South Russian tarantula (spider misgir)

The spider misgir or southern Russian tarantula in central Russia is widespread. For a solitary lifestyle, the arthropod received another name - the wolf. The predator reaches a size of 32 mm, lives in the wild, and is often bred as a pet. It does not attack a person, but can bite during self-defense.

Description of appearance

Spider South Russian tarantula - one of the largest representatives of the spider family in Russia.

• The female reaches a size of 32 mm, males grow to 27 mm.
• The body is divided into 2 parts - a convex abdomen, cephalothorax. The parts are interconnected by a thin jumper.
• 4 pairs of long limbs help not only to move tarantula, but also are organs of smell, touch. On the lower part of the legs are hairs, with the help of which the spider wolf receives signals from the external environment.

On the head of the South Russian tarantula there are 8 eyes located in different parts - 4 look forward, 2 on the sides, another couple back. The visual review is 360 degrees. However, he sees the South Russian tarantula weakly, receives visual images in the form of shadows, silhouettes. It responds well to movement.

On a note!

The color of the mizgir is different, depending on the habitat - brown, gray, black. The upper part of the abdomen, cephalothorax is always darker, there is a pattern in the form of bright spots. A photo of the misgiri spider is located below.

Lifestyle

Spider wolf leads a solitary lifestyle, forms a pair only for the period of mating. It lives in arid places, lives in minks up to 50 cm deep. He spends most of his time in his home, prefers to hunt “from home”. In front of entrance weaves a web, watching her condition. Even hungry, the South Russian misgir does not go far from their own housing.

The main diet is small insects, relatives spiders, snails, caterpillars, as well as frogs, mice, snakes. At the sight of the victim, the wolf freezes, waits for the right moment, after which it rushes to attack almost instantly. If the prey expects a predator in the web, he is not in a hurry, he is approaching with a confident step, inflicting a bite, injecting poison, his own saliva. Under the influence of a secret, the inside of the victim turns into a liquid mass, which the misgir drinks.

Interesting!

In late autumn, the wolf hides in a mink, the entrance clogs with grass, moss, cobwebs. It falls into suspended animation, wakes up in the spring, begins to lay eggs. The female has a lifespan of about 3 years; males die almost immediately after the end of the mating season.

Breeding

The process begins in late summer. The male carefully looks after the female, attracting her attention. After mating, his task is to quickly get out of sight, because a hungry aggressive female can eat him.

After hibernation, the spider weaves a cocoon from the web, lays several hundred eggs there. Carries the entire period of development of the larvae, as well as some time after their birth.

Interesting!

The abdomen of a misgir is dotted with small spiders, the number of which reaches 50 pieces. The mother feeds the young offspring, as they grow older, they throw them off themselves away from the mink.

Danger to humans

The poison of the South Russian tarantula is dangerous for insects, amphibians, small rodents.A toxic substance instantly causes paralysis, disrupting the nervous system. A spider does not rush at a person, but can bite, feeling danger to itself.

Mizgir bite is painful, accompanied by swelling, redness. In children, people who are prone to allergies, they may feel worse - weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fever. Condition after spider bite normalizes on its own within 2 days, or antihistamines are required.

Due to its large size and attractive appearance, the South Russian tarantula is often kept as a pet. Mizgir - home spider feels great in artificially created conditions. It does not hibernate, lays eggs almost immediately after fertilization. Duration of the female is up to 3 years.