Mexican redleg tarantula  (Brachypelma emilia)

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Facts – Mexican redleg tarantula

Also known as: Mexican blackcap tarantula, Mexican red leg tarantula, orange knee tarantula, true red leg tarantula
Synonyms: Euathlus emilia, Eurypelma emilia, Mygale emilia
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassArachnida
OrderAraneae
FamilyTheraphosidae
GenusBrachypelma (1)
SizeBody length: 65 mm (2)
Leg span: 125 mm (2)

Status – Mexican redleg tarantula

The Mexican redleg tarantula is listed on Appendix II of CITES (1).

Description – Mexican redleg tarantula

This pale pinkish-brown bodied tarantula has a black head and black legs, with distinctive red hairs on the middle part of the legs (2) (3). These long pinkish-brown hairs are sensitive to touch and vibrations. Males and females are similar in colouration and size but males are darker with a metallic sheen (2).

Range – Mexican redleg tarantula

Found in Durango State, Mexico (2).

Habitat – Mexican redleg tarantula

This burrowing species inhabits scrubland with sparse, low vegetation (2).

Biology – Mexican redleg tarantula

Twelve weeks after mating, the female produces an egg sac which is incubated for a further five to six weeks at 24 – 27 ºC before the spiderlings hatch (2). One of the longest living tarantula species with females living 20-30 years in captivity (3).

Threats – Mexican redleg tarantula

The Mexican redleg tarantula is presumed to be threatened by capture for the pet trade (2).

Conservation – Mexican redleg tarantula

The listing of this species on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species prevents any unlicensed international trade of either live specimens or body parts (1). However, this does not prevent internal trade within Mexico.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Find out more – Mexican redleg tarantula

For further information on the Mexican redleg spider see:

Baxter, R.N. (1993) Keeping and breeding tarantulas. Chudleigh Publishing, Ilford, Essex.

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References

  1. CITES (June, 2005)
    http://www.cites.org
  2. Baxter, R.N. (1993) Keeping and breeding tarantulas. Chudleigh Publishing, Ilford, Essex.
  3. E-Spiderworld (November, 2005)
    http://www.e-spiderworld.com/gallery/pages/Brachypelma%20emilia.htm
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Image credit

Mexican redleg tarantula
Mexican redleg tarantula

© R. Fiechter / www.spidercity.ch

Rolf Fiechter
subfusca@spidercity.ch
http://www.spidercity.ch

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