1st runner up 10 - 12cm female.....








2nd one 10 - 12cm female....

2 x B.Vagans....
Look a hell of a lot like mine...

I'll step back and let the experts correct me :lol:

Bought the 1st one as vagans and the second one as sabulosum. Any opinions guys?

Hi Anna,

To be really honest I would think they are both Brachypelma sabulosum. I do not think we have "real" Brachypelma vagans in the hobby.

From your photos it does look like the bottom one is Brachypelma sabulosum.

Have a look at this link you will see they are quite similar: www.tarantupedia.com/theraphosinae/brachypelma/compare/20

From recent revisions I have noticed a common pattern. What we think we know in the hobby turns out to be a different species.

You see people find these spiders in the wild then export to the hobby as something they think it is. It then gets established in the hobby as species A only to turn out as species B a few years later.

Maybe with time you can try get a good picture of the spermathecae as that might help with the identification.

Dimitri Kambas wrote: Hi Anna,

To be really honest I would think they are both Brachypelma sabulosum. I do not think we have "real" Brachypelma vagans in the hobby.

From your photos it does look like the bottom one is Brachypelma sabulosum.

Have a look at this link you will see they are quite similar: www.tarantupedia.com/theraphosinae/brachypelma/compare/20

From recent revisions I have noticed a common pattern. What we think we know in the hobby turns out to be a different species.

You see people find these spiders in the wild then export to the hobby as something they think it is. It then gets established in the hobby as species A only to turn out as species B a few years later.

Maybe with time you can try get a good picture of the spermathecae as that might help with the identification.

As a beginner this concerns me. I hate being lied to (when I buy things). Or is it more that few people out there would ever be able to see the difference?

At least both of the above look good and healthy :thumbsup:

Dimitri Kambas wrote: Hi Anna,

To be really honest I would think they are both Brachypelma sabulosum. I do not think we have "real" Brachypelma vagans in the hobby.

From your photos it does look like the bottom one is Brachypelma sabulosum.

Have a look at this link you will see they are quite similar: www.tarantupedia.com/theraphosinae/brachypelma/compare/20

From recent revisions I have noticed a common pattern. What we think we know in the hobby turns out to be a different species.

You see people find these spiders in the wild then export to the hobby as something they think it is. It then gets established in the hobby as species A only to turn out as species B a few years later.

Maybe with time you can try get a good picture of the spermathecae as that might help with the identification.

I always struggle to identify some T's. Dimitri, why would you say they are B. Sabulosum and not B. Vagans? Is it just your experienced eye or are there certain features you look at.

I thought the 1st one might be B. Angustum, but having apparent B.Vagans myself I guessed B. Vagans. What is the visual difference between them (Angustum & 1st Photo / Sabulosum & Vagans) - if any?

Thanx for the spermathecae-idea. I never thought of identifying a T that way. Now my new microscope is going to come in very handy.