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.
Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão was a Brazilian zoologist who is considered the founder of Arachnology in South America, publishing 198 papers on the taxonomy of Arachnida. He was also involved with education, writing high-school textbooks, and contributed to biogeography, with essays on the distribution of Arachnida in the South American continent.
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.
Acanthoscurria antillensis is a species of large spider, a tarantula in the family Theraphosidae. This species occurs in the Lesser Antilles, hence the specific name "antillensis" meaning "of the Antilles". This species is known in the exotic pet trade as the "Antillean pink patch" tarantula.
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,.
Lasiodora is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1850. They are often very large; body lengths of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in), including the legs, are not unusual.
Cyrtopholis is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892.
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.
Acanthoscurria gomesiana is a species of tarantula first identified in Brazil in 1923. It is known for producing the gomesin peptides, a class of proteins which have found to have anti-tumour and anti-microbial properties.
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 belterrensis is a species of tarantula native to Brazil. They typically are a dark reddish-brown color and sometimes have a more orange toned abdomen. This species is not recorded to have been kept as pets and does not have much information about it, partially due to its recent discovery in 2014.
Acanthoscurria chacoana, also known as the Bolivian red rump tarantula, is a fast growing, docile tarantula found in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It is commonly kept as a pet, preferring 70–80% humidity and a horizontally large enclosure, as it is terrestrial. This species of spider does create burrows and is a reddish-brown with tan stripes on its 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.
Acanthoscurria musculosa is a species of terrestrial tarantula discovered in 1892 by Eugène Simon. This species is a dark brown to black and its common name is the Brazilian Black Velvet Tarantula. This species tends to prefer temperatures of 76 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and 65 to 75% humidity when kept as pets. As with other spiders of this genus, this species needs at least four inches of substrate because, despite their terrestrial nature, they tend to burrow occasionally. They can get up to 5-6 inches and are typically docile towards humans, yet very aggressive towards their prey.
Acanthoscurria natalensis is a dark-brown species of ground dwelling tarantula native to the northeastern area of Brazil. This species is almost identical to the species Acanthoscurria chacoana and can be differentiated from it because A. natalensis has a longer embolus, the part of male tarantulas that transfers sperm to the females. The other difference between these species is the lesser developed keels in A. natalensis.
Acanthoscurria paulensis is a species of tarantula native to the state of São Paulo and Mato Grosso. They prefer temperatures of 72–82 °F (22–28 °C) when kept in captivity and of 65-75% humidity. Females of this species can also reach up to 5–6 inches (130–150 mm) and tend to grow faster than the males too. This species is aggressive towards their prey and also often burrow.
