giant aphonopelma from arizona

[josh_r]

while on a trip hunting for A. behlei, i didnt find behlei, but i found a very large spider. this is an unnamed species as far as i know. this particular individual is not even as big as they come. ive seen larger ones.

these spiders live in very high elevation oak/pine forest between 5000 and 6000 ft in elevation. here are some habitat shots

this particular spider was found in very dense ponderosa pine forest. she was under a rock along side a 1" spiderling. unfortunately, it was snowing like crazy so i couldnt take pics of the specific habitat it was found in and couldnt get a pic of her and the sling in situ

these pics do not do her any justice. she looks much bigger in person i should measure her legspan to see how big she really is.

-josh

 

[digiwalker]

Thats one impressive tarantula! Looks alot like the canyon habitat I visited a couple years ago.

 

[John Apple]

Very nice man. looks like a cross between seemani and moderatum.
I am very interested in those also.
There are a lot more tarantulas here in the states than we know

 

[Veneficus]

It looks like a Tucson blond, or an Aphonopelma chalcodes. What part of Arizona were you?

Some of the A. paysoni, and the A. schmidti look similar but their rumps are darker.

 

[Gsc]

I love all the habitat photos...I'm heading to AZ in a few months during Monsoon season to herp & look for inverts.... it's a beautiful state.

There used to be a "Big" AZ Aphonopelma in the hobby a few years back... I believe the one I'm refering to came from one of the mountain ranges in SE AZ. Cool that you're finding alot of these.

In texas I have found the regular Texas Brown Aphonopelma sp. just feet away from Aphonopelma moderatum...

Graham

 

[josh_r]

a. paysoni... thats a funny name. there was someone else saying they were going to be called juniperi. lol!

the spider came from thick pine forest where behlei can be found. in my observations, payson blondes have a much richer color and lack the striations on the legs. payson blondes are also not as big from what ive noticed. this particular individual i have is not even as big as they come. ive seen much bigger. this is the spider that people were calling megastriatus for a while. turns out it was a joke and someone said it is just an abnormally large payson blonde...who knows.... i sure dont. i have a hunch it is something different though

-josh

 

[bio teacher]

What part of northern Arizona were these pictures taken?

 

[josh_r]

what makes you think i found this spider in northern arizona???

 

[bliss]

a. paysoni... thats a funny name. there was someone else saying they were going to be called juniperi. lol!

yes indeed. you are correct, sir.

i've talked to a field researcher in AZ. he said that it was going to be renamed Aphonopelma juniperi, because they are rarely found outside the juniper line (i can't remember if he was talking about A sp paysoni or A sp new river that was going to be renamed, but it was one of those).

so yes. if anyone sees juniperi, it more than likely is either just a paysoni or a sp "new river/ new river rust" only with a updated name.

that was what i was told, i can't say whether that's the truth 100%. i have no reason to doubt this field researcher. he works with very knowledgeable and well known individuals, both colleagues and professors. American Tarantulas are his thing.

pm me personally if you would like more information


dan

 

[Brent H.]

The terms "paysoni" and "juniperi" are pretty bogus names... unless they are being named after a Mr. Payson or a Mr. Juniper, I would be incredibly skeptical of someone who said they were going to name a new species by those names because it indicates they know very little about taxonomic nomenclature. And in my opinion, it will be pretty ill-advised of anyone to describe any of the eutylenum-group species until all of the type specimens have been examined and extensive sampling has been conducted.

 

[hamfoto]

...unless they are being named after a Mr. Payson or a Mr. Juniper...

Ha! I love it! I can't wait to meet Mr. or Mrs. Payson and Juniper...I've heard they are wonderful biologists who deserve a couple spiders named after them. ;P

Chris

 

[bio teacher]

The known range of A. behlei is northern AZ south to mountains around Flagstaff. I consider that northern AZ. If you have found A. behlei else where let me know.

 

[josh_r]

oh trust me, behlei is not limited to far northern arizona to flagstaff....actually, ive never found behlei around flagstaff. there is a very similar species found there. they are much smaller and lack the blue black color of behlei as well as the attitude of behlei. otherwise are near identicle. behlei is actually found pretty far south (phoenix and possibly tucson) actually, most of the individuals i have found were from right outside phoenix.

dan, was this guy you were talking to happen to be names wayne or ralph???? because that is where the paysoni and juniperi name originated from.....as well as megastriatus and moguli and paramoguli and charltons rust rump....i could go on forever...lol!

the new river rust rump is just an extra colorful flagstaff orange type spider. they are no different aside from that. i was finding those things before anyone had ever heard of it....thats because it was being called a flagstaff orange at the time!

all these names you hear are bogus! nobody really know whether they are different species until proper research is done! GO BRENT! by the way, i want to talk to you about a few species brent.

-josh

 

[josh_r]

oh, bio teacher, the locality is in central arizona in the lower ponderosa pine line. the habitat pics are not exact as it was snowing very heavily in the collection site. i cannot risk damaging my camera. so i waited for the snow to stop and snapped a show that was close to the collection site. the spider was found in habitat that behlei is typically found in. i do believe it is the "paysoni or juniperi" or whatever. i couldnt say for sure however.

 

[SNAFU]

Great looking big aphonopelma lady! Looks pretty close to a pic on Reptist site for an Aphonopelma sp. Huachuca-Huachuca Mountain Blonde :? Not exact but close.

 

[mattnsariah]

Hey those are some awesome photo's. We are about to move to show low AZ in june! I can't wait personally! I have no idea what type of T's I will be finding out there....... but we will be about an hour from that grand canyon. Perhaps will find some great T's such as this. I would love to know exactly what this one is

 

[John Apple]

I have that very same spider in the pics here at home and it is unusually tame.
Except when it eats then it is all business. It and the sling are pretty docile

 

[josh_r]

i dont know what species this is. as far as i know its a large payson blonde which i think is just chalcodes. she is huge and very docile.

ya know, show low is not very far from many great species. behlei, marxi, vogela, phasmus, a paloma type dwarf, a smaller behlei type, and even teh big one i posted pics of are not far from showlow at all. all u gotta do is get out there and do the foot time... as in HIKE! you will find them eventually.

-josh

 

[MelGibson]

dan, was this guy you were talking to happen to be names wayne or ralph????

-josh

ive been buying payson blondes from a guy named wayne, im sure its the same guy; is he in Az?

 

[josh_r]

i wouldnt buy anything from wayne. this guy destroys habitat badly and destroys populations. i know areas that were once full of tarantulas that are now void of them after he collected there.