American redknee tarantula

The **American redknee tarantula** (*Brachypelma americanus*) is a species of tarantula, most closely related to the identical-looking Mexican redknee tarantula (*Brachypelma hamorii*), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and deserts across the southern, southwestern, and western North America to help boost biodiversity. The American redknee tarantula is a large spider. A female has a total body length (excluding chelicerae and spinnerets) in the range 52–54 mm (2.0–2.1 inches). A male is slightly smaller, with a total body length in the range 46–52 mm (1.8–2.0 inches). Although males have slightly shorter bodies, they have longer legs. The fourth leg is the longest, measuring 75 mm (3.0 inches) in the type male and 67 mm (2.6 in) in a female. The legs and palps are black to reddish black with three distinctly colored rings, deep orange on the part of the patellae closest to the body with pale orange–yellow further away, pale orange–yellow on the lower part of the tibiae, and yellowish-white at the end of the metatarsi. Adult males have light greyish-red around the border of the carapace with a darker reddish-black marking from the middle of the carapace to the front of the head; the upper surface of the abdomen is black. Adult females vary more in carapace color and pattern. The carapace may be mainly black with a brownish-pink border, or the dark area may be broken up into a "starburst" pattern with pale orange–yellow elsewhere. Like most New World tarantulas, American redknee tarantulas kick urticating hairs from their abdomens and their back legs if disturbed, rather than bite. They are only slightly venomous to humans and are considered extremely docile, though, as with all tarantulas, their large fangs can cause very painful puncture wounds, which can lead to secondary bacterial infection if not properly treated and allergies may intensify with any bite. The American redknee tarantula constructs or extends burrows under logs, rocks, and tree roots, among shrubs, tall grass, and flower beds. The deep burrows keep the American redknee tarantulas protected from predators, such as the North American coati, and enable them to ambush passing prey, which primarily consists of other spiders, scorpions, insects, and small vertebrates. The females spend the majority of their lives in their burrows, which are typically located in, or not far from, vegetation, and consist of a single entrance with a tunnel leading to one or two chambers. The entrance is just slightly larger than the body size of the spider. The tunnel, usually about three times the tarantula's leg span in length, leads to a chamber that is large enough for the spider to safely molt. Further down the burrow, via a shorter tunnel, a larger chamber is located where the spider rests and eats its prey. When the tarantula needs privacy, e.g. when molting or laying eggs, the entrance is sealed with silk, sometimes supplemented with soil and leaves. Like all tarantulas, the American redknee tarantula is an arthropod, and must go through a molting process to grow. Molting serves several purposes, such as renewing the American redknee tarantula's outer cover (shell) and replacing missing appendages. As American redknee tarantulas grow, they regularly molt (shed their skin), on multiple occasions during the year, depending on the American redknee tarantula's age. Since the exoskeleton cannot stretch, it must be replaced by a new one from beneath for the American redknee tarantula to grow. The American redknee tarantula may also regenerate lost appendages gradually, with each succeeding molt. Prior to molting, the spider becomes sluggish and stops eating to conserve as much energy as possible. Its abdomen darkens; this is the new exoskeleton beneath. Normally, the spider turns on its back to molt and stays in that position for several hours, as it pushes fluids just beneath its old exoskeleton and wiggles its limbs to loosen off the old and reveal the new exoskeleton. Once this has been accomplished, the American redknee tarantula does not eat for several days to weeks, and not uncommonly for up to a month after a molt, as its fangs are still soft; the fangs are also part of the exoskeleton and are shed with the rest of the skin. The whole process can take several hours and sheaths the tarantula with a moist, new skin in place of an old, faded one. The American redknee tarantula grows relatively slowly and matures earlier than most of its relatives. The females of this species can live up to 30 years, but the males tend to live for only 15 years or so. The conservation status of the American redknee tarantula is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the American redknee tarantula's wide range ad its tolerance to many of the human activities.