The Brazilian red and white tarantula (''Vitalius chromatus'') is a

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

species that is native to

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Description

The Brazilian red and white tarantula (''Vitalius chromatus'') is a larger tarantula with a diagonal leg span of approximately . The Brazilian red and white tarantula is noted for its white striped legs, beige to grey

prosoma The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...

, and the reddish hairs on 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 ...

. Males and females look the same until the ultimate (final) molt of the males. At this point the male will exhibit

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

in the form of a duller coloration and legginess. Additionally males will gain an embolus on the pedipalps and tibial apophysis (mating hooks). The Brazilian red and white tarantula is a

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. 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 o ...

species that will often make a burrow or make use of an abandoned burrow. The Brazilian red and white tarantula is reputed to be quite defensive with its urticating hairs.

Habitat

The Brazilian red and white tarantula is found in the

tropical forests Tropical forests are forested ecoregions with tropical climates – that is, land areas approximately bounded by the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds. Some tropical forest types ...

and

savannahs A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient li ...

Pet trade

The Brazilian red and white tarantula is now fairly common in the pet trade, and it is popular among tarantula keepers for its beautiful coloration. The Brazilian red and white tarantulas large size, skittish demeanor, and urticating hairs means that it should not be handled except by an experienced person.

References

* Schultz, Stanley A. ''The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Comprehensive Information on Care, Housing, and Feeding''. Barrons, 2009.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1316992 Theraphosidae Spiders of Brazil