Pelinobius muticus
| Pelinobius muticus | ||||||||||||
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Pelinobius muticus , female |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Pelinobius | ||||||||||||
| Karsch , 1885 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Pelinobius muticus | ||||||||||||
| Karsch , 1885 |
Pelinobius muticus is an African species of tarantula that is one of the largest and rarest species in its family . It is the only species of its genus and wasdiscovered and first described by Ferdinand Karsch in 1885.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Kenya giant tarantula extends within the African rift around Lake Victoria in Kenya , Uganda and Tanzania . Due to their hidden way of life in deep burrows, it is to be expected that the boundaries of their distribution area will expand with better knowledge. They are mainly found in semi-arid areas with very low water levels, which is due to life in burrows.
description
Pelinobius muticus reaches a height (without legs) of 10♂ - 13♀ cm. The rear pairs of legs are noticeable; the penultimate pair of legs is above average for tarantulas, the last pair of legs can reach a length of up to 13 cm and a diameter of 9 mm. In addition, the last pair of legs has an inward curvature in the normal position. This physique indicates that Pelinobius muticus digs its own living tubes and uses its strong hind legs to transport earth out of them. The abdomen also reaches unusually large dimensions, in captivity with good feeding up to 7 × 5 cm. The chelicerae reach a stately size of up to 1.9 cm; this size is only exceeded by the 2.5 cm long chelicerae of Teraphosa blondi . The color of the spider varies from reddish brown to golden brown. The hair is velvety and looks smooth. The hair of the males is a little longer and, unlike the females, they have no shin hooks.
Way of life
The spider lays on living tubes in loamy earth. These living tubes are dug vertically up to 2 m into the ground. The actual living space of the spider is a horizontal tube at the end of the vertical one. This is dug in such a way that the spider can rotate freely in all positions without great effort and can go into attack position if it has to defend itself. The entire tube as well as a small area around the entrance are lined with spider silk in order to be able to locate prey or attackers quickly. The animals seldom leave their living quarters and always at night to catch their prey (male animals also when looking for a bride). Everything that can be overwhelmed - usually by a surprise attack from the tube - is eaten, but mainly larger insects such as locusts and smaller mammals such as mice. K LAAS et al. say the spider is a very aggressive and unpredictable creature, and it shouldn't let go of so quickly once it has bitten.
Web links
Pelinobius muticus in the World Spider Catalog
literature
- Günter Stadler: Vogelspinnen , Bede-Verlag Ruhmannsfelden 2000, ISBN 3-933646-15-4 .