# The most ... tarantula



## Horra (Apr 30, 2008)

can you, please, help to improve my knowledges about tarantulas?

1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)
2. The smallest tarantula?
3. The fastest one
4. The slowest one
5. The most venomous tarantula
6. The most agressive
7. The most expensive 
8. The most long-living

Thank you


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## Drachenjager (Apr 30, 2008)

I can answer all these with one word, unknown.
No one knows what the smallest largest fastest are any of that until every single tarantula in the world has been discovered and studied and described.


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## BLinKin (Apr 30, 2008)

Tru dat..

Nikka


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 30, 2008)

Well yeah but i'm guessing the question was aimed toward the known and recognized species surely?

Blondi is as far as I know the largest recorded, but there have been many runours and reports of larger specimens of Lasiodora Parahybana, though the blondi is "officially" the largest of the known species. As far as venomous ones go it's probably still unknown, though pokies are said to be more potent than many, but some of the ones considered more venomous seem to mostly appear in the genus classes of australia and african spiders, but it's pretty sketchy. Speed? Probably one of the most difficult factors to judge, I mean, how do you get a speedometer reading from a spider? I would fire a guess that a lot of burrowing species and arboreal would be faster than terrestrial species simply due the "jump out/off and grab" hunting styles, but like I say I think it's a sketchy one.

Would be cool to do some kinda time trial with a few of the commonly "considered fast" species, dunno how it could be done accurately though. Hmmm....


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 30, 2008)

Oh and as far as expensive goes - smithi are prety pricet as adults due to being protected by CITES and their beauty, also adults of T blondi and L Parahybana usually cost around £100 (about $200).


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## crpy (Apr 30, 2008)

According to my case history files,

Smallest in US: A. mojaviensis

Most potent; P ornata----bite on Michele Crutchfield, and 
P.murinus=bite on John Wats
crpy


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## Stuart C (Apr 30, 2008)

most expensive I would say Poecilotheria metallica , nice T but couldnt afford one!


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## Pociemon (Apr 30, 2008)

Well i can try and answer you as best i can, and maybe some expert can correct me if i am wrong

*1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)*

T. Apophysis has the record with bs at 12.6 in, it was a male. The blondi is generally heavyer than apophysis.

*2. The smallest tarantula?*

I cant help you with that one.

*3. The fastest one*

Probably a pokie

*4. The slowest one*

Grammostola i guess

*5. The most venomous tarantula*

I think it would be a pokie or haplopelma of the legal species, wich i think you were reffering to.

*6. The most agressive*

OBT (P. Murinus)

*7. The most expensive*

P. Metallica is up there, but maybe some very rare species will be more expensive.

*8. The most long-living*

Grammostola i think


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## _bob_ (Apr 30, 2008)

Thomas said:


> Well i can try and answer you as best i can, and maybe some expert can correct me if i am wrong
> 
> *1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)*
> 
> ...




that sounds like a lot of guessing to me.... im going to have to disagree with most of your answers there.


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## Moltar (Apr 30, 2008)

Horra, that's an awful lot to ask people to answer all in one post. Sure, you'll get some answers but you'd be better off to familiarize yourself with the search engine on this site and read some of the 800 posts that have already been done on each and every one of these subjects. Most of these are going to be matters of opinion anyway.


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## Pociemon (Apr 30, 2008)

_bob_ said:


> that sounds like a lot of guessing to me.... im going to have to disagree with most of your answers there.



well go check the record for biggest legspan in the record books, and you will learn that that is not a guess.

But next time you read a post, try read it all. I wrote some experts can correct me where i make mistakes, but i can see you are no expert because you just disagree and give absolutely no info on why. Next time bother to answer the guys questions instead of ridiculing others people post. 

That is what i did, and i have not said any place that i was right, but i tried;-)


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## Truff135 (Apr 30, 2008)

Horra said:


> can you, please, help to improve my knowledges about tarantulas?
> 
> 1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)
> 2. The smallest tarantula?
> ...


