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Found animal from Mülheim an der Ruhr: Discovered in a plastic box
Photo: Police Essen / dpa
In Mülheim an der Ruhr, a woman discovered a plastic box early Wednesday morning not far from the Styrum S-Bahn station: Inside was a long-legged, probably hairy Aphonopelma chalcodes, a tarantula of North American origin that is actually more at home in desert regions.
The Aphonopelma chalcodes -- called the Arizona Blond Tarantula because of the color of its leg hair -- is a nocturnal solitary animal that likes to dig holes in the ground and make homes in them.
Females can live up to 20 years in the wild and 25 in captivity.
The lifespan of the smaller males is significantly shorter.
They are also sometimes eaten by their sexual partner.
However, the specimen from Mühlheim was already dead when it was discovered.
The finder alerted the nearest control center at around six o'clock and handed the box and its contents over to the police.
At the station, the animal was examined by experts who could only determine the death of the spider.
The North American tarantula species does not usually pose a threat to humans, it is said.
ala/dpa