TARANTULASTo many arachnophobes, large, hairy tarantulas are as bad as it gets. But in fact, tarantulas, a loose term for large, hairy spiders in the mygalomorphae suborder, are relatively harmless to humans. Most spend their time in the brush or in holes, waiting for their prey to wander along. They do not spin webs, and they aren't venomous to humans. Their fangs can puncture the skin, however, and some species can shoot barbed hairs from their back.