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Sticker of Colombian giant redleg tarantula
Bug card No. 0967 of 4,939

Colombian giant redleg tarantula

Megaphobema robustum
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsSpidersRainforests and jungles8 legsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The Colombian giant redleg is a big, hairy tarantula from the rainforest. Its body is deep black and its legs are bright orange, like it is wearing orange socks. It is shy and would rather run away than fight.

Fun fact: spiders are not insects. Insects have six legs, spiders have eight. Everyone calls them bugs anyway!
Lives in
The rainforests of Colombia and Brazil, near fallen logs
Top speed
about 1.5 km/h (0.93 mph)
On foot, estimate
What does it eat?
It eats crickets and other big insects. Sometimes it even catches small lizards and mice.
For real!Photo of Colombian giant redleg tarantula
Picture by Snakecollector. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

With its legs spread out it is about 15 to 20 centimetres across, as big as a small plate.

2

When it feels threatened it may spin in a circle to confuse its enemy.

3

It has little barbs on its back legs that it uses to defend itself.

4

It lives on the ground and likes to stay hidden in its hiding place.

5

Its rainforest home is warm and very rainy all year.

you asked

Most asked questions about Colombian giant redleg tarantula

?How big is the Colombian giant redleg tarantula?

With its legs spread out it is about 15 to 20 centimetres across.

?What does the Colombian giant redleg eat?

Crickets and other big insects, and sometimes small lizards and mice.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Megaphobema robustum
Named by
Ausserer, 1875
Group
Spiders
Family
Theraphosidae
Classification
Arachnida > Araneae > Theraphosidae
Lives on
South America
Also known as
Colombian giant tarantula, Colombian giant redleg

Where the facts come from

  1. Megaphobema robustum (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Snakecollector. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Spiders

Also at home here: Rainforests and jungles

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