Most humans don’t have systemic effects from a B Smithi bite. Acapulco, Guerrero State, MexicoSpotted Outdoors: Ground layer (leaf litter, dirt, grass, etc),Under rock, log, or debris,Forest Found in web? Get to know the Mexican Red Knee Tarantula While tarantulas are molting, they can also replace internal organs- including female genitalia or stomach lining. Determining the sex of a tarantula can be tricky though, especially when it is younger as male and female tarantulas will often look and act extremely similar until mature. This spider rarely bites. Defensive behavior: When feeling threatened, a This is often one of the biggest questions that goes through a keepers mind when acquiring a new tarantula. Cages for the Mexican Fireleg Tarantula The Fireleg tarantula is reasonably easy to accommodate in captivity, as it is slow-moving and reaches a modest 5-6″ in legspan. Size: Adults can have a 5-6 inch legspan. The same molt (Female G. porteri) approx. Mature Male C. cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue) below: ...when compared to a mature female of the same species? Here are some easy to spot visual characteristics between mature males and mature females: ...that don't require looking at their underside. You can use the looking method to visually sex the actual tarantula two ways, by, , that is looking at the tarantulas ventral side, the underside of it's abdomen, meaning belly, stomach or womb. Dorsal form the latin dorsum meaning back and/or. . Here is the same photo again, with the males, Larger juvenile and sub-adult specimens can sometimes be identified by their "body type." After it molts, look on the inside of the exuvium (shed skin), between the top set of book lungs. We appreciate if those refer to this and other resources online for general sexing, and to try to get eyes on your own spider(s) to gain the experience to get better at sexing. Liked it? How long it needs to soak depends on how large and how dry it is. I recall in my early hobby days it was so difficult but with time and practice it gets easier to make an "educated guess." Common name: Mexican Red Knee Tarantula Scientific name: Brachypelma Smithi Description Description: Mexican Red knee Tarantulas (Brachypelma Smithi) are predominantly black and dark brown, with light brown leg hairs and bright reddy orange making up the distinctive 'red knees'. They are loved in the pet trade because of their long lifespan Dorsal form the latin dorsum meaning back and/or ridge of a hill. You'll want to try this with tarantulas minimum about 2", Third, we have added another yellow pencil line to show the "triangle" or "arch" around the area of the, Still, determining gender from a photo is very difficult and even those (such as myself) with some experience ventral sexing will likely have much more difficulty sexing from a photo vs being there, looking at the. Here is an Aphonopelma chalcodes (Arizona Blonde) 5" female first unedited: Second, we have added a yellow pencil line to show the larger angle of 15-20 degrees between the first pair of book lungs. I hope you found that helpful! Male Avicularia (Pink Toe) approx. The tarantula's own mating ritual begins when the male spins a web and deposits sperm on its surface. Brachypelma smithi is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas) native to Mexico. and ability to produce eggsacs. The male usually dies shortly after mating, he won't usually live past 10 years The female stores the sperm and eggs inside her body until the spring The female makes a silk mat where she lays around 200 to 400 eggs, and puts a sticky liquid containing the sperm … as once a male has reached his mature (also known as "final" or "ultimate" molt) he can be easily identified and his gender 100% confirmed by the presence of his male reproductive organs. Appearance: Mexican Red Knee tarantulas are mostly black with bands of red, orange and tan on their legs. Some advice for those wanting to ventral sex: Getting good at ventral sexing is something that comes with experience. Typical lifespan Status: wild: male 10 years; female 30 (high) years. This female reproductive organ is where sperm is stored until the eggs are laid. This spider is best known for its striking golden colored carapace and dark black abdomen. It is possible to make an educated guess at the specimens gender by examining the ventral side of the abdomen. If you’d like to WAY more about tarantulas and how to care about them, be sure to purchase my full tarantula guide! It is possible to make an educated guess at the specimens gender by examining the ventral side of the abdomen. They consume the If the gender is unknown no gender will be stated and the specimen will be sold as "un-sexed". This is often one of the biggest questions that goes through a keepers mind when acquiring a new tarantula. The Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula holds the record for spider lifespan. Occasionally I see an unusually stocky or more “feminine” immature male. As with all tarantulas, a cage should be designed in such a way as to prioritize as … One of his tibial hooks is just barely visible (as a cream colored lump) on the right side near where they're "holding hands". Female red knee tarantulas tend to live longer than the smaller male red knee tarantula due to the fact that they have a more fierce temperament. I then choose the lighter-colored Aphonopelma chalcodes (Arizona Blonde). The ONLY way to know the gender of a specimen is to look at it's molt/exuviae. The male can identified (top) by the presence of his "boxing gloves". Once they detect their prey, Mexican red-knee tarantulas rush out to bite prey and return to the burrow. Novice or veteran, we welcome all! Getting an intact, read-able molt is a feat in itself... You must be quick to grab the molt soon after the tarantula has shed it's skin or else the tarantula is likely to much on it. However, we can guarantee that someone very experienced with arachnids will attempt to select the specific tarantula(s) you are requesting. With over 30 years combined tarantula keeping experience we still do not know of any method to determine the gender of spiderlings. Contact for pictures. Exuviae sexing, also known as molt sexing is the most reliable way to confirm the gender of a specimen and the only tried and true way to absolutely confirm the sex of larger, immature or mature specimens. Adults should be fed about once or twice a week, slings may eat more often. Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula Behavior and Temperament The Mexican red-knee tarantula is one of the most docile and calm tarantulas in the pet trade, making it ideal for beginner arachnid keepers. The darker the color, the harder it typically is for memas well. This is an impressive period Locally only tranksBEAR The Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula is a gorgeous, friendly tarantula that's great for beginners! In order to properly determine the gender first you will need an intact molt. I recall in my early hobby days it was so difficult but with time and practice it gets easier to make an "educated guess." Mexican Red Knee Tarantulas (Brachypelma smithi) are some of the best-known pet Tarantulas. There are many gender-defining characteristics potentially visible from the dorsal side. The female red knee particularly is long-lived, with a lifespan that stretches as long as 30 years. What about this photo? If we come across even semi-reliable method to sex spiderlings I will update this article with instructions. Location: nr. Most symptoms include localized pain, itching, and burning – however every person reacts differently. The male can live for about 6 years, and the females up to 20. 5 1/2" DLS. Here is the same photo again, with the males "boxing gloves" and his visible tibial hook circled in yellow: For those looking to purchase from Jamie's Tarantulas: If the gender of the specimen is known it will be included in the title. Life span: Male: Up to 6 years, Female: Up to 30 years Attitude: Mexican Red Knee tarantulas are often thought of as a good spider for beginners and are docile in nature. Mexican Red Knee for sale Believed to be a female. You must be quick to grab the molt soon after the tarantula has shed it's skin or else the tarantula is likely to much on it. We do not use the looking methods to determine gender here at Jamie's Tarantulas with the only exception of "suspect, not guaranteed males" offered every-so-often. Its midriff is dark with a couple of red hairs. Take a second to support Tarantula Heaven on Patreon! Mexican Red Knee Tarantula Housing Many keepers choose to house their Mexican red knee tarantula in a glass aquarium simply because they enjoy watching their animal. [2] It has been confused with B. smithi; both have been called Mexican redknee tarantulas. The red knee tarantula is a carnivorous animal and preys on a number of other animals in its natural environment. Don't get discouraged and stick with it. One of his tibial hooks is just barely visible (as a cream colored lump) on the right side near where they're "holding hands". Method #1: Exuvia (molt): Using the tarantula’s molt is the absolute best, and I can tell you the more you practice, the better you'll get! Sexing Your Mexican Redknee Tarantula Please feel free to request a male or female tarantula (or any combination thereof) when you order, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee the sex. Ventral comes from latin venter meaning belly, stomach or womb. and ability to produce eggsacs. The male and female … You will get better with time and experience! Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. the looking methods are not considered to be completely accurate the topic still be covered in depth as to help others to make educated guesses as to the gender of their specimen, at least until an intact molt/exuviae can be recovered. We do not attempt to "pick out" females or males from the “unsexed” specimens. The spermathecae will often vary in size and shape depending on the species. A 5- to 10-gallon tank is suitable for these tarantulas. You will get better with time and experience! How can you tell the sex of a Mexican redknee tarantula? Of these two B. hamorii/smithi (Mexican Red Knee) can you tell which one is the mature male and which one is the female? If a deeper substrate is selected, then care needs to be taken … You'll want to try this with tarantulas minimum about 2" DLS, Ventral sexing is not considered an accurate way to determine gender however, most often the specimens intact molt is not immediately available and we must rely on what we have and accept the answer will only be a “best guess”. Be advised the looking methods are not very reliable, can not be used on spiderlings and small juveniles as the smaller specimens look more or less the same (at least to me...) The exception to this rule is mature males as once a male has reached his mature (also known as "final" or "ultimate" molt) he can be easily identified and his gender 100% confirmed by the presence of his male reproductive organs. You can use the looking method to visually sex the actual tarantula two ways, by ventral sexing, that is looking at the tarantulas ventral side, the underside of it's abdomen or by dorsal sexing, this is looking at the tarantulas dorsal or back/top side. And if you’d like more free spider tips, sign up for my weekly tarantula newsletter or subscribe to my tarantula YouTube channel! The male red rumps live much shorter around 5-10 years and are known to die a year after maturity. We appreciate if those refer to this and other resources online for general sexing, and to try to get eyes on your own spider(s) to gain the experience to get better at sexing. The spermathecae is highlighted in red (below). Females are prized among hobbyists for their larger size, longer lifespans (some species can live decades!) Examine the molt to look for the presence of a, . Here they live along the central Pacific coast. With beautiful red knees, they are very easy to identify. Here is the same B. cabocla molt, a little closer, with the spermathecae outlined in yellow: Now compare these females molts to that of a male Avicularia (Pinktoe) below. Life span: Male: Up to 6 years, Female: Up to 30 years. Female Mexican red-knee tarantulas typically live 25 to 30 years while males rarely live more than 10 years. The other, and not so reliable method is by looking at the tarantula itself, either ventrally (underside) or dorsally (topside) which we'll cover later in this article. All things tarantula and tarantula related! Unless you are allergic to the spider’s bite (which you unfortunately won’t know until after the fact), a bite from this tarantula will just be a little irritating. Best known as the Mexican Golden Red Rump, Brachypelma Albiceps belongs to the Theraphosidae species of tarantulas. Bite danger: All tarantulas have venom, but luckily Mexican Red Knees’ venom isn’t very potent. This article is using photos of an adult and sub-adult lighter-colored species, the absolute best I could find for this job from my vast collection. Its legs are dark striped with groups of orange, tan and red hues. The Mexican red knee tarantula born in semi-desert scrubland of Mexico and Panama. Those tarantulas are sold as "unsexed" because we are unable to determine, or even guess their gender at this time. the gender of a specimen is to look at it's molt/exuviae. It may also flick urticating hairs off of its back, which can create a nasty rash. Mexican Red Knee Tarantulas will dig burrows, but are equally happy with a shallow (2 to 3 inch) substrate with décor (such as cork bark laid horizontally on substrate or deeply planted rocks). Determining the sex of a tarantula can be tricky though, especially when it is younger as male and female tarantulas will often look and act extremely similar until mature. Make sure the molt is completely soft, With the molt pliable, carefully unwrap the abdomen section. 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); // ]]>//