New Australian Tarantula - The Rattle Snake Tarantula

[DrAce]

...
From what Ive read, death in dogs from an Aussie tarantula envenomation
usually occurs in about half an hour.

Rottweil Express: “Sounds like a bag of poo.”

Not according to Brendan who is President of the Australian Tarantula Association and has also studied vetinary science. I don’t know about the dogs being in a basket though. However, Brendan has talked with the dog breeder who saw the tarantula biting her puppies. She had collected the spider and shown it to Brendan who identified it as a Selenotholous Townsville species. The two surviving dogs have renal problems.

There are excellent papers posted above on the subject. They have pretty conclusive evidence that the venom of these tarantulas is particularly nasty to dogs and cats.

 

[PhilK]

I also realise that, being new, it won't be very well documented. But, to be fair, if it's being labelled as 'new' then there has to be some paper, or journal article, or peer-reviewed something on it. Otherwise, we're all talking about something which is heresay.

What do you mean by "if it's new there must be some paper or peer-reviewed something?" That isn't true at all ..Just because it hasn't had a paper written on it it doesn't mean it doesn't exist mate.. It's not heresay, as you've seen the video of it being alive. You have also heard that it does not fit into any genera we have here in Australia, erego it is a new genus.

Seriously, though, we haven't seen any information apart from a couple of links to a couple of other threads.

I'd like to know more about if this really is a new species. And how that conclusion is being made.

You've seen no info other than that because there is no info other than that.. Yes it is a new species, and probably a new genus. This conclusion is being made because people that know what they're talking about in regards to Aussie Ts have noted it fits into no existing genera or species.. Simple.

There is a LOT of work going on with Aussie Ts and when its time comes the rattlesnake will be looked at and written about too.

 

[crpy]

I dont think they have rattle snakes in Australia, it would be cool if the "T" was using the stridulation for mimicry

 

[DrAce]

What do you mean by "if it's new there must be some paper or peer-reviewed something?" That isn't true at all ..Just because it hasn't had a paper written on it it doesn't mean it doesn't exist mate.. It's not heresay, as you've seen the video of it being alive. You have also heard that it does not fit into any genera we have here in Australia, erego it is a new genus.


You've seen no info other than that because there is no info other than that.. Yes it is a new species, and probably a new genus. This conclusion is being made because people that know what they're talking about in regards to Aussie Ts have noted it fits into no existing genera or species.. Simple.

There is a LOT of work going on with Aussie Ts and when its time comes the rattlesnake will be looked at and written about too.

Mate, I'm not trying to be a jerk.

Before this becomes an 'official' new genus, it'll get submitted to some journal, or central organisation... right? I mean, there will be somewhere where these things are centrally organised, and it will be submitted there. That's why when we talk of species, there are often names and years listed after them... it's a reference to the discoverer.

What I was asking, is specifically what this new genus classification is based on... other than the sound that we have at the moment. I've seen pictures of the strudulating organ on the Australian message board, followed by a discussion of how diagnostic that was.

I appreciate that some experts have decided it falls into a new category. I don't know them, and I would like to know if there is any additional information you can give us.

You mention above that there is not, however, so I am waiting eagerly for more.

Again, this is not an attempt at being offensive, it's an attempt to learn more.

 

[saminthemiddle]

The young spiders burrow under rocks or roots; in adults, these burrows can reach a length of up to two meters and are lined with much silk.

It sounds like a good pet hole to me...

 

[dragonblade71]

DrAce: "Before this becomes an 'official' new genus, it'll get submitted to some journal, or central organisation... right?"

And I'm sure in time, it will be. Remember, it is very early days here. Official paperwork and documentation takes time. Who knows how long it will take for new genus and species names to be created and approved.

If you want to know which physical traits were used to determine that this tarantula belongs to a new genus, here are some quotes from Steve Nunn who has had a very thorough examination of an excuvium:

"After examing the first exuvium from one of these, I have good news. When we look at the genera of the Selenocosmiinae (some 14 genera), we look to certain character states to identify them. There is no single character used to do the task, so we implimented a character set to do the job. When I look to a genus, I look at three primary character states for variation, the stridulating organ (both on the maxilla and chelicera), the mature male embolus and the mature female spermethecal recepticles. There is very little variation in the Aussie spermethecae, so I was both surprised AND relieved to see an obvious variation to the known material, all of it. This is a great case of one character supporting another for generic placement. Another point of interest, this species is the loudest and most distinct stridulator in the whole family Theraphosidae. That means out of all the worlds tarantulas, this one is the most distinct and noisiest when it comes to whistling. Pretty cool considering a stridulating structure can be found on tarantulas from all the major continents the beasties are found on (and not just a character present in Australian fauna)."

