Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-01-29
TARANTULA SCIEN-
ILLEGALLY DISCUSSED

Scientific American: The great
tarantula of the southwestern part of
the United States, like many another
poisonous creature, as we'll as some
that are quite harmless, is much ma
ligned 1t is not aggressive upon
man, nor is it often intrusive, though
many an'old miner or prospector has
boots in the morning. Strange to
say, tarantulas thus dislodged are
usually ''the size of saucer.
1t is often stated that the spider
friske about in the sunshine on the
hot sands of the desert, but in reality
it avoids sunshine when it is hot, and
remains well down in its burrow in
the ground. About shutdown it comes
up to the opening and lies in wait
just below the surafce. 1t assumes
this position whether it desires food
or wishes only to get bit of fresh
air. 1t does not travel about in quest
of food, even when hungry, but re-
mains quietly in the attitude describ-
ed often for hours at time. At the
near approach of caterpillar, grass
hopper, beetle, or almost any creature
of like size, other than it's enemy,
the wasp, it rushes out and seizes it;
but rarely goes farther than few
inches from the opening. Should the
prey, when first arrested, Stimulates
death, which often is the case, since
usually it is not at first wounded, the
spider, unless it is very hungry, re-
mains quiet until the insect moves,
when the needle-pointed fangs are
thrust into it. By pausing, it learns
the nature of the object seized. The
spider then retreats with. it into its
burrow, to feast, where the prey is
ground up by the powerful mandibles,
and the liquid portion, upon which
the spider subsists, is sucked out.
One fair sized insect week is suffi-
Glen, to satisfy its hunger, because of
its inactive existence, while it can
live several months without food,
even when most active, provided it
has water. The spider will fight and
destroy its own kind, but when equal
~ matched the combatants spar for
an advantage and rarely clinch unless
one relinquishes its vigilance, when
the other buries its fangs into it. 1t
does not then relinquish its hold until
the helpless captive dies of paralysis,
induced by the poison injected. Death
results in ten or twenty minutes.
There are approximately seven or
eight females to each male. The
adult males are highly energetic and,
unlike their phlegmatic mates. cannot
be kept long in confinement. They
wear themselves out in ceaseless en-
deavor to escape. This striking de-
gree of activity is an essential attri-
butte, since the females live often re-
mote from one another and take no
inlative in the courtship.
The tarantula does not dig its own
tunnel, but takes possession of some
deserted burrow, usually that of
pocket gopher. which to the adult
spider seems highly satisfactory.
These burrows run, for the most part,
horizontally, but the spider enters
through short vertical shaft. The
burrows are two or three inches in
diameter, but the spider at once re-
stricts the entrance nearly to the
diameter of its own body. 1t does
this in singular ard interesting
manner, affording a striking example
illustrating the wide resourcefulness
of lowly creatures. The spinnerets
are two flexible and movable processes
upon the under side of which are long
rows of pores from which the silk is
drawn out in a multiplicity of frail
threads. With these organs, free
particles Of earth on the floor of the
burrow are covered with a frail cause
which is then waded together, along
with much of the loose earth, which
adheres to it. The wad is then car
ried up and pressed against the verti-
Gle wall, where it adheres, when it is
further secured in place with more