Welcome to www.baboonspiders.de
In the middle of 2003 the foundation-stone for the creation of this web site was laid. Since then we planed and worked on its completion. Unfortunately we did not proceed as fast as hoped and had to shift the "release date " again and again. But finally we are proudly able to publish our website. We provide an overview over the African spiders of the Theraphosidae family, also called Baboon Spiders. Unfortunately, this site will only gradually be completed, since this is a huge field and combined with much work. For the time being the main focus lies on the subfamily Harpactirinae (Genera e.g. Pterinochilus, Ceratogyrus, etc.), in the course of time we intend to include all other subfamilies located in Africa (e.g. Stromatopelminae, Eumenophorinae, etc..).
Above all we try to provide on the following pages as much current information as possible, including information about Systematics and Taxonomy as well as behaviour, attitude, breeding and distribution of the genera and individual species.
An identification key (including drawings of the key characteristics) up to species level is provided for the subfamily Harpactirinae (momentarily still without the genera Harpactira and Harpactirella). Soon some drawings will be suplemented with macro photos of the appropriate characteristics. Especially the species available in pet-trade will be considered here.
With the gallery we try to show e.g. different colour variants and of course pictures of as many species from African genera as possible.
Greetings:
Timo Raab & Ingo Wendt
Newsletter:
We offer a newsletter in order to post changes/innovations on our homepage as well as news in systematics/taxonomy and to make our breedings of African bird spiders accessible to everyone interested!
Systematic & Taxonomy News:
July 2005: A new Certogyrus species is described by Richard GALLON. Certogyrus paulseni GALLON, 2005 was newly-discovered in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The species possesses a transverse fovea and lacks a pale sub-abdominal band. C. paulseni was classified on the basis of the dark venter of the palps and leg I-II as Ceratogyrus. The species is named after Martin PAULSEN who co-discovered the species. 
Furthermore a new genus and species of the subfamily Eumenophorinae was described by Richard GALLON. Mascaraneus remotus GALLON, 2005 was newly-discovered on Serpent Island, a only 19 ha big Isle which is situated in north-east from Mauritius. In Mascaraneus the metatarsal scopula on leg IV is divided by a band of setae and they lack of Eumenophorinae usual stridulation organs.
June 2005: Xenodendrophila gabrieli GALLON, 2003 is synonymised with Encyocratella olivacea STRAND, 1907 by Richard C. GALLON. Unfortunately the genus Encyoratella was equated with Chaetopelma by RAVEN (1985). Thus it was impossible for GALLON (2003) to discover the affiliation to Xenodendrophila earlier. The genus Chaetopelma belongs to the subfamily Ischnocolinae, Encyocratella however to the subfamily Stromatopelminae.
January 2005: Harpactirella leleupi BENOIT, 1965 is synonymised with Idiothele nigrofulva (POCOCK, 1898) by Richard C. GALLON . The holotype of Harpactirella leleupi was examined again and it was recognized that in contrast to BENOITs investigations the holotype is a subadult male of Idiothele nigrofulva.
September 2004: The genus Trichognatha GALLON, 2002 is renamed by Richard C. GALLON as Trichognathella GALLON, 2004. Trichognatha GALLON, 2002 is a junior homonym of Trichognatha LATEREILLE, 1829, a carabid beetle genus.
December 2003: A new monotypic genus of a tree-inhabiting Theraphosidae, Xenodendrophila, was described. Xenodendrophila gabrieli GALLON, 2003 represents the second known bird spider, which does not possess a spermathecae.