# Tarantula from Cyprus



## thedreadedone (May 18, 2005)

Tomorrow my fiancee is being given a T that someone brought back from Cyprus in their suitcase (it hid in there, they werent smuggling it) - gave them a helluva shock when they opened their case   
any ideas what it might be?


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## CedrikG (May 18, 2005)

you've got a picture ?


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## danread (May 18, 2005)

Possibly some sort of _Chaetopelma sp._?


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## AcidQueen (May 18, 2005)

they're probably more than 1 species of tarantulas on Cyprus so a pic would be handy


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## danread (May 18, 2005)

According to Mikhails website , there are two species of tarantula in Cyprus, _Chaetopelma gracile_ and _Chaetopelma karlamani_.


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## thedreadedone (May 18, 2005)

thanks, hopefully i will have a picture or a better description tomorrow


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## bagheera (May 18, 2005)

Too funny! Perhaps it came for all the social  benefits?


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## Crotalus (May 18, 2005)

Two species is found on Cyprus, Chaetopelma gracile and C. karlamani. C. gracile grows much larger then karlamani - around 4cm bodylength and 10cm legspan while karlamani is very small 2-3 cm bodylength

Youll find pictures of both species on my website.

/Lelle


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## thedreadedone (May 19, 2005)

ok, steve has the spider now
he says its definately a T
about 2-3 inches and dark brown
cant get photos as it has webbed itsself in


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

You know it's truly amazing how many tarantulas just wander into international suitcases, perhaps these environments replicate their homes? Was it a female? My goodness I hope you were even more lucky! I bet several of them could be in there if you look harder. Oh, they travel in herds, that's right. But info on just one of them is enough. As herds usually travel as one species. Particularly international travelling herds, why, they're almost domestic! They were *asking* to be taken in and cared for, kind of like the way whales beach themselves, ya know?  The analogy is perfect


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## Crotalus (May 19, 2005)

Steve Nunn said:
			
		

> You know it's truly amazing how many tarantulas just wander into international suitcases, perhaps these environments replicate their homes? Was it a female? My goodness I hope you were even more lucky! I bet several of them could be in there if you look harder. Oh, they travel in herds, that's right. But info on just one of them is enough. As herds usually travel as one species. Particularly international travelling herds, why, they're almost domestic! They were *asking* to be taken in and cared for, kind of like the way whales beach themselves, ya know?  The analogy is perfect


I hope a entire colony of funnel webs walk into mine when Im in Australia.... 

/Lelle


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

Crotalus said:
			
		

> I hope a entire colony of funnel webs walk into mine when Im in Australia....


LOL, no comment


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## Tescos (May 19, 2005)

Steve Nunn said:
			
		

> You know it's truly amazing how many tarantulas just wander into international suitcases, perhaps these environments replicate their homes? Was it a female? My goodness I hope you were even more lucky! I bet several of them could be in there if you look harder. Oh, they travel in herds, that's right. But info on just one of them is enough. As herds usually travel as one species. Particularly international travelling herds, why, they're almost domestic! They were *asking* to be taken in and cared for, kind of like the way whales beach themselves, ya know?  The analogy is perfect


Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there Steve? lol   No really it happens all the time when I came back from Africa we found a bloody baby elephant in our bag! I wonderd at the time why the bag felt so heavy.  
Dam thing now costs us a small fortune to house and feed   

No really its true I tell you. :liar:


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## Sheri (May 19, 2005)

baby elephants are the cutest things ever.
I have already made it a mission to find one in my suitcase.


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

Tescos said:
			
		

> Dam thing now costs us a small fortune to house and feed


And that's why I empty my suitcase of animals before I leave, I have this sloth that is suicidal because it can't hang ten. See what domesticity does to things


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## FryLock (May 19, 2005)

C.gracile can be found even outside Paphos according to a friend that used to go there to look for moths and other insects iirc. he gave no exact local of course  just around Paphos area.


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

Geez Fry, I knew there was something I liked about you, anyone who can quote the great Joey R. knows good lyric  Jello Biafra also has a spot in my soul, I once was the highest bidder in an auction for his songlist from an old DK gig, it had Jello's vomit on it, that was enough for me to empty the wallet (ok, I was 15 at the time). The songlist is gone, but the sound remains.


