Tavoy Tarantula

19/11/2023

Cobalt blue tarantula
The cobalt blue tarantula or Cyriopagopus lividus is a species of tarantula which is in the family Theraphosidae which is native to Myanmar and over the border into Thailand.It was originally described as Haplopelma lividum.
The cobalt blue tarantula is a medium-sized tarantula with a leg span around 13 cm (5 in). It is noted for its iridescent blue legs and light gray prosoma and opisthosoma, the latter of which may contain darker gray chevrons. Males and females look the same until the ultimate (final) molt of the males. At this point, the male exhibits sexual dimorphism in the form of a light tan or bronze coloration and legginess. Additionally, males gain a palpal bulb on the pedipalps and tibial apophyses (mating hooks). The female eventually becomes larger than the male and lives years longer.The cobalt blue tarantula is a fossorial species and spends nearly all of its time in deep burrows of its own construction. The venom of the tarantula is not enough to kill a human, but it can badly sting them and be extremely painful. The venom contains glutamic acid, at 0.97% concentration. Histamine and adenosine were detected at 0.14% and 0.10% with the polyamine s***mine noted in trace amounts at 0.002% (Moore et al., 2009).
Cobalt blue tarantulas inhabit the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia,where they construct deep burrows, and generally only leave them to find food.
The cobalt blue tarantula is a mainstay in the pet trade, despite being a fast and defensive tarantula with potent venom.Bites from this species can result in severe muscle cramps and inflammation.

19/11/2023

Honduran Curly Hair Tarantula
Brachypelma albopilosum
Description:
The Honduran curly hair tarantula is a large variety of spider. This spider has a dark (brown to dark blue) colored body with a golden-bronze sheen due to long golden hairs that cover the body.

Size:
Adult Honduran curly hair tarantulas have a 5-6 inch (127-152.4mm) leg span.

Adaptations:
A tarantula has a pair of fangs that it uses to inject venom into its prey to kill it.
Tarantulas have urticating hairs on the sides and back of their abdomens that can be dropped or flung if the tarantula is under stress. These hairs are itchy and can be irritating to the nose, mouth, and eyes of a predators.
Although they do not have bones, tarantulas and other spiders have hard external coverings called exoskeletons that give their body protection and support.
Tarantulas have the ability to spin silk, but unlike other spiders, they do not use the silk to make webs that catch their prey. Instead, they use the silk to line their burrows and protect their eggs.
Diet:
In the wild, tarantulas eat insects and other arthropods.

Reproduction:
Mating can occur any time of year. After mating, the female lays 100-500 eggs in a silk capsule. The young hatch about six weeks later.

Shelter and space needs:
This type of tarantula is native to the jungles of Costa Rica and Honduras. It is a burrowing species.

Life expectancy:
In human care, males live to be 5-10 years old, while females live 20-25 years.

Relationship with man:
Spiders make up an important part of the food chain by helping to control populations of insects, including some that prey on farmers’ crops.

Fun Facts:
Although tarantulas are venomous animals, their venom is rarely toxic to humans.
A young spider is called a spiderling.
The exoskeleton of a tarantula does not grow. As the tarantula gets bigger, it molts (sheds) its exoskeleton.
Spiders are arachnids, not insects. One major difference between spiders and insects is the number of legs they have. Spiders have eight legs, whereas insects have six legs.

19/11/2023

Brachypelma boehmei (also known as the Mexican fireleg, or the Mexican rustleg tarantula) is a tarantula native to Mexico in Guerrero state.These long-lived tarantulas prefer burrowing and hiding in dry scrubland. As with all closely related tarantula species, they defend themselves with urticating hair when provoked.
The Mexican fireleg resembles its better-known relative, the Mexican redknee tarantula (Brachypelma hamorii, formerly confused with Brachypelma smithi), in its dramatic orange and black coloration, though the adults of the species range from 5 to 6 inches in size. This species of tarantula has a slower growth rate than many of the larger South American tarantula species. The black femora (upper legs) provide a dark dividing band between the rich orange color of the carapace and lower legs. Unlike the orange joints of Brachypelma hamorii, the legs of this species are a bright, fiery red on the patellae (or knees), fading gradually to a paler orange further down and tipped by black tarsi (or feet).Although not particularly defensive, this species of spider can have a nervous temperament, where the spider can flick urticating hairs when it feels threatened.

The Mexican fireleg tarantula is native to Southern Mexico and sometimes western, where it is found along the central Pacific coast in western Guerrero State,[9] where it prefers dry scrubland, and is found in burrows, either self-made or abandoned rodent or lizard burrows, usually under rocks or fallen logs.

