Wild Tarantulas In Canada

[RugbyDave]

even more crap about the weather (to answer your question, steve)

The average low in Kamloops hovers around 20 to 25F with a mean of 23F.
average precipitation during the summer months hovers around 3-4 inches at max.

Also, the month that has the most precip (June), there's still barely 1.3 inches...

consequently, i think the record low ever recorded in Kamloops was around -30F. The same was recorded in Denver around the turn of the century.

so go figure

Also, record lows of -40 were recorded in Arizona, arkansas, and california. If you think about it, Flagstaff, AZ, gets more snow than Buffalo (NY) AND Rochester (NY) COMBINED.

peace
dave

 

[Henry Kane]

I see some possibility in regards to the climatic conditions but what has me wondering is the apparent lack of urticating setae. Wouldn't it be more interesting to find a theraphosid in that location that wasn't Aphonopelma? To be perfectly honest here, I'm very curious to see what they found. I hope there are some pics soon.
I would also like to know more about the credentials of the taxonomist particularly of his expertise in theraphosid taxonomy. I think Steve has a good point in asking what biological features differentiate theraphosid and mygale. If the Canadian taxonomy expert can answer that then Jacen and company may be on to an amazing find.

Atrax

 

[JacenBeers]

UPDATE: I have seen the spiders. Both at the same time. They were discovered exactly 7 kilometers from each other. They both appear to be adult females, although who knows. One is a little more purplish than the other. I do not see any visible urticating hairs. This is strange. Moe nor Dr Adler will allow me to take a photo of the spiders just yet because they want to look into them a bit more. Dr Adler has both in his custody now. We are going out tomorrow to look for more.

Just to mention something about the weather here. A spider could survive here in my opinion. Scorpions which are native to somehwere in Brazil were transported here accidentally in some shipment to a courier and packing company and they escaped and bred and they now live here near the second branch of the Thompson river. I have seen a few myself.

 

[Henry Kane]

What would you estimate the legspan to be?


Atrax

 

[Kugellager]

Thanks for the update Jacen. This is all very interesting...at least the potential is. They sound like an interesting looking spider as well.

John
];')

 

[JacenBeers]

Leg span on both is 5.5 inches.

 

[Bry]

Thanks for the info, John. I'll be sure to check out the Butterfly Pavilion this summer. I have been there all of once shortly after they first opened. Back then, I wasn't too interested in tarantulas or inverts in general. I was more interested in the butterfly setup they have there. How similar would you say the A. coloradanum are in resemblance to the Oklahoma brown (A. hentzi, I think it was)?

Bry

 

[Steve Nunn]

Hey Jacen, you've seen the spiders, do you think they are tarantulas? What features were used to determine them as tarantulas?

Look, if you need help with identification, PM me if you are interested. Honestly, there's nothing better then locating a new species, I've found five new tarantulas, so I've got a rough idea of the rush that can come with it. I hope you have found something new, particularly in Canada, that would rock.

I look forward to the photos....

Steve

 

[LaRiz]

I would be pretty surprised if this spider turned out to be a theraphosid. I'm not saying it's impossible, though, 'cause this field can make a fool of you.
There are 46 described species of Lycosa inside British Columbia. This info was sourced to a person named West. Rick West? Regardless, being he's an authority of theraphosids and a Canadian, maybe he would be the man to ask.
This is definitely intersting. How does a tarantula species named "jacenbeeri" sound to you all?
john

 

[Vys]

Canada? Polar-bears? Ice?
I thought it was as far north as Sweden?
*Goes off to check an map-book*

EDIT: Well, It's northern parts are as far north as sweden at any rate
The southernmost parts...

Yes...I live at roughly 61 Degrees N, Kamloops is..at 52 or so. But we have the Golf-stream or whatever it's called! No matter; we hardly even have mygalomorphs. There are 3 different kinds of snake here.
Sorry, don't know why I'm ranting, if I'm even.

 

[Arachnopuppy]

I say kill them. Kill them all.

On a serious note, if this is really a new species, chances are it will be fully accredited to Dr. Adler.

 

[JacenBeers]

Yes Dr Adler is going to get credit for it for sure. I wish I could get credit for it but I have not found one yet.

We came to the conclusion that these specimens were theraphosids based on the following points:

1. The both have two pairs of book lungs on the underside of their abdomen.

2. Their fangs are up and down moving rather than sideways moving.

3. They have two small claws adorning the end of each foot.

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by JacenBeers
We came to the conclusion that these specimens were theraphosids based on the following points:

1. The both have two pairs of book lungs on the underside of their abdomen.

2. Their fangs are up and down moving rather than sideways moving.

3. They have two small claws adorning the end of each foot.

Thankyou for answering Jacen. The three morphological features you used to ID it as a theraphosid are applicable to most if not all mygales. I hate to be blunt but all you guys have concluded is the fact that you have a member of the infraorder Mygalomorphae. Based on the features you mentioned, it could be from the Dilpuridae, Nemesiidae, Barychelidae,Cyrtaucheniidae, Hexathelidae, Idiopidae, Ctenizidae,Migidae,Atypidae, Microstigmatidae, Mecicobothriidae, Paratropididae, Theraphosidae, Actinopodidae or Antrodiaetidae families. What you guys have determined is that it's not an araneomorph, but it's a start

The systematics of the Mygalomorphae are far more complicated then many would care to get into, I hope you guys seek out professional help for identification because if this is what Dr Adler has managed so far (no offense, I'm sure he's an expert in his field), you guys will need 'additional' help.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[JacenBeers]

Dr Adler knows more than me. I know it is a tarantula just by looking at it. He has identified it as a theraphosid. I just used my own knowledge to give those three points.

 

[Henry Kane]

Are you guys still trying to match a scientific description or has it already been positively determined that it's undescribed?
Hate to play 20 questions but I'm actually pretty psyched to know what you guys found. I love $h1t like this!

Atrax

 

[JacenBeers]

Well Dr Adler says that from his knowledge, it reminds him of the Haplopelma genus the most. But I have no clue what to say in regards to that.

 

[Henry Kane]

Yeah I wouldn't know what to say either...other than "wow" or more along the lines of "Holy $h!t! That pretty much defies everything currently known about North American Theraphosids!".
YOu have to realize though that for anyone that hasn't seen the spiders, what you describe is quite a stretch for the imagination. Even still, it's often said how much there is yet to be learned.

Please keep us posted.

Atrax

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Here is my theory in the matter. 20 thousand years ago, people already had pets tarantula. When a number of them decided to cross the Bering Strait, which was frozen due to the ice age, some brought the tarantulas with them. How did the tarantulas survive the cold weather? Basically, those nomads kept the tarantulas inside their coats. You can pretty much guess the rest.

 

[D-Man]

This would be an exciting find if it indeed was a T. However, this all sounds too vague and too good to be true.

 

[Rick_C_West]

Endemic theraphosid species in British Columbia, Canada

Contrary the thread of a 'theraphosid tarantula' found living around Kamloops, BC, Canada ... it isn't so! Theraphosids no not occur north of Susanville, California, and the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.
We do, however, have other mygalomorph families represented in BC, but not theraphosidae. The only theraphosid specimens found in BC would be releases or escapes from the pet trade
... I'm from Missouri, show me the specimen!
Rick C. West