More than 50,000 spiders have battled it out for the ‘Best in Show' honour at what has become known as ‘Crufts for tarantulas’.
While many people might find the spectacle of thousands of spiders terrifying, over 2,000 visitors gathered in Coventry to watch judges rank spiders according to the glossiness of their coats and their ‘alert’ demeanours.
A Socotra Island Blue Baboon (Monocentropus balfouri) was awarded the top honour at the 29th annual British Tarantula Society exhibition at the Ricoh Arena in the city.
The spiders were judged according to their proportions, shape of legs and colouring, among other criteria.
Owners of the arachnids had the tricky task of posing them correctly, as the judges expected all eight of the spiders’ legs to be perfectly positioned.
It was the owner of the winning tarantula’s first time at the gathering, held on May 18 and he told National Geographic he is delighted with the win.
Mike Dawkins said: ‘I was very surprised to win Best African Species, let alone the Best in Show. That really shocked me.’
Judge Ray Hale, said the winning spider stood out because of its rarity and ‘vibrant’ good health.
The spider competitors were in with a chance of winning a number of categories. One spider breeder called Pete Lacey said that a freshly molted adult stands the best chance of winning as its colours are at its brightest.
He won Best Old World Arboreal at the competition and said: ‘The abdomen shouldn't show signs of overfeeding but be lean and rounded.’
Unlike Crufts, where winning pedigree dogs and their offspring can fetch thousands of pounds, winning the tarantula contest does not make owners rich.
Mr Lacey said: ‘The value is in kudos, respect and pleasure in showing off a certain species in its prime.’
People fly in from the U.S. and Hong Kong to compete in the contest, which has grown from its old home in a village hall to the conference centre.
The spider enthusiasts claim that the Theraphosidae family of tarantulas make great pets as they are clean and communicative, carry no diseases and can live for up to 30 years.
They don’t need much space ages and are happy in an aquarium as in the wild they stick close to their burrows.
The creatures come in an array of markings and colours from the winning Socotra Island Blue Baboon, which has iridescent blue legs to the Chilean Rose with its pale pink hairs.
However, while they may be beautiful, some larger species have large fangs capable of administering an unpleasant bite, even if their venom is not lethal to humans.
They can also flick barbed body hairs at a would-be attacker, which is one of the reasons why the British Tarantula Society advises against handling them too much.
The creatures can easily die if they are dropped and anyone seen handling their pet at the show is immediately disqualified.
While many people might find the spectacle of thousands of spiders terrifying, over 2,000 visitors gathered in Coventry to watch judges rank spiders according to the glossiness of their coats and their ‘alert’ demeanours.
A Socotra Island Blue Baboon (Monocentropus balfouri) was awarded the top honour at the 29th annual British Tarantula Society exhibition at the Ricoh Arena in the city.
The spiders were judged according to their proportions, shape of legs and colouring, among other criteria.
Owners of the arachnids had the tricky task of posing them correctly, as the judges expected all eight of the spiders’ legs to be perfectly positioned.
It was the owner of the winning tarantula’s first time at the gathering, held on May 18 and he told National Geographic he is delighted with the win.
Mike Dawkins said: ‘I was very surprised to win Best African Species, let alone the Best in Show. That really shocked me.’
Judge Ray Hale, said the winning spider stood out because of its rarity and ‘vibrant’ good health.
The spider competitors were in with a chance of winning a number of categories. One spider breeder called Pete Lacey said that a freshly molted adult stands the best chance of winning as its colours are at its brightest.
He won Best Old World Arboreal at the competition and said: ‘The abdomen shouldn't show signs of overfeeding but be lean and rounded.’
Unlike Crufts, where winning pedigree dogs and their offspring can fetch thousands of pounds, winning the tarantula contest does not make owners rich.
Mr Lacey said: ‘The value is in kudos, respect and pleasure in showing off a certain species in its prime.’
People fly in from the U.S. and Hong Kong to compete in the contest, which has grown from its old home in a village hall to the conference centre.
The spider enthusiasts claim that the Theraphosidae family of tarantulas make great pets as they are clean and communicative, carry no diseases and can live for up to 30 years.
They don’t need much space ages and are happy in an aquarium as in the wild they stick close to their burrows.
The creatures come in an array of markings and colours from the winning Socotra Island Blue Baboon, which has iridescent blue legs to the Chilean Rose with its pale pink hairs.
However, while they may be beautiful, some larger species have large fangs capable of administering an unpleasant bite, even if their venom is not lethal to humans.
They can also flick barbed body hairs at a would-be attacker, which is one of the reasons why the British Tarantula Society advises against handling them too much.
The creatures can easily die if they are dropped and anyone seen handling their pet at the show is immediately disqualified.
Source : NatGeo , DailyMail , BBC
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