Cobalt blue tarantula
| Cobalt blue tarantula | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi, Thailand | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Cyriopagopus |
| Species: | C. lividus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cyriopagopus lividus (Smith, 1996)[1]
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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The cobalt blue tarantula or Cyriopagopus lividus is a species of tarantula which is in the family Theraphosidae which is native to Myanmar[1] and over the border into Thailand.[2] It was originally described as Haplopelma lividum.
Description[edit]
The cobalt blue tarantula is a medium-sized tarantula with a leg span around 13 cm (5 in). It is noted for its iridescent blue legs and light gray prosoma and opisthosoma, the latter of which may contain darker gray chevrons.[3][4] Males and females look the same until the ultimate (final) molt of the males. At this point, the male exhibits sexual dimorphism in the form of a light tan or bronze coloration and legginess. Additionally, males gain a palpal bulb on the pedipalps and tibial apophyses (mating hooks). The female eventually becomes larger than the male and lives years longer.[5] The cobalt blue tarantula is a fossorial species and spends nearly all of its time in deep burrows of its own construction. The venom of the tarantula is not enough to kill a human, but it can badly sting them and be extremely painful. The venom contains glutamic acid, at 0.97% concentration. Histamine and adenosine were detected at 0.14% and 0.10% with the polyamine spermine noted in trace amounts at 0.002% (Moore et al., 2009).
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A female (left) and male (right) in courtship in captivity -
A second-instar spiderling cobalt blue tarantula near burrow
Habitat[edit]
Cobalt blue tarantulas inhabit the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia,[6] where they construct deep burrows, and generally only leave them to find food.
Pets[edit]
The cobalt blue tarantula is a mainstay in the pet trade, despite being a fast and defensive tarantula with potent venom.[7] Bites from this species can result in severe muscle cramps and inflammation.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Taxon details Cyriopagopus lividus Smith, 1996", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-03-18
- ^ "บึ้งน้ำเงินเพชฌฆาต สวยประหารพันธุ์ดุ" [The killer cobalt blue tarantula, fierce femme fatale]. Thai Rath (in Thai). 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ Photos of Haplopelma lividum
- ^ Panecasio, Steph. "Scientists have figured out why some tarantulas are bright blue". CNET. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "Cobalt Blue Tarantula".
- ^ Smith, A. M. (1996). "A new species of Haplopelma (Araneae: Theraphosidae), with notes on two close relatives". Mygalomorph. 1: 21–32.
- ^ Takaoka Makoto (2001). "Tarantulas Bite: Two Case Reports of Finger Bite from Haplopelma lividum". The Japanese Journal of Toxicology. 14 (3): 247–250. PMID 11692582.
- ^ "Cobalt Blue Tarantula (Haplopelma lividum)". Keeping Exotic Pets. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
Moore, S., Smyth, W. F., Gault, V., O’Kane, E., & McClean, S. (2009c). Mass spectrometric characterisation and quantitation of selected low molecular mass compounds from the venom of Haplopelma lividum (Theraphosidae). Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 23(12), 1747–1755. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.4063