Tarantula

The Tarantula (タランチュラ, taranchura) is a rare insect in the. It is worth 8,000 Bells. They are found on the ground at night, and they can be difficult to catch, similar to the Scorpion and Wasp, as well as harmful - however, they do not attack the player unless they are carrying a net, and, unlike the Wasp, the Tarantula does not leave a mark. If startled by rapid movement (whilst holding the net), in the same fashion as the Scorpion, it will attack (presumably bite) the player, causing the player to be momentarily stunned before fainting, which then leads to the player waking up in front of their house. If the player is not carrying the net whilst a quick movement is made near the Tarantula, like many other bugs in the game, it will move away from the player. It is not to be confused with the Spider.

Strategy
The Tarantula is harmful and should be avoided, unless the player is trying to catch it. It is suggested that the player does not equip the net during the hours the Tarantula is available, to avoid being "bitten" or "poisoned."

When the Tarantula attacks a player, a distinct bite sound can be heard, followed by the player spinning around and falling to the floor. Once bitten, the screen turns black and the player re-appears collapsed outside their house. Nothing will be lost.

and
In and, the Tarantula can jump over holes dug in the ground, as well as off cliffs and up onto the lower part of ramps joining the upper section of town to the lower part (in ).

Upon approaching the Tarantula, the player should pull out the net and catch it like any other insect - though missing it the first time will prove fatal. An easy place to catch the Tarantula is just on the ramp of a slope in, just where it cannot jump up but where the net can also hit the ground. This makes the Tarantula run into the wall, and keeps it steady for the player to catch. In, the Tarantula is more noticeable by the sound it makes - scratching on the ground. In, it makes a lot less noise as in previous installments. It is much harder to catch in than in  due to the lack of slopes.

Another way to catch the Tarantula is to pick an empty acre and walk as slowly as possible around it with the net equipped. There should be an open building nearby, not to avoid a Tarantula, but to reset bug locations in the hopes of spawning one. When the Tarantula appears, the player should creep towards it. It is easier to catch if the bug comes to a complete halt. It does not matter what direction the player is facing. When the position seems right, the player should swing the net. One can also slowly approach from behind to avoid its being startled by the player's presence and then swing the net when positioned correctly.

Approaching the Tarantula on the lower tier of the town near the sea (in ) will make it walk away from the player, which may direct it to water, where it will fall in and disappear.

In, Tarantulas are somewhat more common, and the method for catching Tarantulas is noticeably different. When the net is equipped and the player moves towards the Tarantula, it will stop moving to face them, rearing up on its four back legs and hissing at them in a threat display. The player must stop moving for a second when this happens until the Tarantula is back on all eight legs, or else it will charge at them. Sneaking towards the Tarantula and stopping every time it rears up is the best method to get close enough to catch it. Simply walking around with the net no longer makes the Tarantula attack immediately—the player must be close enough to the Tarantula for it to attack them; although, running around with the net, equipping the net too close to the Tarantula, or swinging the net will still make it attack the player. It can no longer jump over holes, though the player can do so, making them an effective method of "herding" the Tarantula or caging the player in a safe spot where they can catch the Tarantula without being attacked. The player may also dig holes to trap one Tarantula, get it to attempt to chase them, and catch the other Tarantulas without them attacking while the original Tarantula is stuck running around the "cage" of holes; all nearby Tarantulas will be aggravated by the usual actions, but only one Tarantula will chase the player at a time. This also means that if several Tarantulas are aggravated by the player, catching one can allow another to immediately attack them. A chasing Tarantula faced with holes will turn around and run in circles near the holes if it cannot trace a direct path to the player. However, they can crawl through the gaps between diagonally-placed holes and between holes and rivers or objects such as rocks, meaning that making corners is a necessity. On Mystery Island Tours conducted between 7pm and 4am, the Tarantula's active hours, the player may end up visiting an occasional "Tarantula-infested island," where Tarantulas are very common and spawn in groups of three or four, sometimes five. This is an opportunity to make a lot of Bells, especially if Flick is visiting the player's island that day; he pays 150% of the usual price for bugs, and thus buys Tarantulas for 12,000 Bells each. Be careful however, as catching a Tarantula can possibly aggravate another nearby Tarantula, which will charge at the player and wait patiently at their feet, immediately biting them once they close the dialog box. If bitten on a Mystery Island Tour, the player wakes up at that island's pier, where Wilbur will express relief that the player is okay, while also cautioning them to be more careful and "watch out for bogeys."

