Brachypelma hamorii is a species of tarantula found in Mexico. It has been confused with B. smithi; both have been called Mexican redknee tarantulas. Many earlier sources referring to B. smithi either do not distinguish between the two species or relate to B. hamorii. B. hamorii is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in the Mexican states of Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacán. The species is a large spider, adult females having a total body length over and males having legs up to long. Mexican redknee tarantulas are a popular choice for enthusiasts. Like most tarantulas, it has a long lifespan. Description Brachypelma hamorii is a large spider. A sample of seven females had a total body length (excluding chelicerae and spinnerets) in the range . A sample of 11 males was slightly smaller, with a total body length in the range . Although males have slightly shorter bodies, they have longer legs. The fourth leg is the longest, measuring in the type male and in a female. The legs and palps are black to reddish black with three distinctly colored rings, deep orange on the part of the patellae closest to the body with pale orange–yellow further away, pale orange–yellow on the lower part of the tibiae, and yellowish-white at the end of the metatarsi. Adult males have light greyish-red around the border of the carapace with a darker reddish-black marking from the middle of the carapace to the front of the head; the upper surface of the abdomen is black. Adult females vary more in carapace color and pattern. The carapace may be mainly black with a brownish-pink border, or the dark area may be broken up into a "starburst" pattern with pale orange–yellow elsewhere. Taxonomy Brachypelma hamorii was initially misidentified as the very similar B. smithi, a species originally described in 1897. In 1968, the holotype of B. smithi was found to be an immature male, and in 1994, A. M. Smith redescribed B. smithi using two adult specimens. The specimens cannot now be found, but his description makes it clear that they actually belonged to what is now B. hamorii, not B. smithi. B. hamorii was first described by Marc Tesmoingt, Frédéric Cleton and Jean Verdez in 1997. They stated that it was close to B. smithi, but could be distinguished by a