Brazilian whiteknee tarantula
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| Brazilian White Knee Tarantula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Acanthoscurria |
| Species: | A. geniculata
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| Binomial name | |
| Acanthoscurria geniculata (Koch, 1841)
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| Synonyms | |
|
Mygale geniculata | |
The Brazilian Giant Whiteknee Tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata), is a species of tarantula native to the Amazon basin of Northern Brazil. It is commonly referred to as the Brazilian giant whiteknee tarantula in reference its brilliant black and white banded legs. This is a large species, fast growing and taking up to 3–4 years to reach a mature leg-span of 8.5 inches for females.
These tarantulas have been much prized as pets, due to their size, hardiness, and striking colouration. They are moderately defensive, and their urticating hairs can be quite irritating to human skin. These spiders, like many un-domesticated pets, can bite when provoked. Fortunately because they have urticating hairs, biting is typically not their first line of defence. Their venom is not considered medically significant, but due to their large size the puncture wounds can be damaging.
Photos
References
External links
- Photograph of captive A. geniculata, with advice on handling these creatures
- Photos of Acanthoscurria geniculata and more Acanthoscurria species in tarantulas gallery.
