''Cardiopelma'' is a genus of spiders in the family

Theraphosidae 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 ...

. It was first described in 1999 by Vol. , it contains only one species, ''Cardiopelma mascatum'', known only from

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 ...

, in the state of

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

Description

''Cardiopelma mascatum'' also known as the Orange Flame Rump Tarantula, is a

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 ...

which females live up to 16 years, while males only up to 6. Their carapace is a copper like orange color, with a black triangle covering the eyes. The

opisthosoma The opisthosoma is the posterior part of the body in some arthropods, behind the prosoma ( cephalothorax). It is a distinctive feature of the subphylum Chelicerata (arachnids, horseshoe crabs and others). Although it is similar in most respects to ...

is black with a heart shaped copper colored urticating patch in the center, whereas the bottom of the

is orange. Their legs are the same color as the carapace, with the exception of the femur which is black.

Habitat

They have been found in the south eastern mountains and the borders of

Oaxaca City Oaxaca de Juárez (), also Oaxaca City or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding Municipality of Oaxaca. It is in the Centro ...

, it is home to a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

. It has average temperatures 20ºC, and average yearly rainfall of 850mm. It is home to animals such as the Tlacuaches, Red-Bellied Squirrels,

Coatis Coatis, also known as coatimundis (), are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera '' Nasua'' and '' Nasuella''. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The name ...

or Rock Doves.

Behavior

They are

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

tarantulas 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 ...

, as such they do have

urticating hairs 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 ...

. They are a bit skittish in nature, and will usually flee to their hide if bothered. They also are able to throw

, but these are rare. Bites of this species are extremely rare, though their bites aren't medically significant.

References

Theraphosidae Monotypic Theraphosidae genera {{Theraphosidae-stub