# Northern Nevada Ts



## cactus-one (Aug 8, 2004)

I live near Reno, Nevada.  I understand that Aphonopelma iodius (or nevadanum) is native to this area.  Does anyone have any information regarding this tarantula, or where colonies may be found?


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## grammostola1953 (Aug 8, 2004)

cactus-one said:
			
		

> I live near Reno, Nevada.  I understand that Aphonopelma iodius (or nevadanum) is native to this area.  Does anyone have any information regarding this tarantula, or where colonies may be found?



A. iodius/melanium aka Salt Lake County Brown: similar to, but darker than A. chalcodes, found in deserts of Utah. (courtesy of e-spiderworld, I love those guys!)


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## cactus-one (Aug 12, 2004)

I wish somebody knew something about my local tarantula.


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## Toiyabe (Aug 19, 2004)

*Saw one yesterday*

I also live near Reno, in Palomino Valley.  I saw a large Tarantula near my house yesterday.  I sent some photos to Brent Hendrixson of East Carolina University, and he said it was an adult male, likely Aphonopelma iodius.  He also said that he seen no previous record of that species this far north in Nevada, but I figure that's just because no one with a PhD has been out looking for them.


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## willywonka (Aug 19, 2004)

Contact the University of Nevada, Reno and see if they know anything.


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## Toiyabe (Aug 19, 2004)

*some pics*

I guess I should have included some pictures of the T I saw yesterday.  These were taken about 20 miles NE of Reno.


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## jewbacca (Oct 2, 2010)

10-1-10
Northern nevada medical center in Sparks, NV (just east of reno) at the front entrance sliding doors, what should walk up but a beautiful litter jobber.  Its about 2.5 in long with a light brown, bordering on blonde cephlothorax, and a  darker brown and fairly thin abdomen.  seems a might friendly, as he continued to run onto my palm when I tried to set it free, so I am gonna keep it.

2nd one in as many weeks. Lived here 30 years never seen one.  Wild stuff.

Debating tho as to whether i should invest in cork based substrate or go dig up some good ole NV soil.  

any suggestions are appreciated. 

soon as I figger out how to get my film on disc I will up a pic.  it looks very much like the one above.


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## Londoner (Oct 2, 2010)

jewbacca said:


> 10-1-10
> Northern nevada medical center in Sparks, NV (just east of reno) at the front entrance sliding doors, what should walk up but a beautiful litter jobber.  Its about 2.5 in long with a light brown, bordering on blonde cephlothorax, and a  darker brown and fairly thin abdomen.  seems a might friendly, as he continued to run onto my palm when I tried to set it free, so I am gonna keep it.
> 
> 2nd one in as many weeks. Lived here 30 years never seen one.  Wild stuff.
> ...


I know nothing about these Ts but I just had to say, your username is bordering on genius! It really brought a smile to my face.
(sorry for the off-topic)


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## Great Basin Ben (Oct 2, 2010)

Jewbacca,
I too live in Reno, and am actually currently looking for any of the several Desert species that we do get here in Northern Nevada. If you happen across any others, please PM me, and I'd gladly take one or two off of your hands. I just joined this forum as a result of seeing your post, and look forward to learning, and sharing much more. I might just go out that way tomorrow for a desert walk, and see what I come across. I'm a 4th generatio native to the area, and have only ever seen (1), but there have been MANY reports these past couple of weeks about sightings of them in the area.
All the best.


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## Terry D (Oct 3, 2010)

....and yet another mm out for a stroll after the ultimate molt.  Thanks for sharing the pics. Still no road-crossing hentzi here in nw La this fall- but I haven't been in the best of habitat for 'em either.
Terry


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## Great Basin Ben (Oct 3, 2010)

does this mean that even IF I were to capture one of these right now, he'd inevitably die soon, or is the Male's untimely death due only in part to the Female eating him! I've read that they can live for quite a few years beyond sexual maturity, but are regularly killed by their female counterparts.???


