tarantula

Everyday

1. A tarantula is a large, hairy spider that lives in warm places, such as deserts and rainforests in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. tree →
2. Some people keep tarantulas as pets. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, tarantulas are arachnids with eight legs and two body parts; they hunt insects and sometimes small animals at night, and many live in burrows. Facts: most tarantula bites are like a bee sting for people, and some flick tiny itchy hairs when scared. In stories, a tarantula is often scary, but in real life it is shy.

Examples

• A tarantula has eight hairy legs. tree →
• The tarantula hid in its burrow during the day. tree →
• My cousin has a pet tarantula called Fuzzy. tree →
• Tarantulas are spiders, so they are arachnids, not insects. tree →
• The tarantula moved slowly across the glass tank. tree →
• Some tarantulas flick itchy hairs when they are scared. tree →
• Never pick up a wild spider you don't know. tree →
• [67] Mizgir, a venomous spider, like the Tarantula, found in the Kirghiz Steppes. tree →

Note

Countable noun: «a tarantula, tarantulas». Stress: ta-RAN-chuh-luh. Myth: tarantula bites are not deadly to people, but they can hurt. In maths, a spider has 8 legs, so 3 tarantulas have 24 legs.