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 Chilean rose tarantula, also known as the rose hair tarantula, the Chilean fire tarantula, or the Chilean red-haired tarantula, is probably the most common species of tarantula available in American and European pet stores today, due to the large number of wild-caught specimens exported cheaply from their native Chile into the pet trade. The species is also known from Bolivia and Argentina.
Avicularia avicularia, sometimes called the pinktoe tarantula, is a species of tarantula native from Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. This species is sometimes called the Guyana pinktoe, or South American pinktoe.
The Brazilian whiteknee tarantula is a species of tarantula from Brazil that is commonly kept as a pet.
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,.
Ephebopus cyanognathus, known as the blue fang tarantula, is a species of tarantula. It is endemic to French Guiana. It was first described by Rick C. West and Samuel D Marshall in 2000, and is somewhat commonly kept as pets. As it common name may suggest, they have magnificent blue chelicerae, cyano meaning blue and gnathus meaning jaw. This tarantula is a burrowing spider, though spiderlings of this species have been observed to be semi-arboreal.
Tapinauchenius plumipes, the orange tree spider, is a tarantula endemic to French Guiana. It was first described by Ludovico Di Caporiacco in 1954. Its previous name, Tapinauchenius gigas was based on the Latin word for giant, being gigas. This tarantula is often kept as a pet and commonly bred.
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 juruenicola is a species of ground dwelling tarantula native to Brazil. Its common name is the Brazilian orange-banded tarantula and it is not often kept as a pet, but it can be given the right conditions. Typically, this species lives in conditions with 65-75% humidity with temperatures ranging from 76 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They can get up to 7 inches and, but their sex and environment are factors that can affect their size.
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.
