The Mexican redleg or red-legged tarantula (''Brachypelma emilia'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of terrestrial

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

closely related to the famous

Mexican redknee tarantula Mexican redknee tarantula is a common name for several spiders and may refer to: *''Brachypelma hamorii ''Brachypelma hamorii'' is a species of tarantula found in Mexico. It has been confused with '' B. smithi''; both have been called Mexican re ...

. Like the redknee it is a docile tarantula and popular in the pet trade. It is slow growing and, like many tarantulas, females can live for decades.

Description

The Mexican redleg, also known as the red-legged tarantula, has a dark-colored body with the second joint of its legs being pink, red or orange. Its carapace is light colored with a distinctive black triangle at the front. Following moulting, the colors are more pronounced. An adult female has a body roughly 65 mm long, with a legspan of 12.5 cm, and a weight of approximately 15 to 16 grams.

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

described it as follows:

Conservation

All species of ''Brachypelma'' were placed on

CITES Appendix II CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

in 1994, thus restricting trade. Nevertheless, large numbers of tarantulas caught in the wild continue to be smuggled out of Mexico, including species of ''Brachypelma''. (However, the trade in ''B. emilia'' largely involves captive-bred spiderlings.) In Mexico, the species is listed as "threatened".

Distribution

This species is found in the foothills of the

Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

and

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

in Mexico.

In captivity

The Mexican redleg is a mostly docile species, perhaps more so even than the redknee. That, coupled with its coloration, and impressive size, makes it a very popular pet species. As such it is considered to be threatened by capture for sale to the pet trade. It is very reluctant to bite when distressed, but possesses

urticating hair Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. ''Urtica'' is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genu ...

and will flick these if it feels threatened.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1856 by Scottish zoologist Adam White as ''Mygale Emilia,'' but in 1891

Eugene Simon Eugene Michael Simon (born 11 June 1992) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Jerome Clarke in the Nickelodeon mystery series ''House of Anubis'' (2011–2013) and Lancel Lannister in the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thro ...

transferred it to the new genus, ''

Brachypelma ''Brachypelma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). They may have bodies up to long with legs of similar or greater lengths. Some species have brightly colored legs, with red or orange marks and rings. The taxonomy ...

'', making ''B .emilia'' the type species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q684157 Theraphosidae Endemic spiders of Mexico Spiders described in 1856 Taxa named by Adam White (zoologist) Fauna of the Sierra Madre Occidental