Pterinochilus murinus

Pterinochilus murinus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Pterinochilus
Species:
P. murinus
Binomial name
Pterinochilus murinus
(Pocock, 1897)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Harpactira elevata Karsch, 1878
  • Pterinochilus mamillatus Strand, 1906
  • Pterinochilus hindei Hirst, 1907
  • Pterinochilus vosseleri Strand, 1907
  • Pterinochilus leetzi Schmidt, 2002

Pterinochilus murinus or the orange baboon tarantula,[2] is a nocturnal spider in the family Theraphosidae that was first described in 1897 by Reginald Innes Pocock.[1] This species is found in Angola, as well as central and southern Africa. It is a member of the subfamily Harpactirinae, baboon spiders.[3]

Pterinochilus murinus "OBT" spiderling.
A juvenile Pterinochilus murinus showing brownish orange coloration.

The color varies from red, orange and brown.

Among those who keep tarantulas as pets, Pterinochilus murinus is known as "OBT", acronym which stands for "orange baboon tarantula" or "orange bitey thing",[4] and also as the "pterror", a pun on its Latin genus classification of Pterinochilus.[5] These nicknames reference a particular orange colour form that is prized in the hobby for its beauty, as well as its painful bite.[6] It is also known as the Mombasa golden starburst tarantula.[7]

This species is incredibly defensive and, as with most old world tarantulas, should not be held. The bite of this species, while not serious, is extremely painful. Moreover, the species is more than willing to inflict such a bite without first presenting the typical threat display. Caution when dealing with this species is strongly advised.[8]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference WSC_s37862 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Orange Baboon Tarantula (Pterinochilus murinus): Facts, Identification &Pictures". Spider Identifications. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  3. ^ "Pterinochilus murinus". Theraphosidae. 2015-08-23. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  4. ^ "Orange Baboon Tarantula - The Orange Bitey Thing -". ReptileRange.com.
  5. ^ "Orange Baboon Tarantula: Facts, Identification and Pictures". Spider Identifications. May 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Pterinochilus murinus bite report. (OBT, Orange Baboon Tarantula, Orange Bitey Thing), retrieved 2024-03-26
  7. ^ "Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon Tarantula: Everything y…". Goodreads.
  8. ^ Ian (2018-06-25). "Orange Baboon Tarantula (Pterinochilus Murinus)". Tarantula Friendly. Retrieved 2024-03-26.