# Vietnam Black tarantula



## Cobalt78 (Dec 20, 2006)

I've just recieved this tarantula which I purchased from exotic-pets.co.uk. The site states that this is a newish breed, recently discovered. It looks uncannily like the Costa Rican Tiger Rump, only darker in colour.

Could the site be wrong? Is this just slightly varied offspring of the Tiger Rump? I can't find any more info on this species. It may also be known as the Thailand Black.


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

Its funny you should post this, as we was in northampton yesterday i decided to pop into northampton reptile centre, to see what scorpions they had, upon looking at their huge stacks of invert plastci boxes looking for a scorpion name to pop up on the labels i noticed a sticker saying thai black.
Knowing this was what the malaysian or asian forest scorpion can also be known as i excitedly pulled the box out to find a spider in there.
I hadnt heard of such species but apparently it was correct.
I can certainly find out the full spec on this tarantula for you and wouldnt mind knowing myself, also if you have a picture of yours could you stick it up so i can see if it was the same as what i saw yesterday?.


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## Cobalt78 (Dec 20, 2006)

Now this is interesting. I'll get a pic as soon as I can. This is a burrowing, nervous species, just like the Cobalt Blue, so i haven't seen much of her since i got her on Friday. As soon as she makes an appearance, i'll take a pic. 

But just to confirm, the markings on the rump are just like the CR Tiger Rump, which, funnily enough, was a species I purchased only 3 weeks ago. The overall colour on the Tiger Rump is a dark brown, the so called ''vietnam/thai black'' is a jet black.


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

no probs and ill gather as much as i can on this species.


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

Ok here goes, the thai black is apparently a newish species in comparison to some others but considering how long Tarantulas have been around this doesnt help with how new they actually are.
I found a good description of the Thai black and the latin name *Haplopelma Minax* is the one that comes up all the time

by Todd Gearheart 
This super aggressive and fast tarantula has been imported since the mid 80s and has been a common import until recent years. It is a medium-sized, velvety-black burrowing species with black chevron markings on a grayish-black abdomen. It has a whiteish-tan trim around the carapace. This species doesnt brown-out prior to its next molt and will keep the nice velvety-black appearance most of the year. H. minax doesnt like to be under bright light or in the open. It is a secretive tarantula that likes to stay in its burrow except for a few hours a night when it may come out to wait for prey to pass by its burrow. This is not a beginners species as they are nervous and quick to bite. 

Ive found a good photo of one below









I have also found 2 other Haplopelma species and their descriptions that could be linked.
*Haplopelma longipes* The thai Tiger
A newly reclassified haplopelma species, that is dark brown to black and has the typical chevron markings of the Genus on the abdomen.










*Haplopelma vonwirthi* The vietnamese tiger
A newly described Haplopelma species that has been sold in the pet trade as Haplopelma sp Vetnam and is very similar in appearance to the thailand black











Now I know you probably know about the costa rican tiger rump but i thought id put this in to show a difference.
Costa rican tiger rump









*Cyclosternum fasciatum* the costa rican tiger rump
This is a smaller but quite beautiful species, they only grow to 4 or 5 inches and have a pinkish red carapace with a tiger stripe pattern on the abdomen

Research through various sites including the BTs seem to point out that these 2 Haplopelma species are still new and i think this is where confusion comes from in the pet trade.

hope this helps, and when you put a pic up if were still not sure ill print it off and take to show a friend who could help.

Luke


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## Cobalt78 (Dec 20, 2006)

Well well, I have to thank you for shedding light on this for me. The thai black is indeed the spider which i bought under the title of ''vietnam black''. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
The Thai tiger below that is what i believed to be a costa rican tiger rump or rather what i have been told is a costa rican tiger rump. Maybe i should email exotic-pets.co.uk to educate them. 
What actually is a true costa rican tiger rump (above), i have never seen before. Kind of frustrating, as i've been misled.

Cheers for that.


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## Cobalt78 (Dec 20, 2006)

I take that back about exotic-pets. I did not buy the thai tiger from them. It was bought from dragon reptiles in Cardiff.


