{"id":10971,"date":"2023-10-18T11:57:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T10:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/education\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T11:29:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T10:29:13","slug":"tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/","title":{"rendered":"Tarantula Anatomy: Learn all about the furry friends’ bodies!"},"content":{"rendered":"

To some, tarantulas are scary, creepy crawlies who should be kept away from, but for others, tarantulas are furry little creatures that are actually very interesting. In this blog, we\u2019ll learn all about the tarantula anatomy and what makes them so fascinating, not to mention why you shouldn\u2019t be so scared of them! <\/p>\n

There are thousands of spider species, and within the tarantula (Theraphosidae) <\/em>family there are around 800 different types. Tarantulas are typically found across the world\u2019s tropical and subtropical regions, and are more common across the likes of Central and South America, Australia and Southern Asia. You may or may not be pleased to know that only one species of tarantula is found in the UK, which is the rare purse-web spider (Alypus affinis)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Where will you find tarantulas?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re hoping to get a good look at what a tarantula looks like, you might struggle. Tarantulas usually come out at night, as this is when they hunt for prey, and they are mostly underground dwellers or arboreal, which means they live in trees. Tarantulas are solitary creatures by nature, coming together only to mate.<\/p>\n

However, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of a real life tarantula at our Venom exhibit<\/a>! Blue Planet Aquarium is home to the Tarantula Tree Tower, inviting you to crawl inside and come face-to-face with these fascinating creatures. We’ve also put together a handy visual to help you understand the anatomy of a tarantula, which you can view below! You can also download it here, if you’d like to print it out.<\/p>\n

Diagram-of-Tarantula-Anatomy<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

What is a tarantula\u2019s body like?<\/h2>\n

The first thing you\u2019ll notice about a tarantula is that it can be very hairy! These hairs are actually called urticating hair or setae, and they are designed to protect the spider. The tarantula can flick these when it feels threatened. Interestingly, Old World tarantulas do not possess urticating hairs \u2013 only the New World species.<\/p>\n

A tarantula\u2019s body is made up of two parts, just like other species of spider. These are the opisthosoma (abdomen), and the prosoma. The latter is the spider\u2019s head and midsection (thorax), which is fused together. Its 8 legs are connected to the prosoma.<\/p>\n

A tarantula also has two pedipalps, which resemble shorter legs but are used for sensory purposes, not movement. They help the tarantula to feel their environment. Between the pedipalps, you will find two chelicerae. These are mouthparts that can be used in catching prey, and they also contain the venom sacs.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

How many eyes does a tarantula have?<\/h2>\n

You might assume that tarantulas just have two eyes like most other animals, but you\u2019d be wrong! Tarantulas actually have 8 eyes, just like many other species of spider. These eyes are grouped into pairs, with the main pair hard to miss as they are the largest and sit in the middle of their heads.<\/p>\n

There are 4 smaller eyes between these large ones, and two final eyes with one on each side of their head. All of the tarantula\u2019s eyes are strategically positioned to help the spider get a good look at its surroundings.<\/p>\n

Despite having this many eyes, a tarantula\u2019s vision isn\u2019t very good! They can make out movement and differentiate light from dark, but that\u2019s about it. Instead, they depend on their other senses.<\/p>\n

Are tarantulas venemous?<\/h2>\n

Tarantulas are able to inject paralysing venom into their prey before tucking into them with their fangs. However, a New World tarantula\u2019s venom is mild and weaker than a bee. With that in mind, if a tarantula were to bite you, it would be painful but harmless! Old World tarantulas have been known to have a more potent venom, with a much more painful bite. The venom is delivered through the chelicerae. It is referred to by keepers as “medically significant”.<\/p>\n

Tarantulas aren\u2019t aggressive by nature, and will typically only bite in self-defence when provoked or threatened.  <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

Can tarantulas spin webs?<\/h2>\n

While most spiders spin webs to catch their prey, tarantulas do not. Instead, they spin silk for different reasons. Tarantulas have two pairs of spinnerets \u2013 these are appendages that can produce silk.<\/p>\n

Tarantulas will spin silk to line and protect their burrows, particularly at the entrance, to stop any unwanted visitors from getting near. They also sometimes use their silk webs as additional protection with moulting and shedding their exoskeleton.<\/p>\n

The webs are also an important part of the mating ritual, and can be used to help the tarantula anchor on surfaces.<\/p>\n

Tarantulas are more fascinating than they are scary, and we hope you\u2019ve learnt something new about these brilliant creatures. Don\u2019t forget you can see them for yourself at our Venom exhibit \u2013 <\/strong>book your tickets<\/strong><\/a> online today and plan your next visit!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To some, tarantulas are scary, creepy crawlies who should be kept away from, but for others, tarantulas are furry little creatures that are actually very interesting. In this blog, we\u2019ll learn all about the tarantula anatomy and what makes them so fascinating, not to mention why you shouldn\u2019t be so scared of them! There are … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Planet Aquarium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-18T10:57:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-15T10:29:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bpa.banc.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1004\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/\",\"name\":\"Tarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-18T10:57:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-15T10:29:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/bd01793fc7bd17d848523b4465bb4154\"},\"description\":\"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1004,\"caption\":\"null\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tarantula Anatomy: Learn all about the furry friends’ bodies!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/\",\"name\":\"Blue Planet Aquarium\",\"description\":\"Discover a world beneath the waves\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/bd01793fc7bd17d848523b4465bb4154\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium","description":"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium","og_description":"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!","og_url":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/","og_site_name":"Blue Planet Aquarium","article_published_time":"2023-10-18T10:57:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-15T10:29:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1004,"url":"https:\/\/bpa.banc.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/","url":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/","name":"Tarantula Anatomy | Blue Planet Aquarium","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-18T10:57:19+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-15T10:29:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/bd01793fc7bd17d848523b4465bb4154"},"description":"More fascinating than they are scary, and here you've got the chance to learn a little more about Tarantula anatomy!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Flare-Sand-tiger-Shark-6.jpg","width":1500,"height":1004,"caption":"null"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/blog\/tarantula-anatomy-learn-all-about-the-furry-friends-bodies\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tarantula Anatomy: Learn all about the furry friends’ bodies!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#website","url":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/","name":"Blue Planet Aquarium","description":"Discover a world beneath the waves","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/bd01793fc7bd17d848523b4465bb4154","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10971"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102537,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10971\/revisions\/102537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuronicdev.es\/bpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}