Desert Tarantulas: Photos of the Amazing Arachnids of the Sonoran Desert

Built-in doorbell

The desert tarantula of the North American deserts prefer to live in dry environment areas with well-drained soils. Since they dig deep burrows in which to carry on their daily activities, they will usually line their burrows with silk. The silk helps keep the desert soil from collapsing on the spider. The silk around the tarantula's burrow opening acts as a silken "welcoming mat," since it will begin to vibrate when touched and signal the spider of both a potential meal or a nearby danger.

Life unseen

The great deserts of North America are sometime seen by those who do not know them as vast regions of desolation, void of life. Yet, the truth is that these arid lands are teeming with unique forms of life that survive well in a land often void of measurable rain. The desert tarantula is just one example of the many amazing desert creatures who not only survive but thrive in these boundless lands dominated by endless days of sunshine.