The Togo starburst tarantula is arboreal, living high up in the trees. It spins a long hollow silk tube in which to shelter. From its hiding place in the crook of a tree, the tarantula ambushes an insect and injects it with venom. The venom paralyzes the insect and breaks down its body tissue into liquid that the tarantula sucks up.
Togo Starburst Tarantula
Heteroscodra maculata
Fact File
Where to see them: World of the Insects
Ecological Role: Predator
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Diet: Insects and small vertebrates
