Hysterocrates gigas
Encyclopedia
Hysterocrates gigas or the Giant baboon spider, is a member of the tarantula
family, Theraphosidae. It is also known as the Cameroon red baboon spider.
Its abdomen is oval in shape with a diameter up to 4 inches (10.2 cm). Although it has hairy legs, this tarantula is an Old World
species and does not have urticating hairs on its abdomen. (Urticating hairs are hairs found in new world species (those from North and South America) that can be shed in defense, they are barbed and may cause severe itching.)
It also has a leg span which may reach 8 inches (20.3 cm). This tarantula, in common with the rest of the family, has downward-facing, parallel fangs, used like pickaxes rather than pincers. Many spiders live only a year, but tarantulas can live up to 25+ years. The local name of "Baboon tarantula" is likely given because either baboons like to eat them, or because they have a similar coloration. In West African folk stories, the spider is a link between man and the Supreme Being. Ananasi became the messenger between gods and people and negotiated such things as day and night, wind and rain
. Adult males have smaller abdomens than females. Male pedipalps are club shaped, but it may take up to 4 years for differences between male and female to show, since the average male lifespan is about 4 years and the leg span of the male is roughly 5”. These tarantulas (like all burrowing tarantulas) spin very little silk
- what silk they do spin is used for egg sacs or to line their burrows - they do not make webs. These tarantulas in particular burrow very intricate burrows.
These spiders are often mislabeled in pet stores as Hysterocrates crassipes
(a similar species from Cameroon).
in their environment (between 60%-90%). They are naturally found at ground level in tropical rain forests.
s, cockroaches, butterflies, moths
and other spiders or small vertebrate
s, such as mice
, lizard
s, frog
s, snake
s and occasionally birds. They kill their prey with their venom, inject digestive juices into the body of their prey and suck up the resulting liquid.
of these tarantulas is rarely fatal to humans, but may cause some nausea, though if the victim is abnormally sensitive medical attention may be required. Spider venom is normally intended for prey items though the spider will attack humans if provoked. There has been only one known fatality associated with a tarantula, and that was in Central America
when the person died of a secondary infection in a pre-antibiotic
era.
To defend themselves, they rear up aggressively on their hind legs in a threatening posture, smack their front legs on the ground and a sound comparable to the tearing of velcro can be produced by rubbing leg pairs I and II together. Although they may also bite, their main alternate defence is to run away. The name "tarantula" is commonly given to spiders in this family. It is a misnomer - it was originally given to a smaller wolf spider from Taranto, Italy, where, in the Middle Ages, people danced themselves into a trance - called the tarantella - in an attempt to purge the effects of the wolf spider's bite.
These tarantulas moult by splitting of the old exoskeleton
and wriggling out of it. They pull their legs out of their old skeletons as we pull our fingers out of gloves. A new exoskeleton has grown underneath and remains soft for about a week. The tarantula stretches his new skeleton to allow for growth space and the new skeleton hardens. During and after the molt, which may take hours to complete, the tarantula is weak and dehydrated. During this time the tarantula is lying on its back with its legs in the air, very vulnerable to other creatures - even some that would normally be its prey.
Fang
s are part of the exoskeleton and are shed as well. The tarantula avoids eating for a week after to make sure that its new fangs have hardened. A lost limb may be fully or partially regenerate
d during a moult.
s), bird
s, reptile
s, wasps, ant
s and amphibians, which prey on them. They are also collected as pets by humans.
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
family, Theraphosidae. It is also known as the Cameroon red baboon spider.
Description
This is a burrowing spider and ranges in color from a dull black and gray to a rusty orange/brown. It is black when freshly moulted (post-moult) and turns brown just before a moult (pre-moult). Its eyes are small and weak and only able to judge light levels. Tarantulas have no ears - instead the hairs on their bodies are sensitive to vibrations, especially the leg hairs. They can detect movement vibrations from two feet away.Its abdomen is oval in shape with a diameter up to 4 inches (10.2 cm). Although it has hairy legs, this tarantula is an Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
species and does not have urticating hairs on its abdomen. (Urticating hairs are hairs found in new world species (those from North and South America) that can be shed in defense, they are barbed and may cause severe itching.)
