Michael D. Kern / Ivory Ornamental Tarantulas (Poecilotheria subfusca) from Sri Lanka

Michael D. Kern / Costa Rican Redleg Tarantula (Megaphobema mesomelas), captive from South America

John Abbott / Chilean rose / flame / fire / red-haired tarantula (Grammostola rosea) pair mating, female on left, male on right, from South America

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) on buttress root of fig tree. Yasuni NP, Ecuador, Central America

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) on buttress root of fig tree (Ficus sp.). Yasuni NP, Ecuador, Central America

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) on buttress root of fig tree (Ficus sp.). Yasuni NP, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Tarantula on buttress root of Ficus (fig) species tree, Yasuni NP, Ecuador

Jabruson / African baboon spider {Theraphosidae / Tarantula family) Odzala NP, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gerry Ellis / Mexican Red-knee Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi), Mexico

Mark Moffett / Peruvian Pinktoe Tarantula (Avicularia urticans) walking on water after being flooded from its nest, Amazonian ecosystem, Peru

Mark Moffett / Peruvian Pinktoe Tarantula (Avicularia urticans) eating tree frog, Amazon, Peru

Mark Moffett / Ecuadorian Brown Velvet Tarantula (Megaphobema velvetosoma) shedding its skin (cuticle), Ecuador

Mark Moffett / Ecuadorian Brown Velvet Tarantula (Megaphobema velvetosoma) shedding its skin (cuticle), Ecuador

Piotr Naskrecki / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) in rainforest, Suriname

MYN / Seth Patterson / Texas brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, October. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Seth Patterson / Texas brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, October. meetyourneighbours.net project

Michael D. Kern / Brazilian black tarantula (Grammostola pulchra) captive, from Brazil

Michael D. Kern / Sri-lankan Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria fasciata), captive from Sri Lanka

Michael D. Kern / Mexican pink tarantula (Brachyplema klaasi), ventral view captive from Mexico

Michael D. Kern / Costa Rican Horned Tarantula (Sphaerobothria hoffmanni) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Ivory Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria subfusca) ventral view, captive from Sri Lanka

Michael D. Kern / Chilian Gold Burst Tarantula (Paraphysa parvula) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Brazilian Red Tarantula, (Nhandu carapoensis) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Emerald Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus uatuman) ventral view, captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Emerald Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus uatuman) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Blue Fang Tarantula, (Ephebopus cyanognathus) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Blue Fang Tarantula, (Ephebopus cyanognathus) captive from South America

Michael D. Kern / Blue Fang Tarantula, (Ephebopus cyanognathus) ventral view, captive from South America

Tony Phelps / Female Baboon spider (Harpactira sp) in silken burrow, DeHoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa, February

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Theraphosidae), newly discovered species, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Tony Phelps / Baboon Spider (Harpactira sp) adult female with freshly moulted skin, DeHoop NR, Western Cape, South Africa, December

Tony Phelps / Baboon Sider (Harpactira sp) adult female, freshly moulted, DeHoop NR, Western Cape, South Africa, December

Tony Phelps / Baboon Spider (Harpactira sp) adult female with freshly moulted skin, DeHoop NR, Western Cape, South Africa, December

Piotr Naskrecki / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi), Sipaliwini, Surinam

Piotr Naskrecki / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi) in rainforest, Sipaliwini, Surinam

ZSSD / Tarantula (Pterinochilus sp), native to Africa

John Abbott / Close up of Chilean rose / flame / fire / red-haired tarantula (Grammostola rosea) female, from South America

John Abbott / Chilean rose / flame / fire / red-haired tarantula (Grammostola rosea) female, from South America

James Christensen / Tarantula (Pamphobeteus sp) male, Mindo, western slope of Andes, Ecuador

James Christensen / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) carcass with the parasitic fly larvae that killed it, Mindo, western slope of Andes, Ecuador

Piotr Naskrecki / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi) in leaf litter, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi), Surinam

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) on bark. Napo River bordering Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest Ecuador.

