Find Plush Toy Tarantulas at Animals n More.
Find facts and information about the Tarantula, as well as plush toy spiders, at Animals N More.
The three spider stuffed animals and one toy shown above are tarantulas. At left is a Hansa Tarantula, the Furry Tarantula at top is from Rhode Island Novelty,
and the tarantula toy at center is made by Safari and the Wild Republic Cuddlekins Tarantula is shown at right.
Spiders are not actually insects, but rather arachnids. They have 8 rather than 6 legs. The spider shown above is a Tarantula. Tarantulas are members of the Theraphosidae Family. Tarantula is a name that strikes fear into most people. The American tarantula is closely related to the trap-door spider. The largest of the tarantulas in America is Eurypelma californicum, which has a body about two inches long, and a leg spread of four to five inches. Dark brown and covered with rust-colored hairs, it is one of the most harmless of spiders, but its large size and general hairiness make it a fearsome object. It will bite in self-defense if handled roughly, and sometimes inflects a painful wound. The bite of the North American tarantula is no more dangerous than that of a bee. They have eight eyes. These spiders are nocturnal, meaning that they are active at night.
This spider is found only in our warm southwestern states, where it digs deep burrows in the sand. The female lays four or five hundred eggs and guards them carefully. It takes the young four or five years to reach full size, and individuals have been known to live for fifteen or sixteen years. They make entertaining pets, learn to recognize their keeper, and seem to show considerable intelligence. Their greatest enemy is a large, orange and blue wasp, of the genus Pepsis, called the tarantula hawk, which is expert in seizing and paralyzing the tarantula, and carrying it off to feed its young. The sting of the female tarantula hawk is one of the most painful insect stings in the world.
The tropical Americas contain a number of very large tarantulas. One in South America has a leg spread of eight inches. Another has a large body, three and a half to four inches long, but very short legs. Many of these tropical species make their homes in trees. Here in the treetops they actually catch and kill small birds. Our North American species are ground lovers, hiding in their burrows during the day and hunting at night.
Find tarantula stuffed animals and plush toys at Jeannie's Cottage.
