Tarantulas are a family of spiders that live in many different regions of the world. They are known for being among the largest spiders, and for their large hairy bodies that many people find frightening.

Different members of the tarantula family live, hunt, and reproduce differently, each having evolved in ways to help ensure its survival.

If you asked the average person what they were scared of about a tarantula, they would likely say it’s bite and venom (even though their venom is very mild to humans).

That is very understandable, but if you were talking about the Avicularia avicularia, which is more commonly known as the pinktoe tarantula, that might not be a great answer.

For the pinktoe tarantula, the biggest threat to a human is likely its hair. While it hatches without it, this species develops more and more of it with each molt as it gets older and bigger.

This isn’t just normal hair, but what is called urticating hairs, which are very similar to nettles. When they come in contact with skin, eyes, or other tissue, they can work their way in and become very irritating. While this is not life-threatening to humans, or even most other animals, it does serve as a great defense mechanism.

Very few animals want to try to eat something that is going to cause serious irritation to their mouth and throat.

These hairs aren’t just a threat to predators who are trying to eat them though. This tarantula can actually flick their legs in such a way so that the hairs fly off toward its intended target. If you approach the spider and it feels threatened, it will launch the hairs toward you, causing discomfort and pain.

Not only did this spider evolve a very interesting defense mechanism, but it also has an unusual mating process.

When it comes time for a male pinktoe tarantula to reproduce, it starts off by creating a dense sheet of silk that is attached to the substrate. This process takes several hours to complete.

After he is done, he will go under the web and place drops of sperm all across the bottom of it. From there, he moves up to the top side and rubs the web using palps, which are the small appendages near his mouth.

Once a female pinktoe tarantula enters, the sperm is deposited into her reproductive organs. While odd, it is quite efficient. It also helps to keep the male away from the female during this time. This can be important since with so many other species of spider, the female will try to eat the male after mating.

Needless to say, this tarantula has some interesting features, and that is without even commenting on its pink toes. Yes, this tarantula has small pink ‘toes’ at the end of each leg, which is of course where it got its name.

What a fascinating spider.

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