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Genus Megaphobema

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New World 5 species

South American giants with a defensive behavior nothing else does: threatened, they spin in place and kick backward with the rear legs, which are noticeably thickened for exactly that purpose.

M. robustum out of Colombia is the common one, red-legged and large. M. mesomelas from Costa Rica is smaller, cooler-running and considerably harder to source. Both want more humidity than a typical New World terrestrial and neither tolerates heat well.

mesomelas is the price story. It comes from montane cloud forest, it does not breed reliably in captivity, and it dies in setups kept at the temperature most keepers default to. Thin supply plus high attrition keeps it expensive and keeps it appearing and disappearing from the market.

Species
5
Live Listings
36
Family Market Index
$170
median market price
Entry Price
$36
Megaphobema mesomelas
Ubiquitous
Costa Rican Redleg
4 live listings · from $198 mkt $250
Megaphobema peterklaasi
Common
Costa Rican Ember Tarantula
1 live listing · from $350 mkt $350
Megaphobema robustum
Ubiquitous
Colombian Giant Redleg
▼ COOLING
20 live listings · from $36 mkt $65
Megaphobema sp. 'White'
Ubiquitous
Colombian Giant White Leg
▼ COOLING
6 live listings · from $85 mkt $170
Megaphobema velvetosoma
Ubiquitous
Brown Velvet
▼ COOLING
5 live listings · from $72 mkt $100