Hi,
Rick West took some photos of them last year. I think you'll find them on the old arachnid_pix list(yahoo group). Spelopelma is the only theraphosid genus with no eyes at all, a cave dwelling genus. They have the distinction of being the easiest theraphosid to key out and ID because of this trait.
check out National Geographic - Sept. 1996. There is a photo (the first ever published - and maybe taken) of Spelopelma and a bit of info about them.
Jeremy
I understand they're fairly defensive and prone to biting, at least that's what one of the camaramen or some other helping hand found out! If I remember right...
I was just thinking to myself about whether the legginess of that T is also somehow related to its cave environment. It seems reasonably clear that most terrestrial Ts don't have real great eyesight but probably have the ability to tell light from dark and make out large shapes looming overhead. This must be of some kind of use or advantage or I would imagine that all of them would have evolved into eyeless forms.
Now, we also know that Ts can smell and hear due to very sensitive types of setae and I think we've all seen one move forward a little, wave the front legs in the air, move forward some more, wave some more, etc. This is conjecture, but it was suggested to me at one time that this is 'smelling' the air. In other words, utilising those setae to get an idea of what's going on. Imagine them now living in an environment where eyes are useless, would it not make sense that, over time, the other sensory organs would become more prominent? It would seem that longer legs would provide a greater 'reach' when it comes to detecting vibrations or picking up a scent, especially since the more leg there is, the more room there is for more sensory setae.
Not to mention that there may even be a difference in the sensory setae themselves. Has anyone studied the types of sensory setae possessed by these Ts?
They are a fantastic looking tarantula. I'd love to have one, but I understand that is not a reality as long as the border is closed to imports. Hopefully someday it will be available in the hobby. When that day comes, I'm going to be one of the first to get one!
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