Brazilian Black Tarantula - Sally

Brazilian Black Tarantulas are a large species endemic to Brazil found primarily in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin. They are a terrestrial species meaning they are ground-dwellers and burrowers. They are quite the elegant species with thick, shiny black hair covering most of their body and their movements are slow and deliberate. Their appearance may be intimidating, but this species is known for being quite docile and even handleable, although it is not recommended for the animal’s safety. If threatened, they are able to shoot the urticating hairs off its body. This spider is venomous, but the venom isn’t potent. These tarantulas possess a unique ability to regenerate lost limbs, ensuring their agility and survival in the wild. They can grow up to 8 inches in length! Males and females are almost identical in size and appearance other than the males having a small hook appendage under the front legs which keep females from biting them during mating. Females will live much longer than males – females can live up to 20 years while males live about 8-10 years.

Sally is Sarett Nature Center’s resident Brazilian Black Tarantula. We purchased her in March 2023 to raise her to be an education ambassador. The species was recommended to us by our friend Angie at Asylum Pets in Wyoming, MI – she recommended her because of the well known docile temperament of the species. Sally is a supposed female, but it can be hard to get an accurate reading on juveniles. She was only a 2.5 inch spiderling when we brought her home and now she is almost 3.5 inches! It doesn’t sound like a lot to us, but that is a lot of growing for a little spider. The species is long-lived and known to be slow growers. Sally has molted 4 times since arriving at our facility last spring.