It also has a leg span which may reach 8 inches (20.3 cm). This tarantula, in common with the rest of the family, has downward-facing, parallel fangs, used like pickaxes rather than pincers. Many spiders live only a year, but tarantulas can live up to 25+ years. The local name of "Baboon tarantula" is likely given because either baboons like to eat them, or because they have a similar coloration. In West African folk stories, the spider is a link between man and the Supreme Being. Ananasi became the messenger between gods and people and negotiated such things as day and night, wind and rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
. Adult males have smaller abdomens than females. Male pedipalps are club shaped, but it may take up to 4 years for differences between male and female to show, since the average male lifespan is about 4 years and the leg span of the male is roughly 5”. These tarantulas (like all burrowing tarantulas) spin very little silk
Spider silk
Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...
- what silk they do spin is used for egg sacs or to line their burrows - they do not make webs. These tarantulas in particular burrow very intricate burrows.
These spiders are often mislabeled in pet stores as Hysterocrates crassipes
Hysterocrates crassipes
Hysterocrates crassipes is a burrowing tarantula species found in Cameroon, Africa. This species is often sold by pet stores under the name Hysterocrates gigas. Although these tarantulas both come from Cameroon, Hysterocrates crassipes does not turn red before molting, and has an enlarged tibia on...
(a similar species from Cameroon).
Habitat
This species lives in tropical and sub-tropical environments. According to Sam Marshall (an arachnologist, and subject of the book "The Tarantula Scientist"), they dig particularly intricate burrows. They need temperatures of 70 - 95 degrees F. and high humidityHumidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
in their environment (between 60%-90%). They are naturally found at ground level in tropical rain forests.
Food
These tarantulas will eat other invertebrates, such as cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
s, cockroaches, butterflies, moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
and other spiders or small vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s, such as mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
, lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s and occasionally birds. They kill their prey with their venom, inject digestive juices into the body of their prey and suck up the resulting liquid.
Reproduction and Development
Females lay eggs in an egg sac that may contain hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings live together for up to 6 months, though some tarantulas from the same sac are believed to co-habitate long after and even share burrows and tunnel systems. Most spiderlings will kill each other for food, but these spiderlings have actually been found to share food with their siblings. Spiderlings are very difficult to see. Their mother will kill prey for them. In their first year of life, spiderlings molt up to 8 times. Males will not molt again after reaching penultimate, although females will molt about once a year after maturity. And depending on how much the tarantula is fed will result in more frequent molts inevitably resulting in faster maturing.Behavior
Adaptations: These tarantulas are opportunistic, nocturnal hunters and will take whatever prey they find. The venomVenom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
of these tarantulas is rarely fatal to humans, but may cause some nausea, though if the victim is abnormally sensitive medical attention may be required. Spider venom is normally intended for prey items though the spider will attack humans if provoked. There has been only one known fatality associated with a tarantula, and that was in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
when the person died of a secondary infection in a pre-antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
era.
To defend themselves, they rear up aggressively on their hind legs in a threatening posture, smack their front legs on the ground and a sound comparable to the tearing of velcro can be produced by rubbing leg pairs I and II together. Although they may also bite, their main alternate defence is to run away. The name "tarantula" is commonly given to spiders in this family. It is a misnomer - it was originally given to a smaller wolf spider from Taranto, Italy, where, in the Middle Ages, people danced themselves into a trance - called the tarantella - in an attempt to purge the effects of the wolf spider's bite.
These tarantulas moult by splitting of the old exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
and wriggling out of it. They pull their legs out of their old skeletons as we pull our fingers out of gloves. A new exoskeleton has grown underneath and remains soft for about a week. The tarantula stretches his new skeleton to allow for growth space and the new skeleton hardens. During and after the molt, which may take hours to complete, the tarantula is weak and dehydrated. During this time the tarantula is lying on its back with its legs in the air, very vulnerable to other creatures - even some that would normally be its prey.
Fang
Fang
Fang is a mammal's canine tooth.Fang may also refer to:* A snake's poison-injecting tooth: see snake venom* Fang people, in Central Africa* Fang language, spoken by Fang people...
s are part of the exoskeleton and are shed as well. The tarantula avoids eating for a week after to make sure that its new fangs have hardened. A lost limb may be fully or partially regenerate
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
d during a moult.
Threats
This is a rare tarantula. Its natural enemies are mammals, (especially baboonBaboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
s), bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, wasps, ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s and amphibians, which prey on them. They are also collected as pets by humans.