# Hysterocrates "Nigeria"



## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Hi all ,does anyone know if these spiders doing the rounds have an ID .

Has anyone bought one from TSS as i'm wondering what size they are ,he has them listed as SA.

Cheers


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

oh the open book that is Hysterocrates, long awaited taxonomy work required, hence locational name. Nigeria is a big African country, not know for its humble peaceful way, something that's deterred my arachnologists from venturing in. Of course the almost mythical H. hercules was found in the extreme North of Nigeria, just head up the A1


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

I love what Lee's written for "Disposition:" of that species on TSS  Sorry I can't really help with your question, it says 15cm on there but I think that's a bit of a guess.


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Poxicator said:


> oh the open book that is Hysterocrates, long awaited taxonomy work required, hence locational name. Nigeria is a big African country, not know for its humble peaceful way, something that's deterred my arachnologists from venturing in. Of course the almost mythical H. hercules was found in the extreme North of Nigeria, just head up the A1


So you reckon the "Hercules" bit of his description is a red herring then? 

I think your way off with your geography everyone knows the A1 leads you into cameroon via Durham


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

Graylord said:


> So you reckon the "Hercules" bit of his description is a red herring then?
> 
> I think your way off with your geography everyone knows the A1 leads you into cameroon via Durham


Have a read of this,

The Tarantula Store -> Hysterocrates spp.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Well, I'm not too clued up on African's tbh. I know about the P. murinus, Ive kept and bred C. darlingi and C. marshalli and over 6 sacs of OBTs but the 10 x H. gigas I had I gave away to visitors of my first Essex Meet.
However, the H. hercules is full of intrigue. Ive listend to Andrew Smith's adventures of trying to find them and failing due to the baked hard ground, Ive listened to the attempt to go searching for them with the BBC (which failed due to complete lack of insurance) and Ive read plenty on forums with various references.
There is only 1 of these in existence, as a holotype at the NHM, provided by Pocock, who apparently didnt study spermatheca!
They come from an area that nobody wants to go to. Its an extremely dangerous place to go, you'd be lucky to come back with your life never mind the tarantula. And, as its a very arid area with small tribes you're not likely to just melt into the community. Nor are you likely to just live off the land! To risk all that so that you can sell a spider, priced on TSS for less than £40 just doesnt add up. 
However, although the holotype was found in Jabba, it could be that these are found elsewhere. The big question is how can someone claim to have H. hercules when they havent studied the holotype? We have ourselves an enigma 

I prefer his description for H. cameroon for a few laughs:
<i>Hysterocrates gigas</i><br>Rusty Red Baboon (AF) Suppliers of Arachnids and other quality Invertebrates


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Check Steve's out its a little beast not sure where he got his from but here is the thread http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spider-invert-pictures/858275-hysterocrates-sp-nigeria.html


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## mattykyuss (Oct 12, 2009)

*re*

they are about 4 inch ,i have one ,the reason tss are saying maybe hercules sp is that these nigeria sp have thin rear legs ,mine is a savage like stevebugs said about his ,i think steve and somebody from bts are looking into these abit deeper ,i thought if they might be hercules ,they might of been alot bigger as sub adults ,but there not slings ,and not adults ,so i guess they have to say something about the size ,mat


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

And therein lies another part of the myth, that these challenge Theraphosa in size, which isnt the case.
I'd guess the best person to look into these, and has looked into them over a number of years, even with one of Ray Gabriel's possible Hercules, (which also had thin legs) is Richard Gallon. But you can see the difficulty he has in the thread within T-store.


