Missouri tarantula

[sansoucie]

Hmm I didn't know my state had tarantulas. Looks like I will have to keep an eye out. Anyone ever heard of this?

http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/arthopo/mospider/kinds.htm

 

[Arachnogeek]

Hmmm...

I think the local pet shop here has one for sale. I will have to look again next time I go. I seem to remember seeing the species "hentzi" while I was there.

Dan

 

[Trinity]

I looked up the scientific name they had on that site and learned that Dugesiella Hentzi became Aphonopelma hentzi. In sites that I looked at it was claimed by Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri so it seems it has a southern midwest dispersion. It also had several common names such as Oklahoma Brown and Texas Brown. You'll find some nice pics and even care sheets and places selling them by searching under Aphonopelma hentzi.

I used to live in the suburbs of Kansas City. I believe I saw one of these a few years ago in our garage. My step dad really wanted to kill the spider, but I convinced him that if we shut the door and left, he'd been gone the next day or so when we came back, which he was.

It definitely seemed to be a tarantula due to its five inch or so leg span and certainly did look like the pics. I wasnt aware previously that there were tarantulas in this area, but with mild winters species that would normal be killed when they got too far north have been living. (I know there were reports of armadillos being in the area too.)

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Which suburb did you live in?

I've lived in KC, Raytown, Lee's Summit, and Warrensburg.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Oh yeah, I never saw a tarantula in my 26 years of living in Missouri. My mom told me that she did when she was a kid.

Anyways, you gotta love the MO Dept. Conservation website. It truly is one of the best state wildlife webpages out there. Actually, it probably is the best.

Jon

 

[Botar]

They are Aphonopelma hentzi. We have them in parts of eastern Kansas also. I have caught them near Table Rock Lake in the Branson area, but I've never seen them anywhere else. I spent most of my childhood camping, canoeing, and hunting in southern Missouri, but that area is the only place I've ever found them.

Where are you in Missouri? I attend shows in St. Louis, KC, and this weekend, in Ozark near Springfield. If you are close to one of those areas, you should stop in and say hi.

Botar

 

[sansoucie]

I'm about 45 min west of St.Louis on hwy 44. Since I am new to this hobby I had no idea there were shows! I'd love to go to one as I would like to see some of these species in person. Where exactly is this show and what's gpoing to be there?

Up until about 6 yrs ago I was a serious outdoorsy person : spelunking,learned to rock climb, and was an avid hunter ( Yes, I know.. strange for a woman...) and I have always enjoyed nature. I have NEVER seen one of these Ts in all my wanderings. I did see the missouri rattlesnake, but no T. I also was friends with the reptile ranch out here who rescues large reptiles ( as in alligators and caymans that people buy and think they're neat until they eat someone's cat) and they told me there was a large hairy spider that was called a T but wasn't a true T. Guess they were wrong! LOL! Looks like I will be hunting a WC T this summer!
On my property we have everythi g from deer and turkey in our backyard to bobcats on the ridge. A resident owl thats been here years and at the gas station a turkey hunter told me there were 2 sightings of MOUNTAIN LIONS in my area! LOL! I dunno if I believe that one, but it wouldn't suprise me.

 

[Trinity]

Which suburb did you live in?

I've lived in KC, Raytown, Lee's Summit, and Warrensburg.

I lived in Olathe, Kansas. Now I live just outside of Lawrence in Eudora. My parent's property in Olathe is in the oldest section of town (the house was built in 1852 according to the title deed) and has a lot of land that backs up to a creek. The garage is an out building behind the house. It was my grandmothers house and when she passed away, my parents rented it to me and my husband.

In all my camping and canoeing in Southern Missouri, I've only ever seen that one tarantula in the garage. The same backyard is also home to a resident woodchuck (ground hog) who I must say is adorable. And I've also seen minks (definitely ferret size, but wild) out in the creek. My neighbor ran to get me because he believed one of my ferrets might have gotten out. But this creature was able to swim a creek swelling pretty high with rain with its babies in its mouth to take them to higher ground. And there's never a shortage of birds, bunnies, field mice, and squirrels.

When my husband and I lived there, we called it our backyard zoo.

 

[sansoucie]

Missouri is a neat place. We live on a bluff over the Meremec river and we get all sorts of critters coming up from the bottom land by the river. We have seen those big orchard spiders, and lemme tell you, they scare the poo out of me as they are so mean looking.

If I were to look for a T in the woods around here, what would I look for? Are they opportunistic and use other abandoned burrows usually, any ground level indications for T's?

 

[Zach33]

Sansoucie,

Believe it! I live in south western Iowa about 5-10 minutes from Omaha Nebraska. We have had several mountain lion sightings, not to mention a lady hit one on her way to work! They are really starting to disperse out from the mountains. I'm still alittle uncomfortable thinking that there could be a big hungry kitty in my backyard!

 

[sansoucie]

Yeah, My neighbors already think I'm a nutcase running around the back yard with my kids net trying to catch a pet squirrel, wonder what they'll think if I set out a huge livetrap for a new kitty?? ;P

 

[Botar]

I'm about 45 min west of St.Louis on hwy 44. Since I am new to this hobby I had no idea there were shows! I'd love to go to one as I would like to see some of these species in person. Where exactly is this show and what's gpoing to be there?

... there were 2 sightings of MOUNTAIN LIONS in my area! LOL! I dunno if I believe that one, but it wouldn't suprise me.

The show this weekend is a venomous reptile expo in Ozark, MO, just on the southern edge of Springfield. The next show I'll be attending in St. Louis is June 20, 2004. Go to my website and check the links section to go to the shows websites for more info. Let me know if you'll be at one and I'll bring a WC A. hentzi so you can see one in person. I've got a few adults that were caught in eastern Kansas as well as about 35 spiderlings left over from an egg sac.

As for the mountain lion sightings, Monday we had a woman report a mountain lion entered her backyard and walked off with one of her Chihuahuas. That occurred less than a half mile south of my house. I'm not sure if I believe her account though as I don't know anything about her. It could have been a coyote or bobcat... not certain as to her experiences with wildlife or her mental stability.

Botar

 

[sansoucie]

Is the show in St.Louis reptile or Invert? I would enjoy taking the kids to a show, and I would love to go as I have never been. Is it like a homeshow type thing where everyone "shows" there stuff in a huge room?

LOL@ the mental stability and mountain lion thing! We had a black bear here not 100 yards from the major highway digging in trashcans and when a dog went after it it killed the dog. It's still out there and conservation is keeping an eye out. Makes you wonder whats going on doesn't it?

 

[Botar]

In our area they are all going to be reptile shows. Some reptile vendors will have some inverts, but "invert only" dealers usually include me and another local guy from KC. They are somewhat like a home show. The one in St. Louis is larger than the venomous show, but you'll see some unusual stuff at the venomous expo. At the last venomous expo they had a 7' albino cobra... it was an awesome sight.

Botar

 

[sansoucie]

I dunno if he is still in operation, but there was a guy in Stanton Mo that had a reptile ranch. Full size alligators and one of the largest dang pythons I have ever seen! I took the kids to it and got to hold a big ol alligator. Pretty neat!! He also had some inverts, but nothing special. I will definately go to the one in St.Louis and hopr to see you there. Seems all the snakes I think are pretty are either out of my pricerange, or venomous! I'll stick to T's