Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
Brachypelma hamorii
The Mexican red knee tarantula is a burrowing spider from western Mexico. Its scientific name is Brachypelma hamorii. For more than 20 years most keeping books called it Brachypelma smithi, until a 2017 revision showed that the hobby's red knee was B. hamorii; B. smithi is a separate, near-identical species, and the Balsas River basin roughly divides their ranges. It has a dark body and legs with orange-red knee bands and a pale carapace with a dark center, and reaches a leg span of about 14 cm. Females live about 20 to 30 years, while males usually die within a year or so of maturing.
Red knees have been listed on CITES Appendix II since 1985, and since 1995 the whole genus has been listed, on a proposal from the United States. International shipments need CITES documents, and buying a spider taken or exported in breach of Mexican law is an offense under the US Lacey Act, so choose captive-bred animals with a known source. Buying a captive-bred spider from a breeder inside the US is not international trade. It defends itself by flicking barbed hairs, which can injure eyes, and its bite is often compared to a bee sting.
Colors: Black with Orange/Red Bands
