# Tarantula pics from Costa Rica



## Philth (Aug 3, 2005)

I just got home yesterday and I still have alot of pics to go through.  I'll start with the tarantulas that I saw.

Megaphobema mesomelas was the first one we found, at the "Cloud Forest" in Monteverde.  My hands were shaking from all the excitment  .  This spider wasted no time attacking the grass that I tickled her burrrow with.

Reactions: Love 1


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## Philth (Aug 3, 2005)

A close up of her burrow under a stair case.  And a pic of what the forest generally looked like.  Monteverde is at a very high elavation,  and is cool and wet.  From what most of the locals told me its like that year round and dosent change much.


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## KennethM (Aug 3, 2005)

*Pictures*

Great pictures!!! I look forward to visiting there some day!


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## ink_scorpion (Aug 3, 2005)

Absolutely Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!  :clap:  :worship:  :drool:


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## GoTerps (Aug 3, 2005)

Ah Tom those pics are sweet, I'm so drooling right now.

Costa Rica is #1 on my future travel list... mainly to observe _M. mesomelas_ in the wild.

Awesome shots... please share more


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## Big and Hairy (Aug 3, 2005)

Very Nice pics.  That is one gorgeous T.


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## Philth (Aug 3, 2005)

Not too far from Monteverde we went to Cerroplano where the "Childerens Rain Forest"  is located.  I found 2 T's there as well.

  Another mesomelas, this time under a rock.....

Reactions: Love 1


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## YouLosePayUp (Aug 3, 2005)

Wonderful pics nice job.


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## Philth (Aug 3, 2005)

...I'd say about 50 feet away under a tree we found this,  Sphaeroobothria hoffmanii, I belive.  As far as I know this is the only spiecies that is found in the new world with a "horn". Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.  I knew these were in Costa rica , but I had no clue where.  I was suprised to see it.


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## Philth (Aug 3, 2005)

Heres a pic of the tree it was living under.  Can you see where?


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## Anthony (Aug 3, 2005)

Those excellent photos really make you feel you were there. Thank you


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## GoTerps (Aug 4, 2005)

> ...I'd say about 50 feet away under a tree we found this, Sphaeroobothria hoffmanii, I belive. As far as I know this is the only spiecies that is found in the new world with a "horn". Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.


Some species of _Cyrtopholis_ also have a "horn"... Click HERE .

Once again, great shots Tom... I can't wait until my _S. hoffmanni_ reach that size.


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## shogun804 (Aug 4, 2005)

those are some excellent photos :clap: looks like it was an excellent trip


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## Adnan (Aug 4, 2005)

Really Great pictures!


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## Ralph (Aug 4, 2005)

thats so good.perfect!!
wanna see more Pics.


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## SilentMercury (Aug 4, 2005)

Those are absolutely fascinating pics , chief.  I hope to see more. Thanks for giving us the opportunity.


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## robustum1 (Aug 4, 2005)

Hiho, WOW !!!
hope see more too!   I love Megaphobemas! 
best regards Jürgen


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## jw73 (Aug 4, 2005)

Show us more pcs.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tescos (Aug 4, 2005)

By far the most intresting pics posted in a long long time.nice one. :clap:


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## Philth (Aug 4, 2005)

> Some species of Cyrtopholis also have a "horn"... Click HERE .


  Thanks for the link Eric, that looks like a interesting little spider.


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## ChrisNCT (Aug 4, 2005)

Very nice pics!   :clap:  :clap: 

I love to see them in their natural habitat.


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## Philth (Aug 4, 2005)

After Monteverde we headed to El Coco on the west coast.  We got a hard time there from some of the locals, and didnt feal the love, if ya know what im sayin  

  So, not to far south from there we went to Playa Flamingo.  I found a small colony  (about 8-10 burrows) at the edge of this cliff.  Im not sure if you can tell from the pics, but at the edge of the grass, there is about a 30 foot drop, down to the Pacific Ocean.

...also my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean


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## Philth (Aug 5, 2005)

They look like Aphonopelma to me, but if somebody has a better guess, please let me know.  I would love to know exactly what they are.


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## firefox2 (Aug 5, 2005)

:clap:   These are great pictures, what a blast that would have been to have the opportunity to be there.  You really did a great job on the photos though


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## zahiro (Aug 6, 2005)

Congrats, really greats pics.  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: 
Certainly Costa Rica is a paradise


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## Orange_Demon (Aug 6, 2005)

them Megaphobema mesomelas  pics are amazing. such great colours.


