Arachnids · Araneae · Theraphosidae

Mexican Orangeknee

Brachypelma smithi

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Mexican red-kneed tarantula is a mygalomorph spider of the family Theraphosidae that lives in the Pacific zone of the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is black in tone, with red and yellowish rings on its legs. Thanks to long, fine hairs on their legs, these spiders can detect the direction of the wind, vibrations in their web, smells, the distance they have travelled and even the quickest and safest route home.

Size

up to 5.9 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

DesertCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Near Threatened Desert Arachnid

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Fun facts

The female spends almost her whole life inside the burrow, which shelters her from predators such as the coati and lets her ambush large insects, frogs and mice.
It is one of the most popular pet tarantulas, and that has put it at risk: it has been listed in CITES Appendix II since 1985, with the rest of the genus added in 1994. Even so, at least 3,000 Mexican tarantulas are reckoned to have been smuggled out of Mexico in the years up to 2017, most of them red-knees.
It defends itself by flicking urticating hairs from its abdomen with its hind legs, rather than by biting.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Invertebrate - chitin exoskeleton (arachnid)
Habitat & environment: Scrub and dry forest on the Pacific slope of Guerrero, in Mexico; it digs deep single-entrance burrows with one or two chambers, almost always beside vegetation

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachypelma_smithi