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Post by trehopr1 on Dec 9, 2018 7:28:07 GMT
It has been quite a while since I added anything additional to this thread. I know most folks here could probably care less about arachnids in general but, there still might be a few individuals who like me still have an inordinate fondness for these hairy, scary Mygalomorphs. I know there is quite the following of hobbyists out there who are passionate about keeping creatures like these alive as pets or living curiosities. From time to time a dealer friend of mine gets a few nicely prepared specimens from an avid tarantula breeder/seller he knows. The breeder "knocks off" 6-10 specimens of his stock every 4 months or so to sell as curiosities for personal collections or framework novelties. He does simply wonderful work in his preparation and I always look forward to any new material which shows up A couple months ago I was able to secure 3 splendid males of the Bolivian Steely-Blue legged Birdeater (Pamphobeteus antinious); shown below. Hopefully, turning up the brightness of your computer will reveal the beautiful bluish/purple coloration present on the femora of each leg. The trademark of the males of this species. This species is larger than a human hand.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 11, 2018 20:37:16 GMT
Hi Trehopr1,
Thanks for starting this interesting thread on Tarantulas... I used to have a Brown Haitian Tarantula (Phormictopus cancerides) as a pet many yrs. ago, however, sadly, she took a tumble after scaling the glass walls of her terrarium (as best I could figure out) & split her abdomen open... a common fatal injury among Tarantulas.
Following is a photo of my recently acquired Female Bolivian Steely-Blue legged Birdeater (Pamphobeteus antinous). It is a beauty, not a hair out of place, dark black, 8" (200mm) leg-span (measured diagonally from left front fore leg tip to right rear back leg tip). I have a couple of much older purplish male specimens, but they are considerably smaller. I find Tarantulas really fascinating...
John K.
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Post by Ed on Dec 12, 2018 2:05:02 GMT
boghaunter, could you tell us about your avatar?
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 12, 2018 2:44:29 GMT
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Post by trehopr1 on Dec 12, 2018 8:43:59 GMT
Hello boghaunter1,
That is indeed a very nice female specimen ! Nicely done...
I'm finally happy to see that someone else does appreciate tarantulas around here. They are fascinating in their own right. With over 600 species already known; there is plenty to admire.
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 12, 2020 7:09:06 GMT
It has been quite a while since I posted anything to this thread. My fondness for hairy mygalomorphs has not diminished and recently I picked up a couple of species "new" for my collection. The species pictured is commonly called the Rio Grande gold tarantula (Aphonopelma moderatum); as they are found in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It is a medium sized species about 4 1/2 to 5 inches in leg expanse. Overall coloration varies from light tan to strawberry-blond with black feet (on all 8) in the females corresponding with black spinnerets. A rather attractive looking species as tarantulas go. I'm quite happy to have her as a new addition.
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 12, 2020 7:37:06 GMT
A secondary addition to my "side interest" involving Tarantulas is this nightmare pictured below. These rather fast and temperamental Southeast Asian species are certainly intimidating. A taxonomic revision of the genus Haplopelma was recently completed in March 2017. The genus was re-named Cyriopagopus. A total of 9 species are recognized. They may be found from Myanmar (formerly Burma) on through to the Philippines. As tarantulas go these fellows are by no means hobby-type spiders. They are fast movers if disturbed in the slightest and are quick to rear back on their 2 hind sets of legs bearing fangs and ready to strike. Their bite is said to be locally painful but, not life threatening. These kinds of spiders lack the rather thicker pile of urticating hairs seen on the greater number of tarantulas. Therefore, it is believed this is why they are so much more apt to attack rather than "flick" hairs and run ! Oh' my, Adam has some pretty scary company sharing his wild spaces near his home...
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 12, 2020 9:05:27 GMT
Oh' my, Adam has some pretty scary company sharing his wild spaces near his home... I often see these around the outside of the house, and at the right time of the year 'babies' come into the area between the main house and the wing where my collection room is. There's a verandah between the two areas with mosquito netting and sliding net doors which they seem to be able to get through. I use a box to catch them and release them outside. However, very occasionally a giant centipede (very common here and much more dangerous) gets in, especially small to medium sized ones. Those get bashed on the head! Adam.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 13, 2020 16:28:26 GMT
I forgot to mention that the locals like to eat these.
Adam.
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Post by Paul K on Apr 13, 2020 16:48:50 GMT
Here is one live from central Laos. It could be Cyriopagopus albostriatus or paganus but Im not an expert at all and I don't like spiders! My wife had to dig it out from its hole as i wanted to have a look at it. The spider's burrow was very near by my parents in law house. After investigating the spider we left it along. After all my mother in law complained to my wife that someone did dig out this spider and apparently it had suppose to determinate the lottery lucky number by throwing out of its burrow the scrap of paper with lucky number . As Adam mentioned locals do eat them and supposedly they taste similar to crab meat.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 28, 2020 18:42:28 GMT
To prove my point this was found in here yesterday. It's only about 2 inches long: Also two nights ago this was just outside the door: Adam.
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Post by Paul K on Apr 28, 2020 22:40:51 GMT
Good you are quite safe in your collection room, Not too many creatures want to go inside except those weird on two legs which one may see often with very strange long baggy attachment in one of their appendage 🤪
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 30, 2020 4:54:27 GMT
My Adam, you certainly do have some rather "gnarly" unpleasant visitors walking about your grounds at night !
In the movie, the "Wizard of Oz" the fair Dorothy had the "Lions, and Tigers, and Bears" to be concerned about whilst on her way to meet the wizard. You have the Spiders, and Centipedes, and Vinagaroons to keep a watchful eye on so these un-pleasantries don't slip into your home.😱
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 21, 2020 2:31:56 GMT
After many years of waiting I have finally acquired a fine specimen of the quintessential Mexican red-knee tarantula (Brachypelma smithi). A tarantula breeder/enthusiast whom I have known for years had 4 of these lovely creatures in his personal collection and he was finally willing to part with one (of my choice). Brachypelma is a small but, complicated genus and its species have been the subject of considerable debate. In fact, only this year the genus was split, with a group of species (the red rump tarantulas) being moved to a new genus. Members of the reduced genus Brachypelma (the red-leg group) or "painted tarantulas" are only found in Mexico. All are technically protected by law and trade is regulated under CITES. However, despite being bred in captivity for hobbyists; they continue to be exported (it is said) in large numbers... Painted tarantulas continue to be ever popular amongst tarantula keepers due to their docile nature, slow growth, and long-lived females. B. smithi in particular has even been popularized in various movies as well as any scary/creepy scene in T.V. land requiring an offending eight-legged mygalomorph. Any of you folks out there ever watch the "Brady Bunch" when the family took a trip to Hawaii and a B. smithi was found under the bedsheets of one of the family ! OMG.... Anyway, other than the Mexican red-knee tarantula (B. smithi); there are other similar colorful species such as: 1.) The Mexican red-legged tarantula (B. emilia) 2.) The Mexican fire-leg tarantula (B. boehmei) 3.) The Mexican flame knee tarantula (B. auratum) 4.) The Mexican pink tarantula (B.klaasi)/*rarest species of the genus 5.) The Mexican orange beauty tarantula (B. baumgarteni) 6.) and Brachypelma hamorii a species formerly "lumped" with B. smithi but, now regarded as a separate species. I have always been fond of the "hairy" spiders of the family Theraphosidae. With about 1000 species currently identified there are a lot of em' to have a "strange" but, yet admiring appreciation for...
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