(C) BoingBoing
This story was originally published by BoingBoing and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



This tarantula named Stress has adorable "toe beans" just like a cat [1]

[]

Date: 2025-09-10

This adorable tarantula named Stress has "toe beans" similar to a cat. When stress places her leg down, two little toe pads spread outwards. Tarantulas are now miniature, 8-legged cats in my mind.

If I had a pet tarantula I would need to see its toe beans daily. I've never had the urge to cuddle with a spider until seeing this video. I need to make a friend with a pet tarantula so I can enjoy seeing these cute little "paws" in person.

Technically speaking, tarantula "paws" are actually called tarsi, and they're covered in dense hair-like structures called setae that help the tarantulas sense vibrations and grip surfaces. The tips of their "paws" include two or three retractable claws. These help them climb, especially on rough surfaces. Some tarantulas even drum their paws on the ground as part of mating rituals, communication, or as a territorial warning.



See also: Freaky electric blue tarantula species identified in Thailand

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/09/10/this-tarantula-named-stress-has-adorable-toe-beans-just-like-a-cat.html

Published and (C) by BoingBoing
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/boingboing/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.