Brachypelma klaasi
| Brachypelma klaasi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Brachypelma |
| Species: | B. klaasi |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachypelma klaasi (Schmidt & Krause, 1994) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Brachypelmides klaasi | |
The Brachypelma klaasi (better known as the Mexican Pink Tarantula) is a tarantula endemic to Mexico and it is the rarest of the Brachypelma genus.
Distribution
B. klaasi is found at elevations of 300–1400 m above sea level on the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental and some areas on the western limits of the Transverse Volcanic Belt in Jalisco and Nayarit states. Its known range extends from Tepic, Nayarit, in the north to Chamela, Jalisco, in the south, with the largest known population at the biological reserve at Chamela.
Appearance
The setae of this species have a uniformly rusty appearance. The coloration is very similar to that of the six species of Brachypelma that are endemic to the west coast. B. boehmei is similar, having black tarsi, orange-yellow metatarsi, tibias and patellas, black femora and coxae and orange-yellow hairs on the opistosoma. It differs only in the carapace, which is yellow-orange in B. boehmei and black in B. klaasi. Another very similar species is B. baumgarteni. Adults of B. klaasi have a body length of about 16 cm.
As Pets
Coming from the dry scrubland regions of Mexico, B. klaasi prefers a semi-arid habitat and in captivity would mean a substrate consisting of sand, dry coco peat and some wood. Moisture is readily welcomed as they are observed to drink more often than most Brachypelmas.
They will take insect prey such as crickets, dubias, superworms, small lizards and pinky mice.
Name
The species is named in honor of Peter Klaas, the collector of the species.
References
- Platnick, Norman I. (2008): The world spider catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.
Further reading
- Locht, A., M. Yáñez & I. Vãzquez (1999): Distribution and natural history of Mexican species of Brachypelma and Brachypelmides (Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae) with morphological evidence for their synonymy. The Journal of Arachnology 27: 196-200.
- Yáñez, M., et al. (1999): Courtship and Mating Behavior of Brachypelma klaasi (Aranea: Theraphosidae). The Journal of Arachnology 27: 165-170.
- Yáñez, M. & G. Floater (2000): Spatial distribution and habitat preferences of the endangered tarantula, Brachypelma klaasi (Aranea: Theraphosidae) in Mexico. Biodiversitiy and Conservation 9: 795-810.
- Striffler, B. & A. Graminske (2003): Brachypelma – die bunten Vogelspinnen Mexikos. DRACO 4(16): 52-61.
- West, R. C. (2005): The Brachypelma of Mexico. British Tarantula Society Journal 20(4): 108-119.
- West, R. C. (2006): Die Brachypelma-Arten aus Mexiko. ARACHNE 11(1): 4-17.
External links
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