Tarantulas are more or less exclusively nocturnal. And it certainly knows when I’m approaching. It can sense an insect walking feet away from it. However, see all of those hairs on its legs and body? Those hairs are sensory organs that make this spider acutely aware of even the slightest vibration. They have no hearing, at least not as we understand hearing. Tarantulas likely have very poor vision that enables them to tell light from dark and not much more. This second image is a portrait of my friend, showing its “face.” Those glittering dots atop its “head” (cephalothorax) are some of its eight tiny eyes. I’ll explain how I found and photographed this tarantula at the end of this post. Photographing one of these creatures requires a bit of guile because tarantulas are definitely shy in humans’ presence. Including its eight legs, it covers the palm of my hand. The individual depicted here is a pretty big tarantula. Besides, these animals are harmless, and fascinating once you get to know them. There is a definite local pride to being home to among the hemisphere’s largest spiders. I know that many find tarantulas (and spiders in general) to be altogether creepy, but I like them, and so do many of my Tucson acquaintances. So, in keeping with that, here are a couple of images of this year’s resident. I’ve made it an annual tradition to post a few images of the tarantulas living in our Tucson backyard. Aįemale wolf spider may live up to 2 years.You may enlarge any image in this blog by clicking on it. After another month, they disperse, sometimes by ballooning. The spiderlings hatchĪfter about a month and climb onto the mother�s back, holding onto specialized With egg case attached, outside the burrow entrance. Sometimes she suns the egg case, sticking her rump, Lays eggs, she carries the egg case with her wherever she goes, attached He produces sounds by scraping the palp against itself. He also drums with his palps, and in a procedure called stridulation, He does this by tapping his legs in a particularįashion. Male must give the female appropriate signals when he finds her, to avoidīeing perceived as a threat. Throughout the summer rainy season, presumably searching for mates. Wolf spiders are expert and vigorous hunters. Nocturnal predators and are rarely seen during the day. Tapetum in the eye which reflects light rays back through the eye retina and probably enhances the spider�s night vision. They are typically active from March through October, when their green eye shine can be easily seen as they cross roads at night. These spiders are most often found in Arizona Upland habitat, where their burrows are quite conspicuous. This particular species of wolf spider is found throughout the United States in habitats ranging from desertscrub to woodlands. The wolf spiderĬan be from gray to dark brown with distinctive peach or orange coloration on the front of the chelicerae. Wolf spider burrows can be differentiated from tarantula burrows by the turret of silk and twigs that extends vertically from the wolf spider�s hole. Wolf spiders are large, with a 1 inch (25 mm) body length like tarantulas, they live in burrows. Spanish names: mordelena, carga hijas, buena madre Description
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |