Typhocleana Costea

[Spidershe]

I have the chance at getting a .5 sling Typhocleana Costea, but I told someone on Facebook and they said it's extremely illegal for me to own that species is that true I thought there were only laws on the seladonia and that was only on in and out of the country Brazil if they were bred in the country it was fine and these were bread and the UK and their spread they're sent to his friend in the US. Any thoughts?? He'll not have them forever.

 

[goofyGoober99]

Very confusing issue tbh. This thread goes into it:

Typhochlaena seladonia legality

I’ve been seeing a fair bit of new or less experienced keepers posting pictures of their newly acquired T. seladonia. Not here, but on other social media platforms. I know that they are (were?) illegal under the Lacey act, but I’m not sure if they’ve changed this to not include captive bred...

arachnoboards.com

I would recommend reading through it as well as the links to other resources included. Hopefully other will also chime in as laws may have changed/been updated in the past couple years.
If they're captive bred, I feel that it's ok ethically whether or not it's technically legal but that's just my opinion.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I have the chance at getting a .5 sling Typhocleana Costea, but I told someone on Facebook and they said it's extremely illegal for me to own that species is that true I thought there were only laws on the seladonia and that was only on in and out of the country Brazil if they were bred in the country it was fine and these were bread and the UK and their spread they're sent to his friend in the US. Any thoughts?? He'll not have them forever.

All Typhocleana originally were smuggled out of Brazil. In 2021 it was illegal to sell them.

Typhocleana costea has been bred in Europe which they have produced slings.

I haven't seen anyone offering Typhocleana costea slings for sale and I don't think they are even in the U.S. If any exist in the U.S. I would question the legality of it.

The other issue is Brazil completely ended all exports of their native tarantulas. I'd bet the batch that Europe received were definitely smuggled out of Brazil, without a doubt.

This I'm not sure but if they are coming in from Europe will they pass customs????

Maybe another member well versed in cites will know for sure.

All I could find were a few things but this link was interesting:

https://birdspiders.ch/typhochlaena-costae-pink-punk-jewel-tarantula/

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

All Typhocleana originally were smuggled out of Brazil. In 2021 it was illegal to sell them.

Typhocleana costea has been bred in Europe which they have produced slings.

I haven't seen anyone offering Typhocleana costea slings for sale and I don't think they are even in the U.S. If any exist in the U.S. I would question the legality of it.

The other issue is Brazil completely ended all exports of their native tarantulas. I'd bet the batch that Europe received were definitely smuggled out of Brazil, without a doubt.

This I'm not sure but if they are coming in from Europe will they pass customs????

Maybe another member well versed in cites will know for sure.

All I could find were a few things but this link was interesring:

https://birdspiders.ch/typhochlaena-costae-pink-punk-jewel-tarantula/

Silly they make it illegal while evil natives hunt down and eat native Ts all the time. Especially the Goliath.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Silly they make it illegal while evil natives hunt down and eat native Ts all the time. Especially the Goliath.

that's a good point and funny

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

This I'm not sure but if they are coming in from Europe will they pass customs????

This is an interesting question. Apparently they do pass customs, since Typhocleana seladonia is in the United States. It is common knowledge that Brazil does not allow the collection and exportation of their flora and fauna for commercial purposes- like the pet trade- and there are articles out there from biologists that elaborate on the difficulties they have getting legal authorization to collect for research. Some biologists consider Brazil's wildlife laws too strict.

The Lacey Act (not CITIES or the Endangered Species Act) is what makes it illegal to import, export, sell, own, transport, etc. plants and animals that were taken in violation of both foreign and domestic law. Meaning if someone illegally collected a specimen of a Typhocleana species, or any other tarantula species found in Brazil, then attempted to import it into the United States, such activity would be a violation of federal law. The same law applies to plants and animals that were illegally collected domestically in the United States such as when someone collects an Aphonopelma species from a federal, state, or municipal park where the collection of flora and fauna is prohibited- without a permit- then kept it, traded it, sold it, or exported it to a foreign country. What is unclear on the wording of the Lacey Act of 1900 and its amendments is whether it applies to the captive bred offspring of illegally acquired plants and animals. This is a grey-area that appears to be exploited to get captive bred tarantulas from countries with laws that make it illegal to collect and export wildlife for commercial purposes into the United States. An academic article was published some years ago that detailed the smuggling route of tarantulas specifically. According to the research article, European countries are typically used as a global hub for wildlife trafficking. What apparently happens is someone from a European country visits another country, collects tarantulas, gets them back to their home country by any number of means, gets spiderlings from them, then exports those spiderlings around the world, including the United States, where they are legally imported using a valid permit issued from the United States Fish and Wildlife department.

