Question 1

True or false: All tarantulas possess venom potent enough to kill a healthy adult human.

Accepted Answer

False. No tarantula species has venom fatal to humans. Their venom is generally mild; severe reactions are rare and usually from allergic responses.

Question 2

True or false: A tarantula's venom is generally not lethal to humans.

Accepted Answer

True. Most tarantula venom is mild, comparable to a bee sting, and no species has caused a confirmed human fatality. Exceptions exist but are rare.

Question 3

True or false: Tarantulas are insects with six legs.

Accepted Answer

False. Tarantulas are arachnids, not insects. They have eight legs, two body segments, and eight eyes, unlike insects which have six legs.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

False. Sexual cannibalism can occur in some tarantula species, but it is not the norm; males frequently escape after mating, especially when the female is well-fed.

Question 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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

Accepted Answer

True. Some female tarantulas, such as the Mexican red knee, have lifespans exceeding 20 years in captivity, while males typically live only a few years.

Question 12

True or false: A tarantula can regrow a lost leg during its next molt.

Accepted Answer

True. Tarantulas can regenerate lost legs gradually through molting. A missing limb may reappear smaller and return to full size over successive molts.

Question 13

True or false: Tarantulas have urticating hairs that they can flick at predators.

Accepted Answer

False. Only New World tarantulas possess urticating hairs; Old World species lack them, relying on other defenses. Therefore, the blanket statement that all tarantulas have these hairs is incorrect.

Question 14

True or false: A tarantula is the world's fastest spider.

Accepted Answer

False. Tarantulas are slow-moving ambush predators. The fastest spiders are species like giant house spiders or certain wolf spiders, not tarantulas.

Question 15

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.

Question 16

True or false: Some tarantula species can live entirely underwater.

Accepted Answer

False. Tarantulas are terrestrial and cannot breathe underwater. There are aquatic spiders like the diving bell spider, but no tarantula species lives submerged.

Tarantula Trivia Questions