Greenbottle blue tarantula
| Greenbottle blue tarantula | |
|---|---|
| Adult female | |
| Juvenile | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Chromatopelma Schmidt, 1995 |
| Species: | C. cyaneopubescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Strand, 1907) | |
Chromatopelma is a monotypic genus of South American tarantulas containing the single species, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. Commonly known as greenbottle blue tarantulas due to their metallic blue legs and blue-green carapace, they are very active and fast-growing tarantulas that are particularly attractive to hobbyists. They are native to the Paraguaná Peninsula.
They live in webbed burrows under bushes and tree roots in desert areas of northern Venezuela. The entrance is often extended with webbing, sometimes resembling a funnel shape. These webs may protect the entrance from the harsh desert climate and act as a trap for insects. Their diet can consist of many things. These include crickets, cockroaches and also worms.
In 2013, Venezuelan scientists announced that Greenbottle blue tarantulas were threatened by overgrazing that is destroying their habitat. Fumigation of cultivated land has also caused the migration of the species towards the Montecano Biological Reserve and the Cerro Santa Ana Natural Monument. In 2015 it was listed as an Endangered species.