Looking for examples of tarantula symbiosis.

[Arachnomaniac19]

I've recently been more and more curious on the effects that symbiosis has on the evolutionary path of certain species or groups of animals and plants. Any verifiable examples of tarantula symbiosis would be appreciated. I've heard of a Xenethis spp. with a frog hanging out in it's burrow, but I'm not too sure what that would constitute as?

Thanks,
Bryce.

 

[Roosterbomb]

There are a species of frogs that live with an aphonopelma species. I think it eats the ants in the burrow.

 

[Chris11]

I think its a long shot to call this natural symbiosis, but pill bugs in a Theraphosa enclosure is man made symbiosis id say. I dont know if they live "together" in the wild

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I've recently been more and more curious on the effects that symbiosis has on the evolutionary path of certain species or groups of animals and plants. Any verifiable examples of tarantula symbiosis would be appreciated. I've heard of a Xenethis spp. with a frog hanging out in it's burrow, but I'm not too sure what that would constitute as?

Thanks,
Bryce.

Search Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) for "tarantula symbiotic relationship", read what you can, and look for the articles listed in the references. The behavior of toads living with tarantulas is referred to as "mutualism." Here is a few I found.

Dundee, Harold A., Cara Shillington, and Colin M. Yeary. "INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TARANTULAS (APHONOPELMA HENTZI) AND NARROW-MOUTHED TOADS (GASTROPHYRNE OLIVACEA): SUPPORT FOR A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP." Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany 32.1 (2012).

Karunarathna, D. M. S. S., and AA Thasun Amarasinghe. "Mutualism in Ramanella nagaoi Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2001 (Amphibia: Microhylidae) and Poecilotheria species (Aracnida [sic]: Thereposidae [sic]) from Sri Lanka." Taprobanica 1 (2009): 16-18.

Schalk, Christopher M., and Marco Sezano. "Observations on the use of tarantula burrows by the anurans Leptodactylus bufonius (Leptodactylidae) and Rhinella major (Bufonidae) in the Dry Chaco ecoregion of Bolivia." Acta Herpetologica 9.1 (2014): 99-102.

---------- Post added 11-02-2015 at 01:15 PM ----------

I think its a long shot to call this natural symbiosis, but pill bugs in a Theraphosa enclosure is man made symbiosis id say. I dont know if they live "together" in the wild

They do. I've seen many a wood louse/ pill bug in and around the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi here in Dallas and the surrounding area, but even in nature, I wouldn't call it a symbiotic relationship.

 

[Philth]

To quote Stuart Longhorn from another forum....

These are the species found together based on reports (1) In USA: Narrow mouth frog Gastrophryne sp with Aphonopelma hentzi, (2) In Mexico/Central America: Tungara frog Engystomops sp, with Aphonopelma seemanni, Brachypelma kahlenbergi (perhaps mistaken in an old report as an Aphonopelma), B.auratum, and Sericopelma sp. (3) In Peru (as per photo): Chiasmocleis cf. ventrimaculata with Pamphobeteus sp (often mistaken as Xenesthis sp.), (4) In India: Bullfrog Kaloula taprobanica with Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica / Indet frog with Chilobrachys sp. (5) In Sri Lanka: Pugsnout frog Ramanella nagaoi with Poecilotheria ornata/subfusca.

 

[Chris11]

They do. I've seen many a wood louse/ pill bug in and around the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi here in Dallas and the surrounding area, but even in nature, I wouldn't call it a symbiotic relationship.

Very cool to know!

 

[Pandinus97]

You would like this one

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/tiny-frogs-and-giant-spiders-best-of-friends/

 

[Chris11]

Everyone should read that

 

[Sana]

Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed the article.