Spider/P.aurea forest- near Port Alegre, Brazil

[Agrobambu]

Spider/P.aurea forest- near Porto Alegre, Brazil

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/516/thumbs/359Bamboo_-_Spider_2.JPG
P.aurea forest spider - 4 inches (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=852)
This spider was found at my P.aurea forest last nov/2004 in Eldorado do Sul/Brazil near Porto Alegre/RS.
Not identified at the moment, but it is similar to the tarantulas not usual to find in this region.
The diameter is near 4"(12 cm).Have a medallion at the dorsal/front part, near the head, colors grey and black.
Was not possible to shot with perfectly focus because she was running very fast, moving between the bamboo poles.
One spider like this (size so big) I saw at National Geographic Channel. I saw some spiders at San Diego Zoo but are not so big and so rare (his medallion) like this one.
If someone knows more about this, will be welcome, giving us instructions to prevent any accidental situation.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/516/thumbs/359C_pia_de_Bamboo_-_Spider_1.JPG
P.aurea forest spider (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=853&sort=1&size=medium&cat=516)

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Joseene,
I don't know much about this subject... I read that there are more then 800 species of tarantulas around the world.

Here are some websites with extensive information.

THE ARACHNOLOGY HOME PAGE (http://www.arachnology.be/Arachnology.html)
The Arachnological Hub of the World Wide Web
2000 links to sites with info and pictures of spiders and other arachnids

Page of Links at ARACHNOLOGY: The study of arachnids -> TARANTULAS ( http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Tarantulas.html)

The gallery at E-Spiderworld (http://www.e-spiderworld.com/gallery/index.htm) shows hundereds of pics of tarantula species.

Mark