A Socotra Island Blue Baboon (Monocentropus balfouri) was awarded the top honour at the 29th annual British Tarantula Society exhibition at the Ricoh Arena.  Judges looked at the glossiness of the creatures’ coats, their proportions, the shape of the legs, colouring and the shape of the abdomen.  One expert said: ‘The abdomen shouldn’t show signs of overfeeding but be lean and rounded.  The judges also looked for an ‘alert’ demeanour.

Breeders had to pose the spiders correctly – including all eight legs – to show off their animal’s anatomy.

• Tarantulas are part of a group of very large arachnids that are often hairy, which belong to the Theraphosidae family of spiders.
• Approximately 900 species have been identified. Like all arthropods, tarantulas are invertebrates that rely on their exoskeleton for muscular support.
• They can be as small as a fingernail to as large as a dinner plate with legs spans of up to 12inches (30cm).
• The goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) from Venezuela and Brazil is the largest variety.
• Tarantulas can be found in western states in the U.S. central and South America, Africa, Australia and in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy and Cyprus in Europe.
• They have eight legs and two double-segment chelicerae that house the fangs which are located just below their eyes, near their mouth. They also contain the venom glands for the fangs, which are used to bite in defence and chew.
• A tarantula perceives its surroundings primarily via sensory organs called setae (hairs or spines).
• Although a tarantula has eyes, touch is its keenest sense, and in hunting it primarily depends on vibrations given off by the movements of its prey.
• However, they are also prey themselves and animals including the giant centipedes.
• Unlike Crufts, where winning pedigree dogs and their offspring can fetch thousands of pounds, winning the tarantula contest does not make owners rich.
• People fly in from the U.S. and Hong Kong to compete in the contest, which has grown from its first home in a village hall over 30 years ago to the Ricoh Arena and conference centre.
• The spider enthusiasts claim that the Theraphosidae family of tarantulas make great pets as they are clean and communicative, carry no diseases and can live for up to 30 years.
• They don’t need much space ages and are happy in an aquarium as in the wild they stick close to their burrows.
• The creatures come in an array of markings and colours from the winning Socotra Island Blue Baboon, which has iridescent blue legs to the Chilean Rose with its pale pink hairs.
• However, while they may be beautiful, some larger species have large fangs capable of administering an unpleasant bite, even if their venom is not lethal to humans.
• Some New World species can also flick barbed body hairs at a would-be attacker, which is one of the reasons why the British Tarantula Society advises against handling them too much.
• The creatures can easily die if they are dropped and anyone seen handling their pet at the show is immediately disqualified.