Found these whist spotlighting

[hornet]

The spider is a bird eater but quite different to our aussie species. I'm not real good with north american T's but looks like an Aphonopelma sp

 

[DiamondAsh]

Good pics Elapid68, like the cactus one.

Went spotlighting a couple of nights ago and here's a couple of critters we found.

5. Some big ass spider

Pretty much how I describe most spiders I come across.

 

[whiteyluvsrum]

Some Nice Pics

 

[Hickson]

The spider is a tarantula, one of the real ones (not the huntsman's that are often called that here). From memory, hers two r three species that range up into the States from Central America.



Hix

 

[Retic]

Yes the spider is an Aphonopelma chalcodes, a tarantula. There are no bird eating spiders in North America.

 

[Gugoil]

If you're ever in Arizona again check out Los Dos Molinos on Central Ave down near South Mountain, best Mexican food I ever did eat!

 

[hornet]

Yes the spider is an Aphonopelma chalcodes, a tarantula. There are no bird eating spiders in North America.

Bird eaters is just another name for tarantulas altho half would never encounter birds small enough in their natural environment. Lucky for us aussies we have some true bird eaters.

 

[Bendarwin]

Love the Gopher snake, should have snuck into the white house while George Dubya was out here.

 

[Hickson]

Bird eaters is just another name for tarantulas

The name Bird Eating Spider has always referred to species indigenous to Australia. Those in the America's are tarantulas.



Hix

 

[hornet]

south america has plenty of species referred to as bird eaters.

 

[Sdaji]

The name Bird Eating Spider has always referred to species indigenous to Australia. Those in the America's are tarantulas.

Hix

That's weird, recently in the USA I met a few people who referred to their local tarantulas as "Bird-eating Spiders". Australians often call our Theraphosids 'tarantulas' and many argue that it's a correctly used term, taxanomically. I'm not sure how commonly used the term is over there, but I think as an Australian you could call a foreign tarantula a 'bird eating spider' just like you can call a foreign monitor a 'goanna' if you want to. Bird-eating Spider is a pretty bad name, but common names aren't exactly prone to being very good, and there aren't many strict rules about their usage (which is why they're so purely used and cause so many problems!).

In Texas I heard about Nephila spiders (Orb Weavers) which ate the local Humming Birds once in a while! Very impressive. I saw the birds but not the spiders

 

[JasonL]

That because "Bird Eating Spider" sounds heaps better than " Bug Eating Spider" but then again, some large Sp. of tarantuas have been known to eat snakes, and "Snake Eating Spider" sounds even better

 

[hornet]

i always use scientific name for australian Theraphosids as they dont really have common names unlike some exotics i.e. indian ornamental (Poecilotheria regalis), king baboon spider (Citharischius crawshayi), metallic blue ornamental (Poecilotheria metallica) etc. The best we have for common names is the australian blue leg (Phlogius sp PQ113), Stents bird spider (Phlogius sp "stents") and thats all i can really think of with ausse T's

 

[Sdaji]

I went spotlighting and found a solifuge! Cooler than any Tarantula (at least to me!) It was the highlight of the night... until I found a rattler - then all arachnids for forgotten for a while

 

[Hickson]

I went spotlighting and found a solifuge! Cooler than any Tarantula (at least to me!)

Cool! I've always wanted to see one, but never had the opportunity.



Hix

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

sick picks,rattlers are awsome ive only seen the ones they have out the back at the reptle park
and the sound they make is quite loud

 

[Sdaji]

Cool! I've always wanted to see one, but never had the opportunity.

Hix

I was dying to right from the moment I found out that they existed!