They may send shivers down the spine of arachnophobes, but not all spiders are the stuff of nightmares. From dazzling dancers no bigger than a grain of rice, to velvet-coated rarities that look more like toys than terrors, these eight-legged wonders prove that beauty comes in the most unexpected forms. Here are some of the […]
Tag: Tarantulas
She’s equipped with deadly hooked claws that’s used to pin down her prey, which only dies once all its vital organs have been eaten, left until last…
Neither an arachnid nor a bird, this large wasp (there are over 130 known species) gets its confusing name from a fearsome habit of preying on tarantulas and other large spiders. What are tarantula hawk wasps? Tarantula hawks are part of the spider wasp family, and measuring from around 5cm to 11cm long, it’s found all over the […]
“I can barely believe that such an eerie sound could be created by an animal.” Tourists armed with tech are heading into the Amazon – to save monkeys
Screeches, yowls and the hum of cicadas echo alongside yelps, squawks, splashes and drips. It’s first light in the Peruvian Amazon and my ears are enlivened with the joyous din of nocturnal symphonies jostling with the waking dawn chorus. Then, I hear it: a long growl, like an approaching storm. I peer into the towering […]
“As it lurks behind the trapdoor, a twitch on the trip wire alerts it that something tasty has just walked past…”
The global family of trap-door spiders, relatives of tarantulas, are also fond of burrowing. They have a special row of teeth that are adapted to help them dig holes to make a home even in very dry soil and sturdy legs to assist with the excavation. They construct a tunnel, around 15cm (6in) in length, which […]
“Swarms attack and dismember anything in their path, piece by piece…” 10 brutal and savage animals that can kill and devour prey twice their size
When it comes to survival in the animal kingdom, size isn’t always the determining factor. Some creatures possess such incredible strength, cunning or venom that they can take down prey twice their size. Here are 10 formidable animals that can overcome much larger adversaries, from the majestic tiger and remarkable Komodo dragon, to the bat-hunting giant centipede and even a beetle larva that […]
Hordes of Tarantulas Are About to Swarm in The US, And Here’s Why
It’s late August, and summer is fading. While you’re busy wondering where last year’s Halloween decorations got to, some real-life horrors are emerging from the shadows in search of a little love. Every year, swarms of Texas brown tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi) take advantage of the cooling temperature across the southern US to look for a […]