The main reason tarantulas get the undeserved reputation of being big scary predators is due to their fangs and the venom they possess. What many people wonder, whether they are considering getting a tarantula or are just curious or scared, is “Are all tarantulas venomous?”

This might seem like common sense to any tarantula owner, but there’s actually a lot of misinformation out there. You’ve likely heard of (if you haven’t been asked this yourself) people asking if tarantulas fangs can be removed! I know I’ve gotten this question many times with Spidey, my Grammostola rosea. So let me set the record straight once and for all.

Yes. All tarantulas are venomous (which means they excrete poison from their fangs) – and let me explain why.

Tarantulas NEED their venom in order to live, so of course every tarantula has it. This venom is responsible for paralyzing their prey and is an important part of kicking off the digestive process for tarantulas. Because tarantulas digest their food by breaking it down and turning it into a “soup” with their digestive enzymes, tarantulas count on their fangs and venom to be able to kill or paralyze their prey long enough for this process to begin. Without a tarantula’s venom, a tarantula’s chances of survival are very slim (although some tarantula owners have been able to feed their tarantulas in cases where fangs were lost in a bad molt).

As you can see in the image below, tarantula venom enters their prey through tiny holes in the tarantulas’ fangs.

Once the fangs have pierced through prey and the venom has entered the system, it won’t be long before the prey is either dead or paralyzed.

Are you in danger?

The thing people tend to be most concerned about when discussing tarantula venom is if they are in danger if they are bitten. Many people have misconceptions that tarantulas can kill them or significantly harm them. The truth is, tarantulas are pretty harmless compared to much smaller spiders like black widows and brown recluses. In fact, despite their larger size their venom is actually pretty weak compared to their smaller, more lethal counterparts.

Tarantula venom is NOT strong enough to kill you or even harm you significantly from the tiny amount that is secreted through their fangs. Tarantula venom is designed to paralyze and kill MUCH smaller prey than yourself so it is simply not strong enough to do significant damage. While some tarantulas’ venom (like exotic and Old World species) will be far more potent and powerful than others, you’ll likely just deal with some pain and irritation, which usually goes away in a few days. Here’s a great video that shows the after effects that tarantula owner Rob Carman (Tarantulaguy1976 on YouTube) got after his huge 10″ Female Poecilotheria ornata bit him. While Rob is clearly suffering and this is one of the worst tarantula bites you can get, you will see that Rob is still conscious and was successfully treated.

I will mention that tarantula venom does not carry significant consequences or  humans UNLESS you are allergic to it. Much like a bee sting, it will be irritating to someone who is not allergic to bee stings, but could be life threatening to someone who is allergic to them.

Fun fact: Tarantula venom is actually really helpful!

While being bitten and being injected with tarantula venom certainly won’t be a pleasant experience, I hope I’ve at least demonstrated that although all tarantulas are venomous, they are not deadly to humans and do not need to be feared.

I’d like to also point out that tarantula venom is actually super useful in the medical field! Tarantula venom is currently being researched and used for painkillers and researchers are currently looking at tarantula venom as a possibly cure for a rare, deadly form in epilepsy that affects infants and young children.

If you’d like to learn more about tarantula venom extraction and its medical uses, watch this great video from The Australian Venom Zoo:

If you want to learn more about tarantulas, feel free to check out my big tarantula guide (I talk about lots of tarantula facts and enclosure/care tips). You can also get free tarantula tips by signing up for my newsletter or subscribing to my YouTube channel! I release new tips every Tuesday for Tarantula Tuesday!

Featured image via Matt Reinbold / Flickr