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

glad youve got it sorted mate.


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## fifelad81 (Jan 28, 2008)

the vietnam black tarantula is a new and as yet unclassified species bar being aknowledged as _Selenocosmia sp._

_some laces have sold thai tigers under the name of vietnam black and i have bought some of each in the past and can asure you that youll know a vietnam black when you see it they are 10 times as aggressive as a thai tiger mine when you tap tank sides it throws itself at tank venom dripping off its angs and rolls onto back pointing dripping fangs up you tap top of tank and it ran up tank side onto roof and proceeded to bite tank lid where i had tapped andsat in threat display forover 20 mins and thats just with tapping side of tank a few times._

_i made the mistake or ordring a so called vietnam black and instead recieved a thai tiger became interested in this and decided to see if there was any difference between this so called vietnam black and thai tiger or were both same species_

_after trying 2 or 3 other companies and ending up with more thai tiers i bega to think hmmm vietnam black isnt new species._

_then i got one!!!! this t was jet black all over and jet back abdomen and was amaznglyaggressive far far worse than any cobalt blue or king baboon or anything id ever seen before inc singapore blues and orange baboons_

_in my personal opinion im sure they are both seperate species as vietnam black is classed as Selenocosmia sp now and a few people now keep them and also say they are different in temprement from thai tigers and appearance._

_what i believe is that they are either both seperate species or one is a dark colour form just like the 2 versions of cobalt blues_

_you get normal cobalt blue called ncf with prominent visible tiger pattern on abdomen and then you get the dcf dark colour form or burmese cobalt blue whose a lot darker and dark dark blue abdomen notshowing tiger pattern_

_i think perhaps the same may very well applyto the vietnam black Selenocosmia sp and the thai tiger perhaps samespecies of tarantula but different regional variations_

_but the large difference in temprement wise may suggest eperate species._

_i am im middle of purchasing a so called vietnam black adult male so will study him in relation to male thai tiger tarantulas for visibledifferences and behaviour or if it turns out to be a thai tiger male then ill breed them either way interesting stuff_


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

exotic pets is a baaaad place to buy from! All their stock is wild caught, and some wild caught spiders don't take well to captivity.. my minax didn't. But if you got it from a pet shop then common names are bad!

It's not a new species, been about for god knows how long :lol: It's just said as a selling point. It's related to the cobalt blue so will burrow if given the chance (and should be)

Deep sub (my fem had about 10" but never burrowed...) a hide, water bowl and to keep humidity up rather than spraying, just soak one end of the substrate


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## andy140365 (Jul 26, 2010)

What sort of price do the Vietnam black tigers go for aggressive is an understatement


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

This is a really old thread that youve dug up here


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## Lerg (Apr 15, 2010)

If this is a true Vietnam Black it will most certainly be a H.Minax. Related to H.Lividium. A very fast and usually skittish species with a very hard-core threat display. Have you got any pictures? If a H.Minax they are true terrestrials and like a fairly deep substrate to construct their burrows. Did the supplier not per you a Latin name? Also just to offer a weird of advice I don't know how you like your tarantula's to be reared but again if a H.Minax there is a great possibility that this T will be wild caught.


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

Lerg said:


> If this is a true Vietnam Black it will most certainly be a H.Minax. Related to H.Lividium. A very fast and usually skittish species with a very hard-core threat display. Have you got any pictures? If a H.Minax they are true terrestrials and like a fairly deep substrate to construct their burrows. Did the supplier not per you a Latin name? Also just to offer a weird of advice I don't know how you like your tarantula's to be reared but again if a H.Minax there is a great possibility that this T will be wild caught.



Have you noticed that this thread is 7 years old and that the OP isnt a member (or doesnt post) anymore ?


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## Lerg (Apr 15, 2010)

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PeterUK said:


> Have you noticed that this thread is 7 years old and that the OP isnt a member (or doesnt post) anymore ?


honestly Peter no. But thanks for pointing that out to me lol


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