fynbos is very unique,so much so that it gets classified as a its own biome. though i don't think the fynbos was quite the reason for the ban of tarantulas. The fact is ,alien tarantula species pose a great ecological to any environment, and the western cape department of nature conservation are just more stringent in managing this risk. thus banning tarantulas(or most other exotic pets).

Ceratogyrus wrote: In all honesty, I don't think Cape Nature knows why tarantulas are illegal.
They are supposedly invasive (Which could very well be true) and as I understand it, that's why they are banned. If someone did an Environmental Impact Assessment they might be able to prove that they are not invasive (Or possibly prove that they actually are?)
Why there and not the rest of the country, I don't know? I think a colony of P.murinus can be just as devastating in Limpopo as Western Cape.
Basically they are just trying to protect our local fauna and flora against the "unknown"

Funny, I got that same idea - that they don't really know much or care for the facts on a recent visit to Butterfly World near Stellenbosch. They have around 15 species on display there which includes 3 baboons (not sure which) and something that i'm sure was P.cambridgei, all labeled "common baboon spider". There were 2 t's labelled "unknown", both resembling h.minax. i would've bet on it if there were no labels on there and the rest of the t's all were labelled with common names.
The majority of the arboreals were housed in terrestrial set-ups too..

Halfniak wrote: Funny, I got that same idea - that they don't really know much or care for the facts on a recent visit to Butterfly World near Stellenbosch. They have around 15 species on display there which includes 3 baboons (not sure which) and something that i'm sure was P.cambridgei, all labeled "common baboon spider". There were 2 t's labelled "unknown", both resembling h.minax. i would've bet on it if there were no labels on there and the rest of the t's all were labelled with common names.
The majority of the arboreals were housed in terrestrial set-ups too..

Huh?! How would you get the same idea?
What exactly does butterfly world have to do with nature conservation?
That's like saying all Gauteng keepers are stupid because Keags called his C.darlingi "curvies"

Ok I suppose that was a stupid comment- I wasn't actually sure who I was directing it at - when I read your post it made me think of my trip to butterfly world.
I was reading government biodiversity strategy posters they displayed and when i looked at their tarantulas I was annoyed at their (butterfly world's?) ignorance on the subject..

Halfniak wrote: Ok I suppose that was a stupid comment- I wasn't actually sure who I was directing it at - when I read your post it made me think of my trip to butterfly world.
I was reading government biodiversity strategy posters they displayed and when i looked at their tarantulas I was annoyed at their (butterfly world's?) ignorance on the subject..

Still pretty stupid from butterfly worlds side though. Pretty sure they have some 'experienced' people who work with them and should know better.