# What is the rarest Tarantula in the world?



## jeryst (Oct 29, 2010)

Just wondering what the rarest T would be.


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## 2oCHEVYo0 (Oct 30, 2010)

Probably that one nobody has, because it's an endangered species

Reactions: Like 1


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## rustym3talh3ad (Oct 30, 2010)

2oCHEVYo0 said:


> Probably that one nobody has, because it's an endangered species


yes. this is an old topic. both of you guys being newer to the site i would like to refer you to the search option. I am by no means being a jerk or saying dont post your ideas or questions, but this is one of those dead horse threads. check out these threads for more info and please feel free to hit the search function for any questions you have. 

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=188548&highlight=Rarest+tarantula

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=174930&highlight=Rarest+tarantula

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=81623&highlight=Rarest+tarantula


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## 2oCHEVYo0 (Oct 30, 2010)

I honestly don't really care which one is the rarest... Just trying to pass time is all.


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## Lorum (Oct 30, 2010)

For me, rarest tarantulas are those that haven't been discovered or described (rarest in the sense that nobody have them). I have seen here in México tarantulas from a couple of new genera (or from known genera not described for this country, like Avicularia); there are at least four new genera expecting to be described, hehe (I think there are actually more).

Maybe this is an example (I don't know if it is indeed a new genus or it's just still unidentified... that bulb has an uncommon apophysis on it).  http://www.theraphosidae.cz/imagestar/hapalopusspHuatulco.htm

Also, some species have to be transfered from one genus into another and more taxonomic work has to be done with local species.

So, we have a lot of new species to describe, and I think a lot of others to discover. And this is only in one country of the world, now imagine how much new T's are in other regions of our planet...


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## Neill (Oct 30, 2010)

That is very interesting (to me anyway) Lorum.. do you have any further details?


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## jeryst (Oct 30, 2010)

rustym3talh3ad said:


> yes. this is an old topic. both of you guys being newer to the site i would like to refer you to the search option. I am by no means being a jerk or saying dont post your ideas or questions, but this is one of those dead horse threads. check out these threads for more info and please feel free to hit the search function for any questions you have.


I would think that this is something that is fluid and changes over time.


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## YellowBrickRoad (Oct 30, 2010)

jeryst said:


> I would think that this is something that is fluid and changes over time.


My thoughts exactly!   I also ment to say thanks for posting those other threads! I've been curious about this kinda stuff as well!


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## Lorum (Oct 31, 2010)

Neill said:


> That is very interesting (to me anyway) Lorum.. do you have any further details?


Not a lot of further details.  I know a biologist who is working with taxonomy of Theraphosidae (descriptions, more than anything). I think he will make some publications, but probably not soon (and is OK, I think things have to be done with calm and accuracy to avoid troubles).

So, we sometimes see or hear interesting stuff. We have just 2, maybe 3 species of tarantulas registered for the capital city, Distrito Federal (I say 2 or 3 because nobody actually knows the situation of _Aphonopelma serratum_); but there are probably a lot of more species. The city is sorrounded by small mountains (hills?), and there are "dwarf" mexican T's on some of them (not _Hapalopus aldanu_s).

Also, the only species of _Avicularia_ we had registered for our country was transfered to _Sericopelma_. That leave us without any arboreal T registered for México. Anyway, in field trips there have been sightings of arboreal T's and web tubes at tree tops. In some scientific collections there are wild caught specimens (preserved in alcohol) of _Avicularia spp._ Also, we have a new undescribed species of _Psalmopoeus_ (that has been succesfully breeded) from the Veracruz state, which is the most northern register to the genus. Maybe it is currently in the hobby in the USA (pers. comm. of some american hobbysts to a friend), I don't know.

So, those are a few examples of situation here. I hope they are interesting. Someday I will also work in Theraphosid's taxonomy, but I have a long way to go.

P. S. People who has been on field trips know that there are a lot of undescribed species that probably correspond to _Bonnetina spp._ One of those species has been breeded and it have beautiful blue iridiscence on its legs. Usually people in the illegal pet bussiness find also a lot of new species, there could even be new _Brachypelma spp._  from unaccesible zones (independently of the many "variants" of _Brachypelma vagans_).


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## Scorpendra (Oct 31, 2010)

Undescribed species aside, I'd guess something like _Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis_.


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## Salamanderhead (Oct 31, 2010)

What about H. Hercules? I thought I read noone actually has a real H.Hercules, just a mislabeled Hysterocrates species.


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## Lorum (Oct 31, 2010)

Scorpendra said:


> Undescribed species aside, I'd guess something like _Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis_.


_Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis_ is a junior synonym for _Poecilotheria formosa_.


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## Scorpendra (Oct 31, 2010)

Oh, so it is. What of _P. uniformis_, then? A species whose sole representative is a preserved specimen must be pretty rare, no?


