Largest old world terrestrial?

[ezberserk]

Wanted to know what the largest old world terrestrial is actually available in the hobby?

 

[EightLeggedFrea]

Wild guess: P. muticus (formerly C. crawshayi).

 

[codykrr]

If memory serve me right I think it may be one of the Australian tarantulas.

 

[jbm150]

I think Phlogius sp. Aussie goliath is supposed to reach the 10" leg span range....

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Wild guess: P. muticus (formerly C. crawshayi).

That's not a terrestrial

 

[Zoltan]

That's not a terrestrial

Yes it is.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Yes it is.

What? I thought it was fossorial :?

 

[neubii18]

What? I thought it was fossorial :?

I believe you are correct...

 

[Zoltan]

What? I thought it was fossorial :?

Yes it is.

Terrestrial means living on the ground/land/earth, as opposed to aquatic or arboreal. Fossorial means "fitted for or having the habit of digging."

 

[jbm150]

For the sake of the conversation, I'd assume the question to include any non-arboreal Ts. Fossorial would be a subset of terrestrial. "Largest old world primarily-ground-dwelling tarantula?" more or less.

Anything described larger than the Aussie goliath? P. muticus tops out at about 8" or so right? Same with H. gigas, NSW Phlogius sps, and the schmidti Haplos? What about Thrigmopoeus truculentus, I've heard hushed whispers in back alleys of wild ones being pretty damn big....

 

[dtknow]

Pretty sure H. gigas doesn't get any larger than 7.

I'd say C. crawshayi until someone shows us a full grown Pholgius.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Well I don't consider the obligate burrowers like H. lividum and P. muticus to be terrestrial because they are always under ground and rarely out in the open. I wouldn't put them in the same category as species such as Lasiodora and Acanthoscurria, because they truly are different types.

But... That's how I see it, and the OP might have meant fossorial also.

 

[Zoltan]

Well I don't consider the obligate burrowers like H. lividum and P. muticus to be terrestrial because they are always under ground and rarely out in the open. I wouldn't put them in the same category as species such as Lasiodora and Acanthoscurria, because they truly are different types.

But... That's how I see it, and the OP might have meant fossorial also.

Please read my post again carefully.

Terrestrial means living on the ground/land/earth, as opposed to aquatic or arboreal.

Another way to put it might be "inhabiting the earth." By definition, a fossorial animal is a terrestrial animal. Many species which don't have a high tendency to burrow in captivity do burrow in the wild, make abandoned burrows their own or exploit natural cavities, but they don't sit out in the open all day waiting to be eaten. The term for these is opportunistic burrower. Both opportunistic burrowers and obligate burrowers are terrestrials since they don't live in the water or in trees.

BTW, about large Old World terrestrials:

What's all the fuss about Hysterocrates hercules - it's just a stumpy-legged, brown Hysterocrates with a large carapace :?

Phoneyusa belandana - now that's a considerably more impressive species. Or for the real African fan a mature male Phoneyusa bidentata ituriensis

According to the description by Ferdinand Karsch, the holotype of Phoneyusa belandana has a body length of 72 mm (roughly 2.88"), the prosoma being 34 mm (roughly 1.36") long. Leg lengths are as follows, excluding the first two segments (coxa and trochanter):
first leg - 72 mm (roughly 2.88")
fourth leg - 77.5 mm (roughly 3.1")

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

I see what you are saying Zoltan, but they're still separate in my records

And I should be getting my aquatic T soon, It's a C. submarineus

 

[2oCHEVYo0]

Honestly, just because a spider spends alot more time in a burrow than actually out in the open doesn't mean that it isn't a terrestrial. Take a look at the all mighty T. Blondi... The "Largest terrestrial on the planet" and alot of research and reading other posters stories lead me to believe that they spend long periods of time in burrows rather than running around in the open. Just because it's a obligate burrower/ opportunistic burrower does not NOT make it a terrestrial. Hopefully someone understands what I'm trying to say :}

 

[jbm150]

Well, seeing as how the OP hasn't been back to qualify his question, lets just group them together for the time being....

Pretty sure H. gigas doesn't get any larger than 7.

I'd say C. crawshayi until someone shows us a full grown Pholgius.

Really? I could swear I've read H. gigas routinely hit 8", if not larger. Hopefully anyways....

As for Phlogius, Steve Nunn has an 8" crassipes (hope he doesn't mind me showing it off):
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showpost.php?p=1577291&postcount=71

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

I still see it as:
(And I guess this applies to in captivity)

1. Terrestrial
2. Fossorial
3. Arboreal
4. Semi-Arboreal

I mean what if you were new to Ts and someone sold you a H. lividum and said it was a terrestrial. Wouldn't you think it would stay out in the open?

And yes, I understand that many terrestrials will burrow and utilize burrows, but is it to the extent of what the obligate burrowers use them?

Sorry for the derailment.

 

[jbm150]

I still see it as:
(And I guess this applies to in captivity)

1. Terrestrial
2. Fossorial
3. Arboreal
4. Semi-Arboreal

I mean what if you were new to Ts and someone sold you a H. lividum and said it was a terrestrial. Wouldn't you think it would stay out in the open?

And yes, I understand that many terrestrials will burrow and utilize burrows, but is it to the extent of what the obligate burrowers use them?

Sorry for the derailment.

Yes, we get that there is a distinction. Ok, for the sake of your argument, what in your opinion would be the largest terrestrial OW T? I can't think of any non-burrowing terrestrial OW Ts at all. They're all fossorial to some extent.... :? Something like an M. balfouri? Even the Chilos, which web a lot, burrow like hell.

 

[AussieT]

Hey guys,

Ok I found some images from Steve Nunn I thought were long lost since the Australian Tarantula Association closed down. These were the best I could do:
Here is Steves largest Phlogius Crassipes - the tank measures 190-200mm across and this big girl is easily longer than that. Steve had mentioned that this individual was just short of 9".

And here is the thread:
http://www.inverts.com.au/showthread.php?14689-Largest-single-spider-in-the-hobby-premium
I'll keep trying to find the pic of the huge Phlogius sp.Goliath Steve was handling, from what I remember Steve said it was bigger than his largest Crassipes.

---------- Post added at 02:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------

Ok one more thread I found on the Phlogius sp.Goliath where Steve states it to be our largest recorded spider
http://www.inverts.com.au/showthread.php?8963-largest&highlight=Largest+hobby
Sadly the images I was looking for have disappeared.

 

[toidy]

i'll go for selenocosmia crassipes! wish mine gets bigger already!