Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula

Brachypelma smithi

Invertebrate | Central Pacific coast of Mexico

Animal Info

Mexican red-knee tarantulas grow slowly. Females also tend to live twice or three times the length of their male counterpart. When threatened they will rear up and display their fangs. They also have eight eyes located around their head and can see backwards!

Diet

In the wild: Large insects, frogs and mice

At the Zoo: Crickets, roaches

Habitat

Scrubland, deserts, dry thorn forests, or tropical deciduous forests

Conservation Status

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – near threatened