# largest african tarantula species?



## dopamine (Mar 15, 2010)

So i'm reading up alot on C. crawshayi and frequently see it being called the "second largest tarantula in africa". So i was just wondering if anyone knew what the first was. I know the crawshayi reaches 9 inches in legspan and haven't heard of any other AFRICAN species exeeding this. I've searched google and nothing but b.s. come up. Anyone know?


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## JimM (Mar 15, 2010)

Hysterocrates species may get larger. I'm not sure nowadays of H. hercules is even valid, but those supposedly get larger than ederi or gigas.


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## dopamine (Mar 15, 2010)

I heard kind of the same thing about H. hercules, that it was a lost species or something? I am aware of Hysterocrates being pretty large but never read anywere about it being larger than a King baboon. Thanks for the info.


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## JimM (Mar 15, 2010)

I'm not sure who ( if anyone) has a really solid handle on the genus. I know that the pic I have of  a supposed H. hercules in an older book is of a spider with a very wide cephalothorax, much broader in relation to the abdomen than H. ederi, gigas, crassiseps, etc.


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## robd (Mar 15, 2010)

I have googled to find the other T that is classified under Citharischius, but undoubtedly is not in the hobby. There really is not much on it. I think I remember reading something about it being reclassified as something else. It was known as Citharischius stridulantissimus, Pocock 1905.


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## JC (Mar 15, 2010)

Yeah, they are referring to H. hercules as the "most largest African spider."


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## dopamine (Mar 16, 2010)

So i'm finding different answers all over the web. Most of the places that say C. crawshayi is the second largest in africa don't say what the _first_ largest is, and some say it's _the_  largest african species, but then go on to say that A. avics are suitable for colonies
who knows i guess.


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## Mack&Cass (Mar 16, 2010)

It's the internet. Anyone can write whatever they want, true or not. That's why I like books.

I think in Marshall's book it says that Citharischius and Hysterocrates are the largest (in terms of bulk) of the old world tarantulas (there are some very large Aussie species as well). I could be wrong, I'll check the book when I go upstairs.

EDIT: Okay I looked, and it says that both the Citharischius and Hysterocrates are among the largest African tarantulas, although they don't compare to some of the NW giants. There's no sort of ranking. I think it's fair to say that both Citharischius and Hysterocrates are the largest (once again, in terms of bulk) of the African Ts.

Cass


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## dopamine (Mar 16, 2010)

Thanks! I have the second edition of The Tarantula Keepers Guide, but it dosen't go into specific species.


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## Zoltan (Mar 16, 2010)

robd said:


> I have googled to find the other T that is classified under Citharischius, but undoubtedly is not in the hobby. There really is not much on it. I think I remember reading something about it being reclassified as something else. It was known as Citharischius stridulantissimus, Pocock 1905.


*Long version.* Pocock didn't describe any theraphosid species in 1905. In fact, in 1905 he was already working at the London Zoo. What Pocock did describe was the genus and species _Citharischius crawshayi_ in 1900. _Citharischius stridulantissimus_ was described by Embrik Strand in 1907 as _Monocentropella stridulantissima_ estabilishing a new genus named _Monocentropella_. In 1985, Robert Raven in his work on the Mygalomorphae including Theraphosidae synonymised _Monocentropella_ with _Citharischius_ because he was unable to locate the holotype of _Monocentropella stridulantissima_ and based on Strand's description, he thought that there is no reason to treat these species as separate on a generic level (i.e. no reason for them to be in different genera). 

*Short version.* _Monocentropella_ Strand, 1907 = _Citharischius_ Pocock, 1900 (Raven, 1985a: 156)
_Monocentropella stridulantissima_ Strand, 1907 >>> _Citharischius stridulantissimus_ (Strand, 1907) (Raven, 1985a: 156)

Also, click here.

Reactions: Like 1


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## dopamine (Mar 17, 2010)

So it's basically the Hysterocrates Hercules but it dosen't exist anymore so the King baboon is the winner
yay.


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## robd (Mar 17, 2010)

Zoltan said:


> *Long version.* Pocock didn't describe any theraphosid species in 1905. In fact, in 1905 he was already working at the London Zoo. What Pocock did describe was the genus and species _Citharischius crawshayi_ in 1900. _Citharischius stridulantissimus_ was described by Embrik Strand in 1907 as _Monocentropella stridulantissima_ estabilishing a new genus named _Monocentropella_. In 1985, Robert Raven in his work on the Mygalomorphae including Theraphosidae synonymised _Monocentropella_ with _Citharischius_ because he was unable to locate the holotype of _Monocentropella stridulantissima_ and based on Strand's description, he thought that there is no reason to treat these species as separate on a generic level (i.e. no reason for them to be in different genera).
> 
> *Short version.* _Monocentropella_ Strand, 1907 = _Citharischius_ Pocock, 1900 (Raven, 1985a: 156)
> _Monocentropella stridulantissima_ Strand, 1907 >>> _Citharischius stridulantissimus_ (Strand, 1907) (Raven, 1985a: 156)
> ...


