Desert Tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes

By Brooke Bessesen

Size: Adults are generally about 3-4 inches in body length, with mature individuals reaching a leg span of about 5 inches. After their final molt, males have slimmer bodies, longer legs and darker coloring, along with mating spurs on the first pair of legs.

Diet: Primarily insects and other small invertebrates, including crickets, beetles, grasshoppers and other arachnids. They may occasionally capture small lizards. Venom delivered through the fangs helps subdue prey before feeding.

Range: Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California, extending south into Mexico.

Habitat: Dry, well-drained desert and grassland soils, where they live primarily in underground burrows lined with silk.

Behavior: Tarantulas line their burrows with silk and may extend strands around the entrance. Vibrations traveling through the silk and ground alert the spider to nearby prey or potential danger. They are primarily nocturnal and usually remain close to their burrows except during mating season.

Life Span: Females can live more than 20 years and sometimes exceed 25 years in captivity. Males typically mature at about 8-10 years and generally live only a few additional years.

Status: Common and not currently considered threatened.

Locomotion: Typical spider walk. Arizona desert tarantulas are terrestrial and generally remain on or near the ground rather than climbing or jumping.

Socialization: Solitary.

Breeding/Reproduction: Mature males leave their burrows during the summer rains, especially in July, August and September, to search for females. After mating, the female lays her eggs inside her burrow and guards them while they develop. Females may produce from a few eggs to around 100, although relatively few young survive to adulthood.

Nifty Fact: Tarantulas are preyed upon by large spider wasps commonly called "tarantula hawks." A female wasp stings and paralyzes a tarantula, drags it to a burrow and lays a single egg on the spider. When the egg hatches, the developing wasp larva feeds on the still-living but immobilized tarantula.

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©2005 Brooke Bessesen

Arizona Animals