Rare Montserrat Tarantula Spiderlings Hatch at Chester Zoo
Posted on August 15, 2016
Montserrat tarantulas have hatched at the Chester Zoo in England. Little is known about the rare tarantulas that live only on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Observations of the spiderlings will greatly contribute to our knowledge of the species.
Dr Gerardo Garcia, curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates at Chester Zoo, says in a statement, "The data we've been able to gather and knowledge we've developed over the last three years since the adults first arrived has led us to this first ever successful, recorded breeding and hopefully these tiny tarantulas will uncover more secrets about the behaviour, reproduction and life cycle of the species."
The tarantulas were first discovered over 100 years ago. The Chester Zoo hopes the skills and techniques its researchers developed with the breeding success can be applied to other threatened species. Here is a video of the spiderlings: