Texas Brown Tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi; The most common tarantula in the southern United States, the Brown Tarantula reaches 4″ across with the legs spread out. Males have slimmer legs, and an angular cephalo-thorax, while the females have a larger, rounded abdomen. Tarantula have prominent spinnerets, but do not spin webs, instead digging a tunnel which they line with silk, and spin a door that is camouflaged with leaves, twigs and dirt. Solitary hunters, trap-door tarantula move around in the evenings, hunting insects, and mates. While tarantula have large “fangs”, and kill their prey with poison, they are neither aggressive toward people, nor is their bite worse than a large wasp. However, the hairs on their legs can cause a rash, especially the hair on the shed exoskeletons.
Texas Brown Tarantula; note; 8 long, slender, black legs, brownish cephalo-thorax, and prominent spinnerets.
Note; females have a larger, abdomen.
Trail Trotter's Flower Guide 