The Goliath birdeater belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass and body length, and second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span. It is also called the Goliath tarantula or Goliath bird-eating spider; the practice of calling theraphosids "bird-eating" derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird. Despite the spider's name, it rarely preys on birds.
The Brazilian whiteknee tarantula is a species of tarantula from Brazil that is commonly kept as a pet.
Previously placed in the genus Avicularia, C. versicolor is native to Martinique in the Caribbean Sea.
Phormictopus is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas) that occurs in the West Indies, mainly Cuba and Hispaniola, with three species probably misplaced in this genus found in Brazil and Argentina.
Acanthoscurria theraphosoides is a species of spider from the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and French Guiana.
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. As of December 2023, 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas". Some of the more common species have become popular in the exotic pet trade. Many New World species kept as pets have setae known as urticating hairs that can cause irritation to the skin, and in extreme cases, cause damage to the eyes.
Davus pentaloris is a species of New World tarantula native to Mexico and Guatemala. Davus was at one time considered to be a synonym of Cyclosternum, and its species were placed in that genus, but this is no longer accepted.
The Theraphosinae are a large subfamily of Mygalomorphae spiders in the family Theraphosidae found in the Neotropical realm.
Acanthoscurria is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. They are found throughout South America including the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, plus into the Windward Islands West Indies,.
Holothele is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Ferdinand Anton Franz Karsch in 1879. Originally placed with the curtain-web spiders, it was transferred to the tarantulas in 1980.
Cyrtopholis is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892.
Nesipelma is a genus of tarantulas containing the two species, Nesipelma insulare and Nesipelma medium. It was first described by Günter E. W. Schmidt & F. Kovařík in 1996, and is found in Nevis and on the Lesser Antilles.
Longilyra is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae. It was first described in 2014 by Gabriel. As of 2017, it contains only one species, Longilyra johnlonghorni, found in El Salvador. This genus differs from the others as it has stridulatory bristles. It is different from those who have them on the same segments such as the Acanthoscurria genus because of the palpal bulb with a very short and acuminate embolus and four short keels, separated tibial apophysis. Females can be separated from the others by the spermathecae with two seminal receptacles with elongated ducts emerging from a common area.
Antillena is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). As of March 2017, the genus contained a single species, Antillena rickwesti, found in the Dominican Republic.
Rick C. West is a Canadian arachnologist and an expert on the taxonomy of tarantula spiders. West was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He has been interested in spiders since childhood, and collected his first tarantula, Aphonopelma eutylenum, at the age of 13. He worked primarily as a Chief Constable for a local Animal Humane Society, but also have been involved with the collecting, breeding, rearing and photography of theraphosid spiders. West has traveled to over 27 countries to document and study them in their environment, has been a host, presenter and co-producer in several tarantula documentaries and has also described several genera and species.
Sericopelma angustum, is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae found in Costa Rica The species was formerly included in the genus Brachypelma.
Acanthoscurria insubtilis also known as the Bolivian black velvet tarantula, is a spider which was first described by Eugène Simon in 1892. It is found in Bolivia, with some reports also stating in Brazil, though it is mainly in the Bolivian Rainforests.
Acanthoscurria simoensi is a species of tarantula spider found in Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil, first described from French Guiana in 2000. The species has been traded in the exotic pet hobby as "Para Mongo Zebra” under spurious scientific names such as 'fracta'. The common name partly relates to the colouration where the females of the species have dark bodies with light coloured linear markings on legs. Notably, like in many other tarantulas with strong sexual dimorpsim, adult males of the species have a different general appearance with a more rusty metallic colouration and comparatively weak linear markings on the legs.
Acanthoscurria cordubensis is a species of terrestrial tarantula that thrives in high humidity environments. It is also known as the Rusty Brown Bird Eater due to its medium brown color. The previous scientific name for this species was Acanthoscurria suina and it is native to Argentina. Male specimens of this species can live about 4 years, but the females can get to 20 years old and can reach a size of about 7.5 inches, though this size estimate is based on a low sample size.
Acanthoscurria maga is a terrestrial tarantula species of Acanthoscurria native to St. Lucia. The common name of this species is the Antilles pink patch tarantula. Its coloration ranges from medium to light brown, with the hue typically being lighter in males. This species prefers relatively high humidity, warm environments, from 65-75% humidity and 76–85 °F (24–29 °C). It is slow growing, tends to burrow, and can possibly get up to 5 inches (13 cm), with females generally being larger than males.
