Abdomen : The bulb shaped portion of the body connected to the back of the cephalothorax by the pedicel.Arboreal : Refers to tree-dwelling spiders.
Autotomize: The tarantula's ability to lose a leg at a breakaway point when it is either grabbed or the leg is damaged. Also called autotomy or autospasy.
Bombardment: An act of self defense seen by new world tarantulas in which they fling urticating hairs into the air by rapidly rubbing their abdomen with a back leg
Book Lungs : Primitive gill like lungs, so named because the many folds resemble the pages in a book.
Captive Bred : A tarantula or stock that comes from a breeder rather than having been taken from the wild.
Carapace : The tough top portion of the cephalothorax containing the eyes and fovea.
Cephalothorax : Literally "head and thorax". The portion of the body in which the legs, pedipalps, chelicerae and abdomen are connected.
Chelicerae : The jaw-like structure joined to the front of the cephalothorax that contains the fangs and venom glands.
Chitin : A nitrogenous polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of the tarantula.
C.I.T.E.S. : "Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species" An international treaty that governs the trade, import and export of endangered plants and animals. Some popular tarantulas come under Appendix II and can only be legally obtained from captive bred sources.
Classification : Tarantulas are classified in the Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Sub Phylum: Chelicerata, Class: Arachnida, Order: Araneae, Sub Order: Mygalomorphae, Family: Theraphosidae.
Claw : Found at the end of each tarsus, the claws give the spider excellent gripping ability enabling it to climb even smooth vertical surfaces.
Common Name : The non-Latin name given to a species. (e.g. Mexican redknee is the common name for Brachypelma smithi). Common names make it easier for the beginner to identify a spider, but pet stores often give their spiders variations of or just the wrong common name. If you're looking for a particular spider, you're better off knowing the Latin name and ordering from a reputable dealer.
Coxa : The area that connects the connects the leg to the cephalothorax.
Cuticle: The tough material that makes up the exoskeleton.
Cymbium : The part of the mature male's pedipalp that is used to pick up sperm and transfer it to the female.
Ecdysis : A process by which the spider sheds it's exoskeleton, allowing for growth and the regeneration of lost or damaged limbs. Synonymous with molt.
Egg-Sac : A silk bundle that contains the spider's eggs.
Embolus : A stiff spur found on the cymbium of a mature male's pedipalp.
Epigastric Furrow : The opening to the spermatheca in the female.
Epigyne : The opening to the reproductive organs located on the underside of the abdomen between the lung slits.
Exoskeleton : A hard outer covering that provides support and protection to the tarantula.
Exuviae : The molted exoskeleton.
Eye Pod: A small raised area on the carapace, near the chelicerae, that contains the eyes.
Fangs : Found under the chelicerae, the hollow fangs are used to hold and inject venom into the prey.
Femur : From the tip of the leg, the fifth segment is called the femur.
Fovea : A small pit located near the center of the carapace. Internally, the leg muscles are attached to this point.
Gut Loading : The practice of insuring that prey animals are well fed and hydrated prior to being fed to the tarantula.
Hemolymph : A thick blue tinged fluid that bathes the tarantula's organs (tarantula blood).
Instar : The period between molts. Each instar is assigned a number with 1st instar beginning after the first molt after the spider hatches.
Latin Name : The scientific name given to a species so that it is recognizable in all languages. (e.g. Poecilotheria regalis is the Latin name for the Indian Ornamental). The first word, capitalized, is the genus and the second, not capitalized is the species. Latin names can change as a species is better studied and classified. Pet stores will rarely know the Latin name of a spider and tend to use common names with varying degrees of accuracy. Also known as the scientific name.
Lung Slits : Gill-like slits found on the underside of the abdomen that allow air exchange with the book lungs. Tarantulas have four lung slits
Mating Spurs : Hooks found on the back of the tibia on the first pair of legs on a mature male. They are used to secure the females fangs during mating. Also called tibial spurs.
Metatarsus : The second leg segment from the end, between the tibia and tarsus.
Molt : A process by which the spider sheds it's exoskeleton, allowing for growth and the regeneration of lost or damaged limbs.
New World : A tarantula that originates in the Western Hemisphere.
Old World : A tarantula that originates in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Ootheca : The scientific name for the egg-sac.
Opisthosoma : Another name for the abdomen.
Palpal Bulbs : Found at the tip of the pedipalps on a mature male, palpal bulbs are used to hold and transfer the sperm to the female.
Patella : The knee, located between the femur and tibia.
Pedicel : A narrow structure that connects the abdomen to the cephalothorax.
Pedipalps : Small appendages found on each side of the chelicerae, they look like short legs, but are actually part of the mouth and are used to move, grasp and manipulate prey, egg-sacs and for mating purposes in the mature male.
Pinheads : Recently hatched crickets that are used to feed spiderlings.
Pooter : A device use to help transfer small prey, such as pinheads or fruit flies to a spiderling's enclosure. The most common style consists of two tubes. One tube has a fine mesh over it and is wedged into the second tube. To use it you simply suck up the prey, which is stopped by the mesh. It's then just a matter of "pooting" the prey into the spiderling's enclosure.
Postembryo : A spider is postembryo from the time it hatches until it's first molt.
Postultimate Molt : Any molt after the ultimate molt. This is only seen with the females as male tarantulas will die after their ultimate molt.
Prey : Any insect or animal intended to be your spider's next meal.
Prosoma : Another name for the cephalothorax.
Rastellum : A row of teeth found on the chelicerae that some tarantulas use for burrowing.
Scopulae : A dense tuft of brushlike hairs found on the tarantula's foot that helps it climb even very smooth surfaces.
Setae : Hairs on the legs attached to sensitive nerves that allow the tarantula to sense the slightest vibration.
Scientific Name : See Latin Name.
Silk : Fine filaments produced by the spider's spinnerets and used to create egg-sacs, line burrows and help capture prey
Spermatheca : A special sac in the female's abdomen, in which sperm from the male is stored. If no eggs are produced, the female will shed the spermatheca with the next molt and must mate again if she is to produce eggs.
Spermatophore: A bundle of sperm use to transfer sperm by some spiders.
Sperm Web : A special web produced by a mature male spider. The spider will deposit a drop of sperm onto the web, then draw the sperm into the palpal bulbs, ready for introduction into a female tarantula.
Spinneret : Finger-like organs located at the back of the abdomen that produce and guide the spider's silk.
Stridulation : A hissing sound produced by rubbing hair from the chelicerae, and pedipalps, that, along with rearing up, some tarantulas will use as a warning.
Sucking Stomach : The spider's specially developed stomach that sucks the predigested fluid from the prey.
Tarsus : The foot-like last segment of the leg.
Taxonomy: The process of naming and identifying an organism.
Terrestrial: Refers to tarantulas that live on the ground.
Threat Stance : A position assumed by a tarantula that feels threatened. It consists of raising of the front two legs and rearing back ready to strike. It may also be accompanied by stridulation.
Tibia : The third leg segment from the tarsus.
Tibial Spurs : See Mating Spurs.
Trochanter : The flexible segment between the femur and coxa that give the legs their range of motion.
Ultimate Molt : The molt that brings the spider to sexual maturity.
Urticating Hairs : Barbed hairs found on the New World tarantulas. Used as a first line of defense (bombardment), they can be extremely irritating, especially to the eyes and mucous membranes.
Venom : A liquid injected through the tarantula's fangs that serves to paralyze and predigest it's food.
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