Question 1

True or false: Female tarantulas often eat the male after mating.

Accepted Answer

True. Sexual cannibalism occurs in many tarantula species, though males sometimes escape if the female is well-fed.

Question 2

True or false: Tarantulas are insects that have six legs.

Accepted Answer

False. Tarantulas are arachnids, not insects; they have eight legs, two pedipalps, and two body segments.

Question 3

True or false: Tarantulas can regenerate lost legs during molting.

Accepted Answer

True. Like many arachnids, tarantulas can regrow missing limbs over successive molts, though the new leg may be smaller.

Question 4

True or false: Tarantulas spin elaborate webs to catch flying birds.

Accepted Answer

False. While called 'bird eaters,' most tarantulas are ground dwellers that hunt insects and small animals, not birds in flight.

Question 5

True or false: All tarantulas are deadly to humans, with venom that can kill within minutes.

Accepted Answer

False. Most tarantula venom is mild, comparable to a bee sting; no species has caused a confirmed human death.

Question 6

True or false: Tarantulas can shoot hairs from their abdomen as a defense mechanism.

Accepted Answer

True. Many New World tarantulas have urticating hairs on their abdomen that they flick at predators, causing irritation.

Question 7

True or false: Some tarantulas can live for over 20 years in captivity.

Accepted Answer

True. Female tarantulas of certain species, like the Mexican red knee, can live 20-30 years with proper care.

Question 8

True or false: A tarantula's bite can cause a human to dance uncontrollably.

Accepted Answer

False. This myth originated from a medieval Italian dance called the tarantella, falsely linked to tarantula bites.

Tarantula Trivia Questions