This arachnid gets its common name from its fancy hair, which has a golden sheen of curled hairs covering its entire body. Male curly-haired tarantulas are often lighter than females; however, they don't live nearly as long. Female curly-haired tarantulas can reach the age of 20 and sometimes even older, but most males don't even last a decade.
Curly hair tarantulas live in Central America. They're also known as the Honduras curly hair tarantula because they do live there, but it's worth mentioning that they also reside in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and other Central American countries. These are terrestrial spiders, meaning they spend most of their life on the forest floor. In fact, care sheets for this species specifically mention keeping vertical climbing opportunities for pet curly hairs to a minimum because even a short fall can hurt them.
Tarantulas are generally considered fragile. They have an exoskeleton they must shed periodically in order to grow. They're most susceptible during and directly after this process while their soft body is exposed prior to the rehardening of their outer shell. Curly-haired tarantulas, however, have a safe place to go when they're vulnerable. These are fossorial animals, meaning they dig burrows and live inside them. While curly hair tarantulas prefer humid forests for living, they're most at home underground.
These spiders are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. This is where their fancy hair really helps them out. Curly hair tarantulas don't build webs to catch prey. Instead, they sit at the entrance of their den and wait for prey to come to them. Although tarantulas have many eyes, they don't have the best eyesight. Their eyes mostly detect changes in light and dark. The hairs across their body are how they sense an approaching animal. Small vibrations caused by crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, and other invertebrates are picked up by the tarantula's body hair. When a target is in range, the spider strikes with venom-infused fangs.
Curly hair tarantula venom is potent against small insects, and it's multi-purposed. First, the toxin paralyzes the victim, and then it starts to liquefy its insides. Spiders have small mouths, so instead of eating big chunks of hard-shelled invertebrates, they turn their guts into goop and drink up the small bits. Once it's finished, the tarantula leaves behind the prey's hollow body. This might sound macabre, but when it comes to humans, it has hardly any effect. In much the same way a bee sting causes pain, so too does the curly hair tarantula's bite, only creating an issue when the bitten individual is allergic to the venom.
As adults, curly hair tarantulas can reach about 6 inches across, including their legs. It takes a few years for these spiders to reach reproductive maturity, and they spend most of their time in solitude. When they do meet up to mate, the male offers a sperm packet to the female, and if she accepts, she'll lay a golf ball-sized egg sack containing hundreds of eggs. It takes about 2 months for the eggs to hatch, and the babies, which are about the size of a pencil eraser, quickly move on to make their own burrows. Male curly hairs only live about a year after maturity, but females can live for decades.
