Paul Fernando, age 8, of Albuquerque, N.M., for his question:
CAN YOU TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE TARANTULA?
"Tarantula" is a common name given to a group of large, hairy spiders. These spiders are found in warm climates such as those of the southern and western United States and in Central and South America.
Some tarantulas live to be more than 20 years old. In the spider world, that's a very long life.
One of the world's largest tarantulas is called the bird spider. It lives in South America and has a body that can be more than 3 1/2 inches wide. With his legs included, this giant among spiders can spread out to be over 9 inches.
Some of the bird spider tarantulas actually eat small birds.
Tarantulas found in the United States aren't as large as those that live in the Southern Hemisphere. They're usually about an inch long. Also, they are very slow moving creatures.
Tarantulas have a bite that is no more dangerous to man than the sting of a bee. The bite of some South American tarantulas, however, may be more serious.
One type of tarantula found in the U.S. is the trap door spider. It digs a burrow in the ground and then covers the entrance with a lid, or trap door. This 1 inch long spider is harmless to man.
Trap doors are made of silk and mud and are attached to the lining of the burrows by silk hinges. Some trap door spiders build thin, waferlike doors that cover the burrow entrance loosely while others construct thick doors, like corks, that fit so snugly into the tunnel entrance it becomes watertight. Still others build circular folding doors that open in the middle.
Trap door spiders and other tarantulas eat insects including many kinds that damage valuable plants and flowers.
A trap door spider will sit behind his door until its prey walks by. Then it quickly opens the door, seizes and poisons its victim, and drags it into the the burrow.
Trap door spiders, like other tarantulas, are very timid creatures. As a matter of fact, the female will seldom leave her nest.
The tarantula received its name from a large wolf spider found near Taranto in southern Italy. People in this part of the world once believed this spider's bite caused a disease called "tarantism." The victims supposedly leaped in the air and ran around making strange noises.
The best bite cure, according to superstition, was to perform a lively Italian folk dance that became known as the "tarantella."