Scientific Name	Tliltocatl vagans
Common Name	Mexican Redrump or Mexican Black Velvet
Countries of origin	Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize (and Florida, US)
Arboreal/Terrestrial/Fossorial	Fossorial
Max Size	6.5″ or 16.5 cm

INTRODUCTION

When I first got into tarantula keeping, the “Mexican Redrump” had the scientific name Brachypelma vagans and was quite popular and readily available, with wild-caught specimens being imported from Mexico for the pet trade for decades. However, as of March of 2023, CITES implemented stricter regulations on the exportation of Mexican tarantula species. Captive breeding projects in Mexico now produce slings specifically for the pet trade in order to eliminate the collection of wild-caught specimens. As a result, spiderlings are now offered more periodically and are often more expensive.

Although the T. vagans was once considered to be a good “beginner tarantula”, over the last several years, they’ve earned a reputation for being defensive and difficult. Some of the ridiculous words I’ve heard to describe them are aggressive, demonic, dangerous, and evil. Sadly, this species’ recent infamy is a byproduct of click-bait driven YouTube videos by unscrupulous content creators trying to capitalize on rampant arachnophobia to get a couple extra views. That said, this species has always been recognized as being a bit more skittish and lively than the average Mexican New World tarantula species. 

A brief history of this species to help us understand its reputation. When most folks hear the name “Brachypelma” they think of slow-growing, docile species like the Brachypelma smithi, Brachypelma hamorii, and Brachypelma emila. These species have long enjoyed a reputation for being particularly good beginner tarantulas due to their ease of care and calm temperaments as adults. 

The T. vagans was originally known as Brachypelma vagans, and that may be where their reputation as “aggressive” and unruly spiders originated. The genus Brachypelma had become synonymous with “beginner species.” Folks expecting a spider that was as calm and possibly tractable as its genus cousins were often surprised by a much more skittish, high-strung spider not afraid of kicking hairs or bolting when disturbed. This species also has an amazing feeding response, and it’s quite possible that folks prodding their spider for a possible handling session, or performing maintenance, were surprised by a sudden flash of fangs. Over the years, I’ve heard a handful of folks say that their Mexican redrumps will attack anything that enters their enclosure. It’s definitely feasible that a keeper expecting a calm, sedentary Brachypelma species might be intimidated by a spider quick to bolt, kick hairs, or threat posture. Suddenly, you have keepers sharing these experiences, and the T. vagans’ reputation as a “dangerous” and “aggressive” spider is born.

In my years of keeping, I’ve discovered for many species with bad reputations, their defensive behavior isn’t the result of a mean animal. Instead, it’s what happens when they are not kept correctly and become stressed. At the risk of anthropomorphizing, I like to point out that tarantulas that are constantly defensive are often insecure with their surroundings or “scared.” They are not lashing out, threat-posturing, or hair kicking because they want to hurt you; they are trying to defend themselves from what they perceive as a large predator.

In the case of the T. vagans, keepers set them up as terrestrials for years, giving them shallow enclosures that offered only a couple of inches of substrate and a hide. Although this type of enclosure might work for a more docile B. smithi, it is not appropriate for the T. vagans. In nature, this species is fossorial, adopting or excavating its own burrow and surfacing at night to hunt. When this spider is not given the space to burrow and create a secure hide for itself, leaving it exposed, it has the potential to become more reactive and defensive.

Now, in all of my videos, I usually put the disclaimer “temperament may vary from specimen to specimen.” Sure, mine may not give me threat postures or act particularly defensive, but that does not mean that others don’t have more feisty specimens. Are some folks still receiving threat displays despite giving them proper enclosures and set ups? I’m sure. However, after speaking with many folks over the years who keep the T. vagans, a couple points become quite clear:

First, this type of behavior is the exception and not the rule. Sure, most report that theirs are fairly quick and skittish, but they will usually run an hide before standing their ground. Others, myself included, report specimens that sit calmly out in the open without any defensive reactions at all.

Second, most who keep this species don’t find this type of behavior all that threatening or unmanageable. Sure, someone completely new to keeping tarantulas might find a large, skittish spider a bit intimidating, but anyone with a bit of experience should have no issue keeping one. Plus, as this is a hardy, faster-growing species, it would make it an excellent contender for a good first sling. Someone growing the T. vagans up from a spiderling would have time to “grow” with the spider.

Continue reading →