a blue tint depending on the lighting, its dimensions are 6-7 cm. It is calm, elegant - and one might say, obedient.

In the photo there is a coal-black tarantula spider

Originally from Southern Brazil. The climate there is humid, with frequent rains. In warm weather (May-September) the temperature rises to 25 degrees, in cold weather it drops to 0 degrees. Due to their slow growth, they mature only at 7 years of age; they live a long time, about 20 years. The cold period is spent in the hole, so the bottom of the terrarium is covered with a fairly thick layer of substrate (3-5 inches).

Suitable soil, peat, vermiculite. In nature tarantula lives in the forest floor near stones, hides in tree roots, hollow logs, abandoned rodent burrows, so shelters and depressions are needed in the substrate.

Small crickets are suitable food for young individuals, large ones for adults, other insects, small lizards, naked mice. For this, a shallow container of water (a saucer will do) should be placed in a terrarium (with a volume of 10 gallons, not necessarily tall). They can go hungry for several months.

Well known in Russia South Russian tarantula. Its color is different: brown, brown, red. Habitat: steppe and forest-steppe zone of the south, in last years and central Russia.

In the photo is a South Russian tarantula

Apuleian is a poisonous spider. In size, larger than ours. Distribution area: Europe.
-White-haired - the baby is cheaper, but because of its good appetite it grows faster than other brothers.
-Chilean pink - pet stores most often offer this. The most beautiful and expensive species, the Mexican sunburnt, is prohibited for export from natural habitats.
-Golden is a friendly creature, so named because of the bright colors of its huge legs, the size of which grows to more than 20 cm. The new kind and is expensive.

Pictured is a Chilean pink tarantula spider

The Costa Rican tabby is difficult to care for, does not bite, but has a bad habit of disappearing.
-Athonopelma copper, now you can buy it, but not in the store, but by order.

Online stores provide the opportunity to see tarantulas in the photo and check the prices.

One of interesting representatives The family of spiders is considered to be tarantulas. They reach a size of 10 cm and are predominantly nocturnal. The tarantula spider is capable of attacking not only insects, but also small animals - frogs, birds. For prey, a tarantula's bite is fatal, but for humans it does not pose a threat. In terms of pain, an arthropod bite is comparable to. It will not harm a strong, healthy person.

Tarantulas, members of the family of araneomorphic spiders, are distinguished by their desire for solitude. Individuals live separately, females and males meet to mate, but do not create families. It is difficult to say where different tarantulas live. Tropical species love warm weather humid climate. Spiders are found in Ukraine and Russia. The habitat is determined by species characteristics. The largest species live in tropical forests. All of the species presented are earthen spiders.

The mating season begins at the end of summer. The male weaves a web onto which he throws a portion of the seed, then immerses his pedipalps in it and goes in search of the female. Before fertilization, the male has to gain the trust of his companion, for which he has to perform a mating dance. After mating, the female can kill the male and even eat him. If the male is lucky, he will have time to escape faster than the companion will come to her senses.

Fertilized eggs are sent into a bag woven from a spider's web - a cocoon. The number of eggs in a cocoon can reach 2000, but usually does not exceed a couple of hundred. After the spiderlings are formed, they burst out. During this process, the female helps the offspring escape.

Insects are often confused with tarantulas, which belong to the arachnids from the order Mygalomorpha. These spiders are enormous in size, and where you cannot find a tarantula is in Europe, with the exception of the southern territories. The world's largest spider is not a tarantula. This is a giant tarantula, called the Goliath tarantula. The length of the spider reaches 10 cm, and the leg span reaches 28 cm. What distinguishes a tarantula from a tarantula is the structure of the jaws. In the tarantula they are parallel, in the tarantula they are medial.

There are many different types of tarantulas. Let's get acquainted with the most remarkable varieties:

Apulian tarantula– aka lycosa tarantula has a combined coloration with the body Brown. These spiders, which are found primarily in the Middle East and Southern Europe, are striped with white and red borders. They build vertical burrows; tarantulas choose insects and amphibians as victims. The tarantula does not weave a web, but actively hunts;
ornamental tarantula- a large individual that lives in Asia. It is not dangerous for people, but the bite can cause severe swelling;
Brazilian- lives in countries South America, males reach 3 centimeters, the tarantula has a black abdomen, and a light stripe on the back. Tarantula venom is low-toxic, but can cause problems if you have individual intolerance;
African– a beautiful spider with a lifespan of 2-3 years. Prefers warm and humid habitat. It's hard to describe what these tarantulas look like. They are dark in color with transverse stripes. Pubescent from the abdomen to the legs;
black-bellied- he's a black tarantula. Lives in Japan and the islands Pacific Ocean. It has a black belly and a gray back with dark stripes. The tarantula looks very modest, its dimensions do not exceed 2 cm. The female tarantula is larger than the male, but not by much.

