Tarantula, << tuh RAN chuh luh, >> is a common name for a family of mostly large spiders. Tarantulas inhabit warm climates around the world, especially tropical regions. Some types live for more than 20 years. Tarantulas get their name from a distantly related wolf spider that lives around Taranto in Italy. People once believed this spider’s bite caused a disease called tarantism. The victims supposedly leaped in the air and ran about making strange noises. According to superstition, the best cure was a lively Italian folk dance that became known as the tarantella.
One of the world’s largest spiders, the Goliath birdeater tarantula, lives in South America. Its body often measures from 3 to 31/2 inches (7.6 to 8.9 centimeters) long. With its legs extended, it can measure more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) long. Like other large tarantulas, the Goliath birdeater may eat small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. 
Tarantula
Many tarantulas live in burrows, and a few inhabit trees. Some types have a venomous bite that can prove harmful to people. Most tarantulas, however, are not particularly venomous. Their chief means of defense consists of thousands of tiny, irritating, hairlike body parts that can be flung into the air by rubbing motions of the hind legs.
