As I eagerly wait for a fresh delivery of spiders and breeding group of scorpions,(damn my impatience) I thought I would post some photos and info about tarantula mouth parts, as you do.

Spider mouth parts are called chelicerae. I recently cut up an exuviae (resh moult) from a P.regalis and took some photos.
The chelicerae are at the front of the promosoma, just in front of the eyes, highlighted here on this photo of a P.regalis

Here is the right chelicerae, the photo is taken from the inside view using a USB microscope. Actual size 6 or 7 mm ish.

chelicerae have several functions. They hold the fang, contain the venom glands, and hold the spider’s cheliceral teeth, which are used for grinding food and in some species for communication.

This photo shoes where the cheliceral teeth are located.

This photo shows the cheliceral teeth more closely.

Some species of spiders, and tarantulas, make a sort of hissing sound by rubbing their cheliceral teeth together, a bit like a grasshopper does with its legs. This is a warning sound and will usually be heard before a defensive bite.

Spiders fangs are very sharp and are used to inject venom, but can also be used to moves rocks or soil arround and sometimes to dig. This hole where the venom is injected through, is a little way up from the tip. So the tip can retain full strength. You can see the hole in this photo here.

I will finish by mentioning some bites are dry, don’t contain venom, but they will only bite to eat or for protection. While all spiders contain venom most is harmless to humans.

😀

Man these post are enough to give me nightmares, yet educational as well, so I have to open them.
As always, great work.

Doesn’t the fang get in the way of the teeth?

More more more!

Hmmm. Educational nightmares. Shudder.

Keen to see more though!

mogrim
The fang is hinged to the chelicerae and can swing out.

demonstrated here by an angrey funnel web

These can “hiss” and if the spider is realy narky you may see venom dripping off the tip pf the fang (not in this photo though).

One popular tarantula is a Ephebopus cyanognathus commonly known as a blue fang. I don’t have one but you can get the idea from this photo

Why the F*** did i click on this thread? 😯

Pete those pictures are amazing! I’ve saved all my old moults so I’ll have to get a scope and do some looking. Absolutely brilliant 😀

This is what happens when I am not here during the day. I miss a Roper thread.

Like an oasis in a sea of bullshit (especially today for some reason).

Cheers Roper.

chelicerae

and

exuviae

Roper, In honour of your amazing threads I shall call my unborn daughters by these names.

Hinged fangs, venom and the little feckers that work as a team to eat on your arse.

Another roper thread.

Yay 😀

I really want a tarantula. Slight detail is that mum has said she’ll never visit again if I get one, not sure if this is a plus or not.

Hadge, This is the one I use

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veho-VMS-004-Discovery-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B002JCSCYI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302886730&sr=1-1
Basic but it works well for having a nose about. It’s also handy for sexing them too.

Roper, In honour of your amazing threads I shall call my unborn daughters by these names.

bullheart,I wouldn’t, these are the names for my testicles 🙂

mogrim, if they are properly housed they can’t get out. One of mine is also locked.
They are very easy to care for and are fascinating to watch. They do eat live food though so you would have to give them crickets, cockroaches and mealworms etcetera. They do only eat once or twice a week and so go weeks without food.
I’m sure Hadge and I could provide you with a few good starter T’s and put you in touch with a breeder or dealer.

It’s not the security aspect, it’s Knowing It Is There.

Might just get one anyway, we’re building a new room downstairs anyway and the spider will be upstairs, no problems. I haven’t told her about the things that live in the cellar, either. There are some lovely black bottomed things eating the roaches down there.

There is some useful information here

http://thebts.co.uk/index.html

and here

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insect/basiccare.php

and this is a very useful book

If you are keen I’m happy to give you any info or answer any questions, either on here or email me.

I should warn you though they can turn you into a geek.

bullheart,I wouldn’t, these are the names for my testicles

Then I shall name my unborn sons after your gonads!

Great thread!!