Tarantula toxicity is a rare occurrence. There are over 900 species of tarantula, and they are popular as pets. While tarantulas do possess venom, the vast majority of tarantula-related injuries occur as a result of urticating hairs.
Tarantulas give some people the creeps because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans (except for a painful bite), and their mild venom is weaker than a typical bee's. Among arachnid enthusiasts, these spiders have become popular pets.
VENOM TOXICITY - Australian tarantulas are non-aggressive, but if provoked it can inflict a painful bite. An adult's fangs can be 1cm long. Severe illness may result with nausea and vomiting for 6 to 8 hours have been reported from bites. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
If a tarantula bites you, you may have pain at the site of the bite similar to a bee sting. The area of the bite may become warm and red. When one of these spiders is threatened, it rubs its hind legs across its own body surface and flicks thousands of tiny hairs toward the threat.
Even pet tarantulas should not be handled if at all possible, although fans of spiders as pets often handle them anyway. A tarantula does not recognize its handler and often considers people as threats, so the chance of having hairs flung into your face or a bite delivered will always be there.
Tarantulas are generally docile, which is why some people do allow their spiders to walk on their bodies. However, tarantulas will bite if they feel threatened, and their bites are venomous. Another concern with handling tarantulas is skin irritation from tiny barbed hairs on their abdomens.
The spider, which has been named Chikunia bilde, has been found on the Indonesian island of Bali and has surprised researchers with its "unusually tolerant" demeanor towards humans and other spiders.
Generally, tarantulas respond to daily handling. They crawl freely when placed on an arm or shoulder, but they definitely are not a pet that an owner can cuddle. Tarantulas are very timid and bite only when provoked.
“They can break them off by kicking them off the rear end of their abdomen, and the hairs float through the air. If you breathe them in, or get them in your eyes or between your fingers, they itch like crazy.”
Tarantulas from the Genus Selenocosmia are known from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. They occupy many habitats ranging from rainforest to desert but are not found in the southern coastal areas or northern tropics.
The Australian funnel-web spiders are among the deadliest spiders in the world in the effect their bites have on humans and our primate relations (although the bite has little effect on dogs and cats). There are many species of funnel-web spiders in Australia but only male Sydney Funnel-webs have caused human deaths.
This question at least has a simple answer: none. In Australia, we cannot import or keep exotic (non-native) tarantula species common to the overseas hobbies. This law is in place to protect invasive species taking hold in the same way as the beloved Cane Toad, or bringing in significant parasites or other pests.
Brazilian wandering spider
The Guinness Book of World Records considers the Brazilian wandering spider the most venomous in the world. Hundreds of bites are reported annually, but a powerful anti-venom prevents deaths in most cases.
Try not to annoy the king baboon spider, a tarantula native to Tanzania and Kenya: Its excruciating bite can cause days of pain, swelling, and muscle spasms in humans.
The Australian funnel-web spiders (families Hexathelidae, Atracidae, Macrothelidae and Porrhothelidae), such as the Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus (a mygalomorph spider not to be confused with the araneomorph funnel-weaver or grass spiders) are regarded as among the most venomous in the world.
While the theory is unproven, it is likely that spiders can detect human fear. However, there are only few studies about this topic and it is not yet known for certain. Different animals have sensory organs that are able to identify different stimuli.
Predators that the tarantula would be afraid of are weasels, hawks, owls, skunks and snakes. Their worst enemy is the Spider-Wasp. The female wasp will paralyze the spider by stinging it.
To give an idea of the spiders' speed, imagine a 2.1-inch (5.5 centimeters) tarantula. On average, the spiders moved about four body lengths a second at 62 F (17 C), and about 10 body lengths a second at 100 F (38 C), a 2.5-fold increase.
Tarantulas Just Aren't That Into You
Spiders do have feelings, but unlike a dog or a cat, they won't bond with you. In fact, they likely won't even recognize you. They simply aren't hardwired to be companions to humans and should never be bought at pet stores, online, or anywhere else.
Portia fimbriata, known as the Fringed Jumping Spider or often just as Portia is renowned as the world's most intelligent spider. It is a spider hunter which modifies its hunting strategies and learns from situations as it encounters them.
Brazilian Black Tarantulas are one of the best beginner spiders. They are famous for their docile temperament. These spiders are really known for their temperament. While no tarantula should be held very often, this species is known for being one of the calmest and docile.