• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / Why Do Ornamental Cactus Plants Release Hundreds of Spiders and How Are Tarantulas Dangerous Spiders?

Why Do Ornamental Cactus Plants Release Hundreds of Spiders and How Are Tarantulas Dangerous Spiders?

July 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

The story about an ornamental cactus releasing spiders is a popular myth.

Such an event is particularly unlikely to involve tarantulas, which might possibly lay eggs or build webs on, but not in, a cactus plant.

Tarantulas live in burrows in the ground, especially the female, which rarely moves around on the surface. Tarantulas take several years to reach full size.

The “spiders in the cactus” story, almost invariably heard about a friend of a friend, is one of the most persistent of urban myths.

The story is often attached to the name of a well-known dealer or store.

The cactus in question is supposed to have been field-grown or harvested wild in the desert.

It starts to tremble, the story goes, and then releases its awful contents: spiders or scorpions. Sometimes the victim is said to call the dealer, who sends men with a plastic bag, just in time.

However, there is apparently no verifiable instance of this having happened, and commercially sold cactuses are almost always raised in a controlled environment.

Tarantulas also have an undeserveclly bad reputation.

Tarantulas are very docile animals and are not easily provoked to bite. The usual prey of Phechostica chalcodes, the most common species in Arizona, is insects.

Its fangs are seldom used on humans and do not cause any serious complications.

A Mexican variety is even sold as a pet.

Related Facts

  • Which Species of Spiders Are Cannibals and How Do Spiders Eat Other Spiders?
  • How Does the Cactus Survive in the Desert?
  • What Is the Slowest Growing Plant In the World and Where Does the Saguaro Cactus Come From?
  • How Was Tenochtitlan Founded and How Did the Aztecs Find the Eagle Perched On a Prickly Pear Cactus?
  • How Do Spiders Eat Their Prey and Do Spiders Suck Blood From Their Victims?
  • What is the Place of the Cactus and Where did the Cactus on the Mexican flag come from?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is the Difference Between the Bones of Men and Women and How Do Anthropologists Tell the Difference?
Next Post: How Were Chestnuts Used To Produce Cordite Powder For Ammunition During World War I? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy