''Tliltocatl vagans'' ( synonym ''Brachypelma vagans'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

known commonly as the Mexican red rump. It ranges predominantly in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(including the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...

), but is also found in Central America. They are terrestrial, burrowing

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s. The reason for the name red rump is because of its distinctive red hairs on its

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. Like most tarantulas, they will eat anything they can overpower, which is usually

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...

s, but small lizards and

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

s may also be consumed. They can grow up to a solid 6.5 inch leg span, with males typically being smaller and thinner than the females. They prefer shrubland habitats. In 1996, ''Tliltocatl vagans'' was discovered in the wild in St. Lucie County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is now considered an established non-native species in that state, where it is thought to have been introduced through either accidental or intentional releases of specimens imported via the pet trade, although their numbers have been dwindling due to many ''T. vagans'' eating insects poisoned by pesticides. Distribution of Tliltocatl species

Taxonomy

The genus '' Brachypelma'' was split up, with this species moving to become ''Tliltocatl vagans''. The move is accepted by the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

In captivity

''T. vagans'' is frequently kept and bred in captivity. They are typically docile, though they can be skittish and prone to releasing

urticating hair Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. ''Urtica'' is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genu ...

s. Females are long-lived, potentially reaching 15 years of age. Due to its popularity in the pet trade, ''T. vagans'' is listed under appendix II of

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

(under its former name) to prevent illegal removal and international trade. This trade, combined with

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and a high rate of mortality prior to sexual maturity, means that ''T. vagans'' is considered vulnerable to extinction.

In traditional Mayan medicine

The Ch'ol Maya consider these spiders to be positive, and use them medicinally. A hierbatero kills it, then crushes it, mixes it with spirit alcohol and strains out any irritating hairs with a traditional cloth. The beverage is used for the treatment of "tarantula wind", the symptoms being chest pain, coughing and asthma. The venom peptide GsMtx-4 is being investigated for the possible treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, muscular dystrophy and glioma.

Gallery

Image:Bvagans.jpg, Juvenile feeding on a

mealworm Mealworms are the larval form of the yellow mealworm beetle, ''Tenebrio molitor'', a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae typically measure about or ...

Image:Brachypelma vagans exo 160601.jpg, Exoskeleton Image:Brachypelma vagans adult.jpg, Adult Image:Brachypelma vagans molt.jpg, Freshly molted

References

External links

Brachypelma vagans photos

Brachypelmas.co.uk

on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site {{Taxonbar, from1=Q86830346, from2=Q137136 Theraphosidae Spiders of Mexico Spiders of Central America Spiders described in 1875