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## Offkillter (Oct 3, 2010)

I just saw a T exactly like this one the other day at my kids school during "family night" I noticed a bunch of kids past the play ground chanting "kill it kill it!",so I went over to find a sweet lookin mature male corned by these kids.I then had to explain why they should leave this poor guy alone.Most got bored listening to me talk and just went away but a few stuck around to help me relocate him.After it was done one little guy stuck around and asked every question under the sun,including,"so why do they have hooks in the first place.".So I told him.Then it occurred to me that I had possibly just given this youngster his fist birds and the bees talk..... awkward!But he walked away with a new found respect and that's really what it's all about.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Terry D (Oct 3, 2010)

Great Basin Ben said:


> does this mean that even IF I were to capture one of these right now, he'd inevitably die soon, or is the Male's untimely death due only in part to the Female eating him! I've read that they can live for quite a few years beyond sexual maturity, but are regularly killed by their female counterparts.???


Ben, Mature male t's, depending upon genera and spp, live anywhere from ~ 9 months to two years+ after their ultimate molt. I'm not certain about Aphonopelma but being one of the longer-lived genera, they'd probably last maybe a year or more......that is, unless munched by a fem :razz:. 

Again, I don't have a clue about other U.S. reps of the genera, but hentzi found out wandering here in nw La. are almost always mature males. I know someone who found a large indiv that was almost certainly female after heavy rains- I figure it likely was flooded from a burrow. All females/immatures here are invariably found either in a scrape under a rock or in a burrow. Personally, I've found mature males ONLY out wandering.  Terry


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## mickey66 (Oct 4, 2010)

*short answer*



Great Basin Ben said:


> does this mean that even IF I were to capture one of these right now, he'd inevitably die soon, or is the Male's untimely death due only in part to the Female eating him! I've read that they can live for quite a few years beyond sexual maturity, but are regularly killed by their female counterparts.???


YES! You should let him go so he can do his job before he goes to the great beyond.


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## Great Basin Ben (Oct 4, 2010)

Terry D said:


> Ben, Mature male t's, depending upon genera and spp, live anywhere from ~ 9 months to two years+ after their ultimate molt. I'm not certain about Aphonopelma but being one of the longer-lived genera, they'd probably last maybe a year or more......that is, unless munched by a fem :razz:.
> 
> Again, I don't have a clue about other U.S. reps of the genera, but hentzi found out wandering here in nw La. are almost always mature males. I know someone who found a large indiv that was almost certainly female after heavy rains- I figure it likely was flooded from a burrow. All females/immatures here are invariably found either in a scrape under a rock or in a burrow. Personally, I've found mature males ONLY out wandering.  Terry


Terry,
MANY THANKS! We've been having rain for the last couple days out here in the high desert of Reno, and it looks like we're in store for at least 3 more. Maybe I can find a female Aphonopelma on the move trying to get out of all of this rain. It's rare that we get a week staight of rain here in the desert, but when we do, the ground saturates quickly, and the likliehood of Arachnids being driven from their burrows is high. I suppose this is quite unfortunate timing, given that the mature males, are all out and about looking for their last hurrah. I'm sure it won't last beyond this week, so if I'm to find a wild female, I suppose I should get out and get looking! If not, there are several New River varieties available online for less than $40, and a GUARENTEED female, would be worth the investment. 

I actually don't currently keep ANY T's, but have always been fascinated, and interested in collecting them. If there were a "better" starter species than a local Aphonopelma, then I'm definately ALL EARS, butI truly liked the idea of a Native specimen from my local area, and had read many times that these were in fact quite docile, (although slow growing), varieties of Tarantula. Again, I thank ALL of you ahead of time for all of your expertise. 

This should prove to be quite fun...


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## hamfoto (Nov 26, 2010)

Mature males live ~1-2 months in the wild.  In captivity, yes, they can live for longer.
Do they get eaten by females?  very rarely...they get picked off by predators FAR more frequently, due to them being out wandering around where they can be seen.

Also, the Reno T's are A. iodius.  A number of other names from that region were synonymized by Prentice.

And don't try and mate a male from Reno (A. iodius) with a female A. sp. New River (A. chalcodes). Two different species.

Chris


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## Great Basin Ben (Nov 26, 2010)

hamfoto said:


> Mature males live ~1-2 months in the wild.  In captivity, yes, they can live for longer.
> Do they get eaten by females?  very rarely...they get picked off by predators FAR more frequently, due to them being out wandering around where they can be seen.
> 
> Also, the Reno T's are A. iodius.  A number of other names from that region were synonymized by Prentice.
> ...


