Hysterocrates gigas

It’s at this point I should be writing something nice about this species, or if I can’t do that at least something positive. Though after many near misses packing them and chasing them across desks I have decided I just don’t like them, they are my spider kryptonite. They are your standard 15cm of pure hate from Africa with particular potent venom, so not suitable for novice keepers or anyone with any common sense.

This species have thick rear legs and are sold as H.gigas in the hobby, which over the years have been hybridised with other brown Hysterocrates to create the pet trade Rusty Red Baboon. At some point someone decided it would be better to rename spiderlings produced from wild caught parents as Hysterocrates sp.

“Cameroon” to show that is a pure species and hopefully not bred with the mongrel hobby H.gigas. This is the only known species of tarantula that can swim and has been reported to have been seen fishing for small fish. I would imagine this is adapting for survival as I imagine a fair few of these get bought from a pet shop and then soon get flushed.