Tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world.
They belong to the Theraphosidae spider family of which around 900 species have been identified
worldwide.
Tarantulas are arthropods.
This means they are invertebrates which rely on their exoskeletons for muscular support.
They also have paired appendages and a segmented body.
Two appendages called chelicerae contain their venom glands.
These spiders inject their venom into their prey through their fangs which are hollow
extensions of the chelicerae.
Each of the tarantula’s eight legs ends in two or three retractable claws, which are
used for climbing and gripping surfaces.
One of the most distinctive physical features that tarantulas possess is represented by
the hairs which cover their legs and bodies.
Some species have urticating hairs which they can kick off from their abdomen or rub against
their prey.
These fine hairs are barbed and may be lethal for smaller animals such as rodents.
Urticating hairs are also quite dangerous for humans if they enter the respiratory system
or if the eyes are exposed to them.
Some people may also have strong allergic reactions which are manifested through rashes
and intense itching.
Although they have eight eyes, commonly grouped in two rows of four, tarantulas are not able
of perceiving much more than motion, light and darkness.
Their sharpest sense is that of touch.
When on the hunt the tarantula reacts to the vibrations which are emitted by the movement
of its prey.
In order to grow and reach adulthood, tarantulas go through a process called molting in which
they shed their exoskeleton.
This process can also result in the replacement of lost urticating hairs and even lost limbs.
The size of a tarantula varies according to its species.
The largest specimens can reach a foot in length.
Tarantulas are seen as frightening by some people and fascinating by others.
While those suffering from the fear of spiders called arachnophobia might dread the idea
of a tarantula being near them, others, popularly known as arachnophiles, might opt for keeping
them as pets.
Number 4: Catherine Moreau On April 18, 2016, Catherine Moreau and her
family were on a plane travelling to Canada, from the Dominican Republic.
The woman was watching a film on her IPad when she felt something brushing against her
leg.
Initially she assumed it was a wire and pushed it aside.
A few moments later she felt it tickling her leg again.
That is when she discovered a giant hairy spider, much to her shock and terror.
Moreau started to scream and hit the spider in an attempt to get it off her, which in
turn caused the eight-legged critter to bite her.
She realized that it was a tarantula.
The spider was believed to have escaped from another passenger’s bag and crawled its
way under the luggage of Moreau’s 11-year-old daughter.
The woman’s husband eventually managed to trap the spider in a Tupperware container
and asked a flight attendant for a bag to put it in.
The other passengers were relieved and were slowly overcoming their state of distress
when it was revealed that a second tarantula was on the loose inside the cabin.
In the panic that ensued, as passengers were screaming and climbing on their seats flight
attendants attempted to calm them down and told them to cover their ankles and put on
their shoes.
Moreau was reportedly given first aid treatment for her bites but her daughter was in shock.
The second tarantula was captured when the plane landed at the Trudeau Airport in Montreal.
According to Étienne Normandin, an etimologist from the University of Montreal, the two spiders
were members of the Phormictopus cancerides species also known as the Hispaniolan Giant
Tarantula.
Despite being an aggressive species, their venom is not dangerous.
Air Transat, the company the airplane belonged to, admitted that it did not have a protocol
for such a scenario and expressed its intention for implementing one.
Moreau asked the company for a refund on the tickets she and her family had purchased after
mentioning several ways in which she believed the attending staff did not handle the situation
appropriately.
She claimed that she was not allowed to take a picture of the spider so that she could
later identify the species and seek further medical assistance.
She also stated that it took a long time before she was brought a bag to place the spider
in.
Furthermore, Moreau claimed that her daughter suffered from nightmares after the incident
and that Air Transat did not provide her with the promised report concerning the spider’s
species.
Tarantulas are widely spread across the world in various regions of the United States, South
America and Central America.
They may also be found in Africa, throughout Australia and in most areas in Asia.
On the European continent some species occur in Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
A tarantula’s main hunting technique is ambush.
At first it catches its prey using its legs.
Afterwards the tarantula paralyzes its prey with venom before finally devouring it using
its fangs.
Tarantulas also possess strong jaws which they might use to crush their prey.
Once its victim has died, the tarantula injects digestive enzymes into it, which liquefies
its body.
Then it is sucked into the tarantula’s straw-like mouth.
Some of these spiders hunt in trees while others are burrowers and ambush their prey
on the ground.
Most species tend to mainly eat insects.
Larger species, such as the Goliath Bird-Eating tarantula, which can grow up to lengths of
almost 15 inches, might also opt for hunting larger prey such as rodents, frogs and small
lizards.
In the wild female tarantulas live up to thirty years while males have a shorter lifespan
of approximately seven years.
While males commonly have longer legs, some species exhibit strong sexual dimorphism with
females being larger than males, particularly in the abdominal region.
Number 3: Kelly Chittenden 44-year-old Kelly Chittenden had one of her
worst fears come to life after a Mexican red rump tarantula landed on her head.
The incident took place in Deal, Kent after the spider was presumably taken off a windowsill
by a gust of wind.
Chittenden, who suffers from arachnophobia, initially thought that someone had thrown
some trash out of a window.