Relatively unpretentious domestic tarantulas are suitable for captive breeding. For lovers of arachnids, the blue tarantula with pubescent legs, the motley Aragogi, discovered relatively recently, and the red specimens that are found in Brazil are of interest.

Among other representatives of spiders, the South Russian tarantula is of particular interest. It is also known as misgir, which rarely attacks humans, although it is very common in nature. Is this tarantula dangerous or not? It cannot be said that Mizgir is the most poisonous of tarantulas. However, it is found everywhere: in the Orenburg region, in Crimea, in Kazakhstan. You can find subspecies of wolf spiders in the Central Russian steppes, and even on the Siberian plains. There are known cases of arthropod attacks on Southern Urals, but more often spiders bite in the Rostov region, Krasnodar region, Astrakhan.

ICD 10 code

A tarantula bite refers to mechanical damage, namely an attack by a non-venomous arthropod, which receives the ICD 10 code - W57.

Bite symptoms

Spider bites, in particular tarantulas, manifest themselves as follows: local pain, hyperemia, swelling. The more acute the reaction to arthropod venom, the stronger the symptoms. For an adult and healthy person, the insect does not pose a danger, but in a child, a pregnant woman or people with allergies, the poison provokes unexpected reactions.

What does a bite look like after an arthropod attack?? Puncture marks remain at the site of damage. They rarely bleed, but often take a long time to heal. Other manifestations and symptoms of the bite include burning and itching, local fever, and acute inflammation. The following signs are reasons to immediately consult a doctor:

nausea and dizziness;
loss of orientation;
difficulty breathing;
cardiopalmus;
a sharp decrease in blood pressure.

Severe allergies to arachnid venom occur less frequently than to bee apitoxin, but if acute reactions develop, there is a high risk of anaphylactic shock and sudden death.

First aid

The procedure for attacking an arthropod is similar to the PMP in the event of an attack by other insects. After being bitten by a South Russian tarantula, you need to wash the wound with laundry soap under running water. If this is not possible, use drinking water from a bottle and any suitable antiseptic. Preference is given to chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, solutions of potassium permanganate and furatsilin. You can use alcohol antiseptics: from ordinary brilliant green to various complexes of isopropyl alcohols.

First aid for a tarantula bite includes taking antiallergic medications. Among the very popular and affordable products: Claritin, Zodak, Diazolin, Loratadine.

It is believed that the blood of an arachnid can neutralize the venom of an arachnid. To do this, smear the damaged area with the blood of a killed insect. The most sensitive part of the body is its abdomen. The skin is easily torn even with minimal force.

What to do in case of a tarantula attack if a child is bitten? Urgently call an ambulance or take the child to the hospital yourself. The victim is given more fluids and offered antihistamines to prevent allergic bronchospasm. A tight bandage and suction of venom in the event of an arthropod attack are ineffective. If first aid for tarantula bites is provided in a timely manner, the risk of complications is minimal.

Treatment

The most dangerous reaction to poison is respiratory arrest. If there is a suspicion of an acute allergic reaction, seek the help of a resuscitator. Injections of adrenaline and epinephrine solution allow the victim to return to life. At all stages of medical care, heart rate and breathing are monitored. If a tarantula or karakurt has bitten, diphenhydramine is used, and an aqueous solution of aminophylline is indicated to relieve symptoms of respiratory failure.

A tarantula bite rarely leads to serious consequences, and therefore traditional treatment does not require the use of potent drugs. For many centuries it was believed that a special dance, the tarantella, allows one to recover from the consequences of a tarantula bite. This opinion was never shared by doctors. There is no healing power in dance movements with an accelerating rhythm. This is an ordinary legend, which over many centuries has acquired unrealistic details.

