🔬 Glossary 📄

Abdomen - the rear part of the body of the tarantula, the segment behind the cephalothorax. 

Arboreal - (Ts); those which live or prefer to live above the ground in trees, or on cliffs and also on the sides of houses for example under the roof eaves.

Carapace - the upper (outer) surface (protection) of the cephalothorax which is formed of a *chitinous substance.

Cephalothorax - the front segment, head and thorax (joined) of spiders. 

*Chitin - is a naturally occurring compound (component) which gives strength to the exoskeletons of insects and spiders.

Neurotoxic - (of Ts); simply, the type of venom tarantulas use which attacks the nervous system of prey (insects eg) to paralyse them after capture.

Pedicel - this is the narrow waist between the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Tarantulas can move their abdomens up and down, side to side, and in a rotational motion whilst keeping their cephalothoraxes quite still.

Pedipalps - these are the two appendages between the chelicerae and the first pair of walking legs. They are shorter than the walking legs as they are missing the metatarsus segment, and are mostly used for picking up objects or grasping prey. In adult males the end segment, (tarsus), is modified into a species-specific sex organ normally called a palpal bulb.

Scopulate - (adj) the shape and appearance of a tarantula's (feet) or toes; i.e. they have dense, brush-like tufts of hairs around the toes, for example like that of Avicularia and some other mostly arboreal genera tarantulas. {Also Scopula (noun)}.

Terrestrial -​ (Ts); those which live on the ground or in the ground, sometimes constructing a burrow or sometimes living under stones or in tree roots for example.