Mystery T

[pategirl]

I purchased two of these beautiful T's today at a pet shop....the guy had no clue as to what they were, except that they were called a vietnamese tiger tarantula....I posted a oic here, but it's a little fuzzy...my camera batteries need charged. Hopefully you all can give me some thoughts as to what they might be....I think they may be H. Minax, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[pategirl]

I messed up that one...here's the pic:

 

[conipto]

Well, it is hard to tell from the picture, but given abdomen pattern, I would guess definately Haplopelma, but more than likely aureopilosum than minax. Some reasons I'd think so are the lightness of the striping on the abdomen, and how different the colors are between the femurs and the rest of the legs. also, it appears to have that carapace "halo" that aureopilosum has, but then again, I'm not sure of your lighting, etc. Get us a little closer and less fuzzy pic if you can when your batteries charge.

On a side note, H. aureopilosum's are pretty damn cool too. I love mine.

Bill

 

[Chris]

Cyriopagopus Paganus

That will stir up shiznit with the haplopelma fan club... but thats what they are sold as in the pet trade.

 

[pategirl]

Better pic coming soon...I got a new set of batteries...

 

[Arachnopuppy]

I think it is a minax. Looks like a minax.

 

[pategirl]

better pics

Here's the better pics...

 

[pategirl]

Here's the abdomen...it's a little thin in my opinion.

 

[Chris]

Handling anything from asia is gutsy in my opinion... except for the women of course

I find all the asian spiders to be VERY fast and quite grumpy.

 

[Theraphosa]

looks like a Cyriopagopus paganus...

 

[Arachnopuppy]

It is definitely a minax because I think it is too black to be aureopilosum, I think. The thing that I don't get is what is it doing on your arm? Do you have desire to die?

 

[Tarantula Lover]

hey

I agree with Lam, are you crazy? you dont even know what it is yet! (you are gutsy!) I will say H.minax, it is nice and black! cool pic too! Is it aggressive? Hope this helps!

James

 

[pategirl]

It didn't do anything but walk around....

 

[pategirl]

And yes, I am crazy.

 

[Lantang]

Looks like a very blue C.paganus, aka Haplopelma ssp."longipedum."
yuri

 

[conipto]

I would think by now that all of Joy's posts and the like would have ingrained into people that a nasty reputation does not guarantee a nasty tarantula. These mean, nasty, unhandleable tarantulas, while possessing a high chance of being mean and nasty, are not to be totally assumed evil.

For example, One particularly bad night, after talking to people in the chat, I had come to the conclusion that I was going to use my self as scientific evidence one way or the other on the whole Poecilotheria venom topic. So I opened up my 3 inch P. regalis' tank, stuck my finger right in front of it, and said "Bite me, and be quick about it." Thing didn't move. So I lightly touched it's carapace with my forefinger. It hunkered down a bit, and backed up. I winced, ready for pain, and nothing. I then thought maybe it would respond more to touching it's legs. I even lifted one up with my finger, a split second before it took off running away terrified. After remembering just how fast it was, I decided that perhaps I'd leave scientific research to um.. scientists. I have since come to the conclusion that I was being incredibly stupid, but that maybe some of these things aren't as out to get people like everyone says.

That said, allow me to issue the standard disclaimer that unless you have absolutely nothing better to do than get bitten, and really don't care about anything regarding personal safety, use caution when handling species such as these.

Bill

 

[pategirl]

I feel that I have to see for myself the attitude of my T's....they're individuals. If they assume a threat posture or anything, I know to back off. Suprisingly, my rosie is the most aggressive of the bunch. I do believe these two are C.paganus...but I got a good deal on them, so I'm happy no matter what they are.

 

[Chris]

Gutsy move! I was about ready to do the same in front of city council to prove a point.

I think a lot of bites result from the tarantula feeling pinned down or cornered. Fighting is usually secondary to flight in the animal world because it has a much lower chance for harm. A lot of the bites I hear about are people that have their T bolt on them and they panic and grab the spider. It thinks it is in danger so WHAM.

Had you physically grabbed instead of poking your pokie I can almost surely assume you would have been bitten.

If you really want to get bitten come on over and stick your finger in the cage with my Lividium or my Paganus... both of them strike madly at me when I come within 6 feet of the cage lol so I would say they have earned their reputation with me!

 

[Arachnopuppy]

I have observed that sometimes a strike from an aggressive species like the minax isn't necessarily a bite. I have never personally tested it by using my own flesh. But I have used objects that look like things and very carefully observed how they strike. Sometimes they used their fangs and sometimes they just went at the doll and pull back really fast to make it look like a strike to bite.

pategirl, if they just walk around like you described, then I don't know what to think. Maybe you have in your possession mutant tarantulas, the firsts of their kind.

 

[pategirl]

The attitude will probably change as they get settled in....