Poecilotheria metallica variations

[micheldied]

Hello all,

excuse me if this has been discussed before. I have a question about the P. metallica color variations.
From what I've gathered, there are three: the blue, the black, and the gray-blue color forms.
My question is if anyone knows if these are actual color variations found independently from each other(from different locales, for example),
or have people gotten all three different variations from the same sac?

 

[lalberts9310]

To my knowledge, P. Metallica darkens with age, it will start out blue and the older the T gets, the more black it's likely to be (seen in older females). I doubt that there are colour variations (born black or blue-grey), I think the T goes through colour changes as it gets older, but I can be wrong though. So waiting for someone with experience on this species to chime in.

 

[Poec54]

I believe blue/grey is a legitimate variation. There's also a black form of striata, a white form of formosa, 2 color forms of ornata, and 2 or 3 of regalis. Because only a handful of Poecs have been brought into captivity & propagated, we usually don't see the full range of variations that occur in India and Sri Lanka.

 

[Angel Minkov]

I still haven't seen pictures/proof of spiders like P. ornata "blue" (let alone heard of a second variation) or 2-3 forms of regalis. Most breeders (and taxonomists) say a P. ornata "blue" does NOT exist. Black form striata/white formosa seems doable and I've seen photos, but I have seen 0 proof of the others being in the hobby/described.

 

[micheldied]

To my knowledge, P. Metallica darkens with age, it will start out blue and the older the T gets, the more black it's likely to be (seen in older females). I doubt that there are colour variations (born black or blue-grey), I think the T goes through colour changes as it gets older, but I can be wrong though. So waiting for someone with experience on this species to chime in.

I've heard the same, but I've also heard of a black color form of P. metallica. I'm curious to know from the guys who have bred them; did you get color variations within the same sac?

 

[Poec54]

I still haven't seen pictures/proof of spiders like P. ornata "blue" (let alone heard of a second variation) or 2-3 forms of regalis. Most breeders (and taxonomists) say a P. ornata "blue" does NOT exist.

Ornata blue is the common form in the US, that's all I've ever seen or owned here. It's not a bright blue like metallica; it's a darker blue. I've heard there's color variations or regalis, but have only have the common one. Regalis has the biggest range of the genus, so I wouldn't be surprised.

There's been precious few Poecilotheria brought into captivity (and those have probably all been smuggled), so we haven't seen the full spectrum of forms.

 

[dredrickt]

I believe blue/grey is a legitimate variation. There's also a black form of striata, a white form of formosa, 2 color forms of ornata, and 2 or 3 of regalis. Because only a handful of Poecs have been brought into captivity & propagated, we usually don't see the full range of variations that occur in India and Sri Lanka.

So does that mean you could end up with more than one color form from the same sack? Or would that take two different color form parent specimens to get that?

 

[Philth]

Regarding Poecilotheria ornata "Blue" I'll quote the Theraphosids of Southeast Asia Facebook page....

Poecilotheria ornata "Blue" (also known as "Light Form") are a regional colour form from Ratnapura, which is probably the area that they have been illegally collected. All of the European P. ornata stock was collected by Peter Klaas on the other side of the range at Kitulgala.

I don't think the "blue" tag has much to do with color, but more so a slight variation of the markings on leg IV. At the time P. metallica was all the rage, and it seemed like every spider some how had the word "blue" tagged to it. Click this to see the leg variation. From what I hear the "blue" P. ornata matches closer to the type specimen then the regular hobby form.

Rick are you sure most of the U.S. P. ornata are the "Blue" morph? I'd think its just the opposite, but admittedly haven't checked my females.

I've never heard of P. regalis morphs, but like you say, having the largest range anything is possible. I also don't understand the "blue/grey" varation of P. metallica. Aren't they all blue and grey? (eventually turning almost black and grey)I know you mentioned something about a grey morph in the German Pokie book in another thread, what page were you talking about ?

So does that mean you could end up with more than one color form from the same sack? Or would that take two different color form parent specimens to get that?

That's whats unclear. The white P. formosa and the black P. straita seem to be solitary examples of these kinds of morphs so far. It's hard for me to believe that its something common out in the wild. It's unclear if these morphs were from different areas, or just normal hobby stock spiders that were freaks of nature. From what I remember the P. striata was a normal hobby stock spider from normal parents. I don't know about the white P. formosa though, as those guys have collected in India and Sri Lanka.

Later, Tom

 

[micheldied]

Regarding Poecilotheria ornata "Blue" I'll quote the Theraphosids of Southeast Asia Facebook page....



I don't think the "blue" tag has much to do with color, but more so a slight variation of the markings on leg IV. At the time P. metallica was all the rage, and it seemed like every spider some how had the word "blue" tagged to it. Click this to see the leg variation. From what I hear the "blue" P. ornata matches closer to the type specimen then the regular hobby form.

Rick are you sure most of the U.S. P. ornata are the "Blue" morph? I'd think its just the opposite, but admittedly haven't checked my females.

I've never heard of P. regalis morphs, but like you say, having the largest range anything is possible. I also don't understand the "blue/grey" varation of P. metallica. Aren't they all blue and grey? (eventually turning almost black and grey)I know you mentioned something about a grey morph in the German Pokie book in another thread, what page were you talking about ?



That's whats unclear. The white P. formosa and the black P. straita seem to be solitary examples of these kinds of morphs so far. It's hard for me to believe that its something common out in the wild. It's unclear if these morphs were from different areas, or just normal hobby stock spiders that were freaks of nature. From what I remember the P. striata was a normal hobby stock spider from normal parents. I don't know about the white P. formosa though, as those guys have collected in India and Sri Lanka.

Later, Tom

Regarding P. metallica, from what I've seen, there are adults that are pretty light in color, almost grey with blue legs, and others that are much darker. These were spiders of the same age I believe.

 

[Philth]

Regarding P. metallica, from what I've seen, there are adults that are pretty light in color, almost grey with blue legs, and others that are much darker. These were spiders of the same age I believe.

OK, without knowing the history on them, or how far along in a molt they are its hearsay.

Later, Tom

---------- Post added 10-16-2015 at 10:38 PM ----------

Hmm, well after looking at one live P. ornata and one shed, I have to say they look like normal P. ornata.



Later, Tom

 

[Swifty]

You know what, I think people want more morphs than really exist. If you can't understand that these species change thoughout their lifespan, than you are always going to question a species.

 

[micheldied]

You know what, I think you people want more morphs than really exist. If you can't understand that these species change thoughout their lifespan, than you are always going to question a species.

I agree that people tend to make up all these "special" morphs, whether to make them more appealing or to think they have something different. However, I asked the question because I've heard of and seen(not in person) these differences, and I've never grown P. metallica to adulthood(at least, not yet) or bred them. And if these morphs actually do exist, should we be avoid crossing them?