Tarantulas of the World

Avicularia Revision

As 2017 is rolling out we have come to find out there are new changes to Avicularia. This genus by Lamarck, 1818 has been revised and all species rediagnosed. This entire report has been published as well as well documented and can be found here. It is an interesting article and very informative for any tarantula keeper and we highly recommend you taking the time to read it.

(photo by Tom Patterson)

However, for those who just want to know what changed…..Here ya go:

A.versicolor is now Caribena versicolor

A.laeta is now Caribena laeta

A.rickwesti is now Antillena rickwesti

A.sooretama is now Ybyrapora sooretama

A.gamba is now Ybyrapora gamba

A.diversipes is now Ybyrapora diversipes

A.avicularia variegata is now A.variegata

A.bicegoi is now A.variegata

A.velutina is now A.avicularia

A.exilis is now A.avicularia

A.ancylochyra is now A.avicularia

A.cuminami is now A.avicularia

A.nigrotaeniata is now A.avicularia

A.urticans is now A.juruensis

A.affinis is now Euathlus affinis

A.subvulpina is now Grammostola subvulpina

A.aymara is now Thrixopelma aymara

A.leporina is now Iridopelma leporina

A.plantaris is now Iridopelma plantaris

This genus was a taxonomic dumping ground for wrongly placed species. Taxonomy long ago was nowhere near as specific and precise as it is now. That’s why so many things were incorrectly placed into certain genera. It is also why so many species are now to be synonymous with others. When a genus gets moved or changed, it just means that it never belonged in the genus it was in to begin with. When this happens it needs to be moved to the correct genus and this is just one of many new revisions to come as technology and better research happen in the 21st century. It might be hard to understand but this will end up being for the betterment and for the future of this genera.

What about you? What are your thoughts? Share with us and remember to rename your tarantulas!

The Peruvian Pinktoe tarantula, also known as the Peru Purple or the Peruvian Giant Pinktoe is a species native to South America and Peru. They are loved due to their purple colors that are of a light sheen purple as juveniles that will slowly turn into a more dark purple as adults. They tend to grow to be about 6 inches in length and are usually bigger then the common Pinktoe Tarantula. Females mature at a much faster rate then males with most females maturing after 1 year to 1.5 years. Males tend to take a bit longer as they can take up to 3 years to fully mature. They are fast growers and can easily molt 6 times in their first year. Males grow to be about 4 years old while females can easily grow to be 12 years old.

Habitat:

This is an arboreal species and spends most of its time above the ground floor on either plants, or trees. For a full grown adult an 8 to 10 gallon enclosure would be best. Make sure your enclosure has more height then it has crawl space. We recommend about 3 inches of substrate which should be a mixture of coconut fiber and vermiculite moss. This should be damp to the touch to produce the needed humidity levels for your tarantula. You should have a steady humidity level of about 80 percent for your tarantula. In addition a shallow water dish should be added with clean water for your tarantula. You can overfill it from time to time to keep humidity levels where they need to be, this will also prevent you from having to spray/mist the enclosure. Your enclosure should either have a plant or bark (placed vertically with the length of at least 8 to 12 inches ) for your tarantula to climb up on. They web the top or inside the bark and use that to live in. A steady temperature of about 80 to 85 degrees should be maintained.

Feeding:

The Peruvian Pinktoe tarantula grows fast and has a good appetite. When smaller you should try feeding it flightless fruit flies and small crickets (never feed your tarantula a prey bigger then its body). As they grow to be bigger you can switch their diet by feeding them medium to large crickets or even b.dubia cockroaches. Feeding should only happen once a week and give your tarantula a good two weeks before you feed it should it have finished a molt. As always never leave prey in its enclosure if it has not been eaten after 24 hours.

Attitude:

The Peruvian Pinktoe tarantula is skittish and just as most Pinktoes will rather jump and run away other then stand and fight. For this reason handling should be done with care as to not startle your tarantula. A jump/fall from your hands can most certainly cause your tarantula severe injuries if not death. They do come with urticating hairs but they rather flick them on your hand then into the air. Avicularias also have a poopcannon that they use as a defense mechanism and as adults have great aim. Last but not least when all else fails and they have no other choice they might bite (though rare). Their venom has low toxicity and would only be a threat to humans in the event of the person having specific pet allergies (such as a bee allergy).

In all this is a great tarantula and recommended for pretty much any hobbyist, though we do not recommend you handling them if you are a beginner keeper. Its a nice display spider due to its great colors and a must have for any collection.

Tell us about your Peruvian Pinktoe tarantula, we’d love to hear from you! Comment down below.