The tarantula itself does not belong to poisonous spiders, and its bite is not dangerous for humans. However, patients with hypersensitivity may require infusion detoxification. To maintain electrolyte balance, glucose drips are prescribed. In severe cases, cardiac medications may be required. If the victim suffers severe poisoning, he is prescribed glucocorticosteroids. Typically, serious reactions occur against the background of existing diseases of the central nervous system and cardiovascular system.

Complications and consequences

Do not underestimate insects, even if their bite itself is not fatal. Acute allergic reactions, resulting in bronchospasm and anaphylactic shock, can cause death. But these are not the most common consequences that occur after an arthropod bite. The main complications include:

non-healing wounds at the site of the bite;
persistent dermatological disorders;
neuromuscular disorders.

What is dangerous about the bite of a predator insect, which is a tarantula, is defeat nervous system. The poison has a neurogenic effect, which can cause serious complications in people with diseases of the heart, respiratory system and central nervous system.

Prevention

To prevent a spider from biting a tarantula, you do not need to pester it. Do not stir up holes where insects live. Curiosity and a consumerist attitude towards nature are fraught with trouble. Even if the insect does not pose a danger to humans, the threat remains for children and people with hypersensitivity to poisons.

The main prevention of bites is the use of repellents on country holidays and while traveling. In case you have to treat a tarantula or other insect bite, you should prepare a first aid kit. Antiseptics, antipruritic ointments, NSAIDs in the form of gels and creams, and antihistamines will be useful on the road.

For those who breed exotic insects in a terrarium, it is worth recalling the safety rules. Arthropods are not left unattended, they are not allowed to “walk” around the room, and the conditions of detention are monitored. Also, the terrarium must be safe. Typically, products made from reinforced glass with a secure door design are chosen. Only one individual is kept in one terrarium, otherwise fights will begin between insects.

Dear readers of the 1MedHelp website, if you still have questions on this topic, we will be happy to answer them. Leave your reviews, comments, share stories of how you experienced a similar trauma and successfully dealt with the consequences! Your life experience may be useful to other readers.

When going to places where the climate is constantly warm, you need to be very careful. Representatives of such flora and fauna can be dangerous to humans, including the tarantula. This is an arachnid representative that has a rather terrifying appearance.

There are often cases when spiders protect their own offspring and attack people, biting them. Therefore, you need to know what to do if you are bitten by this arachnid creature.

Tarantulas live in warm regions. The alpine species has the maximum amount of poisons, which is common in Italy. A female specimen can reach 8 cm in length.

The South Russian tarantula is distributed in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Its size is approximately 1.5-3 cm. This type not so poisonous, but meeting him can also be very unpleasant.

Tarantulas belong to the group of wolf spiders. They do not spin webs to capture their prey. Their hunting resembles the hunting of many predators.

Tarantulas initially look out for their prey, after which they rush at it and inject poison into the body of the caught victim. The food of these arthropods is small animals and insects.

The breeding season is in May-June. During this period, tarantula venom is the most dangerous. A pregnant female makes a web in her own hole, and then lays eggs in it. The cocoon, along with all the eggs, is attached to the tarantula’s belly. After the appearance of small spiders, they still remain on the mother’s body until they learn to feed themselves.

These arthropods bite very painfully, but their bite is not particularly dangerous to human life.

Females can attack people in order to protect their own brood. In my own way appearance The tarantula is a bit similar to the tarantula spider, but the second one is much larger in size.

Especially dangerous bite tarantula is for children, for the elderly, as well as for people who are prone to developing allergic reactions.

After a bite, a person exhibits the following symptoms:

In the area where the tarantula bit, 2 small punctures are visible to the naked eye;
The bite site becomes red, there is swelling of the skin;
Severe burning and itching appears at the site of the lesion;
The pain from a spider bite can be compared to hornet or wasp stings;
A person’s body temperature may rise, but it returns to normal very quickly.

You need to know that the bite of this arthropod poses a danger to humans if an allergy occurs.

In this case, the symptoms are more pronounced and various complications may be present:

Bubbles appear;
The bite site swells greatly;
You feel severe pain that does not decrease or go away even after some time;
A person may experience a strong increase in body temperature that does not go away over time;
Severe headaches are present;
Nausea develops and the person may vomit;
A bitten person becomes weak and dizzy;
The heart rate increases and blood pressure decreases;
Respiratory function becomes difficult;
There is a feeling of numbness initially in the legs and arms, and then throughout the body;
The person may lose consciousness.

