Aphonopelma hentzi, the Texas Brown tarantula, (also known as Oklahoma Brown tarantula or Missouri tarantula), is one of the most common species of tarantula

Tarantula

Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...

 thriving in the southern-most United States today. Texas Browns can grow in excess of a four inch leg span, and weigh more than 3 ounces as adults. The body is dark brown in color. Shades may vary between individual tarantulas and is more distinct after moult

Moult

In biology, moulting or molting , also known as sloughing, shedding, or for some species, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body , either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life cycle.Moulting can involve the epidermis , pelage...

.

Lifecycle

Female Aphonopelma hentzi tarantulas can lay up to 1,000 eggs. The eggs are positioned securely in a web, which remains in the tarantula burrow, and guarded by the female. Eggs hatch in 45 to 60 days. Once spiderlings leave the egg sac, its not unusual to stay with the females for up to a week or possibly longer before dispersing to make their own burrows.

Females have been known to live up to 30 years. But considering no studies have lasted so long, the lifespan is presumed to be longer. Males rarely live over three months after they have matured.

Habitat

Texas Brown tarantulas, Aphonopelma hentzi, occur in North America throughout Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

 Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, southern Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

 and Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, and northwestern Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 and other adjoining areas in the U.S. and Northeast Mexico. They are commonly found in grasslands, burrowed under ground; or using logs, stones, or other small animal's abandoned dens as their home and feeding grounds. Texas Brown tarantulas will use their spinnerets to line the entrance of their shelter with webbing so as to detect passing prey. Tarantula are often restricted to the ground but can climb.

Food

In captivity, the diet of a Texas Brown tarantula consists primarily of beetles, cockroaches, crickets, and pinky mice. During a large feeding, the abdomen (opisthosoma) will often increase its size by two-fold.

Pets

Texas Brown tarantulas are very common as pets because of their docile mannerism. Like many other popular pet tarantula species (see: Mexican Redknee tarantula

Mexican redknee tarantula

The Brachypelma smithi , is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, of which are a popular choice for enthusiasts...

), Texas Brown tarantula are easy to handle, very low maintenance, and inexpensive to care for. Habitats should be kept in a terrarium with low humidity and the surrounding temperature set to 68-86°F

Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...

. The length should be wider than twice the leg-span of the tarantula, and should include shelter for hiding and sleeping while inside the terrarium.

Recommended feeding includes four to six live cricket

Cricket (insect)

Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...

s every few weeks. Gut loading

Gut loading

Gut loading is the process by which an animal's prey is raised and fed nutritious foods with the intention of passing those nutrients to the animal for which the prey is intended. This term is used most often in reference to the preparation of insects, such as crickets and mealworms, or mice which...

, or providing prey with vitamins and other nutrients, provides tarantulas with a healthy meal. Uneaten prey should be removed after one day. Fasting, or not eating, for days or weeks at a time is sometimes an indication of an upcoming molt. A water dish should be supplied and maintained, shallow enough for the tarantula to drink from.

Defense

When disturbed, like most other tarantulas, the Texas Brown will maneuver itself to a stance on its hind legs and raise its front legs in a threatening manner. Also, Texas Brown tarantulas have small coarse brown and/or black urticating hairs on their abdomen that they will kick in the direction of whatever they may feel threatened by. Bites from the Texas Brown tarantula are generally not a serious harm to humans. Apply a cold compress to the area, and if swelling or rash occur, seek medical attention.

External links

• canadianarachnology.org: Aphonopelma hentzi - Texas Brown Tarantula