Spider giants: baboon spiders and tarantulas, are they all the same, and can they all make good pets?

Taxonomic background

Spiders are separated into three suborders:

• Mesothelae, still possessing ancestral segmented abdomens and with all but one family extinct, these spiders are only found in certain parts of Asia.
• Araneomorphae, or the modern spiders, that have pincer-like fangs and breathe trough both booklungs and tracheae (air tubes)
• and the Mygalomorphae, having reduced spinnerets, dagger-like fangs, and two pairs of book lungs. This order includes the trapdoor spiders, tarantulas, and baboon spiders.

We are interested in the suborder Mygalomorphae, in particular the family Theraphosidae, as it is here that we find our hairy giants – the Tarantulas and Baboon Spiders. But are they the same thing?

New World and Old World Tarantulas:

In the exotic pet and hobby trade, spiders are commonly referred to as New World and Old World tarantulas. Most tarantulas found in pet shops are New World tarantulas, while Baboon spiders are considered Old World Tarantulas. So what is the difference?

The name distinction refers to their distribution, with New World tarantulas occurring throughout the Americas (the New World for discoverers back in the seafaring days) and Old World Tarantulas being found in Africa, Asia, and the warmer parts of Europe.

Besides where they are found, these two groups of spiders have differences in their behaviour and their morphology.

New World Tarantulas are not as active or aggressive and to defend themselves they have special hairs on their abdomen called urticating hairs. These hairs can be flicked off by vigorously rubbing their back legs over their abdomens, effectively creating a cloud of tiny barbed hairs that either completely drives away a predator, or distracts it long enough for the spider to escape.

For humans, these hairs can be itchy in sensitive people, though most are unaffected. Because of this defense, they do not need strong venom to protect themselves and they are unlikely to bite when they feel threatened. This makes them safer and easier as pets, as there is little risk of human injury. Even if one of these feels threatened enough to bite, their venom is comparable to a bee-sting.

Old World tarantulas, including Baboon spiders, however, do not possess these special hairs and only have their venom to protect themselves.

They are thus more aggressive, likelier to bite and their venom is much more potent and can cause more serious health conditions. Some serious hobbyists will keep Old World Tarantulas, but it is not recommended for casual collectors or beginners.

Keeping tarantulas and baboon spiders: Is it legal?

Because of the increasing popularity of exotic pets in South Africa, and due to the risk of over-collecting, poaching and illegal export, most of the indigenous tarantula (Baboon Spider) species were added to Schedule VII of the Transvaal Province Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1983 as threatened and protected invertebrate animals.

At present, all provinces in South Africa follow this recommendation as a guideline, and permits are needed to collect and transport the indigenous tarantulas in South Africa. In short, this means that it is illegal to collect, keep, or transport local baboon spiders without a permit.

However, most species found in reputable exotic pet stores originate from other countries, having been bred as pets for decades, and are legal to keep in most places in South Africa.

When looking for a pet spider, always confirm with the seller what species it is, whether it is a New World or Old World spider and whether a permit is required to keep the species. A good exotic pet trader will have good background knowledge, and be able to give good advice on the husbandry requirements of the spider you are looking for.

References: 

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/spiders/classifying-spiders/ 

https://ultimateexotics.co.za/tarantulas-old-world-vs-new-world/

Dippenaar-Schoeman. A.S. 2002. Baboon and Trapdoor Spiders of Southern Africa: An Identification Manual. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 13. Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria

Photo credits: Jan Andries Neethling (2017 to 2019)