The inside layout was designed by Nancy Priest and implemented in FrameMaker 5.5 by Mike Sierra. The text and heading fonts are ITC Garamond Light and Garamond Book. The illustrations that appear in the book were created in Macromedia FreeHand 8 and Adobe Photoshop 5 by Robert Romano. This colophon was written by Nancy Kotary. Species vary in size and appearance, with the largest having a leg span of about nine inches.
Most species eat large insects such as beetles, but some prey on small reptiles.
The tarantula can also survive for very long periods without food or water. Another defense is to use one of their four sets of legs to fling hairs from the abdomen at perceived threats. Tarantulas often appear sluggish, but can move quickly when necessary. The molting process frequently restores lost limbs. Various tarantula species are kept by many people as pets.