| Persian gold tarantula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Chaetopelma |
| Species: | C. persianum |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetopelma persianum Zamani & West, 2023 | |
Chaetopelma persianum, the Persian gold tarantula, is a species of tarantula native to northwestern Iran. First described in 2023, the species is the first of its genus to be recorded in Iran.
Distribution
Chaetopelma persianum has been found at high altitudes in the Zagros Mountains, a mountain range in western Iran. A photograph of a male spider from near Sulaymaniyah (Iraq) likely represents this species, but this requires further confirmation.
Description
As of August 2023, measurements have only been recorded for females and are currently unknown for males. Female Chaetopelma persianum have a leg span that measure about 9 centimeters.
C. persianum are generally brown in coloration, with the carapace and chelicerae being golden. The species is known to be burrowers.
References
- ^ Zamani, Alireza & West, Rick C. (2023-08-08). "A new species of Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from Iran". ZooKeys (1174): 75–84. Bibcode:2023ZooK.1174...75Z. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1174.109135.
- "Meet The Fancy New Persian Gold Tarantula, With Locks Of Golden Hair". IFLScience. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
- "Eight-eyed critter with 'woolly, golden hairs' found burrowing in Iran. See new species". Yahoo News. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
- Johnson, Chelsea (2023-08-09). "The Persian Gold Tarantula: A Newly Discovered Arachnid from Iran". Fagen Wasanni Technologies. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Chaetopelma persianum | |