Chris, I've been reading may varied, and often conflicting comments, regarding the Aphonopelma iodius. In your opinion, are the A. iodius, a part of the eutylenum complex, or is iodium, a complex of it's own, with species like A. melanium, making up the iodium complex??? I know MUCH work still need to be done, on their systematic taxonomy, but was curious, as to whether or not, any of YOUR work, covered species, this far west???


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## billy28 (Nov 26, 2010)

A. iodius are very cool spider.  They seem to have more burrowing tendancies than other aphonapelmas.  When I find them they are usually in the foothills above the valley.  Keep them how you would with just about any other aphonapelma.  
Billy


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## hamfoto (Nov 26, 2010)

My PhD project (as part of the Aphonopelma REVSYS) is to revise the A. iodius complex (this includes the 3 sister species complexes of A. eutylenum, A. iodius, and A. chalcodes).  The systematic revision is the backbone for the work, after which comparitive phylogeographic analyses will be carried out to understand the evolutionary history of the group.  My side project is revising the A. reversum species complex (A. reversum, A. steindachneri, and A. phanus).  Much the same will be done with this group, but some population genetic analyses will also be included b/c they do some funky stuff when it comes to their distribution.

All three A. iodius complex species groups are made up of a bunch of described species, most of which are not going to be valid (some of which has already been published, see Prentice).

And our work (the Bond lab) encompasses all of the "Aphonopelma" range...down into Costa Rica and Panama

billy28 - good observation!  yes, A. iodius does not seem to like the hot desert valleys...foothills are generally the best place to find them.

Chris


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## jere000 (Nov 26, 2010)

You think that you could find these guys around lake mead?It's really the only place I have found wildlife.


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## hamfoto (Nov 26, 2010)

Absolutely!  I've collected there.


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## jere000 (Nov 26, 2010)

hamfoto said:


> Absolutely!  I've collected there.


Nice I know this spot that's really secluded.No one ever goes there and you can climb a few rocks and go pretty far up.


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## jewbacca (Jan 5, 2011)

I have some sad news about the local i found.  When i awoke yesterday, he had passed on to the nether region.  I will have to go out next year and try to find a breedable pair.  

     From my own personal observance, this male wouldnt sit still, ever.  it never burrowed, just wandered.  This would most likely be because it was in mating season and wanted out.  This was perhaps the most docile spider i have ever seen.  I tried to get it to rear up by using the tail end of an eraser pen, and a feather brush.  Not once would it become angered.  Most of the time it would try to climb the utensils.  

     This would be a great starter spider from what i have seen, although my expierences with them are extremely limited.  They are VORACIOUS eaters tho. I tried to feed it 3-4 larger crickets a week, and at first they wouldn't hit the bottom of the cage before the Tarantula was on tehm munching away.  later though, it seemed to realize it was being fed and would wait for teh crickets to come near it before striking.  Not the most accurate of strikes,  was pretty funny to see.  If it did miss it would chase the cricket around teh cage till it did ge3t it.


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## Toiyabe (Jan 17, 2011)

hamfoto said:


> My PhD project (as part of the Aphonopelma REVSYS) is to revise the A. iodius complex (this includes the 3 sister species complexes of A. eutylenum, A. iodius, and A. chalcodes).  The systematic revision is the backbone for the work, after which comparitive phylogeographic analyses will be carried out to understand the evolutionary history of the group.  My side project is revising the A. reversum species complex (A. reversum, A. steindachneri, and A. phanus).  Much the same will be done with this group, but some population genetic analyses will also be included b/c they do some funky stuff when it comes to their distribution.
> 
> 
> Chris


Chris, 

I've sent Brent Hendrixson two tarantulas from the Reno area.  Am I right in guessing that they're part of your PhD project?  

It'd be nice to now that they went to good use, and that your A. iodius identification for the local Ts is based on firm evidence.

Pete


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## Great Basin Ben (Jul 23, 2019)

It's only been about 8 1/2 years since I've read or contributed to this thread, but I just wanted to say HELLO to all of you once again. I'm actually headed back out tho these same stomping grounds this weekend just East of Sparks, to see how the local Tarantula population is doing out here! About a year ago someone from the neighborhood just west of the Hospital posted another video of an adult A. iodius walking right down their street in the gutter. Again probably another mature Male post penultimate molt, but I'm finally gonna go poke around out there to see if there's any females or any burrows. It's a real pleasure to be back. If anyone from this original post is still on here, and has any updates, I'd love to hear of your encounters with any in this area.

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