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## Scourge (Oct 31, 2010)

Mascaraneus remotus, known only from one small island, could possibly have the smallest range of known tarantulas, making it kinda rare.


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## Merfolk (Jan 5, 2011)

Lorum said:


> Also, the only species of _Avicularia_ we had registered for our country was transfered to _Sericopelma_. That leave us without any arboreal T registered for México...Also, we have a new undescribed species of _Psalmopoeus_


Psalmos are arboreal, so you have arboreals : )

Reactions: Like 1


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## felmor (Feb 20, 2012)

Salamanderhead said:


> What about H. Hercules? I thought I read noone actually has a real H.Hercules, just a mislabeled Hysterocrates species.


Not sure but I guess H. hercules is already extinct? Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 20, 2012)

Well besides the ones that nobody even knows about, or can't even find, my guess would be these. http://americasroof.com/archives/1664


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## Zoltan (Feb 20, 2012)

catfishrod69 said:


> Well besides the ones that nobody even knows about, or can't even find, my guess would be these. http://americasroof.com/archives/1664


That link appears to refer to _Microhexura montivaga_, which is a diplurid, not a theraphosid (i.e. not a "tarantula" in the strict sense of the word).


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 20, 2012)

Really? I posted about this sometime back, and got the same link from a member on here. I guess the video didnt have enough details about them, and i dont understand all the taxonomy and such enough. Thanks.





Zoltan said:


> That link appears to refer to _Microhexura montivaga_, which is a diplurid, not a theraphosid (i.e. not a "tarantula" in the strict sense of the word).


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## advan (Feb 21, 2012)

catfishrod69 said:


> Really? I posted about this sometime back, and got the same link from a member on here. I guess the video didnt have enough details about them, and i dont understand all the taxonomy and such enough. Thanks.


Here is one of your own threads that tells you it is not a Theraphosidae(tarantula). Clicky


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 21, 2012)

Mygalamorph. Totally forgot about that. I could have swore they said it was a tarantula. Thanks for correcting me. 





advan said:


> Here is one of your own threads that tells you it is not a Theraphosidae(tarantula). Clicky


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## mark e sic (Feb 22, 2012)

_Iridopelma seladonium_ Its pretty scarce.


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## Jared781 (Feb 22, 2012)

one that we DONT know about! Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica are pretty rare!


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## Merfolk (Feb 22, 2012)

Stromatopelma satanas


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 23, 2012)

+1. But all of the Stromatopelma except calceatum. 





Merfolk said:


> Stromatopelma satanas


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## ZergFront (Feb 23, 2012)

Agnostopelma would be one I would think. Hell, I haven't seen what an adult looks like.


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## taranvan (Feb 23, 2012)

ZergFront said:


> Agnostopelma would be one I would think. Hell, I haven't seen what an adult looks like.


Megaphobema Robustum, definitely. Most people say Poecilotheria M. Considering the fact that Colombia (where Megas are from) is virtually impossible to visit right now because of the guerrilla and narco forces, this spider is perhaps the rarest to find in the world. I have found blue tarantulas there that nobody has a clue about. The pictures are here http://www.colombiantarantulas.webs.com/


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## grayzone (Feb 23, 2012)

Jared781 said:


> one that we DONT know about! Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica are pretty rare!


  didnt you read THIS  





Lorum said:


> _Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis_ is a junior synonym for _Poecilotheria formosa_.




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Scorpendra said:


> Oh, so it is. What of _P. uniformis_, then? A species whose sole representative is a preserved specimen must be pretty rare, no?


 i read somewhere also that the uniformis COULD well be some other type of common pokie (i forget which atm) that is just so aged/preserved its hard to identify... I could be wrong though


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## le-thomas (Feb 23, 2012)

I would assume the Heteroscodra species other than maculata to be fairly rare. Rarity in the wild isn't something I know anything about though, but I would guess that those Heteroscodra species are pretty rare within their range(s).


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## pocock1899 (Feb 24, 2012)

It would help if you define "rare". 

Do you mean the numbers that exist in the world (captivity included?), or just rare as in total numbers that exist in the wild.

For several species, there could be more in captivity than are left in the wild. So even though there is a real danger that they may become extinct in the wild, the only real threat to their existence is that they might fall out of favor with hobbyists, or that they are hybridized or inbred out of existence.


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## jakykong (Feb 24, 2012)

pocock1899 said:


> It would help if you define "rare".
> 
> Do you mean the numbers that exist in the world (captivity included?), or just rare as in total numbers that exist in the wild.
> 
> For several species, there could be more in captivity than are left in the wild. So even though there is a real danger that they may become extinct in the wild, the only real threat to their existence is that they might fall out of favor with hobbyists, or that they are hybridized or inbred out of existence.


Or rare _within_ the hobby, e.g., extant in the hobby, but perhaps only one or a few people have them? First imports? That's how I read it, anyway.


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