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## Arachnomaniak (Aug 6, 2005)

Great pics!  I would absolutly love to do a trip like that but for some reason I don't think that trekking through the rainforest looking for invertebrates is something my girlfriend would consider a vacation, for her it might be more like a nightmare


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## GQ. (Aug 6, 2005)

Excellent photos!  I like how you posted the burrows along with the habitat shots.  Great post!  Thank you for sharing.


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## Bigboy (Aug 6, 2005)

Those are great pictures. Costa Rica looks like one gorgwous place.  Thanks for sharing it with us.


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## Bigboy (Aug 6, 2005)

*!!!!!*



			
				Philth said:
			
		

> They look like Aphonopelma to me, but if somebody has a better guess, please let me know.  I would love to know exactly what they are.


 That looks exactly like my Mystery Spider!!!!


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## spiderPeter (Aug 7, 2005)

Philth said:
			
		

> ...As far as I know this is the only spiecies that is found in the new world with a "horn". Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.


Also Acanthoscurria acuminata from Bolivia has horn on carapax.... That should be all, as I know   
Nice pictures, thanks for sharing...


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## Crotalus (Aug 7, 2005)

Great pictures!! :clap: 

/Lelle


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## Kaos (Aug 7, 2005)

Awesome pics :worship: 

While out looking for T's, did you see any scorpions or reptiles?


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## Immortal_sin (Aug 7, 2005)

Wow Tom, what a neat trip! I wish I'd have been into Ts when I went to Belize and Guatamala, I'm sure I could have found some there too. Thanks for posting your pics!


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## Elmolax (Aug 7, 2005)

Oh those are gorgeous pics! I'm planning a trip to Costa rica next summer myself, I only wish to encounter such beautiful species!


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## Philth (Aug 8, 2005)

Thanks everybody for your kind repley's



> While out looking for T's, did you see any scorpions or reptiles?


I now regret not looking a little harder for reptiles, mostley in particular, dart frogs, and eye lash vipers. Although I saw my share of liazrds and frogs ,My trip to CR was complete when we saw M mesomelas, as that was my biggest goal.  I brought my black light and looked around each night, but never found any scorps.

   I got more pics of true spiders, and insects that ill post in the proper forums when i ge time.


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## Randolph XX() (Aug 9, 2005)

any pede showed up?


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## Philth (Aug 10, 2005)

> any pede showed up?


  Yup, but those things dont stay still long enough to take a good pic :wall: , so im not sure I'f any of the pics are worth posting.


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## aaronrefalo (Aug 10, 2005)

i cant add anymore as anybody add...couse the picturesare amazing the trip i think that was awsome....what an experince you had...i think i will think it twice for a flight in CR next summer...the pictures rely make you part of there

Aaron


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## Swifty (Aug 10, 2005)

Hi Tom, Wow, I can't believe I missed this! When I was working for Louie Porras at Zooherp, Inc. I got the chance to get familiar with this region. Louie was from Costa Rica, and he would often talk about growing up there with his brother, and all the herps and inverts they would collect there. He would go there every year or so while I worked there. 

I've got to get away there sometime! Thanks for the pics!


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## Sheri (Aug 10, 2005)

Did you get a headlight in time? 
Very nice pics.
I bet you miss it very much already, hey?


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## Philth (Aug 10, 2005)

you prob, could of saw me from the moon I had so much light.  I was able to borrrow a head light from a friend, and it def helped  thanks for the tip.

I sure do miss it, my friends were able to stay longer than I did, but are home now and are planning another trip in 2 years, there is so much too see there


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## Thoth (Aug 11, 2005)

Great pics. I wasn't as luck as you when I was Costa, saw plenty of monkeys and lizards but no ts 

While in Monteverde did you do the zip line? Also if you didn't go there I recommond el rincon next time.

Wish I could go again sometime soon.


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## Crimsonpanther (Mar 21, 2006)

These are some Stunning pictures , :drool: most leave me speechless. Im always dumbfounded when i see T's in their natural habitiat , simply amazing ! 
How hard was it finding these T's , did you have any local help  ?
Thanks so much for sharing  ! :clap:


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## morda (Mar 21, 2006)

Great pictures and beautiful forests! Congratz of such a great and very exciting trip!


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