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## FryLock (May 19, 2005)

Heh I would have thought your more a Radio Birdman chap Steve , I still like Jello my bro in law saw the DK’s once supporting the Dammed, they were good he said but the Dammed were in there prime at the time and overshadowed them on night.

I would not recommend a huge collecting trip for C.gracile in Cyprus even I had a loc for them I think they were £7 or £15 at last years BTS .


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## Mistwalker (May 19, 2005)

Sometimes hitchhikers do get picked up. Friends of mine came to visit from kentucky, and they had a drowned scorpian in their cooler. Not sure what sort it was, or what species they have there.

And speaking of local species of things, I'm gonna have to go and see if I can find one of the tarantulas that live in this area (Missouri). Sort of plain brown looking spiders, they call them "Texas browns" in texas, and another name in arkansas, and here they just call them "Missouri tarantulas". I've seen two scientific names for them, one being Dugesiella Hentzi. Need to go a bit farther southwest of here to find them.


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## Sheri (May 19, 2005)

Mistwalker said:
			
		

> Sometimes hitchhikers do get picked up. Friends of mine came to visit from kentucky, and they had a drowned scorpian in their cooler. Not sure what sort it was, or what species they have there.
> 
> And speaking of local species of things, I'm gonna have to go and see if I can find one of the tarantulas that live in this area (Missouri). Sort of plain brown looking spiders, they call them "Texas browns" in texas, and another name in arkansas, and here they just call them "Missouri tarantulas". I've seen two scientific names for them, one being Dugesiella Hentzi. Need to go a bit farther southwest of here to find them.



The genus is Aphonopelma... and there are quite a few in the US, though I don't know which would be found in that state.


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

FryLock said:
			
		

> Heh I would have thought your more a Radio Birdman chap Steve


LOL, oh, I am, best band in the world! I saw them once (reformed for one gig) and it was magical. Also got to see all the follow on bands (New Christs, Screaming Tribesmen, Hitmen, etc) although none of them compared. Not too many bands could have compared to The Damned in their prime. Tell you what, Guy T. has some great musical taste too!


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## Lopez (May 19, 2005)

Steve Nunn said:
			
		

> LOL, oh, I am, best band in the world! I saw them once (reformed for one gig) and it was magical. Also got to see all the follow on bands (New Christs, Screaming Tribesmen, Hitmen, etc) although none of them compared. Tell you what, Guy T. has some great musical taste too!


Guy likes KISS
I like KISS
Volker likes KISS


Me & Guy were both at the same KISS concert a few years ago except we didn't know each other then.

Err...what was the topic again? Oh yeah, Cypriot tarantulas. Never seen any, though I think Stewbacker spent a few hours flipping rocks in vain when he was there a couple of years ago.
Before his Mrs nagged him to stop playing with bugs


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## Steve Nunn (May 19, 2005)

Lopez said:
			
		

> Guy likes KISS
> I like KISS
> Volker likes KISS


Heh, who could NOT like KISS????? Any band with a bassplayer with a tongue larger then his instrument has got to be worth seeing, I've seen Guy in his KISS army getup, scary, LOL  ;P sorry for the offtopic!!!


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## FryLock (May 19, 2005)

Lopez said:
			
		

> Err...what was the topic again? Oh yeah, Cypriot tarantulas. Never seen any, though I think Stewbacker spent a few hours flipping rocks in vain when he was there a couple of years ago.


Iv never seen a European T in the wild myself too, but I did see a nice stonehopper in Malta as a lad I got right over it and was staring at it intently as id seen them on TV and thought they were only found in Africa until it flashed it’s red/orange wings in a flash display then jump straight up and hit me in the eye, I never knew Orthoptera were so violent .

Edit: just had a look online out of interest there better known common name is "Toad Grasshoppers" the Pamphagidae.


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## David Burns (May 19, 2005)

Lopez said:
			
		

> Guy likes KISS
> I like KISS
> Volker likes KISS
> 
> ...


I have a hard time believing KISS was still touring a few years ago. I saw them in the 70s. It was a great concert but I was never a big fan.


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