Mexican redknee tarantula (AAOA 1st Floor Classroom)

Mexican redknee tarantula

Brachypelma smithi

Summary ⁴

Brachypelma smithi (common name the Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula), is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, and are a popular choice for enthusiasts. Like most tarantulas, they live a very long life.

Habitat and ecology ⁵

Systems

Terrestrial

Communication and perception ⁶

Mexican red-knee tarantulas have eight eyes located around their head so they can see both forward and backward. However, their vision is relatively poor. Hairs on their legs are used to sense vibrations, and the palps on the end of their legs allow them to smell, taste, and feel. Each foot has two claws, enabling the spider to climb slippery surfaces.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile

Other Communication Modes: vibrations

Perception Channels: visual ; vibrations ; chemical

Development ⁷

Mexican red-knee tarantulas, like many tarantulas, grow slowly. Females wrap fertilized eggs in silk and carry the egg-sac between her fangs. After 1 to 3 months, the eggs hatch. Spiderlings molt every 2 weeks for the first 4 months, and less frequently after that. Males do not molt after reaching sexual maturity at 4 to 5 years of age. Females, though infrequently, continue to molt after reaching sexual maturity at 6 to 7 years of age. Molting removes any external parasites or fungus and provides new undamaged sensory and protective hairs.

Lifespan/longevity ⁸

Female Mexican red-knee tarantulas typically live 25 to 30 years while males rarely live more than 10 years.

Typical lifespan
Status: wild: male 10 years; female 30 (high) years.

Iucn red list assessment ⁹

Red List Category

LR/nt

Lower Risk/near threatened

Red List Criteria

Version

2.3

Year Assessed

1996

Needs updating

Assessor/s

World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

History

1994

Insufficiently Known

(Groombridge 1994)
1990

Insufficiently Known

(IUCN 1990)
1988

Insufficiently Known

(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986

Insufficiently Known

(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Conservation status ¹⁰

Mexican red-knee spiders are considered "near threatened" by the IUCN and are on Apendex II of CITES, which limits trade of individuals between countries. It is illegal to catch and sell wild individuals. Mexican red-knee spiders are at risk because of the pet trade and habitat destruction.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: appendix ii

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: lower risk - near threatened

Threats ¹¹

This particular species is the most popular captive tarantula species in the world, and prior to 1985 it was collected in thousands (6). Habitat loss is now the major threat to the Mexican redknee tarantula.

Sources and Credits

(c) Tarantuland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/36404122@N03/4235786799
(c) Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Brachypelma_Smithii.jpg
(c) Tomáš Borovička, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/41695.jpg
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachypelma_smithi
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/30962834
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18636219
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18636216
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18636218
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/30962833
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18636225
(c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/16122229

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

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