Nature Ramble

Tarantulas this week.

Are they as fearsome as we imagine?

The link today points to a BBC slide show.

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Tarantulas

Tarantulas have large, hairy bodies that make them the stuff of nightmares for many, but they look more threatening than they actually are. The mild venom of their bite is weaker than the average bee’s, and causes little more pain than a wasp sting. There are hundreds of species of tarantula living in the world’s tropical jungles and deserts. South America is home to some of the most sizeable species, such as the Goliath spiders that can have a leg span of 30cm. The name tarantula originates from the Italian town of Taranto.

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Nature Ramble

Last week, sharks, this week spiders.

A new Brazilian tarantula, in fact.

Tarantula type spiders generally instil fear in most people because of their size. They appear closer to movie horrors than household spiders.

The Typhochlaena costae is no different, except that in the words of a Brazilian spider scientist, “sheer beauty” and “it’s drop dead gorgeous!”

The ‘spectacular’ colouration of Typhochlaena costae. Photograph: Rogério Bertani

The species is from the northern Brazilian states of Tocantins, Maranhão and Piauí. Almost nothing is known of its natural history.

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