The Mexican red knee tarantula, found in parts of Mexico has been a common name used for referring to more than one species of spiders. The Brachypelma hamorii, a tarantula species, has often been mixed with another species named as the Brachypelma smithi. Both of them possessed red knees and could not be distinguished or related to one another. Their striking appearance make popular among many pet enthusiasts.
Size: They are large in size with the females having a length of 52mm to 54mm, while the male counterparts are shorter, being 46mm to 52 mm long. Their fourth leg is said to be the longest, 67 mm in a female and 75 mm in males.
Color: Their coloration seems to be unique, as the center of each of their legs having markings of orange-red. The remaining part of their body is brown, with the adult males having a grayish-red coloration around their carapace’s border and reddish black markings from the central part of their tibiae. The carapace of the females may however differ in pattern and coloration, being mostly black, bordered with a shade of brownish pink. The legs below their knees are red in color from which they may have got their name.
Other Characteristic Features: Like most other tarantulas they are robust and heavy having short, dark hairs.
The eggs are mostly laid in spring, 1,000 of them at a time in a clutch.
It takes one to three months for the spiderlings to be hatched from the eggs, though the juvenile spiders remain in their protective shelter for two more weeks before dispersing.
Their webs are located at the entrance of their habitat for the purpose of catching preys which enter into it.
They may bite when provoked but are not poisonous and the sting is not known to cause any harms to humans.
| Lifespan | Males: 5 years Females: 20 to 30 years |
| Distribution | Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacán, Panama and the south-western parts of the United States |
| Habitat | Scrublands, dry thorn forests, deserts, and deciduous forests |
| Diet | Small reptiles, frogs, insects, birds and rodents |
Image Source: I.pinimg.com, I1.wp.com, Vignette.wikia.nocookie.net, Hamiltonreptile.com, Thingsbiological.files.wordpress.com,
2img.net
The Mexican red knee tarantula, found in parts of Mexico has been a common name used for referring to more than one species of spiders. The Brachypelma hamorii, a tarantula species, has often been mixed with another species named as the Brachypelma smithi. Both of them possessed red knees and could not be distinguished or related to one another. Their striking appearance make popular among many pet enthusiasts.
Size: They are large in size with the females having a length of 52mm to 54mm, while the male counterparts are shorter, being 46mm to 52 mm long. Their fourth leg is said to be the longest, 67 mm in a female and 75 mm in males.
Color: Their coloration seems to be unique, as the center of each of their legs having markings of orange-red. The remaining part of their body is brown, with the adult males having a grayish-red coloration around their carapace’s border and reddish black markings from the central part of their tibiae. The carapace of the females may however differ in pattern and coloration, being mostly black, bordered with a shade of brownish pink. The legs below their knees are red in color from which they may have got their name.
Other Characteristic Features: Like most other tarantulas they are robust and heavy having short, dark hairs.
The eggs are mostly laid in spring, 1,000 of them at a time in a clutch.
It takes one to three months for the spiderlings to be hatched from the eggs, though the juvenile spiders remain in their protective shelter for two more weeks before dispersing.
Their webs are located at the entrance of their habitat for the purpose of catching preys which enter into it.
They may bite when provoked but are not poisonous and the sting is not known to cause any harms to humans.
| Lifespan | Males: 5 years Females: 20 to 30 years |
| Distribution | Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacán, Panama and the south-western parts of the United States |
| Habitat | Scrublands, dry thorn forests, deserts, and deciduous forests |
| Diet | Small reptiles, frogs, insects, birds and rodents |
Image Source: I.pinimg.com, I1.wp.com, Vignette.wikia.nocookie.net, Hamiltonreptile.com, Thingsbiological.files.wordpress.com,
2img.net
Mumpi Ghosh on April 19, 2019.
Dr. Watuwa James
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