# Big Costa Rican True Spider



## RottweilExpress (Jan 29, 2009)

This specimen was found on the border to Panama, carribean side. It looks small - it isn't. It's no doubt 15 cm (6") in legspann if not bigger. It's easily as heavy and stocky as a tarantula in it's build. I saw several species of Cupiennius but they were like the Cupiennius I have at home, getazi and cocc - small and built for speed in the arboreal way and not larger than 4" basicly. They can not in any way be compared with the spider on the picture, I assure you.

So, what is it?


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## toolrick (Jan 29, 2009)

Hey there!!!

That is a Phoneutria. Do not know what kind though, but I would take a guess is a P. Boliviensis.
A female as well...

Ricardo


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## RottweilExpress (Jan 29, 2009)

It is?! Ohh, a bad girl then I assume. I had no idea they got that big and "furry". 

6" is their limit or do they get even bigger? And what about venom?


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## toolrick (Jan 29, 2009)

Biggest IMO are the ones who live in the Amazon, Fera and Reidy as far as I know are the biggest. They could grow up to 18cms leg spam and 5 body length. I've never seen a Fera or Reidy alive though, only Boliviensis that live around my house.
My P. adult Boliviensis male has 10cms leg spam and 2 body length, that is not really big, as I have other Ctenid which has 12cms leg spam and 2 and a half cms body length.

I guess the one you saw is P. Boliviensis which is not that venomous. Despite theire bad reputation, Phoneutria IMO are not that bad and easy to keep in captivity as adults. I have kept a female since she was a juvenile and still growing up.
P. Nigreventer is the most agresive while Fera is the most venomous, but they give dry bites in most cases.
I have lived very close to P. Boliviensis and never been bitten by any of them. I even found one in my bathroom!
If you do not miss with them, they will not miss with you. Accients occure though while in platain plantations and inside the houses, but they are great hunters and that is why I respect them and if I see one around my house I try to leave her alone and take her again outside for predatory purposes.

Ricardo


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## RottweilExpress (Jan 29, 2009)

Yes, P. Nigriventer is existant in the Swedish hobby, and that's what spreads the respect/fear for their venom. I don't keep any and have no plan doing so either. The most venomous species I keep is S. Terrosus but they can't climb smooth surfaces, so....

This spider was no doubt 5cm (2") in body length. If you hadn't said that they are supposed to max out at 5 cm I had guessed it was even bigger. I keep over 100 inverts in my home currently, so although it's hard to judge by eye in the middle of the night (as it was when I took the pics using headlamp) I think I'm fairly used to guessing when it comes to size. I also saw several smaller specimens around 5-10 cm legspann. Nothing getting close to this one  

Thank you for you replies!


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## toolrick (Jan 29, 2009)

Hehe!!!
No problem. By the way, you should try sometime to get into the Phoneutria Hobby... I asure you that it's not a problem as long as you do not touch her or disturb. She could be very calm, but they are agressive if you give her a touch. It's jsut common sence. I was afraid to keep my first Phoneutria and asked Stefan on here who is aware of keeping these IMO, and now is not a problem at all. My other ctenid is even more agressive than the Phoneutrias I keep.

Ricardo


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## delherbe (Feb 1, 2009)

Hi Ric, 

As far as I know P.fera should be the most aggresive and P.Nigriventer is the most venomous. 

I dont know what the pictured specimen could be, but, if the size is correct it can`t be a boliviensis. Boliviensis is more like a Cupiennius in size and 5cm Body with 15cm legspan should be another Phoneutria.

MfG


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## Bjoern Elksnat (Feb 1, 2009)

Hi all!

This is no boliviensis or reidyi or nigriventer I think, they look not like the shown specimen.

The only two oportunities are in this case keyserlingi or fera.

LG Björni


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## toolrick (Feb 1, 2009)

Hey there Bjorn:

Hmmm I think this time I would not agree at all.
Why do you say is a Fera or Keyserlingi???

Ricardo


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## davidbarber1 (Feb 2, 2009)

No matter what it is, it is a magnificent specimen and a nice find.

David


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## toolrick (Feb 2, 2009)

@ Delherbe:

Well that would only depend on the answer from whom created the Thread. If he sized it with a ruler or if he just took a guess. I was very wrong when sizing my Phoneutrias with my sight and not with a ruler. First I thought it could have at least 12 cms in legspam, and when I sized correctly she only managed to have 10 cms.
As stated by Bastian, size and coloration are not good keys to ID an specimeen, and with Phoneutria it has been really difficult to determine wheter is this specimen or that.
I took hard time trying to identify mine.

