Red tiger tarantula

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Red tiger tarantula
Red tiger tarantula (Davus fasciatus), female

Red tiger tarantula ( Davus fasciatus ), female

Systematics
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Tarantulas (Mygalomorphae)
Family : Tarantulas (Theraphosidae)
Subfamily : Theraphosinae
Genre : Davus
Type : Red tiger tarantula
Scientific name
Davus fasciatus
O. Pickard-Cambridge , 1892

The red tiger tarantula ( Davus fasciatus , synonym : Cyclosternum fasciatum ) is a spider from the tarantula family (Theraphosidae). It is common in southern Central America . The species should not be confused with the tiger tarantula ( Poecilotheria regalis ) from the monotypical subfamily of the Poecilotheriinae , which is similar by name and is widespread in southern India .

The common English name of the red tiger tarantula is Costa Rican tiger rump (tarantula) (translated: "Costa Rica tiger rump (tarantula )").

features

Female of the red tiger tarantula

The female of the red tiger tarantula reaches a body length of about 50 millimeters and the male one of about 30 millimeters, which means that the species is counted among the dwarf tarantulas . The leg span is up to 120 millimeters in females and 80 to 100 millimeters in males. The basic color of the red tiger tarantula is black. The carapace (back shield of the prosoma or front body) appears copper to gold colored. While the coxae (hip joints) are uniformly black in color, the trochanters (thigh rings) and tarsi (foot joints) are dark gray and velvety. A striking feature of the species are the five also copper- to gold-colored horizontal stripes on the otherwise black opisthosoma (abdomen). The red tiger tarantula has stinging hairs and is therefore one of the tarantulas that can be bombarded.

Similar species

Females of the closely related and similar species Davus pentaloris

A species similar to the red tiger tarantula is closely related Davus pentaloris . Unlike the red tiger tarantula, this one has an orange carapace and red stripes on the opisthosoma. Since Davus pentaloris, in contrast to the red tiger tarantula, occurs in Guatemala , it is not possible to mix up the two species in the wild under normal circumstances.

Occurrence

Rainforest in the La Amistad National Park (here in Panama ), one of the habitats of the red tiger tarantula.

The red tiger tarantula is found in Costa Rica and Panama , where it lives in the tropical rainforests and is particularly found there on the woodland on the ground.

Threat and protection

No information is available about possible threats to the red tiger tarantula. Its population is not rated by the IUCN and accordingly the species does not enjoy any protection status.

Way of life

Female on the net cover of his web of living space

The red tiger tarantula is one of the ground-dwelling tarantulas and digs living tubes, which in this species can be quite complex and extensive. As with other species, the residential tube is provided with a residential web. Occasionally, other suitable cavities are used, which are then provided with a web. The nocturnal species, like all tarantulas, remains in the shelter during the day and rarely leaves it in the evening to look for prey.

The red tiger tarantula is considered to be a more peaceful tarantula and tries to find refuge in its shelter when it encounters possible predators (predators). Should it be necessary, the species can also defend itself by means of bombing (stripping and flinging the stinging hair), with a threatening gesture or, in extreme need, with a poison bite.

Reproduction

The breeding behavior of the red tiger tarantula does not differ significantly from that of other tarantulas and the mating is mostly peaceful. As the eggs ripen, the mated female's need for food increases before she makes an egg cocoon after two to three months , which can contain around 150 to 500 eggs. The young hatch about six weeks after the egg cocoon is made. With a leg span of five millimeters, these are initially quite small, but grow relatively quickly. Males reach sexual maturity in two to two and a half years and females within two to three and a half years. The female also has a longer lifespan of a maximum of nine years, while the male has a life expectancy of three to four years, as is usual with tarantulas.

Terrariums

Like other tarantulas, the red tiger tarantula enjoys a certain popularity as a pet in terrariums due to its striking appearance . It should also be positively emphasized that the spider does not usually behave aggressively towards the owner and, due to its smaller size compared to other tarantulas, can also be kept in smaller dwellings. However, one should be aware of the shy character and the mostly hidden way of life of the species before buying one or more specimens. For the successful keeping of specimens of the red tiger tarantula, as with all rainforest dwellers, the temperature and humidity in the containers used for keeping must be simulated as well as possible.

Systematics

When it was first described by Octavius ​​Pickard-Cambridge in 1892 , the red tiger tarantula was given the name Davus fasciatus , which it initially retained for a long time. The species was transferred to the genus Cyclosternum by Carlos Enrique Valerio Gutierrez in 1982 and received the name C. fasciatus , which is still often used as a synonym today. By Heinz-Josef Peters , the Red Tiger tarantula was back in the genus Davus asked and received its original name, which since then is valid again.

The red tiger tarantula, which is also the type species of its genus, has two other synonyms. These are:

  • Metriopelma drymusetes Valerio , 1982
  • Neischnocolus drymusetes Schmidt , 2003

gallery

  • Dorsal view of a female

  • Frontal view of a female

  • Lateral view of a female

  • Detail of a female

  • Female outside of his shelter

  • Red tiger tarantula eye mounds

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) at Eckis Vogelspinnenzucht, accessed on March 21, 2020
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) from Artroposfera (Spanish), accessed on March 21, 2020
  3. ↑ Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) from Aqua-Spider, accessed on March 21, 2020
  4. ↑ a b Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) at Arachnophilia.de, accessed on March 21, 2020
  5. ↑ Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) at Spider's home, accessed on March 21, 2020
  6. ↑ Davus pentaloris (Simon, 1888) in Theraphosidae (Dutch), accessed on March 21, 2020
  7. ↑ Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed March 21, 2020
  8. ↑ Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) from Tarantupedia, accessed on March 21, 2020
  9. ↑ Davus fasciatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) from spinnen-andre, accessed on March 21, 2020

literature

  • Hans W. Kothe: tarantulas. 1st edition. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-4400-9367-0 .
  • Volker von Wirth: tarantulas. 1st edition, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-8338-2151-6 .
  • Ray Gabriel: Revised Taxonomic Placement of the Species in the Central American Genera Davus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892, Metriopelma Becker, 1878, and Schizopelma FO Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, with Comments on Species in Related Genera (Araneae: Theraphosidae): Dedicated to the memory of Lesley Hedicker 1955-2011 , Arachnology 17 (2), 2016, pp. 61-92.

Web links

Commons : Red Tiger Tarantula  - Collection of images, videos and audio files