Pete Oxford / Tarantula (Aphonopelma sp), Napo River, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi), Rewa River, Guyana

Pete Oxford / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi), Rewa River, Guyana

Pete Oxford / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi) on tree trunk, Rewa River, Guyana

Pete Oxford / Goliath Bird-eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi) on tree trunk, Rewa River, Guyana

Michael D. Kern / Thai zebra tarantula (Haplopelma albostriatum) captive

Michael D. Kern / Thai zebra tarantula (Haplopelma albostriatum) captive

Michael D. Kern / Orange tree spider (Tapinauchenius gigas) captive, from Central America

Michael D. Kern / Salem ornamental tree spider (Poecilotheria formosa) mature male, captive, from India

Murray Cooper / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) emerging from nest cavity, Amazon, Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) in leaf litter on forest floor, Amazon, Ecuador

Konrad Wothe / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) near burrow, Tambopata River, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Konrad Wothe / Pinktoe Tarantula (Avicularia avicularia) in ground web, Tambopata River, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Jasper Doest / Texas Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) silhouetted against sunset, George West, Texas

Jasper Doest / Texas Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) on a dead tree trunk, George West, Texas

Staffan Widstrand / Close up of Tarantula spider {Tarantula sp} on tree trunk, Amazonas, Brazil, September

Staffan Widstrand / Tarantula spider {Tarantula sp} on tree trunk, Amazonas, Brazil, September

Piotr Naskrecki / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) on leaf litter, Brownsberg Reserve, Surinam

Piotr Naskrecki / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) camouflaged on leaf litter, Brownsberg Reserve, Surinam

Piotr Naskrecki / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) amid leaf litter, Mamang River Forest Reserve, Ghana

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Avicularia sp) on log, Colombia

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Avicularia sp) in defensive posture, Colombia

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Avicularia sp) abdomen, Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, Peru

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Avicularia sp), Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, Peru

Jasper Doest / Texas Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) near burrow, George West, Texas

Jasper Doest / Texas Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) on tree trunk, George West, Texas

Jasper Doest / Texas Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi), George West, Texas

James Christensen / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) emerging from tree hole, western slope of the Andes Cloud Forest, Mindo, Ecuador

James Christensen / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) in threat posture, Panama

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) being stung by Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis sp), California

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) moving away from Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis sp) which is about to thrust stinger into and stun the spider, California

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) is stunned and taken to it's own burrow by a Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis sp), California

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) is stunned and taken to it's own burrow by a Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis sp), California

Mark Moffett / Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis sp) has laid a small white egg on a stunned Tarantula (Theraphosidae) and departed the burrow, California

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) is driven from it's burrow by a Tarantula Hawk (Pepis sp), California

Albert Lleal / Metallic White-toed Tarantula (Avicularia metallica), South America

Thomas Marent / Blue Fang Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus cyanognathus) in defensive posture, French Guiana

Thomas Marent / Columbian Lesser Black Tarantula (Xenesthis immanis) on log in flooded forest, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Jouan & Rius / Mygale tarantula spider in cave, Ankarana Special Reserve, Madagascar

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Avicularia sp) floating on Yarapa River, Peru

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) crawling on forest floor, Manu National Park, Peru

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) crawling on log, Manu National Park, Peru

Thomas Marent / Spider on web, La Selva, Costa Rica

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) crawling down log, Manu National Park, Peru

Thomas Marent / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) leg, showing fine hairs used as sense organs, Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve, Peru

Konrad Wothe / Mexican Red-knee Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi) held in hands, Costa Rica

Nick Gordon / Giant tarantula (Theraphosa leblondi) eating Fer de lance snake (Bothrops asper) Venezuela

Nick Gordon / A Piaroa Indian holding dead Giant tarantula (Theraphosa leblondi) before cooking it, Venezuela

Nick Gordon / Piaroa indians catching Giant tarantula (Theraphosa leblondi) Venezuela

Nick Gordon / Tarantula spider {Theraphosa leblondi} with legs raised in defense in rainforest, Venezuela

Mark Moffett / Tarantula (Theraphosidae) with prey, Rio Momon, Peru

Piotr Naskrecki / Tarantula (Psalmopoeus reduncus) in rainforest habitat, Costa Rica

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Tarantula spider on web {Theraphosidae} Amazonia, Brazil