Tarantula Owner Sues Store Over Pet’s Actions

Tarantula Talk

Tarantulas have hairy bodies and look fierce but in most cases their bite isn’t any more dangerous than a bee’s sting. A few facts and myths:

Etmology: Name comes from type of wolf spider found in Tarato, Italy.

Size: 1 to 8 inches long.

Life span: Up to 20 years.

Venom: Tarantulas sold in pet stores are not poisonous to humans.

Pet store cost: From $15 to $700.

Diet: Anything alive, usually crickets; prefers “pinkies� or “fuzzies�.

Pinkies, Fuzzies: Pet shop- speak for newborn mice.

Care plus: Very low maintenance.

Care minus: Because of thin exoskeleton, will explode if dropped.

Myth: Once believed bite caused tarantism, which made victim leap around and make strange noises.

Lore: According to superstition, the best cure for tarantism was a lively Italian folk dance that became known as the tarantella.

Sources: Petland, World Books Encyclopedi; Researched by APRIL JACKSON / Los Angeles Times