Tarantulas of this genus are long-lived, with males reaching maturity at seven to eight years, females at nine to ten. While males only live up to a year after their final molt, females may live for a further ten years. Sub-adults and adults molt at the end of the dry season (November to June), after which males begin their search for mating females. Mated females will produce an egg sac which, if successful, will generally hatch three to four weeks before the rainy season begins. Mexican fireleg tarantulas tend to be active after dark, but can also occasionally be active during daylight, particularly in the morning and evening.

As with other Brachypelma species from the west coast of Mexico, this species makes a popular pet due to its docility and vivid colours, leading to its over-collection from the wild. The illegal pet trade, together with the ongoing destruction of natural habitat and its high mortality rate before sexual maturity, causes considerable concern for the future of this tarantula.

To regulate its commercial trade across borders, this species has been listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In Mexico, permits are required to collect or remove any spider of the family of tarantulas, Theraphosidae, and the Mexican fireleg tarantula is now frequently bred in captivity, reducing the need to collect it from the wild. Nevertheless, large numbers of tarantulas caught in the wild continue to be smuggled out of Mexico.

This species is commonly kept as a pet and along with other members of its genus is regarded as suitable for beginners.

In captivity, adult Brachypelma boehmei usually feed on crickets, superworms, mealworms, and dubia roaches. Spiderlings will usually feed on pre-killed mealworms, pinhead crickets, baby dubia roaches, wingless fruit flies, and any other small insects which are not defensive.

19/11/2023

GK(Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula)

Scientific name-Grammostola pulchripes

One of the larger species of tarantula, the Chaco golden knee (Grammostola pulchripes), formerly known as Grammostola aureostriata,can be expected to reach between 20 and 22 cm (8.5 in).
The Chaco golden knee is a large tarantula, being able to reach between 7 and 8 inches in legspan (17.8-20.3 cm). Being a terrestrial tarantula, it has a heavy body. Mature males have longer legs and smaller bodies than females, and they possess tibial hooks or apophyses to hold back a female's fangs during mating. Males also possess modified pedipalps to insert s***m into the female's ge***al operculum. It exhibits a multitude of colors, with bright yellowish leg stripes, dark black "femurs", and pink hairs all over its body. As with the rest of the genus Grammostola, the Chaco golden knee has very large fangs, and the carapace (the top of the prosoma) is raised to make room for the large chelicerae. It has rudimentary eyesight, and senses its environment with the setae all over its body, feeling vibrations through the ground and air, and picking up chemical signatures, similar to a sense of smell.
The Chaco golden knee tarantulas are known to inhabit the grasslands of Argentina and Paraguay.As such, they are adapted to generally warm climate, with alternating dry and rainy seasons.
The Chaco golden knee is a very calm and docile tarantula, which, along with its striking appearance and large size, makes it an attractive pet. It frequently sits in plain view in captivity, and likes to shove substrate around, especially at young ages. Females can live for well over twenty years, while males only live for about five or six years.
When it was first imported into the pet trade, it was thought to be a variant of the Pink zebra beauty, but it is significantly larger and can be distinguished by the size difference and coloring.

19/11/2023

OBT(Orange baboon tarantula)

Scientific Name: Pterinochilus murinus

Common Name: Orange baboon tarantula, OBT, Mombasa golden starburst tarantula, Usambara baboon, Orange bitey thing, Pterror

Type: Terrestrial / Semi-arboreal

Category: Old World

Endemic Location: Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Body length: 2.25” (6cm)

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 6”(15cm)

Urticating Hairs: No

Growth Rate: Fast

Life Expectancy: Females 14 years / Males 4 years

Recommended Experience Level: Advanced

Pterinochilus murinus or more commonly known as the OBT, Orange Baboon Tarantula, Mombasa golden starburst or Orange Bitey Thing is an Old World Terrestrial Tarantula that has been known to show semi-arboreal tendencies. This T is famous for its bright orange color and notoriously grumpy attitude. The OBT comes from the central and southern areas of Africa and is known to be found in Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe just to name a few countries. Females of this species can live up to 15 years and grow to almost 6in in size. Males usually only live about 4 years and are smaller in size. This T is known to be very defensive and quick to show a threat posture and even slap the ground if it is disturbed. It is important to mention that most prefer to flee before actually biting and this species is extremely fast, especially when young. They are known to teleport, or move so fast your eyes can barely even keep up with their movement. This is not a species that you should try to attempt to handle as their venom is medically significant and can be extremely painful, though no real in depth scientific research has been done yet on the effects of their venom on the human body. Being an old world tarantula, this species does not have urticating hairs and relies mainly on its powerful venom for defense.

The husbandry for this species is very simple though you should always be alert when rehousing and have a catch cup handy. They are a hardy and easy to care for tarantula.

19/11/2023