Are tarantulas poisonous/dangerous?
” – The great thing about this question is that I am often asked this while I have a tarantula crawling on my hand. Now, I like some excitement in my life, but putting myself at risk is not my idea of fun. If tarantulas were dangerous, I would definitely not be impressing anyone by holding one. First of all, if you were bitten by a tarantula (unprovoked), then congratulations – you are now a member in a very elite club. If you were bitten by a tarantula, there is a good chance that very little venom (if any) was injected. As far as being “poisonous,” all spiders, including tarantulas, have venom. While some tarantulas can possess more powerful venom than others, the reaction from a “full bite” would probably result in pain, swelling, cramping, etc., but not death. “How big can tarantulas get?” – There are a few species of tarantula that will grow to be 9 or 10 inches, but the largest on record is the Theraphosa blondi (Goliath Birdeater), which can reach approximately one foot (12 inch
