Tarantula

Description:

Body and legs are hairy Tan to reddish brown to black in color Body size is up to three inches long and two to three inches tall Leg span of three to five inches Male tarantulas are longer and slimmer than females Male tarantulas have much smaller abdomens than females Exoskeleton (outer shell) includes a fused head and thorax connected at a narrow waist to an oval-shaped abdomen Eight marginally functional eyes in two groups on the forehead Mouth and two backward-pointing fangs below the eyes Two pedipalps (leg-like appendages) for food handling near the mouth Abdomen contains several vital organs Abdomen has silk-producing spinnerets at the tip Four pairs of legs connect to the fused head and thorax

Habitat:

Typically, in the southwestern United States, tarantulas live in solitude in desert basins, mountain foothills and forested slopes. They occupy various kinds of nests, with many species taking up residence in burrows or crevices, which may be sequestered in the ground, along cliff faces, among rocks, under tree bark, or between tree roots.