Can a tarantula be albino?

Josh Perry

Arachnosquire
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Jun 15, 2011
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62
I'm wondering if a tarantula can be albino I've never seen or heard of one. But it seams that almost every animal can produce an albino form. And if tarantulas can not be albino does anyone know why?
 

paassatt

Arachnoangel
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I don't think they are capable of having albinism because albinism is by definition the lack of melanin and pigment. I think having exoskeletons precludes them from suffering from that.
 

xhexdx

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I don't think they are capable of having albinism because albinism is by definition the lack of melanin and pigment. I think having exoskeletons precludes them from suffering from that.
This is correct, although I believe John Apple has 'albino' Centruroides gracilis. I think those may be some sort of light color form though, similar to H. incei "gold".

EDIT: Here's a link to Apple's thread: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?161435
 

Josh Perry

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That intresting so does this also exclude them from being able to have different morphs like how you can breed in reptiles?
 

Formerphobe

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I think it is Fartkowski who has an OBT color variant. Not sure that it would be considered a morph, definitely not an albino. Beautiful spider! Reminds me of an orange cream-sicle.
 

Tutone

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Approximately 15 years ago I saw 2 tarantulas fighting. One was normal and one was in fact an albino. So yes, they can be. I sat there and watched these 2 go at it for about 10 minutes amazed at what I was seeing. This was just before camera phones, otherwise I would have taken a bazillion pictures. The scene is burned into my brain though.
 

Toxoderidae

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Approximately 15 years ago I saw 2 tarantulas fighting. One was normal and one was in fact an albino. So yes, they can be. I sat there and watched these 2 go at it for about 10 minutes amazed at what I was seeing. This was just before camera phones, otherwise I would have taken a bazillion pictures. The scene is burned into my brain though.
why did you bring back a 5 year thread?
 

Matabuey

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Aug 9, 2016
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why did you bring back a 5 year thread?
You have issues. Go see a psychiatrist.

What's so wrong about commenting on an old thread with relevant information?

Rather than creating new ones, which won't contain posts from members that no longer frequent the forums. Posts which may contain some useful information/opinions.
 

14pokies

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Approximately 15 years ago I saw 2 tarantulas fighting. One was normal and one was in fact an albino. So yes, they can be. I sat there and watched these 2 go at it for about 10 minutes amazed at what I was seeing. This was just before camera phones, otherwise I would have taken a bazillion pictures. The scene is burned into my brain though.
What state were you in?
 

EulersK

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Feb 22, 2013
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Approximately 15 years ago I saw 2 tarantulas fighting. One was normal and one was in fact an albino. So yes, they can be. I sat there and watched these 2 go at it for about 10 minutes amazed at what I was seeing. This was just before camera phones, otherwise I would have taken a bazillion pictures. The scene is burned into my brain though.
No, it wasn't albino. Likely just a color morph. Albino does not mean "white", it means a lack of melanin.

What you saw was likely either a freshly molted tarantula, a different species, or a color morph. Without pictures or a specimen, it's all hearsay. Given that there is no scientific documentation of true albinism in insects or arachnids, that's about where the argument ends.

If you have any publications to show true albinism, I'd love to have a read.
 

Misty Day

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What's so wrong about commenting on an old thread with relevant information?

Rather than creating new ones, which won't contain posts from members that no longer frequent the forums. Posts which may contain some useful information/opinions.
Exactly. When people start new threads for old topics, they get told to use the search function. But when people actually use the search function, some people wonder why they brought back old threads. Doesn't make any sense.
 

EulersK

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Exactly. When people start new threads for old topics, they get told to use the search function. But when people actually use the search function, some people wonder why they brought back old threads. Doesn't make any sense.
What's irritating is when someone revives a thread to specifically address another user from years ago. That wasn't the case here, but that's where the general hate comes from I suppose.
 

Tutone

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Oct 13, 2016
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Sorry for bringing it back from the dead... I was simply looking for pictures of an albino tarantula (I recently told someone else my story of the "albino" due to their recent experience with one) and this thread popped up. So I read and wanted to comment. I am in the north Texas area and there are quite a few sightings of tarantulas in general here. Sorry, no pictures. Unless you have a pensive and a wand...
 

Venom1080

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Sorry for bringing it back from the dead... I was simply looking for pictures of an albino tarantula (I recently told someone else my story of the "albino" due to their recent experience with one) and this thread popped up. So I read and wanted to comment. I am in the north Texas area and there are quite a few sightings of tarantulas in general here. Sorry, no pictures. Unless you have a pensive and a wand...
albino tarantulas dont exist, sorry. you probably saw one right after post molt, or one molting and confused it with fighting. The color in ts is caused mainly by the refraction of light by the exoskeleton and not pigments. So traditional albinism is not possible.
 
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