Mexican Red Knees?
Are they the tarantulas in the movie? And aren't they endangered now?
shareThere were actually many types of tarantula species used in the movie, but the Red Knees were the most commonly used, especially in the scenes when the actors are holding them, or when they are crawling all over people. In the new special edition DVD of Kingdom Of The Spiders, there was an interview with the spider wrangler who said the Mexican Red Knees (or Orange Knees, take your pick) are the most docile and people-friendly of all the tarantula species. He went on to say that some of the other species used in the movie were bad-tempered and were not to be handled by any of the actors. I think that it would be really cool to hold a Red Knee tarantula, I hope I get the opportunity some day.
As for endangerment, I don't really know. That would require some extra research.
Extra Research:
This medium-sized terrestrial species is protected by CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) and is classified as an Appendix II species (threatened and requiring special permits for transport or transfer between countries).