These ornamental tarantulas (along with the Gooty Sapphire Ornamental and Ivory ornamental) are as colorful as tropical birds, a sharp contrast to the fearsome , dark, and dangerous creatures many imagine.

These ornamental tarantulas (along with the Indian ornamental and Ivory ornamental) are as colorful as tropical birds, a sharp contrast to the fearsome , dark, and dangerous creatures many imagine.

These ornamental tarantulas (along with the Indian ornamental and Gooty Sapphire ornamental) are as colorful as tropical birds, a sharp contrast to the fearsome , dark, and dangerous creatures many imagine.

These spiders spend most of their time in underground burrows, emerging mainly to grab prey. Their rear half is segmented, a trait visible in some of the earliest spider fossils.
   

This active hunter searches for food on foot, aided by sharp vision and its ability to sense vibrations—like those of the beating wing on an insect or the patter of steps on the soil.
   

Large fishing spiders rest their front legs on the surface of the water on the shoreline trying to sense vibrations from prey. When something gets close, the spider pounces.

One of the few species harmful to people in North America, a black widow often features a red hourglass shape on its underside.

This stunning tarantula, which lives mainly on the Pacific coast of Mexico, resides in burrows, hurrying out to prey on insects, small frogs, lizards, and mice.

One of the biggest spiders in the world, it preys on snakes, mice, and frogs but, despite the name, rarely birds.

Found throughout parts of Asia, this large spider has yellow on its abdomen and spins a golden web.