{"id":2552,"date":"2020-12-06T16:52:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-06T16:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/?p=2552"},"modified":"2021-08-05T19:58:13","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T19:58:13","slug":"is-a-tarantula-a-spider-a-complete-answer-and-more-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/is-a-tarantula-a-spider-a-complete-answer-and-more-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Is A Tarantula A Spider? A Complete Answer (And More To Know!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tarantulas are large, hairy, eight-legged creatures \u2014 often called giant spiders. Some people love them and can’t get enough of tarantula species as pets. Others will not use the words “love” and “fun” when talking about tarantulas. They think tarantulas are just creepy crawly big spiders. Although many people call them spiders, is a tarantula actually a spider? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All spiders, including tarantulas, belong to the order Araneae<\/em>. However, the suborder Araneomorphs<\/em> are considered “true” spiders, while the other spiders considered to be more primitive. Although tarantulas are not true spiders then, they belong to the spider family. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The naming convention makes it all a bit confusing. But there is even more on this topic. For example, tarantulas are also often called arachnids. Is this then the correct naming? Let’s take a look at the whole picture to find out! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, we can consider a tarantula as a spider then?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although tarantulas are not considered as “true” spiders, they belong to the order of spiders, which in turn belong to the class of arachnids. Confusing? Don’t worry; the answer is that they are absolutely spiders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the illustration below, we show how spiders are taxonomic is related to each other and other species. Tarantulas are considered heavy-bodied spiders which are more primitive compared to the subgroup Araneomophae<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taxonomic class of arachnids which show tarantulas are spiders<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is also safe to say that a tarantula is an arachnid. All tarantulas, like all spiders (and many other arthropods in fact) belong to the Arachnida<\/em> class. However, spiders are the largest order in the class of arachnids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the order of spiders, there are over 47.000 species known and described, but probably there are even more species out there. The heavy-bodied spiders are far less in numbers than there “true” spider family. Approximately 900 species of tarantulas exist in the world. However, there are around 44.000 species of true spiders described today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference between a tarantula and a “true” spider?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now we know tarantulas belong to the order of spiders, but not considered “true” spiders, what are the differences between the two then. What differentiates tarantulas from other spiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference between them is mostly based on morphological features. Spiders within the suborder Mygalomorphae<\/em> (the group including tarantulas) are generally heavily built with large jaws \u2014 officially called chelicerae. They also possess a “hairy” body, although it is technically not true hairs but covered with setae. Many of the species are quite large, compared to the many smaller “true” spiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another distinctive difference is the alignment of fangs. The fangs of tarantulas are nearly parallel in alignment, where spiders within the order Araneomorphae<\/em> having fangs that slope towards each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lifespan of Mygalomorphs is generally much longer than those of Araneomorphs. Where tarantulas often live for 10 years or longer, many Araneomorphs die after one year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tarantula facts: What is unique on these spiders?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although there are far more true spiders out there than there are tarantulas, tarantulas are still more favoured to be kept as a pet. There are many reasons for that, but it is also because of their uniqueness, even a little bizarreness, that make tarantulas favoured amongst many people (and the worst nightmare of others). Let’s talk some tarantula facts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n