Mexican Red-knee Tarantula- Brachypelma smithi

Size- Mexican Red-knee Tarantula females have a 4 inch body and a 6-7 inch leg-span and weigh 15-16 grams. The males are slightly smaller.

Life span- Females can live up to 20 years and males live about 10 years.

Diet- They will consume any invertebrate, lizard or rodent they can overpower and immobilize with their venom. They inject their prey with digestive juices and then suck out the "soup".

Geographic range- They are native to the Pacific coast regions of Central Mexico.

Habitat- They inhabit deserts and scrublands. They are a burrowing tarantula species, digging burrows in the ground and lining them with spider's silk.

Reproduction- The male tarantula impregnates the female by placing a sperm web into her genital epigyne with his pedipalps. If fertilized, the female will produce an egg sac in the next few weeks that contains an excess of 250 spiderlings. They hatch in 1.5-2.5 months. The growth rate is slow for this species due to their long life-span. It will usually take 7-10 years to reach adult size.

Special adaptations- They have two claws on each foot that aides them in climbing and they have palps on the end of their legs which help them smell, taste and feel. Additionally, they have eyes positioned around their head which allows them to see forwards and backwards.

Behavior- Like most tarantulas, they have 'urticating' hairs on their abdomen which they will rub their back legs against and flick off. These hairs are barbed and will often dig into soft tissue and cause irritation. They also molt their exoskeleton once a year which allows the spider to grow larger, receive new and undamaged sensory and protective hairs and get rid of any parasites or fungus that may have started to grow on their exterior.

Current status- Red-knee Tarantulas are threatened, Cites Appendix II, due to over-collection of the pet trade and habitat loss.