Haplopelma
Encyclopedia
Haplopelma is a genus
of old-world tarantula
found in Southeast Asia
. The range of this genus includes Myanmar
, southeastern China
, Cambodia
, Thailand
, Vietnam
, Malaysia, Singapore
, and Borneo
.
s found in their new world counterparts, and use biting as a primary means of defense. Those common in the pet trade are known as temperamental, difficult to care for, and likely to bite. While the venom of many of these species has not been studied, old world tarantulas are known for strong venom.
The Chinese bird spider
is a species in this genus whose venom has been extensively studied and is known to be dangerous to humans..
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of old-world tarantula
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. The range of this genus includes Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, southeastern China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
Description
Haplopelma consists of relatively large specimens, with a typical adult legspan ranging from 4.5" to to 6" (15 cm). The spiders all thrive in tropical environments, requiring humidity levels of up to 70% or more. They inhabit the tropical rain forests of southeast Asia, where they build and live in burrows up to several feet deep, emerging to capture food. These spiders prey on numerous small creatures, such as cockroaches, crickets, and mice.Medical significance
Like all old-world tarantulas, the spiders in Haploplema lack the urticating hairUrticating hair
Urticating hairs, i.e. stinging hairs, are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, some New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "nettle", and hairs that urticate are characteristic of this type of plant, and many other plants in...
s found in their new world counterparts, and use biting as a primary means of defense. Those common in the pet trade are known as temperamental, difficult to care for, and likely to bite. While the venom of many of these species has not been studied, old world tarantulas are known for strong venom.
The Chinese bird spider
Chinese bird spider
Chinese bird spider is an English name given to several species of old-world tarantulas which are found in the People's Republic of China and Vietnam. The spider, also known in English as the earth tiger, is currently classified in the genus Haplopelma...
is a species in this genus whose venom has been extensively studied and is known to be dangerous to humans..