Aphonopelma seemanni, the Costa Rican zebra tarantula, also known as the striped-knee tarantula, is a species of tarantula inhabiting most of western Costa Rica and other parts of Central America, such as Honduras and Nicaragua, and possibly Guatemala.[1] It is usually black with white stripes near the leg joints, but a brown color form also exists for the spider.[2]
Zebra tarantulas are deep-burrowing spiders. They live in open, semiarid scrublands, and are often found in large aggregations. Their deep burrows keep the temperature below the highest daytime temperatures, and retain humidity. Conversely, as temperatures drop at night, the burrows buffer away from the lowest temperatures.[3]
Zebra tarantulas can grow to about 10–13 cm including leg span. Females can live up to 20 years. Males, however, tend to live a much shorter life – up to five years, with about a single year of maturity. In the wild, they eat a wide variety of insects such as grasshoppers and cockroaches. In captivity, they eat crickets.
Zebra tarantulas have urticating hairs, which can be thrown and are irritating to human skin. However, it is rare for them to do so. They are very skittish in nature and fast runners.[4]
^Natural History Museum Bern. "NMBE - World Spider Catalog". wsc.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
^Montes de Oca, Laura; Mendoza, Jorge (2020), Pérez-Miles, Fernando (ed.), "Tarantulas in Captivity: Raising and Breeding", New World Tarantulas: Taxonomy, Biogeography and Evolutionary Biology of Theraphosidae, Zoological Monographs, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 411–461, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-48644-0_15, ISBN978-3-030-48644-0, S2CID 234939184, retrieved 2021-10-30
4. Montes de Oca, Laura; Mendoza, Jorge (2020), Pérez-Miles, Fernando (ed.), "Tarantulas in Captivity: Raising and Breeding", New World Tarantulas: Taxonomy, Biogeography and Evolutionary Biology of Theraphosidae, Zoological Monographs, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 411–461, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-48644-0_15, ISBN978-3-030-48644-0, retrieved 2021-10-30
Platnick, Norman I. (2008): World Spider Catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.
External linksedit
Media related to Aphonopelma seemanni at Wikimedia Commons
Fact sheet
April 09, 2024
aphonopelma, seemanni, costa, rican, zebra, tarantula, also, known, striped, knee, tarantula, species, tarantula, inhabiting, most, western, costa, rica, other, parts, central, america, such, honduras, nicaragua, possibly, guatemala, usually, black, with, whit. Aphonopelma seemanni the Costa Rican zebra tarantula also known as the striped knee tarantula is a species of tarantula inhabiting most of western Costa Rica and other parts of Central America such as Honduras and Nicaragua and possibly Guatemala 1 It is usually black with white stripes near the leg joints but a brown color form also exists for the spider 2 Costa Rican zebra tarantulaScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaSubphylum ChelicerataClass ArachnidaOrder AraneaeInfraorder MygalomorphaeFamily TheraphosidaeGenus AphonopelmaSpecies A seemanniBinomial nameAphonopelma seemanni F O P Cambridge 1897 SynonymsEurypelma seemanniRhechostica seemanniZebra tarantulas are deep burrowing spiders They live in open semiarid scrublands and are often found in large aggregations Their deep burrows keep the temperature below the highest daytime temperatures and retain humidity Conversely as temperatures drop at night the burrows buffer away from the lowest temperatures 3 Zebra tarantulas can grow to about 10 13 cm including leg span Females can live up to 20 years Males however tend to live a much shorter life up to five years with about a single year of maturity In the wild they eat a wide variety of insects such as grasshoppers and cockroaches In captivity they eat crickets Zebra tarantulas have urticating hairs which can be thrown and are irritating to human skin However it is rare for them to do so They are very skittish in nature and fast runners 4 References edit A seemanni care sheet www mikebasictarantula com Retrieved 2020 07 28 Ian 2017 02 15 Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula Aphonopelma seemanni Tarantula Friendly Retrieved 2020 07 28 Natural History Museum Bern NMBE World Spider Catalog wsc nmbe ch Retrieved 2020 07 28 Montes de Oca Laura Mendoza Jorge 2020 Perez Miles Fernando ed Tarantulas in Captivity Raising and Breeding New World Tarantulas Taxonomy Biogeography and Evolutionary Biology of Theraphosidae Zoological Monographs Cham Springer International Publishing pp 411 461 doi 10 1007 978 3 030 48644 0 15 ISBN 978 3 030 48644 0 S2CID 234939184 retrieved 2021 10 304 Montes de Oca Laura Mendoza Jorge 2020 Perez Miles Fernando ed Tarantulas in Captivity Raising and Breeding New World Tarantulas Taxonomy Biogeography and Evolutionary Biology of Theraphosidae Zoological Monographs Cham Springer International Publishing pp 411 461 doi 10 1007 978 3 030 48644 0 15 ISBN 978 3 030 48644 0 retrieved 2021 10 30Platnick Norman I 2008 World Spider Catalog version 8 5 American Museum of Natural History External links edit nbsp Media related to Aphonopelma seemanni at Wikimedia Commons Caring for your Costa Rican Zebra Fact sheet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aphonopelma seemanni amp oldid 1215997154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
