While tarantulas don’t have ears, they can still ‘hear’ relatively well. Having ears is not necessary for hearing sounds, and for tarantulas, they can feel sounds.
Tarantulas don’t have ears, but they can still detect sound using special hairs on their bodies to detect vibrations. This works similar to human hearing but has a much lower hearing range than mammals. Tarantulas cannot detect high-pitched sounds very well, but they’re good at ‘hearing’ lower pitches. They are considered to be better than us at hearing low-pitched sounds and frequencies.
Tarantula hearing is different from ours, and understanding this is important for all tarantula keepers. If your tarantula acts differently when there’s a lot of noise in the room they live in, this is why. Ignoring their needs can lead to a very stressed tarantula which is terrible for their health.
Do Tarantulas Have Ears?
Tarantulas do not have ears, but the hairs on their body allow them to detect sounds through vibrations. The hairs feel the vibrations which the tarantula then interoperates in a way that suits them.
Very little research has been done into tarantula hearing, so there’s still a lot of missing information here. While we know that tarantulas don’t have ears, they can still ‘hear’ different sounds. Tarantulas can react to different sounds in their local environment.
No species of tarantula or spider has ears.
Are Tarantulas Deaf?
While tarantulas have a different hearing system to us, they are not deaf. Tarantulas can still detect and ‘hear’ sound even if it’s not the same for them. They can detect sounds through the vibrations they cause through the hairs on their body.
Tarantulas can feel sounds through vibrations. They don’t ‘hear’ the sounds of the world around them through the classical sense. However, tarantulas can still feel the sounds through special hairs on their legs.
Do Tarantulas Have Ear Drums?
Tarantula hearing is not like humans. They don’t have ears or eardrums. It works very differently for them than most other animals capable of hearing over long distances. This means a tarantulas hearing capability is quite unique.
They detect vibrations with the hairs on their legs as their version of ‘hearing’ of the world around them. Using this method means that tarantulas don’t need ears or eardrums.
Do Tarantulas Have Good Hearing?
Tarantula hearing is dependent on vibrations from the noise. This means they’re better at feeling lower-pitched sounds and vibrations from the floor. Hearing high-pitched sounds isn’t as easy for tarantulas.
Hearing is different for tarantulas, but that doesn’t mean they have impaired hearing. Tarantulas have good enough hearing to survive in their natural environment. However, tarantulas also struggle to live in urban areas due to this. Tarantulas are very sensitive animals, and loud noise is very distressing for them.
Can Tarantulas Hear As Well As Humans?
While tarantulas have good hearing, they cannot hear as well as humans do. They don’t seem to be able to detect the same level of frequencies as us. Tarantulas are much more sensitive to low-pitched sounds than humans, but they can’t hear high-pitched noises well.
Noisy places are much worse for tarantulas than for humans. This is why tarantulas are not naturally found in urban areas and why they aren’t often located near main transport routes. Road noise and flight paths can disturb tarantulas since they can feel the noise through the hairs on their body.
How Do Tarantulas Hear?
Tarantulas use the hair on their legs and bodies to detect vibrations in the air and through the ground. This is very similar to how humans and other animals with ears hear the world around them.
Sound is all about vibrations. The source of it hits nearby air molecules, which then bumps the ones close to it. The sound waves travel through the air and hit things that react to it. For humans, it hits our eardrums, but for tarantulas, it hits sensitive hairs instead. Tarantulas can literally feel the sound that tells them about the world around them.
Conclusion
Tarantula hearing can seem very different to human hearing. However, the process is pretty much the same. Tarantulas don’t need to have ears to hear, and they are incredibly sensitive to noise. Loud noises upset and stress tarantulas due to how sensitive the hairs are on their bodies. While they might not hear high-pitched sounds very well, they are very good at hearing low-pitched sounds.
