Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula

Description

Lasiodora parahybana, the Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula, also simply known as the salmon pink or LP, is a tarantula from north-eastern Brazil and considered to be the fourth largest tarantula in the world (behind the three species in the genus Theraphosa). It was discovered and described in 1917 by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão, in Paraíba, where the tarantula is endemic. They are popular pets in the tarantula hobby due to their large size and readiness to breed. They are also considered to be 'docile'. The salmon pink bird-eater can attain a leg size of up to 11 inches; especially in males as their legs are longer than the female’s. However, females can weigh more than 100 grams. Females are often bulky: they have a large body size in comparison to their legs, whereas males tend to be slender in body size. Mature males will also have tibial hooks on the front pair of legs; these hook back a female’s fangs during mating. They are widely considered by pet traders to be an aesthetically pleasing tarantula species; they are a uniform black colour, and once mature, have pink-red hairs along the legs, chelicerae and abdomen, with colours tending to be more vibrant in males. L. parahybana are endemic to Brazil in the Atlantic forest region of the country; they are known from one area near Campina Grande When threatened, the tarantula will raise its legs in the air, as well as the front of its body, in order to deter predators. If the attacker continues to attack, the tarantula will bite. The Brazilian salmon pink tarantula is capable of delivering a painful bite. They are known to bite only when provoked, and even then, this is a last resort. Bites from an L. parahybana are mechanically dangerous; fangs can be up to an inch long. Some sites claim that a bite from a salmon pink is similar to that of a cat.However, rather than biting, they choose to flick urticating hairs from a patch on their abdomen; these hairs are covered in barbs which irritate the skin and put off potential predators. These hairs are extremely irritating; in the hobby, they are considered to be one of the more painful hair types. Hairs that get into the eyes can cause blindness.