On our expedition to Suriname a few years back we were lucky to find a single adult female specimen of Theraphosa after many days of searching day and night. Only during departure from the hill we finally were successful.
It is unknown if this local form of Theraphosa blonds is in fact the same species which roams the forest of French Guyana or if this extremely hair Theraphosa specimen might be part of a isolated new species due to Suriname’s interesting topography. Time will tell.
Learn more about the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula in the video below with some snippets of finding this tarantula in the wild in Suriname.
As you see on the pictures, the long setae on the legs itself are outstanding. The size of the specimen was remarkable too – rarely have I seen big specimens like this in captivity, which is great to see.
Theraphosa are native to South America. Currently there are 3 distinct species recognized. Theraphosa apophysis is native to Colombia and Venezuela and probably parts of Brasil. Theraphosa stirmi is native to Guyana and Brasil. Theraphosa blondi is native to French Guyana, Suriname and Brasil.
video of Theraphosa
We also created a Top 3 Video of some encounters with giant tarantulas in the wild – feel free to watch it!
Below some pictures of other inhabitants of the area including a beautiful poison frog species from the genus Ameerega.
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