Fur, Feathers & Scales - Tarantula

(This is a re-post.  I'm experimenting and trying to rid my blog of some crazy spam traffic.)

Hi folks! I've got a not-so-cuddly friend to share with you today. This is Charlie, the Curly Hair Tarantula!!

Okay, first off, if you're still reading this, good for you! Spiders are actually really cool, and I promise they're not out to get you. They serve the very important role of eating insects in our world--though some of them are big enough to eat mice and birds!

This particular species of tarantula comes from Central America and lives in humid, forested areas. They have slightly curly hairs covering their body.

Typically, tarantulas don't catch their prey in a web like other spiders. But they do still produce silk and line their burrows with it. They'll use the silk like a trip wire to alert them when prey(or danger) approaches. If they're hungry, they ambush their prey.

They have pretty large fangs, and a small amount of venom. But Charlie is very docile and easy to handle. She's a very cool animal!