Tarantula Rearing Uniform Standards Team

  • Home
  • Tarantula Rearing Uniform Standards Team

Tarantula Rearing Uniform Standards Team We provide an additional layer of confidence for tarantula keepers by assuring vendors uphold precise standards for keeping, breeding, and shipping.

The health and vitality of tarantulas is our #1 concern! Assembled by collaborative effort- Join us today!

This giant arboreal spider is the most popularly known from Singapore - Omothymus violaceopes or Singapore Blue. Shown h...
03/02/2024

This giant arboreal spider is the most popularly known from Singapore - Omothymus violaceopes or Singapore Blue. Shown here is a mature male. Upon maturity, males exhibit a brown-green color. Sometimes, males and females appear different - this is known as sexual dimorphism.

photo by ng_yu_fei

Visiting Singapore today. The spider here is Phlogiellus inermis, also known as the Front Door Tarantula. Any guesses on...
03/02/2024

Visiting Singapore today. The spider here is Phlogiellus inermis, also known as the Front Door Tarantula. Any guesses on why it would be called that?

Photo by sohkamyung

What do you think?
01/02/2024

What do you think?

The Quechuan word for "blue", Anqasha was first recognized in 2022. It replaced the previously assigned Homoeomma picta....
28/01/2024

The Quechuan word for "blue", Anqasha was first recognized in 2022. It replaced the previously assigned Homoeomma picta. And interestingly, before that, the same spider was Hapalopus picta. It seems to resemble Davus pentaloris to me!

The spider, commonly called the Orange Baboon Spider or Pterinochilus murinus, can be found throughout Eastern Africa, f...
27/01/2024

The spider, commonly called the Orange Baboon Spider or Pterinochilus murinus, can be found throughout Eastern Africa, from Ethiopia down to Mozambique and into Botswana to the West. There are several locales and corresponding color forms. However, in taxonomy, color is not a differentiating feature of species. This Ethiopian locale has a unique gold/black carapace and dark abdomen. Pterinochilus murinus potentially has the most extensive range of any other tarantula species.

photo by kerejoo

Few tarantulas are known to inhabit Ethiopia. However, among the few is a fascinating spider. There are not many live p...
27/01/2024

Few tarantulas are known to inhabit Ethiopia. However, among the few is a fascinating spider. There are not many live photos of spiders from this genus - Loxoptygus. "Based on discussions with peers we can now confidently assert the genus is indeed Loxoptygus - species level identification cannot be done from photographs." (D. Sherwood)

photo by kerejoo

Anoploscelus is a Genus belonging to the Eumenophorine subfamily, which includes other genera such as the Hysterocrates,...
21/01/2024

Anoploscelus is a Genus belonging to the Eumenophorine subfamily, which includes other genera such as the Hysterocrates, Pelinobius, and Encycocratella baboon spiders. Smith (1990) states, "It is likely that the Eumenophorinae subfamily is the primary group from which the Theraphosinae and Ischnocolinae subfamilies developed. Approximately 136 million years ago (Cretaceous period) the American continent split away from Africa - taking with it examples of the Eumenophorinae subfamily. It is from this material that I believe the New World subfamily Theraphosinae has developed. "

Trichopelma is a new world genus including spiders from Cuba, Trinidad, Venezuela, Haiti, Jamaica, and Colombia. The spi...
21/01/2024

Trichopelma is a new world genus including spiders from Cuba, Trinidad, Venezuela, Haiti, Jamaica, and Colombia. The spider pictured here is nitidum, of Dominican Republic.

photo by maribela

Another sighting from the Dominican Republic, a likely Phormictopus. Spiders in the genus display a range of colors, inc...
20/01/2024

Another sighting from the Dominican Republic, a likely Phormictopus. Spiders in the genus display a range of colors, including brown, pink, blue, purple, and green. This one here has an interesting composition of blue femurs with an earthly carapace.

photo by jimu96

NEW PRODUCT ALERT**This polypropylene enclosure is sturdy, lightweight, and cost-effective. Measuring approximately 8x8x...
19/01/2024

NEW PRODUCT ALERT**

This polypropylene enclosure is sturdy, lightweight, and cost-effective. Measuring approximately 8x8x10", it is ideal for arboreal or fossorial species. Available in singles or bulk.

https://ow.ly/7zTR50QqN0z

Most of our packages are routed through the central FedEx hub in Memphis. The forecast is showing dangerously low weathe...
15/01/2024

Most of our packages are routed through the central FedEx hub in Memphis. The forecast is showing dangerously low weather there this week. We have begun rescheduling orders. Deliveries to CA, OR, and parts of UT are routed through Oakland instead.

