Mexican Goldback (scientific name: Aphonopelma chalcodes) is a poisonous large spider, mainly distributed in the Sonoran Desert in North America, Arizona, Mexico's Baja California Gulf, and arid areas in central and western America. It is a desert spider. It feeds on birds, rodents, and lizards, and has a mild temperament, so it is also kept as a pet in modern times and is known as the "golden spider".
Chinese Name: 墨西哥金背
English Name: arantula
Latin Name: Aphonopelma chalcodes
Alias: Arizona Golden-haired Spider, Desert Spider, Western Wolf Spider
Kingdom: Animal Kingdom
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Aphonopelma
Distribution: Sonoran Desert in North America, Arizona, Mexico's Baja California Gulf
Named by: Chamberlin, 1940
Mexican Goldback (scientific name: Aphonopelma chalcodes) is a poisonous large spider, mainly distributed in the Sonoran Desert in North America, Arizona, Mexico's Baja California Gulf, and arid areas in central and western America. It is a desert spider.
It is recommended to keep Mexican Goldback for experienced owners who love pet spiders. In addition to the distinctive golden back on its body, Mexican Goldback is also well-known for its large venomous fangs. Being bitten by its fangs can cause intense pain, bleeding, and even infection.
1. Wasting disease
When you find that the spider's body surface becomes dull, and the skin starts to dry and turn yellow, it is likely that wasting disease has occurred. This condition is generally caused by the spider not eating well, leading to malnutrition.
2. Intestinal inflammation
In contrast to wasting disease, this condition is caused by excessive eating. If the owner keeps feeding the spider or feeds it with food at a low temperature, it can cause bloating and abdominal pain, eventually leading to intestinal inflammation.
3. Hemiplegia
Spiders do not require a high environment, but when the temperature is too high, especially in summer when it's hot and humid, if the spider's cage is far away from the ventilation outlet, the spider may suffer from heatstroke-like symptoms, with its legs paralyzed and unable to move, causing hemiplegia.
4. Constipation
Constipation is often caused by a lack of drinking water. In addition to eating, spiders also need to drink water. If the owner only feeds the spider but does not provide water to drink, the water in the food cannot supply the spider's body with the necessary moisture.
5. Black rot disease
Not eating and being inactive, mental decline, black ulcerative lesions appearing on the abdomen, these are manifestations of black rot disease in spiders. The reason for this condition is that the water and food are not fresh, and if the spider eats food contaminated with bacteria, it can be infected with black rot disease, which can lead to death in severe cases.
6. Mold disease
Especially in the south, in hot and humid weather, it is easy for the spider's body surface to be invaded by bacteria. The spider's joints become more and more stiff, and its body becomes increasingly damp. Bacteria like to survive and reproduce in such an environment, causing mold spots to appear on the spider.
7. Parasites
Parasites can be said to be the most disgusting disease for spiders. If it's just small insects, it's fine, but those rampant parasites crawl on the spider's body, which looks very disgusting. Besides affecting the spider's rest, they may even carry other viruses, causing multiple infections and posing a threat to the spider's life.
The hair of the Mexican Goldback is irritating. The main reason for this congenital hair is for self-protection. When encountering natural enemies, it will use its hind legs to sweep the natural itching powder on the enemy, causing the enemy to itch instantly.
The Mexican Goldback usually metamorphoses once a year. Whenever a female Mexican Goldback molts, it stores sperm in the external female genitals. During the summer rainy season (July, August, September), it is usually the males that seek mates. Male spiders do not live for a long time after mating in the summer. Sometimes, the female spider eats the male spider, or other carnivorous animals kill the male spider. Generally, male spiders can live for only a few months after mating.
The mature age of male Mexican Goldbacks is 10 to 12 years old. At this time, they leave their own caves and search for mature females. The mature age of female spiders is at least 10 years old. The male spider will display the silky spider web above its cave and wait for the female's response. During mating, the male spider inserts its sperm duct into the female spider's reproductive opening and deposits sperm. The female spider occupies the cave because of the eggs to be hatched. Sometimes she leaves the male spider, while other times she drives it away.
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