Touche. I must have read that wrong. Sorry.


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## Buckwheat (Mar 18, 2010)

Hysterocrates Hercules is or, could be something that exists. There is, according to West a type specimen in England. The problem is, it is so old that no one more than likely even knows where that is in all their collections or the hobby would have heard about it. 

Having said that, West does show a picture of Hysterocrates Hercules on his website "http://www.birdspiders.com" that i had not seen before. You might try contacting him through his sight. He is actually very good about returning emails. Why not get whatever facts there might be on the subject from someone that would know more than anyone else these days. At least on this chunk of land. 

Just a thought. 

*POOF*


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## JimM (Mar 18, 2010)

dopamine said:


> So it's basically the Hysterocrates Hercules but it dosen't exist anymore so the King baboon is the winner
> yay.


Like I said the pic I have looks different (superficially anyway) than crassiseps, ederi, gigas etc. Notably the much wider carapace in proportion to the overall width of the spider. I'd scan it and post it, but don't want to compromise the site with something that could be construed as (or actually is) plagiarism.


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Nov 25, 2014)

I know this is a old thread but what is the largest C. crawshayi actually get in captivity? ? These grow very slow, Do Hysterocrates Hercules still exist in European hobby?
Hysterocrates gigas are big also , they seem to have a lot thicker legs then your average NW spiders.
Is Hysterocrates Hercules the biggest T in africa still?


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## cold blood (Nov 25, 2014)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> I know this is a old thread but what is the largest C. crawshayi actually get in captivity? ? These grow very slow, Do Hysterocrates Hercules still exist in European hobby?
> Hysterocrates gigas are big also , they seem to have a lot thicker legs then your average NW spiders.
> Is Hysterocrates Hercules the biggest T in africa still?


C. crawshayi is now a defunct name...its now P. muticus.    They can reach 8" and their back legs are freakishly large and thick.   Its said that they get the common name "baboon" because those legs are so big and thick that they look like a baboon's finger.   They use those big legs to help them with their superb burrowing ability.  They have some tough, dry ground to burrow in where they're from.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Biollantefan54 (Nov 25, 2014)

@Cold Blood, I have been wondering this for a while but always forget to ask. Is the leg actually thick or is it the hairs on the leg that are really long and dense?


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## cold blood (Nov 25, 2014)

Biollantefan54 said:


> @Cold Blood, I have been wondering this for a while but always forget to ask. Is the leg actually thick or is it the hairs on the leg that are really long and dense?


The legs are really that thick.  So thick they almost look out of place on the spider.

You can see how much larger those hind legs are than the other legs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Biollantefan54 (Nov 25, 2014)

Yeah, I have seen a ton of pics, I was just wondering if it was just hair or not lol. Their spinnerets look kind of chunky too haha. I want one of them just because of the giant legs, and the brown is really pretty, too bad they take forever to grow!


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## Poec54 (Nov 25, 2014)

Biollantefan54 said:


> I was just wondering if it was just hair or not... the brown is really pretty, too bad they take forever to grow!


They're not that slow when they're kept warm and fed often.  I consider them to be moderate growth.  The color is reddish brown, not just brown.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Nov 25, 2014)

Poec54 said:


> They're not that slow when they're kept warm and fed often.  I consider them to be moderate growth.  The color is reddish brown, not just brown.


Mine grew a lot faster than my brachys kept it mostly room temp. They grow slow if not fed often I think , they also need deep sub to burrow and thrive. I see videos on youtube were they are kept on a inch of sub , this is very bad.


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## Poec54 (Nov 25, 2014)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> they also need deep sub to burrow and thrive. I see videos on youtube were they are kept on a inch of sub , this is very bad.


Right, they're stranded in shallow soil, in the wild that's certain death for them.


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Nov 25, 2014)

Poec54 said:


> Right, they're stranded in shallow soil, in the wild that's certain death for them.


Theraphosa also build very deep burrows 2ft+ , but not as deep as king baboon I bet. Burrowing in the wild is how Terrestrial Ts survive , aboreal species though obv live in or around trees. GBB lives in smaller trees I think also.


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## ratluvr76 (Nov 26, 2014)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> Theraphosa also build very deep burrows 2ft+ , but not as deep as king baboon I bet. Burrowing in the wild is how Terrestrial Ts survive , aboreal species though obv live in or around trees. GBB lives in smaller trees I think also.


no.. GBB's are terrestrial. True they're not fossorial with extensive dens but they are not arboreal.


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