While I understand that color alone is no indication of species within this genus, i've never seen an anuroctonus like this before. She was found in a habitat atypical of the type favored by this genus, a dark, perpetually moist riparian zone in a canyon. I initially thought i had a huge uroctonus species, as I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Later after i recovered, i realized this was an anuroctonus.
As you can see, she's an attractive deep dark burgundy color, and the edges of her tergites as well as on her prosoma are light (however ive seen this in pococki so that's no big deal), as well as the outer ridge of the prosoma being more thick, and more pronounced. (this i haven't seen)
the ventral side of her mesosoma is very dark, almost black.
The black on her pedipalps blends more smoothly into the base of her claws.
her chelicerae lack the thick setae that the 'classic' Anuroctonus pococki have, in fact, the setae of her chelicerae are highly reduced. I'll try to get a good macro of them.
Compare her slender, gracile body to this equal-sized subadult female pococki from chaparral habitat, which has larger bulkier chelicerae, and a shorter barrel-shaped mesosoma, and more heft to its palps.
one could argue that this 'unknown' riparian species is simply immature, explaining the more gracile appearance, however the pococki shown is actually a sub-adult
Curiously, as well, the dark anuroctonus wont burrow o_O She was found beneath an old rotten stump.
Edit: then again, like all animals, skinny can be nothing more than a difference in phenotype.