Donating to the museum
As with all insects in the, the Tarantula can be donated to the museum, followed by a small talk by Blathers, the curator.

In
Hoo my! It's simply amazing that you were able to catch one of these monsters... Not only is it poisonous, it's as hairy as can be... Blech! Hairy and toxic... Is there any combination more vile?"''

Tarantulas are slightly rarer than Scorpions. The Tarantula can be found in the second room of the bug exhibit, in the area where the Dung Beetle and Pill Bug are displayed.

In
"Hoo, such foul fuzziness! And have you seen how fast they move? It's enough to make an owl faint. They're quite docile beasts, and it's documented that they rarely attack people... But when I look at them up close like this, I start to wonder if the experts might be wrong, eh wot?!"

It can be found in the first enclosure on the middle terrace, which holds the Scorpion, Centipede, Flea, and Fly, to name a few.

The Scorpion and Tarantula can be seen battling with each other when both have been donated. The Scorpion can be seen shaking its stinger at the Tarantula, which makes a rattling noise. The Tarantula can be heard making a hissing-type noise, which might be associated with the insect's defense mechanism of scratching hairs at enemies. They will circle each other, and eventually both jump into the air and collide, then begin their battle again. If the Scorpion is absent, the Tarantula will watch the player.

In
Rather than a small talk by Blathers, information is provided on the Tarantula's enclosure.

"Tarantulas are large arachnids that live in warm areas. They're sometimes kept as pets. They have sharp fangs, and while it is painful if you're bitten by one, they aren't deadly to humans. What's scarier is the hair they kick off of their abdomens to protect themselves. The hair can cause serious itching and rashes wherever it sticks and can be rather difficult to remove."

Before the Scorpion is donated, the Tarantula walks around in its small part of the enclosure. When the player walks near the Tarantula, it will stop in its tracks and stare at the player, turning as the player walks. When the player walks away for long enough, the Tarantula will continue walking. If a scorpion is donated the tarantula and scorpion will jump in the air and slam into each other.

In
"As giant spiders go, the tarantula is said to be quite docile. But have you ever seen such foul fuzziness?! It is a fact, tarantulas have barbed belly hair! I say again...BARBED. BELLY. HAIR! These awful arachnids let loose their spiky, itchy hairs to protect themselves from predators. But seeing how tarantulas also prey on frogs, mice, and even birds, one must ask... Who needs protecting from whom?! Hoo! Who indeed! "

The Tarantula can be found in the laboratory section of the bug exhibit, contained within a forest display case.

Real-world information
It is unknown what type of tarantula appears in the Animal Crossing games. There are different types of tarantula: ground hunters, tree hunters, as well as venomous and nonvenomous ones. Although a tarantula has eyes, its keenest sense is touch. It feels vibrations in the ground and determines the location of its prey through them. They are exothermic, but under a thermal image, the abdomen appears the brighter than the rest of its body (indicating warmth).

The tarantula from the resembles the Mexican redknee tarantula (Brachypelma smithi). These terrestrial tarantulas of the west side of Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur are popular among enthusiasts. The females can live to be 30 years while the males lead a much shorter 5 years or so. The male has a comparable size to the female, but has a smaller body with longer legs. The tarantula must undergo occasional molting to grow. The Mexican redknee tarantula is docile, unlike the tarantula in Animal Crossing, and it is only slightly venomous.