Mine are all just guesses based on what I've read on here and other places.  These would not be definitive answers, but more like educated guesses.   
1.) I believe _theraphosa blondi_ holds this record as the largest _recorded_ size, but that doesn't mean there aren't some that are bigger
2.) I'm almost fairly positive that the _cyriocosmus_ species are pretty darn tiny.  From what I've *heard* (<--emphasizing that word), adults only get to like, 2" LS.
3.) Hard to say what fastest is because what speed are we asking for?  Speed of movement, speed of attack, etc.  I think pretty much all tarantulas are fast when nabbing prey, so I'm going to say general movement or escape speed.  I believe _poecilothera_ are quick, I have heard that they can "teleport" 
4.) Slowest...again if we're talking about general movement speed, I'd have to say _grammostola rosea_, mainly because they don't really move at all, lol.  Again, I have heard that some _grammostola_ are quick (for their species, of course), so that's hard to judge.
5.) I've heard of some nasty bites from _poecilothera_ species but I can't say from a 1st person perspective - as I've never been bitten.  I have also heard that some Australian species carry a nasty bite.
6.) Here we go with that word again..."agressive", I just want to say that no tarantula that I've ever heard of is going to intentionally break out of its enclosure to hunt you down and rip out your jugular.  Let's go with the most defensive, OK?    I would have to say, from personal experience, that _haplopelma_ and _pterinochilus_ species are pretty quick to bite your hand off.  However, from my experience, they would rather run first.  So, if you're stupid enough to keep poking them when they don't want to be poked, well...I imagine any tarantula would be pretty defensive.
7.) Most expensive...hmm...I believe that _p. metallica_ are going down in price (not that they still don't cost an arm and leg), but I have seen _m. balfouri_ slings...SLINGS...going for $300+.  I don't even want to know how much an adult would cost.  I imagine that _e. olivacea_ (sp?) are just as bad.
8.) Most long-living...this is VERY hard to judge, simply because there are so many factors that go into a tarantula's lifespan.  However, I have heard (this could be utterly false) that someone had either a _grammostola rosea_ or _brachypelma smithi_ that was over 30 years old, which species it was exactly escapes me.

Hope this helped...and before anyone starts flaming or pulling the whole, "You're a moron" thing, please read my first statement that those were all EDUCATED GUESSES.


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## penny'smom (Apr 30, 2008)

I would put _M balfouri _above _P metallica_ for most expensive at the moment.


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## Nerri1029 (Apr 30, 2008)

Whoah..

We should step back a sec.

I really do not think the original poster (Hora) wanted journal articles and citations.

I think she was asking it in a fun/hobby way. ( I hope ) 

Bob you have every right to disagree, but why not offer up the reasons you do?

We have loads of stuff we know about T's and 10 times that much that we don't know.
Of course it could be 12.4 times that much  

I like this hobby because it requires learning, and researching and there's plenty to do on your own in your house with your own T's.


If we got all academic on the original questions it could get complicated.
Many of the questions need better wording/ or defining the terms ( like *agressive *) 

BUT luckily we haven;t gone there.

SOOOO let's hear people's OPINIONS on these, since that will keep this easy.
 Please feel free to offer up some examples/ anecdotes  etc.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## harveythefly (Apr 30, 2008)

Horra said:


> can you, please, help to improve my knowledges about tarantulas?
> 
> 1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)
> 2. The smallest tarantula?
> ...


ok here's my take on a couple of these questions...

1.) i think T. blondi holds the official record...but wasn't a Pamphobeteus discovered recently that could knock the blondi off the top?

2.) i think truff hit the nail on the head with Cyriocosmus

3.) i've read that Tapinauchenius is widely considered to be the fastest genus and from personal experience i'm inclined to agree hehe

4.) can't really answer this one...sorry

5.) i'm pretty sure H. maculata is thought to have the most toxic venom of the highly available species...although i've heard that Phlogius sp. tarantulas can deliver an extremely nasty bite (and considering they're from Australia i wouldn't doubt it...it always seems like Australia cornered the market on venomous animals hehe)

6.) this is always a hot topic for debate...and rightly so because it really does depend on the individual spider...but speaking from personal experience and with broad sweeping generality i'd say the big two are Pterinochilus and Haplopelma

7.) Monocentropus balfouri is the most expensive i've seen recently

8.) i know some Brachypelma can live to be 30 years old or so but new world terrestrials aren't really my thing so i can't really speak with much authority on that


hope this helps

Harvey


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## 7mary3 (Apr 30, 2008)

Horra said:


> can you, please, help to improve my knowledges about tarantulas?
> 
> 1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)
> 2. The smallest tarantula?
> ...


As has been suggested, these are opinions, based mostly off of my experience. While experiences is my main factor, these still remain as only opinions. They are not fact, and I am not passing them as such. So please, no flame wars or E fights. 

