Question about Avicularia urticating hairs

cabey0201

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
104
So, every versicolor I see (including my own) has that nice little patch of hair missing off of their opisthosoma. Since they're not kickers per se, where does this hair go? Is it scattered throughout their living area as a defense mechanism? Unless I'm nuts, it seems to be an almost immediate thing as well. In other words, it doesn't seem like after a moult the "fuzzy butt" lasts any time at all. Just curious.
 

clearlysaid

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
403
I think the patch you're referring to is actually the mirror patch.

Avics can spread urticating hairs, they don't kick like other spiders, though... they, uh, get the hair on their feet and rub them into the prey. Can't say I've ever seen it or experienced it but that's what I've read.

Oh, see this.
 
Last edited:

Aunt Ant

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
238
Yup, mirror patch. It's not necessarily missing hair, just different textured hair. Other Ts have them too, Grammostola genus for sure
I think it may be composed of urticating hairs, but I could be wrong. Maybe someone else knows what its definite function is
 

cabey0201

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
104
Ah, hadn't seen that thread. I'm still a bit confused though. Is it hair that's missing or is it hair that's a different color and texture from the rest? It appears, to me at least, that there's no hair there at all.
 

Mushroom Spore

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 14, 2005
Messages
4,588
Avics can spread urticating hairs, they don't kick like other spiders, though... they, uh, get the hair on their feet and rub them into the prey. Can't say I've ever seen it or experienced it but that's what I've read.
First I've heard of it - the most common use of their urticating hairs is by leaning directly into the target creature to imbed the hair into his/her skin. It leads to a lot of hilarious threads where people get angry when we tell them their avic isn't leaning into being petted because it likes them. It's doing it because it hates them and wants them to go away. :D
 

clearlysaid

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
403
First I've heard of it - the most common use of their urticating hairs is by leaning directly into the target creature to imbed the hair into his/her skin. It leads to a lot of hilarious threads where people get angry when we tell them their avic isn't leaning into being petted because it likes them. It's doing it because it hates them and wants them to go away. :D
Haha, I remember a cool video of a man scratching his Avic's bootay... like the avic even liked it and was leaning in for a good scratching. It was cute but made me itchy watching it.

I heard people say rosies do the embedding thing, too... but I've actually seen a rosie kick hair, so, yeah... I've never seen an avic kick or rub or anything so I dunno.
 
Top