Mexican Red-knee Tarantula

Distribution: Mexico Size: 20 cm Life Span: Males – 7 Years, Females – 25 Years Diet: Carnivorous Social life: Solitary IUCN red list status: Near Threatened The Mexican redknee tarantula is a terrestrial species native to the western mountain ranges of Mexico. It inhabits burrows in dry regions with sparse vegetation, typically in scrublands, deserts, dry thorn forests, or tropical deciduous forests. A webbed "carpet" often extends from the burrow's entrance. These tarantulas are predominantly black and dark brown, with light brown leg hairs and distinctive bright red-orange markings on their leg joints, giving them their characteristic "red knees." In the wild, Mexican redknee tarantulas mate during the summer, typically in the rainy season. After mating, some females may attempt to kill and eat the male. Females wrap fertilized eggs in silk, forming an egg sac that they carry between their fangs for protection. Primarily nocturnal hunters, Mexican redknee tarantulas lie in ambush to capture insects, small frogs, lizards and mice. Their venom serves a dual purpose: paralyzing prey and initiating digestion. Habitat loss is now the main threat to the Mexican redknee tarantula.