1. As stated, T. Blondi is currently the largest recorded T. So let's go with that. 
2. Smallest.... I don't really deal much with the smaller Sp. So I've no clue, sorry. 
3. The fastest is going to be some sort of arboreal. Pokies, Psalmopoeus, and Heteroscodra are all right up there with absolutely "My brain can't register that" speed. Bear in mind that all Ts are sprinters. Tons of speed for a limited duration. 
4. The slowest one is any T that is comfortable and not eating. A happy T is one that doesn't move more than it needs to. The C. Crawshayi does come to mind as far as actual speed of movement. These guys are absolute TANKS with a bad attitude, but they're fairly slow compared to many other Ts. 
5. Pokies, OBTs, and H. Macs all have particularly nasty bites. It's hard to say for sure, as that each person reacts differently to invenomation. Further to that, Ts don't give you the same "dose" each time. But again, the three above are traditionally pretty nasty. 
6. For aggression/defensiveness the P. Murinus or OBT is probably the favorite. They CAN be handled (but so can anything) and you'll see videos of such handling, but by and large they seem to hate you for even thinking about looking at them. I like to think that they've got a bit of a Napoleon complex as that they aren't a very large T. 
7. Most expensive right now is probably M. Balfouri. Others up there are P. Metallica and E. Olivicea. 
8. For lifespan, it is dictated primarily by the temperature the T is kept and the frequency at which they are fed. That being said, there are still some Sp. that live way longer than others. Also though, I believe it was Stan Schultz that said this, but this hobby hasn't really been around long enough in a large enough scale to get an accurate idea as to what the MAXIMUM lifespan is for a given species. All of that being said though, I've heard of some fairly ancient G. Roseas. 

Hope some of this helps with what you're looking for.


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## Horra (Apr 30, 2008)

Hello, 


Nerri1029 said:


> I really do not think the original poster (Hora) wanted journal articles and citations.
> 
> I think she was asking it in a fun/hobby way. ( I hope )
> 
> .


Yeah, that's true, don't take this questions so serious. I just like to know a common information (I don't even have tarantula yet, but I hope soon I will). And thanks to all for your answers, it was really helpfull, specially about most expensive tarantula (I knew p. metallica is expensive, other species I did not even know)


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## gambite (Apr 30, 2008)

AKAIK from my time on these forums...

1. The biggest tarantula? (teraphosa apophisis or teraphosa blondi or ?)

I think apophysis is leggier, blondi is fatter and heavier

2. The smallest tarantula?

Someone already did this one, I have no clue

3. The fastest one

My personal fastest is my N chromatus. However, I dont have a large selection, and many others have much milder specimens. Haplopelmas are known to be fast, especially the common H lividum. There is a vid on Youtube of someone's H maculata escaping its tank and running all over the place. Of course, it depends a lot on the individual T. Also, a lot of T's dont 'run' as much as they 'sprint'. Even pokies, which are known for their mastery of teleportation, usually stop after a few feet (at least, thats what i have heard). Evolution-wise, running non-stop is bound to attract attention, and eventually someone that CAN eat you will be among them. Plus, what good are camouflaging colors if you are giving away your position a lot? But, I digress...

4. The slowest one

Grammostolas are known as being slow-moving, often pet rocks. Some Brachy's are like this too, but its much more species and individual-T oriented here; my B boehmi is not one to be taken lightly, and my B albo scurries into its burrow the moment I touch its tank.

5. The most venomous tarantula

Dont know too much about this one... Never been bitten. Mostly, the Old World species are worse, since their bite is their only protection (no hairs). I heard JnS talk about spending several hours in the hospital after a bite from a C crawshayi. Baboons and Pokies are known for nasty bites. Also, almost everything in Australia is very nasty, venom wise (AKAIK). I heard on the Discovery channel that this comes from the nature of the continent; often tough living conditions combined with sever completion for resources and lack of migration-area lead to everything needing to develop the strongest venom possible to kill its enemies. Kinda like the Nuclear-Arms race and the Cold War.

6. The most agressive

Most _defensive_ is the politically correct term, for reasons already explained. My N chromatus is quite skittish, as well as my B boehmi. The latter has kicked hair at me on more than one occasion. 

7. The most expensive 

Already covered. P metallica, M balfouri, and E ovilacea (spelled right?) are among the most sought after. There are also some extremely rare ones, like certain Brachy's and others, that can fetch even higher prices at times. In the end, it mostly comes down to the dealer and the availability of the species; fewer specimens in the hobby lets the dealer ask a much higher price. Also, aspects of the species, such as growth speed, can have an effect, such as in the case of L parahybana. It puts out so many babies at once that dealers often give them away for free or for very little $. Others, like B smithi, may be common, but because they grow slowly and are protected cost much more, even as slings. 

8. The most long-living

I cant say from experience (very few people can; the hobby is relatively new and many Ts can live for quite some time), but generally the slower growing the species, the longer it will live. Someone on here said he worked at a zoo that kept a 32 year old B smithi. Other genuses can include Aphonopelma and Grammostola. G pulchra is known for being very slow growing, along with A chalcodes and many other Brachy's. Across the species barrier, Mature Males almost always die much faster than females.


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## Drachenjager (Apr 30, 2008)

citizen_smithi said:


> Oh and as far as expensive goes - smithi are prety pricet as adults due to being protected by CITES and their beauty, also adults of T blondi and L Parahybana usually cost around £100 (about $200).


200 is too much for those, but. 
id say M. baulfori is th emost expensive at the moment if not its prob close lol


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