Tarantula
Listen to my story
Tarantula is the common name for a group of hairy and often very large spiders belonging to the arthropod family Theraphosidae. Most tarantulas are harmless and this is why some species are popular in the exotic pet trade. In some parts of the world tarantulas are even eaten as food! Despite their scary appearance and reputation, none of the true tarantulas are known to have a bite which is fatal to humans. However, bites by some species are reported to be very painful! Tarantulas are known to have highly individualistic responses - members of species generally regarded as aggressive can be rather easy to get along with and sometimes a spider generally regarded as docile can be provoked. It’s a good idea never to surprise a tarantula!
This Tarantula (Grammostola rosea) normally lives in a MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry www.maf.govt.nz/ ) approved, climate controlled Tarantula holding unit within the Auckland Museum live animals laboratory. The natural habitat of G. Rosea is the scrubland regions of Central Chile. The female of this species is red-brown in colour, typically 70mm in length with a leg span of 115mm. The male is almost identical to the female except the carapace is a beautiful metallic rosy-red. It’s a little know fact that Auckland Museum has official Zoo certification, this means that among other species we are permitted to hold and display Tarantula spiders- a highly restricted exotic species in NZ. Part of the legal requirement of this is that we have locked quarantine facilities both on and off display.
|
|
