Texas Brown Tarantula
Aphonopelma hentzi
Females can live for over 30 years, surviving in the same burrow for decades, while mature males live much shorter lives, wandering miles in search of a mate before dying.
- Scientific name
- Aphonopelma hentzi
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Theraphosidae › Aphonopelma
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry grasslands, prairies, semi-arid shrublands, and rocky hillsides.
- Diet
- Insects such as crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards.
- Range
- United States (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana), Northern Mexico
- Size
- Leg span of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm); weight of 1 to 3 ounces.
- Lifespan
- 30+ years for females; 10-12 years for males.
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, urbanization, pesticide exposure, and unsustainable collection for the exotic pet trade.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally harmless and docile. If encountered, observe from a safe distance of 3 to 5 feet. Do not handle, as they can kick irritating urticating hairs from their abdomen or bite if cornered. If bitten or exposed to hairs, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water; seek medical help if an allergic reaction or eye contact occurs.
Aphonopelma hentzi , the Texas brown tarantula , (also known as Oklahoma brown tarantula or Missouri tarantula ), is one of the most common species of tarantula living in the southern United States today. Texas brown tarantulas can grow in excess of a four-inch leg span, and weigh more than 3 ounces as adults. The body is dark brown, though shades may vary between individual tarantulas. The colors are more distinct after a molt, as with many arthropods.
Photo: Edoro, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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