There are 9 families of sub-order Mygalomorphae spiders in the South East Asia with 43 genera. The famous hairy tarantulas and the bird-eating spiders belong to this sub-order. The most common family is Theraposidae which consists of the tarantulas and other large hairy spiders. They were quite common a few decades ago until overdevelopment and poaching by exotic pet collectors brought their numbers down to an alarming stage. Most species are endemic, meaning they only colonize a specific region, often an individual hill or valley.
These large spiders are considered primitive and have several characteristics which set the apart from the "modern" spiders. None of the Mygalomorph weaves webs. They live in either an earthen burrow or hole on a tree. The fangs move inwards instead of towards each other like in modern spiders. Even the respitory system is different where they have 4 book lungs instead of 2. These are the arthropods that have survived millions of years without evolution but over the past few years have seen the twilight of their existance. They are at the verge of extinction, wrought upon them by proud Malaysians.
While we celebrate having the tallest building in the world, several species of Mygalomorph are awaiting execution of their millions of years of reign in the world. Reports from naturalist and scientists showed several species have been lost without being desribed, mainly due to collectors who poached the burrows and remove the inhabitants. Their habitat is getting smaller as more condominiums and mansion being built at hillsides.
On the other side of the world, there are the goliath tarantula which is the largest spider in the world. It roams the Amazon rain forest and occassionally eat bird chicks in their nest. There are the beautiful red knee tarantula which lives in the Mexican desert but was hunted to near extinction by collectors due to its striking appearence. The largest and perhaps rarest of Malaysian species is the Malayan Earth Tiger Cyriopagopus thorelli which I have yet to find. It was used to be abundant in the Cameron Highlands a few decades ago but not anymore.
If you notice these magnificent creatures near your place, please do not disturb them. You may want to photograph and study them but keep them in the wild as it is. Do not disclose their location to people who might take advantage by removing them for collecting or to make quick money. These creatures are our national treasure and protected by the Endangered Species Act but it is really up to us to make sure they survive for our descendants to view.
