Today's handsome specimen is a Brachypelma boehmei a native of Mexico it is also known as a Mexican Fire Leg. They normally live in dry scrubland and like to dig burrows in sandy soil. Although they look really creepy this spider sat very calmly, posing for the photo shoot. They do move really quickly when a meal walks by and just thinking about that sends a shiver down my spine. The spider has an interesting defence mechanism too, when startled or threatened they "urticate" , that means they can eject the bristles from their abdomen towards any attacker, they are barbed and the bristles will embed themselves in the skin or eyes and cause serious irritation so beware!This one is called Zuko and is named after Prince Zuko a character from The Last Airbender. Zuko is a fire bender so the name is quite apt.