Brazil is not the only country in the Americas that has their own wildlife protection laws. Other countries I can think of include (in no particular order): Costa Rica, Chile, and Uruguay. So when you see spiderlings of a new species of Euathlus from Chile appear on a price list, you would have to question the legality of how the parents entered the pet trade.

Legal status aside, one has to consider how ethical it is to buy spiderlings of a Typhocleana species, or any other species of tarantula originating from a country with strict wildlife protection laws. Buying the captive bred spiderlings of a species obviously smuggled out of the country of endemism supports wildlife trafficking. The tarantula hobby, like the pet trade in general, is not a vehicle for conservation- it is commerce. If there was no monetary compensation or reimbursement for the risk of selling trafficked tarantula species, they would not exist in the hobby.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

This is an interesting question. Apparently they do pass customs, since Typhocleana seladonia is in the United States. It is common knowledge that Brazil does not allow the collection and exportation of their flora and fauna for commercial purposes- like the pet trade- and there are articles out there from biologists that elaborate on the difficulties they have getting legal authorization to collect for research. Some biologists consider Brazil's wildlife laws too strict.

The Lacey Act (not CITIES or the Endangered Species Act) is what makes it illegal to import, export, sell, own, transport, etc. plants and animals that were taken in violation of both foreign and domestic law. Meaning if someone illegally collected a specimen of a Typhocleana species, or any other tarantula species found in Brazil, then attempted to import it into the United States, such activity would be a violation of federal law. The same law applies to plants and animals that were illegally collected domestically in the United States such as when someone collects an Aphonopelma species from a federal, state, or municipal park where the collection of flora and fauna is prohibited- without a permit- then kept it, traded it, sold it, or exported it to a foreign country. What is unclear on the wording of the Lacey Act of 1900 and its amendments is whether it applies to the captive bred offspring of illegally acquired plants and animals. This is a grey-area that appears to be exploited to get captive bred tarantulas from countries with laws that make it illegal to collect and export wildlife for commercial purposes into the United States. An academic article was published some years ago that detailed the smuggling route of tarantulas specifically. According to the research article, European countries are typically used as a global hub for wildlife trafficking. What apparently happens is someone from a European country visits another country, collects tarantulas, gets them back to their home country by any number of means, gets spiderlings from them, then exports those spiderlings around the world, including the United States, where they are legally imported using a valid permit issued from the United States Fish and Wildlife department.

Brazil is not the only country in the Americas that has their own wildlife protection laws. Other countries I can think of include (in no particular order): Costa Rica, Chile, and Uruguay. So when you see spiderlings of a new species of Euathlus from Chile appear on a price list, you would have to question the legality of how the parents entered the pet trade.

Legal status aside, one has to consider how ethical it is to buy spiderlings of a Typhocleana species, or any other species of tarantula originating from a country with strict wildlife protection laws. Buying the captive bred spiderlings of a species obviously smuggled out of the country of endemism supports wildlife trafficking. The tarantula hobby, like the pet trade in general, is not a vehicle for conservation- it is commerce. If there was no monetary compensation or reimbursement for the risk of selling trafficked tarantula species, they would not exist in the hobby.

Sad as it is I have seen a few vendors in the past offer quote, "captive bred" slings of T's that originated from Chile.

Not G. rosea for example but ones I've never seen offered before or heard of.

It took me years to discover alot of the dark side of the T trade.

That all makes perfect sense what you wrote. For me having such a love for these animals it's so disheartening to know alot of what is going on in the U.S. and world with the T trade.

I never cared for Peta much because of how they go about things but their heart is sort of in the right place. I find myself agreeing with them on the T trade. I also understand why arachnologist have a grudge to pick with it too.

 

[Chalcodes cass]

Silly they make it illegal while evil natives hunt down and eat native Ts all the time. Especially the Goliath.

Wait.. do people actually eat T’s? That’s wild

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Wait.. do people actually eat T’s? That’s wild

Yes especially countries in South America and Asia.

In South America not only do the natives eat tarantulas they use the fangs as toothpicks afterwards.

 

[Brewser]

"Different Strokes for Different Folks"

Different Cultures with vastly different 'Tastes' in all things, not limited to Cuisine.