Any tips on finding Atypus Affinis?

Bunyan van Asten

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Hey everyone!
I would like to know if anyone has any tips on how to find At. Affinis.
It may not look like it, but it actually is a tarantula of what i understand. Anyway, i'd like to know where i have a change of finding this absolute demon-looking thing, it's the only bad ass spider around the benelux region at all. Anyway, seeing as it lives in the USA, i think the people from there might be able to help me.
Thanks in advance!
 

EulersK

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I don't have an answer to your question, but it is not a tarantula. It's a mygalomorph, yes, but not all mygalomorphs are tarantulas. Only members of the theraphosidae family are "tarantulas".
 

Bunyan van Asten

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I don't have an answer to your question, but it is not a tarantula. It's a mygalomorph, yes, but not all mygalomorphs are tarantulas. Only members of the theraphosidae family are "tarantulas".
sorry about that one, in the book it is listed as belonging in the tarantula family.....
 

Biollantefan54

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Go to old undisturbed woods, with a creek or some water source nearby and look out the sides of trees or large rocks.
 

Spidermolt

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sorry about that one, in the book it is listed as belonging in the tarantula family.....
Ive been keeping an eye out for years but still haven't found one at the right time/place/price to have one. Just like EulersK said these guys are not tarantulas but... they aren't true spiders either. from my research they are their own classification which goes like this, true spiders have Araneomorphae fangs which "pinch" like if you were to press only your index finger to your thumb, whereas tarantulas have Mygalomorphae fangs "strike" like if you were to press only your index and middle finger to your palm.
Atypus (What your looking at) are Opisthothelae so they branch off from other True spiders because they evolved further from Araneomorphae fangs and developed Mygalomorphae fangs but still have the charachter of True spiders than the bulky look of Theraphosidae.

I Hope that this helps because I'm not a scientist or a great describer. :embarrassed:
 

Bunyan van Asten

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Ive been keeping an eye out for years but still haven't found one at the right time/place/price to have one. Just like EulersK said these guys are not tarantulas but... they aren't true spiders either. from my research they are their own classification which goes like this, true spiders have Araneomorphae fangs which "pinch" like if you were to press only your index finger to your thumb, whereas tarantulas have Mygalomorphae fangs "strike" like if you were to press only your index and middle finger to your palm.
Atypus (What your looking at) are Opisthothelae so they branch off from other True spiders because they evolved further from Araneomorphae fangs and developed Mygalomorphae fangs but still have the charachter of True spiders than the bulky look of Theraphosidae.

I Hope that this helps because I'm not a scientist or a great describer. :embarrassed:
It honestly kinda does, thanks!
 

Biollantefan54

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It just depends on what you are looking for, they aren't very common but if you are in their area, it's just a matter of finding a good habitat.
 

schmiggle

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Atypus was classified with the theraphosidae until recently, I think, so I would not be surprised if older sources still listed it that way
 

c.h.esteban

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Rezac et al. 2007. The distribution of purse-web Atypus spiders (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) in central Europe is constrained by microclimatic continentality and soil compactness

Results: Atypus muralis was found to occur almost exclusively in dry grassland (Festucion valesiacae), exposed to a continental microclimate. Atypus affinis usually occurred in dry sparse forests (Genisto germanicae–Quercion) that provide an Atlantic microclimate. Atypus piceus occurred in dry grassland (Bromion erecti) or forest fringes (Geranion sanguinei) characterized by an intermediate microclimate. Atypus piceus and A. muralis were restricted to agglutinate calcareous soils.

All european Atypus sp. are found on dry locations.
Here is a example for A. muralis


 
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