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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Phil" data-source="post: 103078" data-attributes="member: 4151">Shameless cut and paste.....All three species grow to very large sizes of up to and sometimes over eleven inches in leg span. All three also come from North Eastern South America, locations including Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam & French Guyana. Before the recent classification of Theraphosa stirmi many hobbyists believed that there were only two species of Theraphosa within the hobby. Although many other’s actually believed otherwise.For quite some time the species now known as Theraphosa stirmi was often confused with the species Theraphosa blondi. The main reason for this confusion in a nutshell, the two species, unless you know what you’re looking for they look nearly identical (especially at adult size). To many people and hobbyists this doesn’t matter a great deal, both are nearly identical and also both make wonderful additions to a collection. Although if you’re looking to purchase a Theraphosa you may find that Theraphosa blondi hold a slightly higher price tag than that of the Theraphosa apophysis & Theraphosa stirmi due to availability.Also its worth mentioning if you are considering breeding Theraphosa, you should always make sure that you pair the correct species with one another. Otherwise you may find that if an egg sac is produced, the eggs within it will not make it to spiderling stage. The main reason for this thread is to hopefully show a few of you ways of telling the different species apart from each other.Identification at spiderling to juvenile stages is by far the easiest way to tell all three species of Theraphosa apart from one another, as each of the three have a different metatarsus and tarsus colour combinations.• Theraphosa apophysis have a light pink to white hue on all eight metatarsi, tarsi & on the tips of the pedipalps.• Theraphosa blondi don’t have any light pink to white hue on any metatarsi, tarsi or pedipalps.• Theraphosa blondi don’t have any light pink to white hue on any metatarsi, tarsi or pedipalpsThe visual identifications of the three at sub-adult to adult stages can be a lot trickier, although certainly not impossible. Theraphosa stirmi as adults lack setae on their patella’s (knee’s) whereas the Theraphosa blondi can be identified via having the presence of setae on the patella’s. Just to make things a little more confusing Theraphosa apophysis look very much like Theraphosa blondi at adult stage, both have the setae present on the patella’s although Theraphosa apophysis have much longer metatarsi & tarsi compared to that of the Theraphosa blondi, also its worth mentioning that Theraphosa blondi have much thicker and stockier femur’s. The "tricky " part is in juveniles Theraphosa blondi and "stirmi" .At those stages they both appear"fuzzy" and they lack light tarsi and metatarsi. T. apophysis:Much more "hair" covering the legs especially the undersideGenerally a pinkish/reddish hue.Mature males with tibial apophysesDark spot on the opisthosomatibia uniform widthtibia of variable lengthscarapace more elongateslings with pink tarsiT. blondiLess "hair" than T. apophysisLacks the Reddish hairs seen on the other two Theraphosa sp.Distal portion of the tibial widermales lack tibial apophysesround carapaceslings with brown tarsisetae on patellaT. sp. "Stirmi (The more common goliath in the pet trade also sold as T. blondi, T. apophysis, and T. sp. "burgundy")Thickened femurs like T. blondiblack spot like T. apophysisultimate males lack tibial spursreddish hairs on fresh moltscarapace is roundslings with pink tarsino setae on patella</blockquote>

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