Just ordered a Sphaerobothria hoffmanni

[Nightshady]

Stumbled upon this species and was immediately intrigued... whitish coloration and the only NW with a horn, very cool!

Care information is a bit sparse, but I feel like I know enough to keep it alive. Anyone’s experience with this species that they want to share would be much appreciated. Can’t wait to get it!

 

[KezyGLA]

Keep as you would an A. seemanni and you are all good.

 

[Nightshady]

Keep as you would an A. seemanni and you are all good.

Thanks for the advice. That’s what I had determined from what info is out there. Curious about their behavior. Can’t find too much info on what their ‘T personality’ is like.

 

[KezyGLA]

Thanks for the advice. That’s what I had determined from what info is out there. Curious about their behavior. Can’t find too much info on what their ‘T personality’ is like.

No probs. I have noticed they like to burrow. Fairly skittish when young. Dont seem to have huge appetite either.

 

[Orionoid]

For some reason the name of this species looked fake to me. Like something a neural network would come up with if you asked it to make up scientific names for T's. That's a gorgeous spider, good luck with her!

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

Thinking I haven't heard of this species before, pretty interesting that they're the only NW with a horn though.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Thinking I haven't heard of this species before, pretty interesting that they're the only NW with a horn though.

They are not the only tarantula in the Americas with a horn. Stay tuned for a partial list.

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

They are not the only tarantula in the Americas with a horn. Stay tuned for a partial list.

I honestly didn't care to fact check the guy I just (for some reason) assumed it to be true.This should be interesting though.

 

[Nightshady]

They are not the only tarantula in the Americas with a horn. Stay tuned for a partial list.

Really? Good to know. Had read that they were the only horned NW a couple of places. Interested to see the list.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Here is the list of new world species of tarantula with "horns" excluding Sphaerobothria hoffmanni Karsch, 1879

Acanthoscurria acuminata Schmidt & Tesmoingt, 2005 (Bolivia, Brazil)
Cyrtopholis bryantae Rudloff, 1995 (Cuba)
Cyrtopholis gibbosa Franganillo, 1936 (Cuba)
Cyrtopholis regibbosa Rudloff, 1994 (Cuba)

 

[Venom1080]

Here is the list of new world species of tarantula with "horns" excluding Sphaerobothria hoffmanni Karsch, 1879

Acanthoscurria acuminata Schmidt & Tesmoingt, 2005 (Bolivia, Brazil)
Cyrtopholis bryantae Rudloff, 1995 (Cuba)
Cyrtopholis gibbosa Franganillo, 1936 (Cuba)
Cyrtopholis regibbosa Rudloff, 1994 (Cuba)

I do so enjoy your posts

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I honestly didn't care to fact check the guy I just (for some reason) assumed it to be true.This should be interesting though.

In all fairness, the guy you got your information from isn't completely wrong. Most people are basing their information on what is available in the pet trade. In that sense, S. hoffmanni is the only new world tarantula with a horn; the others I listed are not or at least so rare in the pet trade that I have never seen them for sale by anyone. Some base their information on picture websites like birdspiders.com, spiders.us, Wikipedia, or other informational websites that attempt to catalog and describe tarantula species. In that case, you can be misled in that IDs on many tarantula species are incorrect or the individual(s) providing information are not fully aware of every tarantula species described. Again, one isn't necessarily getting false information but in both cases the whole picture of known tarantula diversity in the world isn't being presented. What it comes down to is not very many people involved with tarantulas are spending their nights and weekends reading through description papers of the 900 some-odd species of tarantulas.

In another sense, one has to be clear on the definition of a "horn." In some cases the horn is a "foveal protuberance." Meaning the apodeme forms inside out and upwards from the foveal groove. This is what most picture when you see "horned tarantula" and the horn of most Ceratogyrus species fit this description. "Foveal protuberance" is how you would technically describe the horn of S. hoffmanni. In other cases, the horn is an extension of the caput, or cephalic region of the cephalothorax. This condition is where the back of a tarantula's head is directed backwards toward the abdomen and curves up. Acanthoscurria acuminata as well as the Cyrtopholis sp. I mentioned earlier fit this description. So again, if you say that S. hoffmanni is the only new world tarantula with a foveal protuberance then that is correct, but if you include both definitions of "horn" as described here, then S. hoffmanni is not the only horned tarantula from the new world.

 

[Nightshady]

In all fairness, the guy you got your information from isn't completely wrong. Most people are basing their information on what is available in the pet trade. In that sense, S. hoffmanni is the only new world tarantula with a horn; the others I listed are not or at least so rare in the pet trade that I have never seen them for sale by anyone. Some base their information on picture websites like birdspiders.com, spiders.us, Wikipedia, or other informational websites that attempt to catalog and describe tarantula species. In that case, you can be misled in that IDs on many tarantula species are incorrect or the individual(s) providing information are not fully aware of every tarantula species described. Again, one isn't necessarily getting false information but in both cases the whole picture of known tarantula diversity in the world isn't being presented. What it comes down to is not very many people involved with tarantulas are spending their nights and weekends reading through description papers of the 900 some-odd species of tarantulas.

In another sense, one has to be clear on the definition of a "horn." In some cases the horn is a "foveal protuberance." Meaning the apodeme forms inside out and upwards from the foveal groove. This is what most picture when you see "horned tarantula" and the horn of most Ceratogyrus species fit this description. "Foveal protuberance" is how you would technically describe the horn of S. hoffmanni. In other cases, the horn is an extension of the caput, or cephalic region of the cephalothorax. This condition is where the back of a tarantula's head is directed backwards toward the abdomen and curves up. Acanthoscurria acuminata as well as the Cyrtopholis sp. I mentioned earlier fit this description. So again, if you say that S. hoffmanni is the only new world tarantula with a foveal protuberance then that is correct, but if you include both definitions of "horn" as described here, then S. hoffmanni is not the only horned tarantula from the new world.

Really awesome that you’re so knowledgeable about T’s that you know info about ones that are very rarely or never seen in the pet trade. Much respect!