Who am i ?

[Mark Pennell]

Thanks Mark, your discription of my tarantula as a manky old T,blondi, isnt what i would of exspected.
dont most, if not all tarantulas that are comeing up to a moult look a bit tatty?
As for posting more pictures up,i dont think so!all i seem to have goten is derogatory remarks.

Martin
Sorry, but my remarks were not ment to be derogatory or anything other than a polite witty reply, The image is blurry thats for sure, but needless to say its almost imposible to ID large brown tarantulas, especially when they are IE: browned out ( a common term in the hobby) and ready to molt.

I am sorry if you took my reply the wrong way Martin, I can assure you it was not meant with any malice or intent. Did I not ask if you could post more images especially from the top. That was so I could see the shape of the carapace to rule out or confirm T, blondi.


Anyway sorry you took offence, we are not like that here and nor will we tollerate abuse, of anyone, this is a friendly forum with top qaulity mods..

Please except my aplogies, but I was not being in anyway derogatory.
regards
Mark

[Mark Pennell]

Really a clearer picture should be posted if you're looking for an ID. Having said that, from what I can see I'd venture a guess at Megaphobema velvetosoma.

Ps. relax

might be Mike looks kinda close

[Ray Hale]

Hi Martin, I dont think anyone meant any offence on this one.

My guess would be T.blondi. It is a poor picture and that is not meant as a critiscism as I know how difficult to get a decent shot of some elusive tarantulas and if it is bit aggressive then doubly so.

I would say it is due a moult and did you say what sex it was? In truth it is often difficult to identify a tarantula from a photo alone especially some of the New World ones. If you get a skin from it then a more reliable ID would be possible.

Hope this helps.

Ray Hale
BTS Committee

[Colin D Wilson]

If you get a skin from it then a more reliable ID would be possible.

And there's quite a few people on here who would be able and willing to ID it if you sent it to them.
well worth a first class stamp to find out the species in my mind

[stuart longhorn]

Hi Martin,
Ok, Well hopefully all good again, and fyi in the past craig has been superhelpful to others with getting Ids on other
mystery tarantulas, sadly not in your case here.

I would also give a guess of premoult Megaphobema velvetosoma. The carapace does not look round enough
for any of the Theraphosa species -sorry ray!. If it is M.velvetosoma its body should go greyish after moult and the abdomen
hairs become reddish. Colour does not confirm the Id though, just supports the guess. Yes, you really need to
get the moult to someone, perhaps bring the moult to a BTS event/or where we have a some public representation. The person there
at the time might not be the best person to say, but the moult should get to someone who can look at it properly.

I've kept all the Megaphobema species, and currently have an adult female that appears just like yours here, but
someone needs to look at the moult and/or the actual spider to make a more absolute identification.

stuart

[martin hudson]

Hi, Stuart, sorry for the slow reply,but i had stoped uesing the forum,& there for had not seen it,until i was
told by a friend that there was another answer on the thread.
So thank you for your guess,thats the second one for Megaphobema velvetosoma, she does look alot like
one but not haveing ever kept one myself i only go by the pictures that iv seen,
When i next see her i will look for the colour changes that you mention, as i have still not seen her since
she went underground some weeks ago!!!(I only call her a she as all my 'Ts' are she untill proven other wise)
I hope your A/F is doing well?
Thanks again for your reply & may all your 'Ts' have eight legs
Martin.

[Tess Edwards]

Not sure...it looks a bit like a goliath birdeater to me! Is it big?

[martin hudson]

Hi Tess,thanks for your guess, it has a L.S. of about 7ins, well that was the last time i sore her,as she has not been seen for some time now! with any luck she will have moulted the next time i see her & have an even greater L.S.fingers crossed.
Do you keep goliath's?(theraphosa sp)if so what have you got? cheers,

[Mike Conabeer]

Martin, in your first post you mention that you know what you bought the spider as and what you've been told it is, can you enlighten us as to what you were sold as and told please?

Kind regards,

Mike.

p.s I too would edge towards Megaphobema velvetosoma, originally I was thinking T.blondi but once M.velvetosoma was mentioned I switched my opinion to agree with that.

[martin hudson]

Martin, in your first post you mention that you know what you bought the spider as and what you've been told it is, can you enlighten us as to what you were sold as and told please?

Kind regards,

Mike.

p.s I too would edge towards Megaphobema velvetosoma, originally I was thinking T.blondi but once M.velvetosoma was mentioned I switched my opinion to agree with that.

Hi Mike,thanks for responding, I bought the 'T' as a Hysterocrates Gigas! & have been told by a couple of people that its a T.blondi? i can see that it doesnt look like H,gigas so was going with T,blondi untill
M,velvetosoma came on the sceen & now dont have a clue!
Only thing i can say for shore is that its under ground at the moment

[Tess Edwards]

Hi Martin, yep I would guess she is a T. blondi (goliath birdeater)
I don't actually have any 'Ts' yet! I'm planning to get my first very soon, i'm looking at probably a G. pulchripes. However I have a friend with a T. blondi and she looks very similar to your picture

[martin hudson]

OK! guy's once again into the breech! i dont realy want to open this can of worms again but!, she has now moulted!& looks completely different to before, so just gota post a pici of her now,(she now looks more like the H,gigas she was bought as)
if any one disagree's then i have the exco to send, & would be pleased to do so.
Not the best shots ever but good for me thanks for looking guy's.

[stuart longhorn]

Hi Martin...

First off congratulations on a successful moult and a beautiful spider.

Ok, well not sure there is a can of worms.. im much more convinced its M.velvetosoma, its exactly like how i expected.

Its absolutely not a Hysterocrates. You can tell its not that if you test it has urticating hairs, Hysterocrates (like all african tarantulas) do not have urticating hairs. (you choose how to get it to flick hairs... just be careful not to get hairs in your eyes or on your skin!).
The spermathecae is totally wrong for Hysterocrates, those are like an explosion of button mushrooms...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.tarantula.store/spermgal-Hystercrates.htm

The long red hairs on the abdomen indicate its not any Tharaphosa. The carapace is like Megaphobema, much to narrow
to be Theraphosa which become almost circular shaped with age, yours is not.

A close up of the spermathecae would convince me 100% for M.velvetosoma, but take a look against the spermathecae shape in these excellent pictures below by Radan Kaderka. To look at you moult closer, you might have to rewet it.
Also Megaphobema should have slightly thickened femur III, but thats not really obvious on this species, anyway now your spider is out again, take a look if you think femur III is thickened.

Spermathecae of Theraphosa sp here

http://www.theraphosidae.cz/imagestar/theblo1.htm

Spermathecae of M.velvetosoma

http://www.theraphosidae.cz/imagestar/megvel.htm

Both are simple domes, like in your moult picture. But i cant tell the fine scale which is closer to yours - the M.velvetosoma is low, with few deep ridges, while that of Theraphosa is taller and has many more minor ripples - not as deep ridges.

It would also be useful to look at the coxa of legI or palp for stridulatory bristles, or presence of typeI urticating hairs (which Theraphosa dont have) ... but im already 99% convinced its Megaphobema velvetosoma ... just now look close at spermathecae against the pics in the links...


s

[martin hudson]

Thanks Stuart,the links are very good, alot better than i am im afraid, i have looked at the spermatheca on the pici's & on my exo but cant get a close enough image to be shaw,.So i think i will now call her a M,velvetosoma,
Once again Stuart thanks for your help

[Deborah Richardson]

May I ask how big she is? (sorry if you have said and I missed it). She looks very smart now she is all molted