The short and simple answer is no. Do you care to know why?
No, tarantula’s don’t chase you. It’s because they are too small to chase anyone. Sure, they’re one of the largest, hairiest, and scariest spiders on the planet. Because of their size and their alien features, they can look awfully menacing. But the truth of the matter is that they are almost completely benign and generally harmless to humans.
It all comes down to a case of pure and simple arachnophobia. Spiders are hairy, have eight legs, and a reputation for spinning webs and sucking the blood out of hapless insects. Tarantulas don’t spin webs in the traditional fashion but they do feast on insects and small vertebrates.
In any case, even as large as they are for a spider, they don’t and won’t chase after humans. Ninety percent of the time, they are hidden under rocks or underbrush. You won’t even notice one hiding right under your feet. And you can be sure that if they do notice you, they won’t go out of their way to attract your attention.
What Are Tarantulas Actually Doing When It Looks Like They Are Chasing You?
Tarantulas do not chase humans. If you come too close to them, they may rear up or display threatening behavior. Certainly if you pick one up and handle it the wrong way, you may get a bite. But the idea of tarantulas, which are tiny compared to even the smallest human, chasing after you is pure baloney.
The truth of the matter is that the mere size differential is enough to disqualify this idea as myth. Even a child can quickly run away on legs that are much larger and able to cover far more ground than even the largest tarantula. Meanwhile, the spider is more concerned about guarding itself and its lair to “chase” all that far.
If tarantulas had wings, it might be a whole other cause for concern. Imagine the fear that a winged spider could instill in humanity. They could pursue you with some force and for a considerable distance. But, as it is, they don’t have the means to. They just want to give you a “jump scare” so that you’ll leave them in peace.
Where Did This Idea Come From?
So where does the silly myth of tarantulas chasing after humans come from? Largely straight from our own overheated imaginations. Classic horror stories always seem to feature a haunted house or castle filled with spider webs and scary spiders to boot. The “Lord of the Rings” cycle features Shelob, a giant man-eating spider.
The idea of spiders chasing humans, as explained above, is a simple exaggeration. Yes, tarantulas will “jump” at anything that seems to be threatening them. But this is purely defensive behavior and, besides, they aren’t really jumping. They are just trying to scare you away so that you won’t continue to bother them.
Of course, this doesn’t stop movie makers from releasing the occasional cheesy “Giant Spider Eats Boston” B-movie. There is always a bit of chill and thrill associated with the very idea of an oversized, hairy, sword-fanged spider. But for most people, it’s no more than the stuff of nightmares and no more real or harmful.
In short, if you take the time to read about what tarantulas really are and what they really do, you’ll quickly see that they are no danger at all. The sooner you do so, the sooner you can help yourself or someone close to you overcome this irrational phobia.
Do They Attack People?
Tarantulas don’t view humans as prey. We are simply too large for them to be able to deal with. However, if you disturb them, they are going to charge. This is not attacking behavior. They have no interest in us except to scare us away from their lair. This is purely defensive behavior designed to protect themselves from harm.
Tarantulas are not strong jumpers or runners. They can attack in short bursts of energy that can astonish an unsuspecting human. However, as long as you get the message and move off quickly, they aren’t going to overexert themselves. Their main concern is to protect their home and their own body.
If you come upon a tarantula, your best bet is to simply back off and work your way around them. In most cases, they won’t even notice you. You can rest assured that if you don’t give them any cause for concern, they aren’t going to bother with any kind of aggressive posturing. You simply won’t be worth their while.
Will They Chase Your Pets? Are They Dangerous To Pets?
You’d have to have a pretty small pet, such as a parakeet, hamster, or lizard, for a tarantula to be any danger to them. It is true that tarantulas in the wild do tend to feast on insects and small vertebrate animals. But they generally won’t bother with an average to larger-sized dog or cat.
Tarantulas are venomous. This means that their fangs do contain poison. This poison is not concentrated enough to cause death in humans. It can cause very painful swelling and inflammation that generally requires fast medical treatment. However, it is also the main weapon that they subdue and kill their prey with.
You don’t want to let a pet play too near a tarantula. Dogs especially are prone to investigate other animals that they come into contact with. A tarantula is one hombre they had better stay away from. Although their bite generally won’t kill a dog, it can cause them a great deal of pain and suffering.
In most cases, your dog will likely retaliate by taking a bite out of the tarantula. If this should occur, you now have a dead spider and an animal in a great deal of pain to deal with. Your best bet is to keep your tarantula well separated from the rest of your animals.
