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The name Tarantula refers really, to a large varied group of hairy spiders. Not exactly what you want to find waiting for you when you pull back the covers at bedtime!

Actually, Tarantulas are generally not any more poisonous than other spiders, though their hairs can cause allergic reaction. They may be found in warm climates like those in the western and southern United States and the tropics. They like to live in small burrows.

The name Tarantula actually comes from the name of an Italian wolf spider which was found in Taranto, Italy. Years ago, people believed that if you were bit by this spider, you would get a disease that they named Tarantism. It supposedly caused people to leap in the air and utter bizarre noises. This ailment was addressed by dancing a lively Italian step called– what else?– the Tarantella!

Tarantulas can live for up to 20 years. Their diet consists of invertebrates, such as insects, and vertebrates such as small birds. Gulp! No, really– some Tarantulas can eat reptiles, amphibians or small birds. Its eating habits depend on the spider’s habitat (and how hungry it is.) Generally, the Tarantulas that people spot are mature males, wandering around in search of a mate. If you live in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, or Nevada, you may have some of these fuzzy spiders living in your midst. Don’t worry, U.S. Tarantulas are harmless to humans. They only prowl around at night, since they are nocturnes, and they only like to climb into kids’ beds. (Just kidding about the last part!) But, if you do run into one, don’t kill it– just gently brush it into a jar with a paintbrush, or something with a long handle and a soft end– then deposit him someplace else. Tarantulas are actually beneficial creatures who rid us of cockroaches and vermin.

Some people like Tarantulas so much, that they have them as pets. Domesticated Tarantulas are usually fed crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and moths. Some even like “pinky” mice when they are really hungry. Fierce as they may seem, these spiders actually are quite fragile. They can be injured if they fall, and they are particularly sensitive when they molt each year. Don’t you think they have a much scarier reputation than they deserve? You might not be dying to sleep with one in your bed, but you might not be so afraid of slow crawling, dangerous looking, furry spiders anymore either, right?Right?