A large, hairy spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae, found mainly in warm regions. Known for their imposing size and generally docile nature despite their fearsome appearance.
From Italian 'tarantola', named after the city of Taranto in southern Italy. Originally referred to a different spider (wolf spider) whose bite was believed to cause tarantism, a dancing mania that could only be cured by frenzied dancing.
The tarantula's name comes from a medieval belief that the bite of the Taranto wolf spider caused an irresistible urge to dance wildly - called tarantism. This 'cure' through dancing eventually evolved into the folk dance called the tarantella, forever linking this spider to Italian musical tradition.
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