Tarantulas live on the web

25 June, 2007

Giant white-knee tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata)
Image: Alan Henderson
Source: Museum Victoria

New and improved tarantula-cam!

Watch a Giant White-knee Tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata) - resident of Melbourne Museum’s high security quarantine facility – in action 24/7, on our new and improved web camera.

Fed each Friday at 3pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT+10 hours), she can be observed hunting and eating crickets fed to her by Live Exhibits staff.

Be sure to check out other live tarantulas on display in Melbourne Museum in the Bugs Alive! exhibition.

Your comments

Hi, how old is the Giant White-knee tarantula?

Hi Sarah, the Museum has had the spider for 9 years, and it was possibly 1-2 years old when we got it, so 10 or 11 years old.

Okay thankyou

Do tarantula's sleep all day when they get older?

Hi Sarah, thanks for your enquiry. You will find lots of interesting information about spiders and their habits on the Australian Museum website here: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Spider-facts

I'm just watching the spider on the webcam, is she okay?

I didn't know she was ready to molt isn't she too old to molt?

Hi Sarah. Our spider is just fine! Most spiders (including tarantulas) spend a great deal of time not moving. Unlike (most) humans, movement for these animals is based on absolute need. If they don’t need to move as a matter of survival they simply don’t. Movement uses valuable energy and also brings risk – predators can see you more easily when you move. The tarantula on the web-cam fits this model perfectly. She spends a lot of time motionless, but does move periodically to line her home with silk, to drink and of course weekly to feed. She also recently underwent a moult; she lay on her back and spent an hour slowly freeing her body from her old exoskelelton. She is now bigger than she was last week.

Hi Sarah. Thanks for your continuing interest in the Tarantula cam! These spiders are actually never too old to moult. As adults they moult more or less once a year, sometimes a little more frequently, until the end of their lives.

We have had some die looking old and decrepit - due to moult. We have had others die of old age soon after moulting - looking pristine. Occasionally they will die during moulting as an old spider, simply due to the fact that their body has given out on them during a very energy expensive process.

Hi, I've just been watching the tarantula crawling up the cage, has she done that before

hello. how did you come across the Giant white-Knee spider? was it smuggled into australia? and what is her name? thanks :)

Hi Klee. Museum Victoria acquired her in 2003 from AQIS, we assume she was smuggled in to Australia. She doesn’t have a name as such, but she does have a number, A30154!

thanks for the quick reply.... i have some more questions if you dont mind ;) for a school project .... i read that white knee tarantulas shoot hair from their legs instead of biting as defense.... is there some type of chemical on the hair that makes it irritating? or is it more like a cacti's needles or a splinter? also, what country does a white knee normally come from? thank you again for your help.... ps i call the tarantula angela lol. ;P shes very pretty.

Khlee, the hairs on a tarantula's body and legs have microscopic barbed spines. It is these spines that can make human skin itch and burn. The whiteknee or whitebanded spider is native to Brazil.

hi again, is the spider venomous?

Hi Sarah,

Yes, the white-knee tarantula is venomous. However, it is not considered to be medically significant to humans, unless you are allergic to the venom. A bite would certainly hurt, however!

Hello, has the spider stopped being monitored?

Hi Sarah - Our Live Exhibits staff have advised that the Tarantula-cam is currently experiencing some IT issues. Hopefully it will be back online shortly!

how would a bite from the white-knee look like?

Hi Zack, as with all spider bites a White-knee bite would have two small puncture wounds and possibly localised swelling. As we've said previously though, while a bite would be painful, it's venom is not considered dangerous to humans unless the victim was allergic. You might find the Australian Museum website and this information from the University of Sydney of further interest with regard to spider bites.

Hi, what has happened to the webcam is it new?

Hi, i would just liek to know if the tarantula is okay? thanks

Hi Sarah, we check on our tarantulas every day and this white knee is doing really well. She receives crickets and cockroaches every Friday for lunch and the rest of the time she tends to stay quite still waiting for any more unsuspecting prey to walk by.

I saw the tape of the her did she molt or gave birth she seem to be eating and not eating it like she saving it for a young. And she was also spinning webs on the floor. Is she really ok?

Hi Nicole - The behaviour you are seeing is normal, and is explained in the posts above; our tarantulas are closely monitored by our expert staff, and any health concerns are attended to quickly.

Hi, i would just like to know if the spider is okay, the webcam hasn't been on for a while

Hi Sarah,

The Tarantula is OK, the problem is with the webcam.

Hello, is the spider the same one has before, it's crawling more than before

Thanks for your observation. The spider was changed a couple of days ago to a Salmon Pink Tarantula which, as you’ve noted, is more active than the Giant White-Knee Tarantula. Changes to the label on the website are lagging behind and will hopefully be updated in the next day or so. The camera itself also needs upgrading so hopefully a better image will make for clearer viewing soon.

Hi, is the tarantula molting, and is she okay? Thanks

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