Ambassador since 2015
Brachypelma smithi
- Red-knee tarantulas are native to the central Pacific coast of Mexico. They inhabit a range that includes tropical and dry forests, and can also be found in Mexican deserts. Their numbers in the wild are being threatened by deforestation and agriculture.
- Most of the tarantulas sold in the pet trade are female. Females have a very long lifespan, often 20 years or more. Males live much shorter lives, usually less than 10 years and sometimes less than 5.
- Like all spiders, tarantulas produce venom, which primarily is used to subdue prey. In captivity, Ruby’s diet consists of large insects; however in the wild she might also consume small reptiles and mammals.
- When agitated, Ruby uses her back legs to flick hairs from her abdomen toward the offending object. Called urticating hairs, they have barbs and can produce an itching sensation and sometimes a rash on human skin.