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## Baldpoodle (Apr 18, 2007)

Poxicator said:


> Well, I'm not too clued up on African's tbh. I know about the P. murinus, Ive kept and bred C. darlingi and C. marshalli and over 6 sacs of OBTs but the 10 x H. gigas I had I gave away to visitors of my first Essex Meet.
> However, the H. hercules is full of intrigue. Ive listend to Andrew Smith's adventures of trying to find them and failing due to the baked hard ground, Ive listened to the attempt to go searching for them with the BBC (which failed due to complete lack of insurance) and Ive read plenty on forums with various references.
> There is only 1 of these in existence, as a holotype at the NHM, provided by Pocock, who apparently didnt study spermatheca!
> *They come from an area that nobody wants to go to. Its an extremely dangerous place to go, you'd be lucky to come back with your life never mind the tarantula. And, as its a very arid area with small tribes you're not likely to just melt into the community. Nor are you likely to just live off the land!* To risk all that so that you can sell a spider, priced on TSS for less than £40 just doesnt add up.
> ...


Nobody wishes to go to??? with attractions in Kwara state like Owu Falls, the Imoleboja Rock Shelter, Ogunjokoro, Kainji Lake National Parks and Agbonna Hill I find this hard to believe. 
You say extremely dangerous and would be lucky to come out alive? why is this? Have you been there?
Here is something that although does not say it is as safe as...as what you may consider safe?? but it is not as mellow dramatic as you make it out:-
Is Nigeria somewhere to visit as a tourist? | WordTravels Forum 
Someone even compares south africa as being a whole lot worse! sure you need your jabs and you need your common sense like you need them when travelling in any 3rd world county but lets not put everyone off completely. If you know what you are doing you could very well live of the land, ray mears not to mention some of the natives seem to be able why not someone else?

BTW Jabba or Jabba Desilijic Tiureis to give his full name is a large slug/worm like alien species called a hutt that are said to come from the planet Varl in Starwars literature, (although they adopted a different planet called Nal Hutta) Jabba though lived on Tatooine as a crime lord but was strangled by Leia Organa on his sail barge.

However Jebba is the town on the upper niger river in Kwara state in the west of Nigeria. Did andrew smith look here?
:mf_dribble:


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Baldpoodle said:


> BTW Jabba or Jabba Desilijic Tiureis to give his full name is a large slug/worm like alien species called a hutt that are said to come from the planet Varl in Starwars literature, (although they adopted a different planet called Nal Hutta) Jabba though lived on Tatooine as a crime lord but was strangled by Leia Organa on his sail barge.


Jabba how I loved him. Giant alien crime lord, and space pervert to boot.


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## Baldpoodle (Apr 18, 2007)

Oderus said:


> Jabba how I loved him. Giant alien crime lord, and space pervert to boot.


not only that, he was hermaphroditic as well!!:mf_dribble:


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Well i've ordered two so whatever they are they are!


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

The attractions are one thing, but the danger is well documented, even the Nigerian Information Minister recognised that. As I stated Andrew Smith couldn't get the insurance to cover the team required because of these dangers.

Andrew Smith did manage to get to Jebba but as I stated he didn't find any because the mating season had already finished. It was the trip that he planned with the BBC that failed.

There is actually a place called Jabba Hills in North Nigeria, Ive obviously confused the names as I was looking in North Nigeria because that's where Rick West said he found H. hercules.
Hysterocrates hercules [poss. jr. syn. of H. gigas Pocock, 1897] Pocock, 1899, female, NE. Nigeria - Tarantulas, Bird Spiders - Rick West, Arachnologist
" This specimen was collected by a herper on the Niger/Nigeria border"


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## mikeburmese (Jul 9, 2012)

*Hysterocrates sp nigeria*

Supposedly there are two Hysterocrates species in Nigeria, H.hercules and H.laticeps, unless they make 20cm plus and are very dark they are probably H.laticeps


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## 8and6 (Jan 19, 2010)

shame Mr Wests picture shows a specimen with a thickened L/R4 patella :whistling2:


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Got two arriving tomorrow at least if everyone who buys them labels them and are careful as to where they are sold onto they will be a pure species if bred.

Definitely a genus to keep a tight rein on when WC are available so that we can be sure of what we have in the future.


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Well they arrived in very nice nick ,not as big as i expected which i'm pleased about as i'll get longer to enjoy them if they turn out to be male.

Gone into hiding so no pics unfortunately .


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