Important! If you have any allergic reaction, you need to act as quickly as possible! The injured person should be taken very quickly to a hospital, where he can receive qualified assistance.

After a tarantula bite, you should never leave things to chance. A person who has been bitten by this insect needs immediate first aid.

The affected area should be washed with soapy water room temperature, then treat with any antiseptic. It could be , .

To reduce pain, apply a cool compress to the affected area. This could be ice or just a bottle (hot water bottle) with cold water.

When the painful sensations decrease, you need to lubricate the affected area of the epidermis with an ointment that contains an antibiotic, or an ointment that eliminates inflammation. If you have an antihistamine medication on hand, you should definitely give it to the bitten person.

The limb where the bite occurred can be raised slightly upward so that the swelling does not accumulate in one place. It is strictly forbidden to scratch the place where the bite was, because this can cause infection.

To reduce the itching that occurs, you need to apply a special gel against insect bites to the affected area. It will cool the skin. The patient must be carefully monitored, and as soon as serious allergic manifestations appear, immediately see a doctor.

Attention! The area bitten by the tarantula should not be burned with anything hot. Also, the bitten area should not be cut. Thus, the toxic substance cannot be removed, but an infection can be caused.

Prevention of bites

To avoid such a nuisance as a tarantula bite, it is important to adhere to some rules:

If you need to stay overnight in an open area, then avoid options where there is a large accumulation of stones and dry branches. Tarantulas may also be found in fallen trees.
If you are in an area where tarantulas live, be sure to wear closed shoes.
Be sure to close your tent tightly for the night.
Before you go to bed, check for spiders in your tent.
Before you put on your shoes or get dressed, carefully review and shake out your things.
Be sure to explain to children that catching and playing with a spider they see is prohibited, as it is dangerous. If you tease a spider, it may jump up and deliver a bite.
If you cannot avoid the bite, you should try to crush the tarantula and smear the affected area with its blood. There is an antidote in their blood.

There is an interesting etymological story to which the tarantula spider owes its name. All sources give an example from the Italian Renaissance.

In those days, in the city of Tarento they were very afraid of one of our spider species; it was believed that its tarantula bite was almost fatal. To alleviate the fate of those bitten, it was prescribed to move a lot and randomly, supposedly in this case the poison would be neutralized. Subsequently, these chaotic movements began to be performed to music, and thus one of the most popular dances was born - the tarantella, and the spider itself was called the tarantula.

Whether this is true or not, it is not possible to check now, but the spider turned out to be not so deadly - it does no more harm than from a bee or a hornet, although in the photo the tarantula spider looks scary.

Biological certificate

Now let's move on to the description of the tarantula, the characteristics of its behavior, nutrition and reproduction, let's give it brief description as a representative of the animal world.

Scientific classification and lifestyle

The genus of tarantulas belongs to. They live mainly in burrows, in which they spend all daylight hours, and at night they go out hunting. These arthropods also weave a web, but they use it not as a trapping net, but as a decoration for the walls in their underground apartments and for arranging an oviposition cocoon.

By the way! The depth of a tarantula's burrow can reach 60 centimeters, and some species are even capable of going a meter deep before the onset of cold weather!

Tarantulas are often confused with, which is greatly facilitated by the fact that in some languages the word “tarantula” is used to refer specifically to representatives of this family, and even if we ignore the differences in size, these arthropods are similar to each other.

Remember! Tarantula is from the wolf spider family, tarantulas are from the tarantula family!

The main difference between the two families is the structure and functioning of the chylicerae. In wolves they move towards each other, in tarantulas they move in parallel.

Description

What does a tarantula look like? These are quite large spiders, reaching a leg span of 30 centimeters. Males are always slightly smaller than females. The bodies of spiders are covered with hairs of gray, brown or brown color, depending on the species.

The most large sizes have tarantulas representing South America, their European relatives rarely exceed a body length of five centimeters.

An interesting question is about the organs of vision of representatives of this family. Curious lovers of the animal world are often interested in how many eyes a tarantula has. We answer - he has eight of them, which allows you to view the entire panorama around both horizontally and vertically.

Nutrition

It is also important to know what tarantulas eat. This is especially true for those lovers of arthropods who are going to breed them in their own apartment. And what, as the character in “The Twelve Chairs” said: “Who cares for a mare!”

