Green Bottle Blue & Mexican Redknee Tarantula

(Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) & (Brachypelma hamorii)

Hopefully these hairy tarantulas can compensate for the lack of facial hair that I have since I decided to shave. These two beauties are very common and popular in the tarantula hobby. The one on the left is an adult female Greenbottle Blue Tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens). This spider inhabits the dry deserts of Venezuela, where they typically spend most of their time in burrows. Males of this species usually live for about 4 years, while the females typically live a much longer life expectancy, at around 12-14 years! Mine is a female, so she’ll be around for a long while. Like most spiders, they predominantly feed on insects, but can also take down small vertebrates like mice and lizards as well! Equipped with two large sharp fangs, this tarantula pierces the flesh of its prey, slowly killing it with its venom. The tarantula on the right is one of the most recognizable and iconic species of tarantulas in the world! She’s an adult female Mexican Redknee Tarantula (Brachypelma hamorii). Found within the warm dry regions of Mexico, where they typically spend most of the day hiding inside of underground burrows. At night, these tarantulas exit their burrows to roam the grounds in search for prey. Like the Green Bottle Blue Tarantula, this tarantula is equipped with two large dagger-like fangs that are packed with mild venom. The females of this species are very long lived. They can grow to live over 30 years old! The males on the other hand typically only live up to 5 years old. This species has been listed as a “vulnerable species” due to habitat destruction, as well as excessive illegal exporting for the animal pet trade. Luckily, captive breeding of this species over the years has brought a large resurgence of this beautiful species back! Both species on my face are new world tarantulas. Like most New World tarantulas, which are tarantulas that are native to North and South America, they have the ability to kick off hairs from their abdomens as a self defense. These small defensive hairs are called urticating hairs. When threatened, they’ll use their hindlegs to quickly rub their abdomens to flick the hairs into the air, making the hairs become airborne. Though the hairs may be small, they’re barbed and act almost exactly like fiber glass! This makes them incredibly irritating if the airs get embedded in the skin, or even the eyes!