Identify a Baboon Spider

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Baboon spiders are a subfamily of the tarantula species (Theraphosidae). They are native to South Africa and their appearance is reminiscent of baboons. They have pads on their feet and the last two segments on their legs look like fingers of a baboon. When alarmed or threatened, the baboon spider will rear up on its hind legs, hold its front legs out to its sides and bare its fangs.

Steps

  1. Know what a baboon spider is. Here are some key characteristics.
    • Physical features: Up to 7.8” (20 cm) long, large fangs
    • Venomous: Yes
    • Lives in: Africa
    • Eats: This spider will eat a wide variety of prey, including insects (such as ants, beetles, cockroaches or grasshoppers), arachnids, small reptiles and frogs.

Identifying a Baboon Spider

  1. Look at the carapace. The markings on it sometimes have radiating bands.
  2. Notice the amount of hair on their bodies. Baboon spiders are extremely hairy, much more so than other spiders.
  3. Observe the color; most are black, but some baboon spiders vary in color. They can be brown, gray or yellowish.
  4. Check the size of the fangs; the baboon spider’s fangs can exceed 1/4" (6 mm) in length.

Recognizing Baboon Spider Habitats

These are ground spiders and they use their strong fangs and pedipalps to make silk-lined burrows. You can find baboon spiders in dry grasslands or savanna woodlands. Their burrows are quite deep in arid regions so that they are protected from the heat.

  1. Look for the entrance of a baboon spider’s burrow during daylight hours. The silk lining at the entrance extends out slightly and it sometimes has plant material entwined in it. You aren’t likely to see baboon spiders during the day, for they are nocturnal, but if you locate the burrow of a baboon spider, you can return at dusk to observe its hunting habits.
  2. Observe the burrow entrance at night. They wait at the entrance of their burrows to watch prey approach. They will then ambush the prey and drag it into the burrow. You will most likely see their front legs and their eyes as they sit and wait for prey to approach.

Treating a Bite

A bite from a baboon spider produces a burning pain as it injects neurotoxic venom. Bites are not fatal, but you should be aware of the symptoms:

  1. Expect to start vomiting about 2 hours after being bitten.
  2. Be prepared for signs of shock; you may begin to feel pale and weak.
  3. Try to keep still as walking will become difficult after a few hours.
  4. Seek medical help if your symptoms don’t start to subside within 6 hours.

Tips

  • Baboon spiders can be aggressive, but if you stay well away from them and don’t provoke them, you will not get bitten.
  • Baboon spiders typically live up to 25 years, and are preyed on by birds, wasps and humans.

Warnings

  • There is a great demand for baboon spiders as pets, but they are protected as a threatened species. It is illegal to collect, transport or keep a baboon spider without a permit.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • http://www.africam.com/wildlife/baboon_spider
  • Lorus and Margery Milne, Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders, (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1980)
  • Ken Preston-Mafham, Spiders, The new compact study guide and identifier, (Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, 1998)
  • Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham, Spiders of the World, (New York, NY: Facts on File Publications, 1984)

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