"Over the next couple weeks I'll draw the goodies up, all of them. The spermethecae are long as in Selenotypus/Selenotholus (whos spermethecae look identical FYI, long, divided and unilobular, looking just like two tombstones hanging from the epigastic furrow), however, they are NOT tombstone/box shaped, in fact they look like elongated versions of the unilobular spermethecae seen in the Philippine genus Orphnaecus, except with swollen terminal bulbs and they curve inwards more. Wait for an image or illustration to see what I mean. Definately a new genus 100%, the spermethecae support that totally."

 

[dragonblade71]

DrAce: “I've seen pictures of the strudulating organ on the Australian message board, followed by a discussion of how diagnostic that was.”

Hmmm…I didn’t see any pictures of the stridulating organ on the Aussie forum. However, I did see some illustrations of the spermethecae present in different genera on that forum and it seems clear at least to me, that this sexual organ in the ‘rattlesnake tarantula’ is distinctly different in shape to what is found in Selenotypus, Selenotholus, Phlogius and Coremiocnemis.

http://theata.org/forum/index.php?topic=1144.75

http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spermethecaeaussieol5.jpg

 

[DrAce]

...
And I'm sure in time, it will be. Remember, it is very early days here. Official paperwork and documentation takes time. Who knows how long it will take for new genus and species names to be created and approved.

If you want to know which physical traits were used to determine that this tarantula belongs to a new genus, here are some quotes from Steve Nunn who has had a very thorough examination of an excuvium:

"After examing the first exuvium from one of these, I have good news. When we look at the genera of the Selenocosmiinae (some 14 genera), we look to certain character states to identify them. There is no single character used to do the task, so we implimented a character set to do the job. When I look to a genus, I look at three primary character states for variation, the stridulating organ (both on the maxilla and chelicera), the mature male embolus and the mature female spermethecal recepticles. There is very little variation in the Aussie spermethecae, so I was both surprised AND relieved to see an obvious variation to the known material, all of it. This is a great case of one character supporting another for generic placement. Another point of interest, this species is the loudest and most distinct stridulator in the whole family Theraphosidae. That means out of all the worlds tarantulas, this one is the most distinct and noisiest when it comes to whistling. Pretty cool considering a stridulating structure can be found on tarantulas from all the major continents the beasties are found on (and not just a character present in Australian fauna)."

"Over the next couple weeks I'll draw the goodies up, all of them. The spermethecae are long as in Selenotypus/Selenotholus (whos spermethecae look identical FYI, long, divided and unilobular, looking just like two tombstones hanging from the epigastic furrow), however, they are NOT tombstone/box shaped, in fact they look like elongated versions of the unilobular spermethecae seen in the Philippine genus Orphnaecus, except with swollen terminal bulbs and they curve inwards more. Wait for an image or illustration to see what I mean. Definately a new genus 100%, the spermethecae support that totally."

...
Hmmm…I didn’t see any pictures of the stridulating organ on the Aussie forum. However, I did see some illustrations of the spermethecae present in different genera on that forum and it seems clear at least to me, that this sexual organ in the ‘rattlesnake tarantula’ is distinctly different in shape to what is found in Selenotypus, Selenotholus, Phlogius and Coremiocnemis.

http://theata.org/forum/index.php?topic=1144.75

http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spermethecaeaussieol5.jpg

Thank you for that additional information.

The thread you forwarded to me is different to the one that was linked earlier on in the discussion.

I am also aware that these things take time, but - as I mentioned - at the moment, all we were being shown was a couple of threads saying there was a new Genus. Knowing what has gone into that decision is useful, and I appreciate you forwarding this info to us.

It's certainly a great find, and I hope we get to hear more about it.

 

[MalevolentScorp]

It probably will be years before you see this species in the states. It probably take years for Aussie scientists or any scientists even to study it and properly put it in its own genus.

 

[PhilK]

Considering it was only very recently found and there isn't any male yet, it'll probably be years until we Aussies have it!

 

[GOMER113]

Cute spider. I like how it giggles when it gets tickled by the tongs.

Seriously though, that is an awesome spider!

 

[ZergFront]

They took it down.

 

[Ariel]

They took it down.

I noticed that when I went to show a friend recently. I was pretty dissapointed...

 

[JDeRosa]

For sick4x4

Here is where I saw something about them being able to kill dogs. Like I said before, though, it's not necessarily true or false. Since I do not know for certain, I am just pointing out one such thread where that idea of dog killing T's has been discussed.

Actually the Queensland Tarantula can kill dogs but not humans. Saw that on Animal Planet.

 

[that70sshow]

damn i wanted to see that vid