Tarantula

This picture was taken on 24th November 2006 at Bentsen Palm Village RV Park. They are poisonous and they do bite, but they aren't harmfull to humans. Their bodies will measure up to about 2" across and their legs about 5". It takes several years for them to reach sexual maturity. When the male does go looking for a mate, sometimes he will be eaten by the female before he can mate. Even if he is successful in mating, he will then die within a few months. After mating, the female will lay 500 to 1,000 eggs which will hatch in about two weeks. The female doesn't feed the offspring. They're on their own. The female can live from 25 to 40 years. I guess it's better to be a female Tarantula than a male.