Description: Tarantulas have large, hairy bodies which range in colour from dark brown to pale reddish-brown and often with a silvery sheen. They have large fangs approximately 1 cm in length.

Diet: The tarantula is a carnivore and eats large insects, small reptiles, frogs and occasionally small birds.

In the wild: Tarantulas live in silk-lined burrows that vary in length from 40–100 cm. These burrows are usually permanent and are also used as a hiding place for the female’s egg sac.

Tarantulas do not snare their prey in a web. They ambush their prey, using their muscular body to overpower it.

Male tarantulas perform a courtship dance, which involves tapping their abdomen on the ground and circling the female with jerky steps until she rears up, allowing him to mate.

Threats: :  Flooding poses a major threat for tarantula burrows, as does trampling from grazing livestock. Demand for the pet trade means tarantula are (illegally) taken from the wild to be on-sold to commercial breeders who sell them as pets. Unregulated collection poses a real risk to species who are still being studied by science and where numbers in the wild might already be low. (Responsible spider pet owners will only ever source from trusted, legal sellers).