Tarantula

Overview

Tarantulas are the largest spiders on Earth, with over 900 recognized species found on every continent except Antarctica. New World species (Americas) are generally docile with mild venom; Old World species (Africa, Asia) are faster, more defensive, and pack a medically significant bite. All tarantulas are fascinating, low-maintenance pets that require minimal daily care and offer a unique window into spider behavior and biology.

Quick Facts

History

The family's regulatory history starts in 1985, when the Mexican redknee became the first spider of any kind listed by CITES, after wild collection for the pet trade had been running into the thousands a year. The rest of the genus Brachypelma followed onto Appendix II in 1994. The next major step came in 2019, when the parties added all fifteen Asian ornamental tarantulas in the genus Poecilotheria, whose United States imports had climbed from about 2,700 specimens across 1995 to 1999 to more than 16,500 across 2013 to 2017. Both listings followed one pattern: a spider becomes fashionable, wild populations are stripped to supply the demand, and regulation arrives afterward.