Mexican rustleg tarantula  (Brachypelma boehmei)

Threats

As with other Brachypelma species from the west coast of Mexico, this species makes a popular pet due to its docility and vivid colours, sadly 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 (4).

Conservation

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 theraphosid family (6), and the Mexican rustleg tarantula is now frequently bred in captivity, reducing the need to collect it from the wild (4).

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