malaysian earth tiger

[SurfinJB]

Can't find much on these. Any of you care to share your expierences. I'm thinking of getting one. Looks like a cool spider...

 

[LaRiz]

Originally posted by SurfinJB
Looks like a cool spider...

They are a cool spider! Malaysian Earth Tigers, Cyriopagopus thorelli have that typical spicey asian attitude. They are a large species and can be very fast when they wanna be.
Built like an arboreal tarantula, they are more opportunistic in choosing a den site. Though mine choose to live a terrestrial lifestyle, Mark Pennell, last year, embarked on the Malaysian Earth Tiger Tour, and reported that this species was found in trees. They can be found in trees, in the ground and everywhere in between.
This species is one of the few that are sexually dimorphic even before males reach their ultimate molts. Females are much darker overall, and males are obviously greener.
One asian specialist, Volker von Wirth, suggests that pet-trade Cyriopagopus thorelli are actually Cyriopagopus schioedtei.
Pictured is an adult female.
john

 

[LaRiz]

Here's a young female Cyriopagopus thorelli. Around 4". Note the more-brownish coloration of the legs.
john

 

[LaRiz]

Here is a sub-adult male. Note that he has a more-greenish coloration.
john

 

[LaRiz]

And here is an ultimate male. You can obviously see the big difference in color change. Matured males are a very neat tarantula. As I've said before, I wish they could last forever at this stage. One would notice, that males, in this stage are extremely defensive.
john

 

[Lopez]

Excellent pics LaRiz - the ultimate male looks stunning.

We could do with a pictures thread like this on each of the Cyriopagopus/Haplopelma species really, seeing as the taxonomy of most Indian species isn't exactly fantastic.

 

[SurfinJB]

So do you keep yours as arboreal or like a usmabara and give them the choice with a couple inches of substrate and a tank turned upright? By the way after seeing those pics I definetly got to get one. Anything else I should know?

 

[petitegreeneyes]

Woo-Hoo John, That means all three of my juvies are females
I give mine a burrow and so far they all like to be underground. So like John says they are being terrestrial and aboreal.

 

[SurfinJB]

One more question-- How's their growth rate?

 

[vulpina]

John is right about this species being found everywhere, I talked with Rick West about this species before I purchased mine. He said they were opportunistic burrowing/arboreal spiders. Living anywhere from the crooks of trees to under rocks, in burrows and anywhere in between.

Andy