After realizing that it was a hairy spider the mother of two was shocked and quickly
crossed the street, warning other people that a tarantula was on the loose.
She later described it to have been as large as an orange and claimed the experience was
her "worst nightmare come true".
Gus How, the tarantula’s owner claimed that the wind had blown it off his windowsill.
The Mexican red rump tarantula has urticating hairs on its abdomen which it can throw of
its body whenever it feels threatened.
The spider was not recovered and some people claimed to have seen it run into a shop.
Although there have not been any recorded tarantula-related deaths there are several
ways in which they might be harmful towards humans.
The urticating hairs that they fling off their abdomens using their legs may cause severe
allergic reactions if they enter the eyes or the respiratory system.
Vision loss is one of the most severe outcomes as the hairs may cause retinal scarring, cataracts
and inflammatory reactions which can damage the optic nerve.
These barbed wire-like hairs may also lead to the formation of urticaria and hives which
can cause intense itching.
Other symptoms may include a runny nose, sinus pressure, congestion and sneezing once the
hairs come in contact with the nose’s mucous membrane.
Some of the people affected require emergency medical treatment.
Even though a tarantula’s bite might cause redness and swelling around the affected area
it is relatively painless and has been deemed less painful than that of a common bee.
In the cases of ‘dry’ bites, meaning bites where the tarantula does not inject its venom,
the vast majority of people have not reported any side effects outside of moderate swelling
or redness.
Venomous bites in some cases may cause muscular cramps, sweating, stiff joints and chest tightness.
Extreme reactions include a loss of blood flow to major organs and serious breathing
difficulty.
These breathing impairments are similar to those brought on by an asthmatic crisis.
Number 2: Tarantulas Attack Northeast Indian Town
In May 2012, residents from the Sadiya town in the Indian state of Asaam were faced with
a wave of attacks from giant hairy spiders, which experts claimed were an undiscovered
species of tarantula.
Two villagers that were affected by these attacks reportedly died.
After several investigative procedures the authorities discovered that the villagers’
deaths might have not been caused by the spiders, but by the treatment they had received.
Witch doctors in the village reportedly cut their patients with blades in an attempt to
drain their wounds.
Further investigations came to a halt as the victims were cremated before thorough autopsies
could be performed.
Other victims who tried to drain the wounds themselves were treated with antibiotics and
made full recoveries according to Doctor Anil Phatowali, a resident physician from a local
hospital.
The symptoms caused by venomous tarantula bites have been treated with muscle relaxants,
and sedatives such as Lorazepam and Midazolam.
For those who choose to keep tarantulas as pets, experts recommend learning the spider’s
scientific Latin name as it might help doctors in finding a proper form of treatment for
any bites that may occur.
Attempting to treat tarantula bites at home is not recommended and seeking medical help
is always the best option.
There are, however, certain measures one may apply at home while waiting for the emergency
services to arrive on -site.
Some medical specialists suggest that wrapping ice in a clean cloth and placing it on the
site of the bite for ten minute sessions alternated with 10 minute pauses might aid in relieving
the pain and delaying the effects of the venom.
Applying a compress of water mixed with meat tenderizer paste on the affected area is also
among the suggested methods of immediate treatment.
Using either a Benadryl cream or a topical cortisone on the bite might also help.
Those affected by the urticating hairs can use wax, duct tape or a pair of tweezers to
remove them.
Once these hairs are inhaled and reach the lungs a medical specialist should be contacted
as soon as possible.
Number 1: Man is Nearly Blinded by Tarantula Hairs
A 29-year old man was forced to contact Dr. Zia Charim, an ophthalmologist from the St.
James Hospital in Leeds after one his eyes had become extremely irritated.
For three weeks, prior to contacting Dr. Charim, the man, whose identity was not released by
the media, had taken medication in support of an initial conjunctivitis diagnosis.
The medication did not improve his condition and by the time he arrived at St. James he
was already photophobic, which means that his eyes would hurt when exposed to light.
Dr. Jonathan Norris, Dr. Charim’s colleagues, decided to examine his eyes using the largest
magnification available.
His examination revealed that the man had minuscule protruding spots in his eyes which
resembled tiny hairs.
The medical staff was puzzled by the discovery until the man recalled an accident which had
occurred as he was cleaning his pet tarantula’s cage.
Dr. Charim’s medical report stated that ‘While his attention was focused on a stubborn
stain, he sensed movement in the terrarium.
He turned his head and found that the tarantula, which was in close proximity, had released
'a mist of hairs' which hit his eyes and face’.
Some of the hairs released by his Chilean Rose tarantula moved past his cornea and iris
and reached the back of the eye, affecting the retina and thus endangering his vision.
Every time he blinked the barbed hairs were only pushed farther through the optical tissue.
Some experts described the hairs as fine filaments resembling tiny pieces of fiberglass.
Medics treated the 29-year-old man by using special steroids to flush the hairs out and
his vision was fully restored.
Dr. Charim also noted that few ophthalmologists are familiar with the effects of tarantula
hairs.
For those who own pet tarantulas this may be quite dangerous as a bad diagnosis may
lead to serious damage to their eyes and even loss
of vision.