Any ideas why you get blue tarantulas? or tarantulas with 'horns'?

[Reuben]

Does anyone have any ideas or answers as to why certain tarantulas are blue (eg. P. metallica, cobalt blue, green bottle blue) because there must be a reason as to why they're blue, despite the fact i cant imagine it helping with camoflage at all.

Also does anyone know what purpose the 'horn' on the horned baboons provides?

Cheers

 

[Arachnomaniac19]

It (blue) probably has to do with the animal showing off that they're toxic, or that their predators don't see in the same light spectrum as we do. The horns are probably just extensions of a sucking stomach.

 

[chanda]

Obviously these features are part of a complex evolutionary process designed to make them more appealing to collectors. The prettiest or most unusual tarantulas will be welcomed into our homes, protected from predators, and served a lifetime supply of food. They are practically waited on, pedipalp and foot, with willing servants who cater to their every need, even procuring mates for them. With no need to concern themselves with basic survival, they are free to plot the next steps toward their ultimate goal of world domination.

Or it could actually help them to blend in to their natural environment, as suggested here: http://www.livescience.com/52945-blue-tarantula-color-mystery.html

 

[Flexzone]

Good thread about the theory of the horn extension. http://arachnoboards.com/threads/purpose-of-ceratogyrus-horns.283589/#post-2477282

 

[Andrea82]

@viper69 has some articles on blue T's if i remember correctly....

 

[viper69]

Does anyone have any ideas or answers as to why certain tarantulas are blue (eg. P. metallica, cobalt blue, green bottle blue) because there must be a reason as to why they're blue, despite the fact i cant imagine it helping with camoflage at all.

Also does anyone know what purpose the 'horn' on the horned baboons provides?

Cheers

No one knows what the horn is for, there is speculation, but in point of fact, no one knows definitively. I've talked to scientists about that.

As for WHY blue, no one knows that either. Scientists do know blue evolved independently in other tarantulas, that in itself is interesting as blue is a rare color in nature for animals.

As for camo, you have to remember other animals see/don't see color differently than us. You may think blue is a poor for hiding in the wild, but clearly it isn't. We just don't know how/why.

As a side note, blue Ts, aren't even blue, they only look blue. There is no blue pigment in their setae. This is true for a large number of blue animals.

 

[EulersK]

As a side note, blue Ts, aren't even blue, they only look blue. There is no blue pigment in their setae. This is true for a large number of blue animals.

Some new research was recently published. I've yet to read the actual paper, but here is the report of it.
http://newatlas.com/blue-tarantula-iridescence/47828/

EDIT: I found a pretty good excerpt from the full article. Gives a decent idea of what's happening.
http://www.frogheart.ca/?tag=tarantula-inspired-noniridescent-photonics-with-long-range-order

 

[viper69]

Some new research was recently published. I've yet to read the actual paper, but here is the report of it.
http://newatlas.com/blue-tarantula-iridescence/47828/

EDIT: I found a pretty good excerpt from the full article. Gives a decent idea of what's happening.
http://www.frogheart.ca/?tag=tarantula-inspired-noniridescent-photonics-with-long-range-order

Yep this is from research from the Akron team that came out a while back that I posted on.

The paper came out, and then every layman's website has picked it up, some much later than others haha.

The important point of the paper aside from lack of blue pigment (not a surprise at all, as we knew this was the case for butterflies, ie other examples in nature), was the genetic analysis.

It was the genomics which was very, very interesting.

 

[Matttoadman]

Now let's contemplate why color is important to a nocturnal creature. last I checked my t's in the dark they all looked the same regardless of color.

 

[viper69]

Now let's contemplate why color is important to a nocturnal creature. last I checked my t's in the dark they all looked the same regardless of color.

Color is important, even to animals that don't have eyes. Remember, many animals see differently than humans.

 

[cold blood]

It (blue) probably has to do with the animal showing off that they're toxic, or that their predators don't see in the same light spectrum as we do.

But theyre not toxic...in fact theyre food for literally anything big enough to kill them, and the NWs have mild venom.

I will say, that in low light, blue is basically black without the benefit of a light shining on it....perfect for a nocturnal creature.

 

[Arachnomaniac19]

But theyre not toxic...in fact theyre food for literally anything big enough to kill them, and the NWs have mild venom.

I will say, that in low light, blue is basically black without the benefit of a light shining on it....perfect for a nocturnal creature.

I was referring to OWs like O. violaceopes, M. balfouri, etc.

 

[cold blood]

I was referring to OWs like O. violaceopes, M. balfouri, etc.

They're still food for other things....not toxic.

Worse venom, sure, but blue obviously doesn't mean bad venom, as not all blue ts are even that venomous.

 

[Arachnomaniac19]

They're still food for other things....not toxic.

Worse venom, sure, but blue obviously doesn't mean bad venom, as not all blue ts are even that venomous.

I don't want to get into a semantics game, but by definition they're technically toxic.

 

[cold blood]

Toxic means containing poison. If they were toxic, other animals wouldn't be able to eat them. Many other insects that are brightly colored are toxic, tarantulas, by definition, are not.

adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, affected with, or caused by a toxin or poison:
a toxic condition.
2.
acting as or having the effect of a poison; poisonous:
a toxic drug.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toxic

You were referring to venom, a connection I did not make, hence the confusion.

With regards to venom, if it were an indicator of that, why does it only appear on a very small percentage of species? Shouldn't it then be more prevalent? Why are so many highly potent species black or not brightly colored in any way? Its possible I suppose, but its not a theory I subscribe to.

Like I said, the advantage IMO is that in low light, when these animals are out, blue is not blue, but rather black, or shades of dark grey, and therefore it would blend in.

 

[EulersK]

They're hoping that they can use this study to color our goods instead of using toxic (hehe) pigments.

I want a sweater made of tarantula setae. Or a replica of the setae, at least.

 

[Arachnomaniac19]

Toxic means containing poison. If they were toxic, other animals wouldn't be able to eat them. Many other insects that are brightly colored are toxic, tarantulas, by definition, are not.

adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, affected with, or caused by a toxin or poison:
a toxic condition.
2.
acting as or having the effect of a poison; poisonous:
a toxic drug.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toxic

You were referring to venom, a connection I did not make, hence the confusion.

With regards to venom, if it were an indicator of that, why does it only appear on a very small percentage of species? Shouldn't it then be more prevalent? Why are so many highly potent species black or not brightly colored in any way? Its possible I suppose, but its not a theory I subscribe to.

Like I said, the advantage IMO is that in low light, when these animals are out, blue is not blue, but rather black, or shades of dark grey, and therefore it would blend in.

If you look up the definition of poisonous, it's synonymous with venomous (but not vice versa).

I suggested that they'd be blue due to blue being a common colour that indicates an animal being poisonous, or also due to batesian mimicry (a harmless species mimicking a noxious, typically poisonous one).

 

[chanda]

They're hoping that they can use this study to color our goods instead of using toxic (hehe) pigments.

I want a sweater made of tarantula setae. Or a replica of the setae, at least.

That's taking the proverbial "itchy sweater" to new heights!

 

[cold blood]

If you look up the definition of poisonous, it's synonymous with venomous (but not vice versa).

poisonous and venomous are absolutely not synonymous.....venom requires injection into the blood stream to be effective. You can drink glass after glass of any venom you want with no ill effects.

 

[viper69]

Heard @cold blood drinks his sea snake venom straight, with a touch of pink Himalayan Sea Salt.