The red knee tarantula has a stout, wooly body that makes it look almost huggable. But this spider is big enough to feed on small animals and reptiles such as lizards and mice. The red-kneed tarantula also feeds on insects. The bodies of these spiders can grow up to 7.5 cm long, and their legs stretch across twice that length.
Behavior:
- The red knee tarantula spider is potential prey for moths, birds, and lizards.
- To protect themselves from predators, they use their prickling hair to irritate the skin or even cause blindness.
- The red knee tarantula spits venom that causes a reaction like a bee sting when it lands on human skin. Like any bite, an allergy or severe reaction may follow red knee tarantula bites.
Reproduction:
- The male red knee tarantula is ready to mate when its molt is mature. These spiders mate during the rainy season, July and August.
- The male red knee tarantula uses the front limbs to impregnate the female. She will retain his deposit until spring when she will form a silk mat.
- Females lay 200 to 400 eggs that are wrapped in silk to create an egg sac.
- The sac is carried between fangs for up to 3 months until it hatches.
Habitat:
- The red knee tarantula lives in burrows on earth when they can be safe from their predators.
- The safe habitat also makes preying easy as the red-kneed tarantula can jump out and ambush their prey.
Fun Facts About the Red Knee Tarantula
- The red knee tarantula is a member of the Arachnida class of animals.
- The conservation status of the red knee tarantula is very vulnerable. Therefore there are chances it will face existential calamity in the future.
- They are mainly found on the pacific coast of Mexico.
- The habitat of this spider is in a deciduous hilly tropical forest.
- The lifespan of the red knee tarantula ranges between 20 to 30 years.
This is really cool information! I know about black/brown but never heard of the red knee, they’re very pretty! Thank you for the information!