Hundreds of rare tarantula spiders hatch at Chester Zoo
The zoo has become the first in the world to successfully breed Montserrat tarantulas.
Hundreds of rare baby spiders have hatched at Chester Zoo.
The zoo has become the first in the world to successfully breed Montserrat tarantulas.
The hatching of 200 of the rare spiders was hailed as a "momentous event" by invertebrate keepers who are hoping to discover more about the mysterious species.
The adult tarantulas arrived at the zoo three years ago.
The threatened Montserrat tarantula is native to the Caribbean island, but very little is known about how the spiders live.
Dr Gerardo Garcia, curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said: "Breeding these tarantulas is a huge achievement for the team as very little is known about them. It's taken a lot of patience and care to reach this point."