CHEVRON SPIDER-TRANTULA

Recently the Caribbean Carousel went for an adventurous evening hiking in the Northern Range mountains, Trinidad with our forest guide Saiyaad Ali .

While we were there we had alot of fun during a one hour hike through the forest, moving from tree to tree quietly listening to the crickets creek and the frogs croak, and shivering a bit from the chill in the air and the thought of what we might be up against looking for a night time predator.
Eventually we came across what Sayiaad was looking for, a giant Silk Cotton tree.

Now as you all know the Silk Cotton tree is famous in our folk lore for being the home to jumbies and other creatures of the night.
So with some aprehension, we aproached the tree very carefully, hiding some what behind Saiyaad, our tourches shining ahead of us and the beams of light wandering up and down the tree, as we looked for this night time predator.

Suddenly Saiyaad said,"Look there it is!!"
Boy! We nearly jumped out of our skins, but we could not see anything in the beams of our tourch lights.
"Where?? What??"we asked?
"Right here! look, just behind this branch!"said Saiyaad and pointed to the tree trunk.
Sure enough there it was, the deadly Psalmopoeus Cambridgei!!!

What is that? you might ask.
"Some sort of fancy name for Papa Bois"!!???
No it actually is the sientific name for the Trinidad Chevron Tree Spider commonly called Tarantula.

THE TRINIDAD TARANTULA
The Trinidad Chevron Tarantula (Psalmopoeus cambridgei), a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is a favorite among people who keep spiders as pets.(Be aware that all wildlife in Trinidad & Tobago are Protected by law and you must have a permit to keep wildlife)
This arboreal spider occupies forest habitats throughout Trinidad.
It is a fairly large-sized spider,about 6 inches across, and has an interesting appearance.
its colouring is light olive-green to fawny-brown, changing to almost jet black at times. It has chevron markings on its abdomen (hence its name) and bright orange stripes on the ends of its legs.
Admirers react to its fuzzy look with terms such as “adorable” and “cuddly.” However, it is a genuine tarantula and is considered very quick, aggressive and VENOMOUS !!!

Although most people are not affected by the species some people are allergic to its venom or might be sensitive to the urticating hairs it can flick off its abdomen. These hairs are coated with chemicals that itch the skin or inflame membranes. We therefore advise that people should not handle this Tarantula.
The Trinidad Chevron Tarantula may remain motionless for long periods as if pretending to be pet rock. However, when roused it can move with great speed on its long legs.
In its natural habitat the Trinidad Chevron Tarantula lives in silk tubes built in trees or folded leaves. It climbs trees with its broad, flat feet. Curiously, the male has feather-like structures on its feet which act like a parachute if the spider should fall.

Facts about the Tarantula
For some reason tarantula’s reputation isn’t that good. Maybe because they are big. Maybe because they are hairy. Maybe because they are poisonous.
Well, yes, they are big, and hairy. They do have poison, but it can’t kill a person unless you’re allergic to it. For most people, tarantula bites are no worse than a bee sting.
Tarantulas will go bald on their thorax when they get old!
Tarantulas have tiny hairs on the back of their abdomen and back legs that will stick to an enemy if disturbed and ITCH.
Tarantulas have re-tractable claws, just like cats!
Some tarantulas can get as big as dinner plates!


Tarantulas are the biggest of spiders. They have eight legs, are often hairy, and have two big fangs. Some are dull brown, while others can be brightly colored. The sizes range too as small as a fingernail, too as big as a dinner plate. Woah, that’s a big spider.
Tarantulas can live in rainforests and desserts.. Their prey is insects, and even rodents and small birds. They hunt by stalking, slowly creeping up. Then they quickly leap onto their prey and stick their hollow, furry fangs into the prey. Venom is pumped in and liquefies the prey’s insides. Then the spider eats it like bug soup. Mm!
Surprisingly, tarantulas spend a lot of their time hiding when they’re not hunting. Lots of animals will try to eat them although some do not succeed, for the tarantula has a few good defenses. The hairs on the back less and abdomen can break off with the slightest touch; borrowing into an enemy and making them itch terribly. They are also pretty fast runners, with eight legs! And if all else fails, they can bite, but their venom is used mainly for eating prey.

WEBS
Spiders have many features that make them unique. They might be best known for their ability to spin webs. But did you know that they produce three different kinds of web material? Spiders have three pairs of "spinnerets" at the tip of their abdomen. These "spinnerets" produce fluids that are high in protein. When the spider releases this fluid, it hardens and becomes silk. A spider produces different silk thread to make a cocoon or to bind its prey. Spiders also use a special light silk thread to make balloons. These balloons allow spiders, especially young spiders, to float in the air and travel long distances.

The spider's web is used mainly to catch prey. Although spiders eat mostly insects, some larger spiders have been known to eat mammals, snakes, birds and even each other. Spiders vary in size--the smallest spider called the Anapid has a body the size of a pinhead. The largest of spiders, the Goliath Tarantula, is so big that its legs can span the size of a large dinner plate. The smaller spiders tend to live from about one to two years, while some of the larger spiders can live up to twenty years. MOULTING
Spiders do not have an internal skeleton. Instead, their muscles are attached to a hard outer skeleton, or exoskeleton. the exoskeleton is impermeable to water (which helps them conserve moisture), and protective. However, the exoskeleton cannot increase in size as the spider grows. To grow, spiders go through a process called moulting in which they shed their old exoskeleton. Prior to moulting, the spider constructs a new exoskeleton below the old one. The new exoskeleton is soft when first formed, and can expand once the old exoskeleton is removed.
When the spider moults, a crack appears in the old exoskeleton around the sides of the cephalothorax (or head). The top of the cephalothorax opens like a hatch and the spider squeezes out of the opening that results. All eight legs are pulled out of the old exoskeleton in the process, then the abdomen is pulled out of the old skeleton as well.
Londevity: Males once mature (2-3 Years) Females (up to 12 years).