We caught a beautiful 6” male tarantula (Sericopelma sp.) in our yard under a pile of leaves that we were hoping would dry (not happening anytime soon) and have since grown quite fond of him. This particular male has reached sexual maturity and has a very limited time to find a female. We are interested in a female of the same species so our male can fulfill his destiny. Any information regarding the whereabouts of a female would help.

We have enlisted the help of Arachnologist Rick West (http://www.birdspiders.com/main.html) to help us positively identify this particular tarantula. It would appear that this tarantula maybe an undescribed species, hence the (sp.) at the end of the name. A colleague of his will need to go to Paris to the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle for further analysis.

If anyone has any information please contact:
Scott at 6483-6975.

Scott:

We found one in our yard (although it was solid black). I consulted my son, who is a tropical biologist, and he explained that tarantulas live in holes in the ground. The males leave the hole to search for food and then return to feed the mate and offspring. (And, indeed, we found small holes in the backyard--they fold their legs to go in and out.) He told us to let ours go straightaway if the family was to survive. So, as much as you love him, he might best fulfill his destiny by returning home.

Thanks Bonnie. Rick told us the same thing. Tarantula males do not live long when they reach sexual maturity and are ready to get married (like ours). We'll try to find a mate for him soon and release him back into the wild if not. It's sad because we are getting quite attached to the furry critter.
Scott