Please help me identify this tarantula.
This male tarantula was collected at the scenic site of Las Piedrotas, near the town of Tapalpa, Mexico. I am unsure of its species, but I think the genus is Aphonopelma.
This is a map of the Location:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=19.599921,-103.600087&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.411029,92.900391&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12
My best guess is that it is Aphonopelma nayaritum, which resembles this tarantula and was first identified less than 200 miles to the north. I defer to the more knowledgeable members of this forum to help me identify it.
In natural lighting, the carapace and body are a lovely cocoa color. He has a very soft and almost powdery look to his body. The ventral portions of the rear two legs have a kind of serrated feeling to them, like the legs of grasshoppers. (I don’t handle many of my tarantulas so these serrations may have just escaped my notice with others.) The rump has a jet black patch dorsally with delicate rose/orange color setae. Behaviorally, this tarantula is quite docile and confident.
In the photos, I have placed him on a Go board for an estimation of size. Each square is roughly 7/8” (2.24 cm). In a lot of the photos he is pretty scrunched up.
Please help me identify this subtle, but lovely tarantula.
Kind regards,
Jim
This male tarantula was collected at the scenic site of Las Piedrotas, near the town of Tapalpa, Mexico. I am unsure of its species, but I think the genus is Aphonopelma.
This is a map of the Location:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=19.599921,-103.600087&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.411029,92.900391&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12
My best guess is that it is Aphonopelma nayaritum, which resembles this tarantula and was first identified less than 200 miles to the north. I defer to the more knowledgeable members of this forum to help me identify it.
In natural lighting, the carapace and body are a lovely cocoa color. He has a very soft and almost powdery look to his body. The ventral portions of the rear two legs have a kind of serrated feeling to them, like the legs of grasshoppers. (I don’t handle many of my tarantulas so these serrations may have just escaped my notice with others.) The rump has a jet black patch dorsally with delicate rose/orange color setae. Behaviorally, this tarantula is quite docile and confident.
In the photos, I have placed him on a Go board for an estimation of size. Each square is roughly 7/8” (2.24 cm). In a lot of the photos he is pretty scrunched up.
Please help me identify this subtle, but lovely tarantula.
Kind regards,
Jim