Tarantulas are found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world such as Africa, North and South America, Australia, and the Indo-Pacific region. The name tarantula is derived from the city of Taranto, Italy and a dance performed there. History tells us that the Tarantella dance was performed to cure the effects of a tarantula's bite. The first spider to be called a tarantula was actually a wolf spider. Wolf spiders are not closely related to the theraphosid spiders we know as tarantulas.
Some tarantulas grow as large as dinner plates.
Tarantulas do not spin webs typical of many spiders, instead, they live in burrows. They are ambush predators who lie in wait for prey to come within their reach. They hunt using sensory organs on their legs to detect the vibrations of moving prey. Tarantulas inject their venom using fangs located on their chelicerea. Their venom pre-digests their prey allowing them to drink their meal with their mouth parts.