Tarantulas Use Spatial Learning

A new review of nine field cases documents tarantulas (both tree‑ and burrow‑dwelling) returning directly to retreats after foraging or disturbance, implying they remember and reuse spatial information rather than acting purely by reflex. The authors (University of Turku's Alireza Zamani and collaborators) propose animals combine external cues (light, polarized light, web tension) with internal signals to navigate. — Expands the taxonomic scope of learned navigation, prompting reappraisal of invertebrate cognition in science, ethics, robotics, and how media portray such animals.