Here's the fifth of the six species of Tarantula coming in my new Spiders v2 set very soon. It is found along the Western faces of the Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra Madre Occidental mountain ranges in Mexico. Mexican Red-knee tarantulas are a popular choice as pets among tarantula keepers. Habitat destruction and collection for the pet trade have led to these spiders being among the few arthropods protected under international “Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species” rules. Large numbers of Mexican red-knee tarantulas caught in the wild continue to be smuggled out of Mexico. It is reported that at least 3,000 specimens of Mexican tarantulas were sent to the United States and Europe in 2015, most of which were Mexican red-knee tarantulas. This is a huge problem because this tarantula has a small range and is slow to mature and reproduce. Males are more brightly colored and slightly smaller in size. While it is almost unheard of for a Brachypelma species to bite a human, they are quick to kick urticating hairs in self-defense, though their hairs can be less irritating than those of other species. Urticating hairs feel similiar in pain to Stinging Nettles.