Texas Brown Tarantula
ExploreInvertebrate
Texas Brown Tarantula
aphonopelma hentzi
The Texas Brown Tarantula is a large spider that loves to burrow in the ground. These hairy creatures are fascinating to watch as they move around their habitats at night!
Habitat: Grasslands, forests, and burrows in Texas
Appearance
The Texas Brown Tarantula is a large, hairy arachnid, typically dark brown to black. Its stout body and legs are covered in fine, velvety hairs, giving it a fuzzy appearance distinct from smoother spiders.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassArachnidaOrderAraneaeFamilyTheraphosidaeGenusAphonopelma
Category
InvertebrateRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
7
Interesting facts
A Texas Brown Tarantula cleans itself like a cat, carefully grooming its legs and fangs.
Despite its name, its color can range from dark brown to black, and even reddish.
They taste their food with tiny sensory organs located on their pedipalps, not just their mouths.
This tarantula often lives in an underground burrow, sometimes for many decades!
Special abilities
Ability
Urticating Hairs
Texas Brown Tarantula has barbed hairs on its abdomen that helps them defend against predators by irritating skin or eyes.
Ability
Silk Spinner
Texas Brown Tarantula can produce silk to line its burrow, wrap prey, and create egg sacs that helps protect its young.
Ability
Limb Regrowth
Texas Brown Tarantula can regrow lost legs through molting because this ability helps them recover from injuries.
Measurements & details
- Size Cm
- 15 cm
- Weight Grams
- 40 g
- Lifespan Years
- 25 years
- Clutch Size
- 750
Diet & Feeding
This fuzzy hunter loves to munch on crunchy insects and sometimes even tiny vertebrates!
Primary Foods
- crickets
- grasshoppers
- beetles
- small lizards
- small mice
Foraging Method
- Ambush
Ecological connections
eaten by
Tarantula Hawk Wasp
Pepsis formosa
Wasps paralyze tarantulas to lay eggs on them.
hunts
Field Cricket
Gryllus assimilis
A common insect often caught and eaten by the tarantula.
eaten by
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Sometimes preys on wandering tarantulas, especially males.
eaten by
Coyote
Canis latrans
Mammals can sometimes dig up and eat tarantulas from their burrows.
Traits
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
Burrowing
Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
Carnivorous
This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
Venomous
Venomous organisms produce toxins that are injected into another animal, typically through a bite or sting.
Also known as
Brown TarantulaHentz's TarantulaTexas SpiderTexas Tarantula
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always observe from a distance and do not try to touch wild tarantulas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Texas Brown Tarantula?
The easiest way to identify Texas Brown Tarantula is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How big is Texas Brown Tarantula?
15 cm
How much does Texas Brown Tarantula weigh?
40 g
How long does Texas Brown Tarantula live?
25 years
What does Texas Brown Tarantula eat?
This fuzzy hunter loves to munch on crunchy insects and sometimes even tiny vertebrates!
Where is Texas Brown Tarantula usually found?
Grasslands, forests, and burrows in Texas
How does Texas Brown Tarantula hunt?
Ambush
How many eggs does Texas Brown Tarantula lay?
750
Snap Map
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Recent Snaps
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