Do tarantulas growl? The short answer is, no. Tarantulas don’t growl.
That being said, many tarantula keepers have heard their tarantulas make a hissing, whistling, or “barking” sound. So, even though tarantulas don’t growl, they can still make noise. How and why do they make these noises? Let’s find out!
Do Tarantulas Growl? The Truth About “Growling Tarantulas”
The idea of growling tarantulas keeps circulating on the internet. And if you’re one of the many people who find these huge hairy spiders absolutely terrifying, the thought of one of them growling at you will set your teeth on edge.
As if their size, bulk, and fangs weren’t enough, now we have to worry about them making threatening growling sounds like some feral feline crouching in a back alley corner waiting to attack?
Take a deep breath. It’s not like that at all.
Not only are tarantulas highly unlikely to attack you, they also don’t growl.
Like other arachnids, tarantulas have no vocal chords and are, therefore, unable to produce growling sounds. They do, however, make noise.
How Do Tarantulas Make Noise?
So, if tarantula’s don’t have vocal chords, how do they make noise?
Believe it or not, tarantulas make noise similar to how crickets make noise. Just as crickets rub the ridges on their back legs together to make their chirping sound, so too tarantulas rub their pedipalps and their bristly front legs together to make a “hissing” sound.
The pedipalps are two arm-like appendages attached to the cephalothorax (basically the head) of the tarantula. Like all their legs, these arm-like appendages are covered in bristly hairs. When the tarantula rubs them together, the effect is similar to when you tear two pieces of velcro apart. The resulting sound is often referred to as a “hiss.”
The process of a tarantula rubbing its pedipalps against its legs to produce this “hissing,” “whistling,” or “barking” sound is called “stridulation.”
Why Do Tarantulas Hiss?
If your tarantula is hissing, or if you encounter a hissing tarantula in the wild, it’s good to know why.
Typically, a tarantula will hiss – stridulate – at something it perceives to be a predator or potential threat. When it does this, it will throw a defensive posture, rising up on its hind legs and raising its front legs to appear bigger and more threatening. This signals to the predator that this T isn’t going down without a fight and is willing to inflict injury. Most predators back away at these signals, deciding that pursuing this prey isn’t worth the risk.
In captivity, your tarantula may stridulate at you if you manage to frighten or disturb it, or if you mess with it too much and get it agitated. When feeding your T or spot cleaning its enclosure, be sure to approach slowly so as not to disturb it.
Do All Tarantulas Hiss?
Even though some tarantula species stridulate – producing a hissing or barking sound – not all species are capable of stridulation. In fact, most New World tarantula species seem to be incapable of stridulation. And even among Old World species, the ability to stridulate is pretty rare.
Tarantulas that hiss or stridulate include:
- Goliath Bird Eater
- King Baboon Spider
- Queensland Whistling Spider
- Barking Spider
- Orange Baboon Tarantula
- Blue Baboon Tarantula (BBT)
- Lamberton’s Baboon Spider
- Red Slate Ornamental
- Venezuelan Suntiger
- Straight Horned Baboon
- Rear Horned Baboon
- Mombasa Golden Starburst Tarantula
Additionally, some Hysterocrates, an entire genus of African tarantulas, are known to stridulate.
Should I Be Worried if My Tarantula Makes Noise?
It can be a little unsettling the first time you hear your tarantula hissing or barking. They can get pretty loud. The National Zoo reports that some tarantula’s stridulations can be heard up to 15 feet away!
So, should you be worried if your T is hissing?
Not at all. Some tarantula keepers even enjoy the noise and look specifically for tarantulas that hiss. Of course, this isn’t recommended if you’re new to the hobby. Hissing tarantulas are more aggressive species that require the husbandry skill of more experienced T-keepers.
What about you? Would you enjoy having your pet tarantula “growl” or hiss at you? If so, perhaps a King Baboon Tarantula or a Blue Baboon Tarantula would make a great next T for you.
If you have questions or would like to give feedback, please email us at team@dragonsdiet.com
