Tarantula mating is likely one of the weirdest reproduction routines in the animal kingdom. It hardly resembles anything we normally see in the animal kingdom, and works entirely differently due to tarantulas’ unique bodies. Here’s a video just to show you how strange it is, and I’ll try to break it down below!

Sexual maturity

So it all starts with sexual maturity for the males and female spiders. While females tend to live several years after they reach maturity, males don’t live much longer after they reach this phase. Males that reach sexual maturity will usually have an “ultimate” or final molt and they will “hook out” which means they will receive their tibial hooks and also have bulbs at the end of their pedipalps. This is a physical sign of sexual maturity, and it won’t be long before you see this male tarantula making its sperm web to prepare for mating.

Sperm webs

A sperm web is a male spider’s preparation for a female. During this process, a male tarantula will use his sperm web to transfer his sperm from the web and charge his palpal bulbs at the end of his pedipalps, which he will use to place the sperm into the female. Here’s a video of a sperm web being made:

After his bulbs are charged with sperm, a male tarantula will be on the hunt for a partner.

Mating Rituals

Tarantulas engage in a courtship dance. Like many animals, there are certain body language signals and rituals. One of these is “drumming” or tapping, which a tarantula may do to signal interest to a potential partner. In a courting situation, a male tarantula may tap his pedipalps or legs on a female’s web to see if she is interested and make her aware of his presence and intention. If she is receptive, she may return this drumming to signal that he can get closer.

The Actual Mating

Tarantula mating is a careful, terrifying dance. Any tarantula owner who has mated their tarantulas can tell you this. This is because there is a high likelihood that one of the spiders (usually the male) will be hurt in the process. The high likelihood for injury happens because tarantulas mate facing toward each other, with their fangs exposed.

So tarantulas will face each other, with their front legs and front parts of their bodies elevated. Remember that hook I mentioned in the beginning of this? In many species, the males will use those hooks to clasp the female’s fangs and prevent her from biting him. This will also help him elevate her body enough so that he can insert his charged palps (which are loaded with sperm) into the female’s genital opening a few times. Hopefully, if all goes well, he is able to deposit his sperm without being attacked or eaten during or after the deed. This often happens, which is why tarantula owners stay closeby during breeding so they can intervene if things go badly.

So that’s how tarantula mating happens, everyone! If you’d like to learn more about this process or learn about how to mate your own tarantulas safely, check out my tarantula guide!