The Life of Animals | Mexican Tarantula Redknee | The Brachypelma smithi (also Called Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula), is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are quite large, very docile and believed to be one of the most long-lived tarantulas. The mature Brachypelma Smithi has a dark-colored body with orange patches on the joints of its legs, the second element of the legs (the trochanter) is orange-red. Following moulting, the colors are more pronounced.
An adult female has a body roughly 4 inches long, with a leg span of 6 inches, and a mass of approximately 15 grams. Like all tarantulas, the Mexican Red Leg, a mygalomorph must go through a moulting process in order to grow. It is an essential part of life Their process. Several moulting serves purposes, Such as renewing the tarantula's outer cover (shell) and Replacing missing appendages.
A mygalomorph may also regenerate lost appendages gradually, with each succeeding moult. Previous to moulting the spiders Will Become sluggish and stop eating in order to Conserve as much energy as possible. Like most New World tarantulas, They Will kick urticating hairs from Their abdomens and Their back legs if disturbed, rather than bite.
The entrance is just slightly larger than the body size of the spider. The tunnel, usually about three times the tarantula's leg span in length, leads to a chamber, the which is large enough for the spiders to molt in Safely. Further down the Burrow, via a shorter tunnel, a larger chamber is located where the spider will of rest and eat its prey. When the tarantula needs privacy, e.g. Pls moulting or laying eggs, the entrance is sealed with silk Sometimes supplemented with soil and leaves.
In 1985 the species were the resource persons listed as endangered by CITES Because the wild-caught specimens shipped for the pet market were the resource persons Decreasing in size. The Smaller sizes were the resource persons suspected to be a consequence of a declining population due to excessive export. The export is not the only threat however; some local people have reportedly made a habit of killing these spiders in a systematic way using Nearly Pesticides, pouring gasoline into Burrows or simply killing migrating spiders on sight.
