But he didn't, and immediately made a turn like he did the morning on our boat in the Erie Canal when we all screamed that David, our son of 6 years at the time, wearing a winter parka, mittens and hat, had fallen overboard into the canal. There she was, only halfway across the southbound lane. Yes, she - as her color was brown and females are usually either blond or brown and are extremely hairy with heavy legs, while males are black with reddish hairs on the abdomen. We decided that we would stay with her as she crossed the road, as she seemed determined to get to the other side.
Female tarantulas are heavier-bodied than males.
Another sexual difference is that males have special hooks on the front legs just above the second joint. They use these to hold the female fangs during mating. The male must move beneath the female to about the middle of her abdomen to complete the mating process. Four pairs are located on a small bump in the middle of the ephalothrax. The main defense tarantulas have against consumption by predators is a patch of loose barbed hairs on the abdomen.