any idea why this boehmei's carapace is like this ? other specimens ive seen have a full orange carapace whilst this one has black init

Looks really nice. Could just be a freak thing that will change with the next molt.


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other specimens even at a small size have a full orange carapace , but will see what happens next molt

Hallo Huzaifah,

I found your post interesting, so I had a look at my B Boehmeis.
The "younger" one has a bit of black on the carapace - where as the other one (about two molts "older") has a full orange/red carapace. Also, the photo of B Boehmei in the tarantupedia has a bit of black on the carapace.

So, I guess it's normal but still interesting.

I also have something weird bugging me (no pun intended)...

My B Vagans is about 7cm and has a very light carapace - where as the one on tarantupedia is totally black. I just tell myself that it's probably normal, but still I can't help to think that it has been misidentified.

Huzaifah wrote: any idea why this boehmei's carapace is like this ? other specimens ive seen have a full orange carapace whilst this one has black init ...

There are at least two possible explanations for your observation:

1) Natural variation in coloring and pattern. Lots of animals come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns . People come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. Some birds come in different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. Reptiles are notorious for coming in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. Even moose come in different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns! Why not tarantulas too?

2) Rumor has it that B. boehmei has been hybridized with B. emilia in the hobby. Rumor also has it that this was done as an experiment by one or more German enthusiasts. But because it's so easy to blame everything on the Germans, the Chinese, the Americans, etc., I don't put much stock in blaming it on anyone in particular, and probably neither should the rest of you.

However, the rumor also says that some of the hybrids made it out into the hobby at large and that we now have few or none at all pure B. boehmei in the hobby. And, the result is B. boehmei with a lot of black on its carapace, or even with a conspicuous black triangle reminiscent of B. emilia.

(The same rumors are circulating about hybrid Avicularia with captive bred, pure A. avicularia supposedly being virtually non-existent. The wild caught ones are supposedly not hybridized. Or are they? How freely do they hybridize in nature? How would we know? What would we do about it if we did know?)

How would we know if our breeding stock were really B. boehmei/B. emilia hybrids? Well, somebody would have to come up with the money to have a DNA test run their little darlings. That might answer several questions:

1) Are those particular individual tarantulas B. boehmei/B. emilia hybrids?

2) Are B. boehmei/B. emilia hybrids found in the hobby?

3) Who in the hobby has money to burn? (Oops! Did I really say that? :blush: )

But that wouldn't tell YOU what YOUR tarantulas were. And, even if they were B. boehmei/B. emilia hybrids, what would you do about it?

After fomenting all this discord and uncertainty, I'll now fade back into the woodwork.

Cheers.


Contrary to popular opinion, tarantulas aren't weird. Humanoids are!

@Maggy , i can see in your 1st pic the carapace is full orange whilst in the last pic there is a bit black , are these two siblings or from different breedings ? some of the vagans ive owned also had slightly lighter carapaces when younger .

@Stanley, i also think it could be a hybrid as someone else in south africa has the same with their boehmei , it is also a female , so will just avoid breeding with her in the fututre