" Tex "
Uploaded: August 02, 2009
A wild immature male Texas Brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) showing pedipalps with cymbia, chelicerae and fangs. The Texas Brown is one of the most docile species of tarantula. Although being irritated he still is not exposing his fangs like they do in the attack mode.
Copperas Cove, Texas
2 August 2009
Exif: F Number: 4, Exposure Bias Value: 0.67, ExposureTime: 10/600 seconds, Flash: Strobe return light not detected., ISO: 400, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 105.00 mm, Model: NIKON D200
Jim Baines
August 02, 2009
Think of the pedipalps as hands.
Chelicerae are pointed appendages which are used to grasp food, and are found in place of the chewing mandibles most other arthropods have. Additionally, some chelicerae, such as those found in spiders, are hollow and contain (or are connected to) venom glands, and are used to inject venom into prey or a (perceived) threat. Except for a few small families of spiders, all spiders have venom that is injected into their prey through openings in the tips of their fangs when a spider bites something. The glands that produce this venom are located in the two segments of the chelicerae, and, in most spiders, extend beyond the chelicerae and into the cephalothorax.
Think of the chelicerae as being jaws that tear and crush prey.
The fang, the organic functional equivalent to a hypodermic needle is what penetrates the skin, fur, or exoskeleton of the spider's target--spider mouthparts are primarily intended for envenoming a spider's prey in most species, typically insects and other small arthropods; not for biting humans. The basal portion includes all or part of the spider's venom glands, which can be squeezed under voluntary control by the spider to force venom out of the glands and into the wound.[1] When a spider bites, the two parts of the chelicerae come together like a folding knife, and when making a threat display or actually preparing to bite, the spider will open the angle of the fangs with the basal portion of chelicerae and also open the angle of the basal portion with the cephalothorax. In the tarantulas and other and other Mygalomorphae, the horizontal separation of the tips of the fangs does not change much, but in the other spiders the tips of the fangs move apart from each other as well as elevating. Even the tips of the fangs of the rather large spider shown above are quite sharp, and the spider's body is well adapted to driving the fangs into flesh. Some spider bites, such as those of the Sydney funnel-web spider, are reported to have penetrated toe nails and soft leather shoes.
Think of the fangs as something that could make you curse violently.
#1162588
Dominick M. Dimacale
August 02, 2009
Dominick #7807146
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