Another Panama pick - Davus fasciatus, not available in the hobbyphoto by holawa
31/12/2023

Another Panama pick - Davus fasciatus, not available in the hobby

photo by holawa

Tell us what kind of content you like best! Informative, current events, research, educational, humorous, behind-the-sce...
21/12/2023

Tell us what kind of content you like best! Informative, current events, research, educational, humorous, behind-the-scenes, pop-culture references, basics, husbandry advice, etc? Anything else?

Found near Sedona, AZ. This mature male is Aphonopelma marxi. This species has a unique contrasting color schema, usuall...
10/12/2023

Found near Sedona, AZ. This mature male is Aphonopelma marxi. This species has a unique contrasting color schema, usually dark with orange-red setae on the abdomen. Commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon Black Tarantula, this US native is found in Arizona where there are a dozen other known Aphonopelma.

Photo by ksaa29

Tarantulas possess stridulatory organs, which are used to produce a hissing sound. These are positioned between the chel...
06/12/2023

Tarantulas possess stridulatory organs, which are used to produce a hissing sound. These are positioned between the chelicerae. The sound is made when the organs are rubbed together.

What is a paratype? Another taxonomic term, a paratype is a specimen examined during the descripiton of a species. These...
06/12/2023

What is a paratype? Another taxonomic term, a paratype is a specimen examined during the descripiton of a species. These can be used to support identification of species but do not serve as the holotype.

Scientists restructure Maslow's hierarchy of needs (2024)
06/12/2023

Scientists restructure Maslow's hierarchy of needs (2024)

What is a holotype? A holotype is a single specimen or part of a specimen. It is used during the diagnosis or descriptio...
05/12/2023

What is a holotype? A holotype is a single specimen or part of a specimen. It is used during the diagnosis or description of a species. It is stored in a museum or collection for future examination. It represents a species. For example, when Mendoza (2014) described Psalmopoeus victori, a comparison of reduncus, cambridgei, and irminia holotypes were completed.

Tarantula News! Published on December 1, 2023, Sherwood, et al, describe a Xenesthis species from Venezuela. The spider ...
05/12/2023

Tarantula News! Published on December 1, 2023, Sherwood, et al, describe a Xenesthis species from Venezuela. The spider was initially collected and labeled as Xenesthis immanis (1954), but recent examination proved otherwise. There isn't a great photo, but I speculate it may be indistinguishable from intermedia or immanis. The difference comes down to the palpal bulb structure.

Sherwood D, Gabriel R, Peñaherrera-R. P, Brescovit AD, Lucas SM. On the Tarantula Genus Xenesthis Simon, 1891, with Description of a New Species from Venezuela (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Taxonomy. 2023; 3(4):509-527. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy3040029

Another Brazilian tarantula - Munduruku bicoloratum. Found near the equator in Santarem. The genus name comes from the i...
03/12/2023

Another Brazilian tarantula - Munduruku bicoloratum. Found near the equator in Santarem. The genus name comes from the indigenous people in the area, and the species name comes from the abdominal pattern/coloring.

Munduruku bicoloratum Miglio, Bonaldo & Pérez-Miles, 2013 in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-12-03.

In Southern Brazil, this unnamed Grammostola was sighted. I don't recognize it. The bronze carapace reminds me of Phormi...
03/12/2023

In Southern Brazil, this unnamed Grammostola was sighted. I don't recognize it. The bronze carapace reminds me of Phormictopus auratus.

Photo by kaufvitali

Today, we're looking at some sightings of Brazilian species. Shown here is Hapalopus butantan. It's found pretty far inl...
03/12/2023

Today, we're looking at some sightings of Brazilian species. Shown here is Hapalopus butantan. It's found pretty far inland, near Manaus, Brazil. I am doubtful it has ever been in the US hobby trade. Nevertheless, it has a striking appearance.

