Desert tarantula
Desert tarantula
Invertebrate
A ground-hunting spider that catches prey at night instead of spinning a web, flicking barbed hairs when threatened; females can live around 30 years.
A large, hairy spider that hunts at night in the desert.
💡 Fun Facts
- They don't spin webs to catch prey; they actively hunt on the ground at night.
- When threatened, they can rub their hind legs against their abdomen to flick irritating barbed hairs into a predator's eyes.
- Females can live for up to 30 years in the wild.
Name Story
Aphonopelma chalcodes
means “Silent-soled and copper-coloured”
What does its name mean?
- Aphonopelma — soundless soleGreek a- 'without' + phone 'sound' + pelma 'sole of the foot'
- chalcodes — copper-coloured, bronzeGreek chalkos 'copper'
Many tarantulas can make a rasping sound with special bristles on their legs — but this one is named for the sound it doesn't make, 'silent-soled', and for its pale, copper-blond hairs.