Mexican Redknee Tarantula
TYPE: Invertebrate
STATUS:
Critically Endangered
QUICK STATS
Body size
2 inches long; leg span around 5 inches
native habitat
Scrublands of Mexico
life expectancy
Females: up to 20 years; Males: up to 5 years
diet
Insects and small invertebrates
Reproduction
Egg sack for several weeks before hatching
predators
Birds, lizards, snakes, parasitic wasps
natural defenses
Venom, irritating hairs
About the Species
The Mexican redknee tarantula has a brown base coat with red-orange on their legs. Native to Mexico, this species is potentially threatened due to over-collection for the pet trade.
Tarantulas appear very furry. These hairs actually help to protect the tarantula from predators.
When a tarantula feels threatened, it will flick the hairs off its back and back legs into the face of what is trying to capture it. These are called urticating hairs. The hairs are barbed on the end, and will stick to the predator, causing extreme irritation.
One of the main predators of tarantulas is a type of parasitic wasp that stings the tarantula and paralyzes it. However, this is not what kills the tarantula. After paralyzing the tarantula, the wasp lays its eggs on the tarantula’s back, and when the larvae emerge, they devour the tarantula.
Brachypelma smithi
The Mexican redknee tarantula is one of the longest lived species of tarantula, living over 20 years.
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