T blondi

[Jack Mccormack]

Hi all, this is very odd but I live in Australia and just went down to a local pet shop and found out that they are selling a t blondi. Obviously it’s probably a stirmi but just found it odd because I thought it was illegal to own overseas species of ts in Australia, does anyone have any insights

 

[Theneil]

I am not from Australia, but my understanding is the same as yours.

@RezonantVoid @Rhino1 Any insites?

 

[RezonantVoid]

Hi all, this is very odd but I live in Australia and just went down to a local pet shop and found out that they are selling a t blondi. Obviously it’s probably a stirmi but just found it odd because I thought it was illegal to own overseas species of ts in Australia, does anyone have any insights

This is extremely bizarre, definitely ask if you can get a photo.


This makes no sense as it would obviously have taken considerable effort to smuggle, yet they are openly selling it in a public petshop declaring it's species. I've got no clue honestly

 

[Jack Mccormack]

It also costs $400 lol.

 

[Jack Mccormack]

This is extremely bizarre, definitely ask if you can get a photo.


This makes no sense as it would obviously have taken considerable effort to smuggle, yet they are openly selling it in a public petshop declaring it's species. I've got no clue honestly

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just selling a native species as a t. Blondi. It’s a pretty high end pet shop too which makes it even weirder

 

[RezonantVoid]

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just selling a native species as a t. Blondi. It’s a pretty high end pet shop too which makes it even weirder

I'd need a photo to confirm, Theraphosa have distinct appearance that won't look anything like any of our native T's.
Something I remembered is that I believe Blondi is one of 5 species we allow into our country for the exclusive purpose of research, on the condition thr specimens are non-gravid. While unlikely, its possible some sneaky researcher has done a mate a favour and handed a few out.

If you can clearly remember the spider, did it have lots of sparse, almost spiny hairs along its legs?

 

[Jack Mccormack]

I'd need a photo to confirm, Theraphosa have distinct appearance that won't look anything like any of our native T's.
Something I remembered is that I believe Blondi is one of 5 species we allow into our country for the exclusive purpose of research, on the condition thr specimens are non-gravid. While unlikely, its possible some sneaky researcher has done a mate a favour and handed a few out.

If you can clearly remember the spider, did it have lots of sparse, almost spiny hairs along its legs?

I only saw it’s legs, was impossible to tell if it’s a blondi, I can go back in and have a look but you can only see it’s legs from it’s burrow

 

[RezonantVoid]

Interesting, I think we can rule out Phlogius, Coremiocnemis and Selenotholus from the lack of leg hair, and I don't think Selenotypus web like that. in fact, they hardly web at all and especially not that much above ground.

If it is indeed a Blondi, it's nonetheless illegal. I'm just as confused as anyone else to be honest

 

[Liquifin]

I only saw it’s legs, was impossible to tell if it’s a blondi, I can go back in and have a look but you can only see it’s legs from it’s burrow

It's hard to say what it is. You need a clear, bright, and up close picture of its leg to tell what it is. To me, it looks like something else that's not a Theraphosa. A lot of webbing and deep burrow for sure so I can't see the T.'s legs and also seems like OW behaviors. Hard to say what it is, but doesn't look like a Theraphosa to me.

 

[Jack Mccormack]

It's hard to say what it is. You need a clear, bright, and up close picture of its leg to tell what it is. To me, it looks like something else that's not a Theraphosa. A lot of webbing and deep burrow for sure so I can't see the T.'s legs and also seems like OW behaviors. Hard to say what it is, but doesn't look like a Theraphosa to me.

Yeah I think they strategically have it very badly lit up, you can hardly see anything

Yeah I think they strategically have it very badly lit up, you can hardly see anything

It's hard to say what it is. You need a clear, bright, and up close picture of its leg to tell what it is. To me, it looks like something else that's not a Theraphosa. A lot of webbing and deep burrow for sure so I can't see the T.'s legs and also seems like OW behaviors. Hard to say what it is, but doesn't look like a Theraphosa to me.

The shop is on the northern beaches in Sydney so it’s not somewhere that would illegally sell animals which makes it even more confusing haha

 

[mack1855]

Theraphosa blondi

• mack1855
• Apr 13, 2019
• 8
• blondi goliath birdeater tarantula theraphosa theraphosa blondi

T.blondi

Theraphosa blondi

• mack1855
• Apr 13, 2019
• 8
• blondi goliath birdeater tarantula theraphosa theraphosa blondi

T.blondi

Anything like this.

 

[Theneil]

A good picture would help. But i would like to throw out the thought that even if you can get a partial of the abdomen, if it is a blondi (or stirmi) it will have urticating hairs. If you see any it is definitely a NW species. Doesn’t guarantee that it is blondi, only that it isn’t from Australia.

 

[RezonantVoid]

After having a closer look at the photo, I think some of what I thought was webbing is actually just glare. The way the legs are curled up reminds me of Selenotypus (which it probably most likely is), but yea as stated, it'd be best to ask the shop if they can get it out in the open for a closer look

 

[Philth]

Not Theraphosa. Too much webbing. Are you sure its not Phlogius/Selenocosmia sp. Goliath ?

Later, Tom

 

[SteveIDDQD]

My first thought (admittedly from my limited experience of having one juvenile) is also that a blondi wouldn't web like that, and it wouldn't dig a hole like that. As a sling and juvenile the most mine did was to make a small wall outside it's hide, but it never dug down or webbed at all.

 

[Urzeitmensch]

My first thought (admittedly from my limited experience of having one juvenile) is also that a blondi wouldn't web like that, and it wouldn't dig a hole like that. As a sling and juvenile the most mine did was to make a small wall outside it's hide, but it never dug down or webbed at all.

Actually, my juvie dug out a tube under her corkbark, lined it with web and lived partly underground for several month now. Just rehoused her yesterday.