Photo by igoryuri

Tarantobelus arachnicida is another known threat to tarantulas. Examined in Poland, researchers tested a potential treat...
02/12/2023

Tarantobelus arachnicida is another known threat to tarantulas. Examined in Poland, researchers tested a potential treatment called Lugol's solution (Potassium Iodide), which was shown to eradicate nematodes from living tarantulas. However, while the worms were removed, the infected spiders still experienced paralysis of their chelicerae. The bacteria's waste is considered toxic and harmful to the tarantula's nervous system. Treatment extended the life of infected spiders - 3 months - compared to 2 weeks in the group not receiving treatment. The article reports that these infections occurred in captive born cyaneopubescens - infected by food.

Wyrobisz-Papiewska, Anna & Kowal, Jerzy & Łopieńska-Biernat, Elżbieta & Kornas, Slawomir & Basiaga, Marta & Nosal, Paweł & Rubaj, Sławomir & Pałasz, Wojciech. (2019). Tarantobelus arachnicida (Nematoda: Rhabditida) invasion of exotic spiders in Poland. Annals of Parasitology. 65. 83-86. 10.17420/ap6501.186.

Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi is a nematode species named after the tarantula killer in Arachnophobia (1990). Researchers at...
02/12/2023

Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi is a nematode species named after the tarantula killer in Arachnophobia (1990). Researchers at UCR discovered this worm after a tarantula wholesaler contacted the parasite lab there. Infections appear as a white substance around the mouth and cause the spider not to eat. Euthanasia is the suggested remedy, as infections are lethal.

Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi n. sp. (Panagrolaimomorpha; Panagrolaimidae), a Nematode Parasite of Tarantulas
Jacob Schurkman, Kyle Anesko, Joaquín Abolafia, Irma Tandingan De Ley, Adler R. Dillman
Journal of Parasitology Vol. 108, Issue 1, (Jan 2022) , pgs 30-43

Photos by Dillman UCR

Socotra Island is home to Monocentropus balfouri and many other unique fauna/flora. It most certainly would be a fantast...
01/12/2023

Socotra Island is home to Monocentropus balfouri and many other unique fauna/flora. It most certainly would be a fantastic place to visit. However, this island is not easily accessible. The US travel advisory lists Yemen as "Level 4: Do Not Travel" due to terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict, and landmines. These warnings aside, visitors also must secure a host. Independent travelers are prohibited, so a resident or tour guide must sign off to authorize a visa. Furthermore, there is only one commercial and one government-sponsored flight each week. These flights must be purchased in-person in Abu Dhabi or Cairo. There are no rental cars or hotels.

Reproductive elements at the cellular level are much different in tarantulas than in mammals. For example, the s***matoz...
01/12/2023

Reproductive elements at the cellular level are much different in tarantulas than in mammals. For example, the s***matozoa are nonmotile - they cannot propel themselves. They lack the flagellate (tail) that mammalian s***m use to navigate in the uterus. Tarantula s***m are also contained in packets called coenos***mia. Multiple s***m cells share a protective sheath, which is opened under pressure. The image (B) shows s***matozoa being released from coenos***mia. Semen collected from Grammostola rosea.

Archibald, K.E., Minter, L.J., Lewbart, G.A., & Bailey, C.S. (2014). Collection and characterization of semen from Chilean rose tarantulas (Grammostola rosea). American journal of veterinary research, 75 10, 929-36 .

M.E. Herberstein, J.M. Schneider, G. Uhl, P. Michalik, S***m dynamics in spiders, Behavioral Ecology, Volume 22, Issue 4, July-August 2011, Pages 692–695, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arr053

Inspired by layered stencil art at the Summer Solstice Festival in Seattle, I went and bought a Cricut machine. Pictured...
27/11/2023

Inspired by layered stencil art at the Summer Solstice Festival in Seattle, I went and bought a Cricut machine. Pictured here is one of the pieces I could create from four pieces of paper.

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tarantula Rearing Uniform Standards Team posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Claim ownership or report listing

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?

Share