Unknown Petshop Tarantulas - PLEASE HELP !!!

hcsk8ter

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
43
Hi,
So I have the tarantula bug. I can't stop buying them. So I called around today and figured i'd give a local chain petshop some business, like I did with Scott's and Swifty online.
I'm led to the back of the shop, where I see labeled 1 "stripe knee", 1 "rosse hair" and 1 "pinktoe". Obviosuly I knew what the Roise was. My problem was the big chains like Petco and Petland don't use scientific names and as far as I can see there a couple of different species of "stripe knees" and a "pinktoes" So my first two questions are:

1. What "stripe knee" are big chains referring to?
2. What "pinktoe" are big chains referring to?

So I decided on the stripe knee and the the rose hair, which I kept telling the associate looked very similar. He assured me that they were different. However, I am inclined to believe I purchased two Rosies. I wanted one Rosie but not two.

Here are pictures of the T1:







Questions for T1 are:

3. This is a rosehair, correct?

4. Any idea whether male or female?

Here are pictures of T2:






5. This is a rosehair as well, no?

6. Any idea whether male or female?

Ideally, if they are both rosies, I'd like to keep the female and return the other. T1 is about 4.5" and T2 is about 3.5". By the way, Rosies are gorgeous and are so docile. I see why everyone has them. Thanks in advance for answers!
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
8,656
G rosea....

As for the sex..... closer ventral picture would be very helpful. At that size it should not be a problem sexing them..... But get closer and more light.
 

Taceas

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 12, 2006
Messages
658
To me, they both look like Rosies. As far as sex, they're either un-matured male or female. Helpful eh?

Here locally...most "pinktoes" are Avicularia avicularia and most "stripeknees" are Aphonopelma seemani.

Just one of the caveats from buying from pet stores who don't know their rear from a hole in the ground. :rolleyes:
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
I agree, both of those look like G. rosea. As far as sex goes, all I can say with any certainty is are neither of those are mature males. You need a much closer, lighter and clear photo of their ventral sides in order to sex them.
 

P. Novak

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 12, 2005
Messages
6,218
You deffinetly have two G.rosea. The second one just is in need of a molt more then the other.
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
probably both females...
Out of curiosity what makes you say this? The chain pet shops are renowned for selling males. After all, they just take in whatever wild caught G. rosea they get and sell them. There isn't anything in these pictures that can really give any indication of what sex they are.
 

green_bottle_04

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
437
yes...g. rosea. and "pink toes" that they are referring to are most likely Avicularia Avicularia. as for the "striped knee" i have absolutely no idea without seeing a picture.
 

spid142

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
492
rosies

You got 2 rosies. The striped knee they have is probably seemani. Pinktoe is one of the avics, probably A. avic .
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
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Aug 26, 2005
Messages
4,497
this thread is a perfect example why u shouldnt buy from pet shops.they clearly have no clue whats going on.
 

Ando55

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
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Sep 15, 2006
Messages
488
this thread is a perfect example why u shouldnt buy from pet shops.they clearly have no clue whats going on.
I agree, my local pet shop displays the "Stripeknees" and "Pink Toes". They are A semmani and A avicularia.
 

Katronmaster

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
198
Usually a pet store 'stripe knee' is either an A. seemani (most often) or an Oddly colored grayish G. Rosea at times.

On rare occasion I've heard of (But never actually seen myself) Ephebopus murinus (skeleton) being called stripe knees, and on one occasion saw a G. Aureostriata listed as one. A local 'spider guy' claims he bought a Eupalastrus campestratus (Pink zebra beauty) as a stripe knee.

If it has stripes, and knees, it has no doubt at one point been dubbed one.

(Forgive misspellings of latin names)
 

spid142

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
492
striped knees

And I think thats exactly what the pet stores think, call it a whte knee, who'll know the difference?
 

Katronmaster

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
198
Probably. I used to work for one and went around with my label maker and tagged most of the scientific names on the tanks.

Though quite a few of the chains have no control over what tarantulas they receive, a few just get a box with a bug labeled 'assorted tarantulas'. So if you don't know much, you label it with your first guess.
 

NeitherSparky

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
139
I once picked up what I think now was probably a red-phase rosie at a petshop. It was labelled as a stripe-knee, and I bought it because I was after a seemani. I actually took it back when I had ID'ed it, because I really didn't want a rosie. Now that I know what to look for, I see rosies identified as "stripe knees" *very* often in petstores. If a t has even slightly prominent banding on their knees, the shop calls them a stripe knee. I'd love to find a skeleton that way some day. :)
 

Katronmaster

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
198
Just keep looking. It's a running joke between me and a guy at Petland (Who knows his spiders) That Someday somebody is going to acquire a P. Irminia, Thai Tiger, Or N. Chromatus as a 'stripe knee'...

And that shop will never order another T again.


What's sad is a few weeks ago I saw a P. Lugardi in on soaked substrate with just the label 'caresheet'.

Tan Tarantula - (Utter nonsense scientific name)
Docile
 

Binky/Carol

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
137
I picked up a "stripe Knee" at my local petstore.
Most people who look at it say its an A. seemani, the store called their dealer, he said it was an A. Seemani..
I have had one, THIS isn't one. I sent pictures to a well known breeder/ online dealer and he agreed with me.
It most likely IS NOT an A. Seemani. Yes it does have orange spinneretts..
BUT there are other T's out there with orange spinneretts.
http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?im...known22kh8.jpg

:wall:
But also be aware that they often have order sheets. AND you can ask them to see it. Sometimes it will have a genus/species name on that...

A person nearish to me thought she had two chaco golden knees.
But after closer inspection, thinks they are pink beauties.
so even those can get confused.

Carol
 
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