So, the night hunter feeds on everything that is shorter. It could be an insect, an arachnid of another species, or even small mammals and birds. Digestion in tarantulas, like many other spiders, is external. First, the predator introduces poison and digestive juices into the body of the victim, which decompose the tissues of the victim, and only then absorbs the digested substrate.

Spreading

The question of where tarantulas are found is the most popular among arachnophobes, people who are afraid of spiders. In this regard, residents of central Russia and regions with similar or more severe climatic conditions can be calm. Here the tarantula can only be found in various zoos and apartments of enthusiasts and Spider-Man fans.

But in the south of our country, our neighboring states, the south of Europe, the African, Asian and American continents, tarantulas are found in large numbers.

Reference! Currently, scientists have identified more than 200 species of tarantula spider.

Reproduction

Tarantula spiders reproduce like representatives of other spider families, but they still have their own characteristics. First of all, this is the famous mating dance, by which the spider recognizes the male of its own species. In general, the mating process can be divided into the following stages:

At the end of summer, the male decides that it is time to extend his tarantula lineage and goes in search of a female.
Having found the intended bride, he begins to perform a ritual dance.
She, in turn, takes a closer look at the gentleman, and if she decides that he is the man of her dreams and belongs to the same species, she begins to respond to him, copying the dance steps.
After such identification, mating itself occurs, after which the groom hurries to quickly retreat before the missus decides to eat him. It must be said that in this respect, male tarantulas are more agile than representatives of the male population of other spiders.

Warm solar heat The female's body begins to form eggs, up to 700 pieces depending on the species. At the end of this process, the female weaves a cocoon from the web directly on her stomach, where she places the formed eggs.

So she carries her offspring on herself until the young begin to hatch. Sensing this moment, the young mother gnaws through the cocoon and releases her children into the wild.

However, the babies do not leave their mother, but move onto her back, where she carries them until they learn to feed themselves.

Bites

Here we will reveal the secret of whether the tarantula is dangerous for humans. There is no doubt that a spider bites painfully; in any case, those who were bitten noted that it was similar to being stung by a bee.

One of the effective ways of what to do if you are bitten by a tarantula is to use the antidote contained directly in the spider’s body. It is enough to crush the animal and lubricate the bite site with juices, then the pain will decrease and the wound will heal faster.

To the question of whether the tarantula is poisonous or not, we will also answer in the affirmative, otherwise how would it kill its victims. However, its venom is not dangerous for humans unless there is an individual intolerance or allergy to bites.

Types of spiders

As we mentioned above, there are over two hundred species of tarantulas; even a simple listing of their Latin names will take up quite a lot of space, so in our review only those that are most popular among lovers of these animals will be mentioned.

South Russian

It is also called mizgir, as the name suggests, it is found in the south of our country. Depending on the external conditions The coloration of this individual of this species varies from gray to brown. Females reach three centimeters in size, males are a centimeter to one and a half smaller.

With climate warming, the habitat of southern Russian tarantulas is gradually expanding, soon we will meet them in the middle zone, then the prefix “southern” can be discarded.

Apulian

The Apulian tarantula, also called the real one, is twice as large as the domestic species. Females of the Puglian reach a size of seven centimeters.

This type of spider is widespread throughout the Mediterranean countries, both in southern Europe and northern Africa. The burrows of this spider are located in rocky shores and rocky beaches.

Brazilian

The Brazilian tarantula has a beautiful coloration. It is small, three centimeters long, its body is colored in various shades of brown, and there is an elongated light stripe on the head and back.

The distribution area of the handsome man is the countries of South America: Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina.

Spanish

The Spanish tarantula was previously considered one of the subspecies of the Apulian spider, which shares the same habitat with it. More recently, the Spanish spider began to be considered an independent species; this happened only in 2013.

Polyastomy

This species is adjacent to the Brazilian spider, but differs from the latter in the gray color of the hairs covering the body, but in size it is similar to its neighbor and has a three-centimeter body, excluding the length of the legs.

Leocarti

This tarantula is from the Australian continent. a small gray-brown spider, the body length of the female is only 1.2 centimeters, and the males are nine millimeters long.

Black-bellied

This species of tarantula lives in the Pacific Islands, Japan and Taiwan. The brown body of females barely reaches two centimeters in length, the male is half a centimeter shorter. The spider's abdomen is black, which determined its name, and there are two dark stripes on the back.

At the end of our story about unusual spiders, we invite you to watch a fascinating video about a tarantula spider hunting a mouse.