- [Voiceover] This is the red-kneed tarantula.
She's got quite the outfit.
Unfortunately, her striking features
have made her a hot commodity in the illegal pet trade.
Found in the forests of southwestern Mexico,
red-kneeds are some of the largest spiders,
growing up to eight inches in size.
Besides size,
their beautiful red, white, black and orange hairs
are what separates them from other spiders.
The hairs on their legs are used to sense vibrations
from predators and prey.
They prey on large insects, frogs and mice,
biting and injecting them with their venom.
Their alluring look has made them
the most popular captive tarantula,
causing a major population decline.
Today, regulations are in place requiring permits
to remove any of these beauties from the wild.
This is the red-kneed tarantula.