Ricardo


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## Bjoern Elksnat (Feb 2, 2009)

toolrick said:


> Hey there Bjorn:
> 
> Why do you say is a Fera or Keyserlingi???
> 
> Ricardo


Hi Rico!

Simple experience  

it is definetly NOT:

reidyi (very false colouration)
boliviensis (very false colouration)
nigriventer (too bright)
bahiensis (no blue chelicera)
pertyi (too yellow)

the result ist: fera or keyserlingi... my personal tipp is fera.

LG Björni


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## toolrick (Feb 2, 2009)

@Bjorne:

I disagree with you simply because one could not ID a Phoneutria specimen only by looking at the colors. You know, the specimen I am keeping is a P. Boliviensis and none of the P. Boliviensis that I saw before looked alike mine. P. Colombiana was transfered to P. Boliviensis, specimen that looked totally different than those from Ecuador and Bolivia, hence all the problems that I had trying to identify my specimen. We still do not know how many color morphs there are for every specimen.

Ricardo


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## RottweilExpress (Feb 2, 2009)

Ah yes I could be wrong in size of course. It's hard taking an accurate guess from 2-3 meters distance and in the jungle. BUT, there's no doubt that this spider is as big and heavy set as any middle sized tarantula I've ever seen. Both in Costa Rican jungle and in my home, not counting Theraphosa of course. 

I mean just looking at the legs and body of the specimen in the first picture (above), comparing that to my 10 cm Cupiennius I keep at home, the difference is _huge_ in girth, weight and the sheer thickness of the legs.

Sounds like I'm talking about Godzilla here, but the difference needs to be empathized.

Anyhoo, this is the same species, same location but a lot smaller. I don't remember much of this one, but it's under 10cm.


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## delherbe (Feb 3, 2009)

Hi,

@RottweilExpress

Where do you come from?? Maybe it is a P.fera.


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## toolrick (Feb 3, 2009)

@Bjorne
Based in coloration, I wouldn't guess my Phoneutria is a P. boliviensis, just look at the pictures attached and let me know what you think...
To me it looks more like Nigreventer, but they do not occur here.



@delherbe
Still I do not think is a P. Fera. but Boliviensis.

Edit: Still even if my spider does not look like a P. Boliviensis, there is no dubt it is that specimen.
I think it needs to grow up once more with a last molt to adulthood.


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## RottweilExpress (Feb 3, 2009)

delherbe said:


> Hi,
> 
> @RottweilExpress
> 
> Where do you come from?? Maybe it is a P.fera.



I come from Sweden, but the pic and spider was taken near Manzanillo in Costa Rica. (Very near the Panama border)


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## hydraulics (Feb 28, 2009)

This is a Phoneutria Nigriventer, see it's pink chelicera hairs and pale color and tiny eyes. Also called a Brazilian wandering spider as is P. fera.


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## toolrick (Mar 1, 2009)

hydraulics said:


> This is a Phoneutria Nigriventer, see it's pink chelicera hairs and pale color and tiny eyes. Also called a Brazilian wandering spider as is P. fera.


@Hydraulics,

The Phoneutria I am keeping was cought right in the garden of my house. It has been hard to identify which specie it was, I got the paper that Simo and Bertani wrote back in 2001 and even with the paper I got clueless. Finally I decided 2 weeks ago to write to the writer of the paper, Miguel Simó. I got couple conclusions:

Number 1:
You can not identify any Phoneutria by colour, size, etc. There are only 5 specimens well identified so far, P Boliviensis, P. Fera, P. Nigrevinter, P. Bahensis and P. Reydi.
Number 2:
All Phoneutrias are pretty much alike and the colour and size differ on the food they get, and the ecosistem, place where they are located.

After having this in mind, I took many pictures showing my male's sexual organ. We came with the conclusion that it is NOT P. Nigrevinter but Boliviensis. The suexual organ is very different one to the other.

Best regards,

Ricardo


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## wolfs79 (Oct 4, 2015)

I think I have the same species as this it's idental except mine is not full grown yet. Should be phoneutria boliviensis, although it does look like a p fera more than anything.


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## Tarantula155 (Oct 4, 2015)

Beautiful! Such gorgeous spiders, definitely looks like a Phoneutria sp, probably fera


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