Tarantula, walking down the road.
Counted 4 on the road on 9/2 and saw 4 on the road on 9/1 - all of them between the summit of Mount Hamilton and Grant Ranch Park. Seems mating season has begun...
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Comments & Identifications
Please consider to contact phd candidate Chris Hamilton, if you are willing to collect a couple of specimens for his scientific research to revise the genus in the eastern USA. http://www.8legs2fangs.com/Site/Aphonopelma.html
There are currently several described species for California, and the type of E.eutylenum is from San Diego, so it's not best to assume that. From the area around San Fransisco are currently described A.brunneum (from Jasper ridge) and A.smithi (from Patterson/king City)
But A. iodius is from Washington, UT. Following Prentice (1997) that ranges through similar arid zone around Las Vegas NV, and CA through Baker, Barstow and perhaps Lancaster. The Sierra Nevada provide a massive barrier from coastal CA, and there is massively different ecology/habitat around the much less arid San Fransisco/San Carlos. I see no reason to justify identifying this with A. iodius.
Basically the taxonomy of our tarantulas here in the Bay Area is largely unresolved, to my knowledge (right, sjl197?). A genus at the ID level is probably the most appropriate approach.
If it's absolutely dire, I bet Tom Prentice at UCR would tell you which species.
Thanks for all the feedback! You all know more about them than I do - I just see them around the same time each year when they come out while I'm on my way up to the Observatory I've bumped it back up to just the Genus level. Will read up more details about them and be ready for this years migration!
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