Explain to me about color phases

[thumpersalley]

For instance, the Red phase of the G. rosea.
How does it happen?
Is it from selective breeding?
Is it geography location?
How many species have color phases?

Dont tell me to use the search button, already did that & came up with lots of for sale threads.

Kim

 

[JimM]

Color phases are naturally occurring color variations in an organism, often but not always due to locality/environment. This can be observed in a great may animals, not just tarantulas. Birds, reptiles, fish, mammals, etc.

A panther for instance is a melanistic phase of the jaguar or leopard.

 

[thumpersalley]

I totally understand color phases of species other than inverts, I even understand common & difficult morph terms & genetics. I breed rare show pigeons so I have to have some knowledge there too. I just dont have any knowledge with tarantula phases & why they happen. Kim

 

[JimM]

I totally understand color phases of species other than inverts, I even understand common & difficult morph terms & genetics. I breed rare show pigeons so I have to have some knowledge there too. I just dont have any knowledge with tarantula phases & why they happen. Kim

You were wondering if some color phases in theraphosids were due to breeding?

The term doesn't have a different meaning with the respect to tarantulas.

To the extent that they occur in Theraphosids, it's most often (nothing is all the time) due to locality.

 

[micheldied]

Weren't the regular rosies and the RCF distinguished as a different species?

 

[JimM]

I thought that was the latest yes.

 

[Poxicator]

Colour phases can occur due to a number of factors including locational colour variants, dry/moist substrates, moult cycles or worst of all the unscrupulous dealer syndrome!

P. murinus is a prime example, it inhabits over 13 different African countries and can be found in scrubland around the roots of Acacia trees, however it can also be found within mountainous regions solely living arboreally. The most obvious of these is the RCF (OBT) but there are golden and black colour forms. Mating these together suggests a misture of either of the colour forms mated. This is locational colour variation, neither is recognised as a separate species. yet!

Some people have noted that keeping species on a more moist substrate and in darker environments will develop darker colour forms with more contrasting patterns.

The likes of T. blondi change colour as they move towards moulting, from a chocolate brown to a rusty red but my personal experience has also suggested that keeping them moist has shown them to retain the rusty red colours. This could be explained by age but its something I enquired on the BTS forums.

G. rosea is known as the red colour form Chile Rose, however, there's current taxonomy yet to be published(?) that suggests the normal colour variation (grey brown) is G. porteri. Considering the size of Chile its quite likely that one evolved from the other and followed the natural evolution to a separate species. G. porteri is suggested to have more or larger stridulating organs than G. rosea.

Unfortunately there are collectors and suppliers out there that will suggest a colour variant is a separate species, much in the same way that Avics are suggested as different species according to collection data. This often puts the price up and increases demand. I'd be careful here as you may find the colour form you have develops into the normal colour form that everyone else has.

Its worth noting that colour variation is not a taxonomical feature.