Sling: Gramastola Pulchripes
2018 07 07
Purchase Date: 2018 04 12
Vendor: Fear Not Tarantulas
After the traumatic experience of loosing two of my slings, I started to obcess regarding the well being of my remaining stable. So I rehoused this little one just because some of the substrate was looking pretty damp and I have concluded, (regardless to what extent the logic followed is valid) that wet substrate was a contributing factor to my losing the other two slings.
I have written about this one in a while. He/She seems to be a very slow grower. I've read that you may need to "will" some of your collection, depending on your current age, (a very serious possibility for me) and this little one may qualify. He/She seems to be doing fine.
My Daughter has Named this one: "Phil"
Sling: Avicularia Avicularia
2018 07 06
Purchase Date: 2018 05 22
After the loss of my two slings, I decided not to take any chances with my baby Avic. I performed some research on the Arachnoboards and online in general and finally decided that a modified baseball enclosure would suite her nicely for the time being. It is another interim solution wbut with less substrate and a small cork bark background to climb, it would be safer for him/her until I can get something more vertitcal.
I ordered a set of (3) AMAC boxes and will see how those fair when they arrive. They're about 7" tall, so that is better than the current enclosure, height wise, but I'm unclear how problematic opening it to feed my sling will be.
This little one seems hardy enough, and fast. It got loose twice while I was trying to re-house it. Thank goodness it stopped after a quick burst each time. If it had kept going, I might not have been able to recapture it. It likes to crawl up the paint brush I was using to gently guide it. This little one was running up and down my arm. Another first.
All in all, it seems to have adapted well enough. It has been hiding in the fake plant leaves, toward the top. It probably feels safer now than at any other time in my care. I like this genus and this species. They're beautiful Ts.
My daughter has named her "Ava"
Aphonopelma Chalcodes
2018 06 29
Purchase Date: 2018 06 12
I don't know why, but I've wanted one of these since I started collecting these animals. I just didn't have the outlet to acquire one. Not unless I wanted to spend $160 + for anything over 2 inches. I found a breeder on the Arachnoboards who was very reasonable with her inventory. Her handle is SushiDragons
She had a couple of these and I bought one from her for $40. A 3 inch tarantula for $40? With all 8 legs? I thought that was more than fair and definitely worth the risk of going to a private breeder.
She showed up, I unboxed her and she has been an absolute sweetheart since her arrival (the video of her unboxing is on my YouTube channel). She is slow moving, very deliberate. No threat postures thrown, no hair kicking. She hangs out most of the time, but will return to her lower income housing (the detergent measuring cup I used for a burrow) when frightened.
This is the kind of animal you just want to pickup and hold in the air. If it were pheasible, an affection squeze or hug wouldn't be off the table either.
She really hasn't pounced on anything yet. Maybe she doesn't care for crickets. Which reminds me, I'm in the research stage of starting my own Dubia colony. I've also heard B.lateralis are supposed to be a good choice too though. I will have to check on that and report what I find out.
My daughter has named her "Colette"
Grammostola Pulchripes
2018 04 21
I bought this sling as the other that I started my collection with from fear not tarantulas (see link below) at the suggestion of Tom Moran from Tom's Big Spiders (link also provided below).
Here is the latest baby picture of one of my two slings. He/She's pretty content to remain in the open and was observed enjoying a 1/4" banded, prekilled cricket this week. I'm really happy about that.
Sling: Nhandu Chromatus
2018 07 14
Purchase Date: 2018 05 22
Vendor: Palp Friction
This is one of the four slings I purchased from Palp Friction. To date, the two I lost were from this same transaction. I'm not blaming the vendor. I have no clue as to what happened with those other two, but this one and the remaning baby Avic seem to be doing well.
Not knowing what I'm doing here yet, I was concerned about this one too, for obvious reasons, but so far nature's engineering is working out for me. I placed a pre-killed cricket near, (almost directly on top of) its burrow opening last night and this morning, after removing the ID lable on the modified "Hot Wheels" enclosure, I could see it had dragged the cricket down into its burrow. These guys can really create some eloborate burrows, provided they have the substrate and the square footage.
The above image was taken the day before the last feeding. Such a small thing, but you can tell when they're hungry, some of them anyway, because if they're a burrower, they will come to the surface looking for food.
My A. Chalcodes is pretty content to remain out of her hide most of the time. I thought that species was more of a burrower for some reason. Maybe it is and my girl just doesn't dig it.
MM Avicularia Avicularia
2018 07 04
I've had this guy for almost two months now and I've never seen him eat. I've left disabled but live crickets in his enclosure, pre-killed crickets, but no joy.
I tried again last night to feed him. I fed my larger Ts, the B. Vagans (who at best is becoming a Juvie now), my A. Chalcodes and my baby Avic, (who is growing at a respectable pace since I acquired it [unsexed]) but the large male wasn't interested.
I picked up the cricket and moved it towards him a couple of times, but he just kept backing away. He attacked the wooden tongs a couple of times. Thank goodness I wasn't using the steel ones. The tongs attacks were new.
I'm a bit concerned about him as his abdomen appears to be getting smaller, thinner. I don't know what the issue is. When I offered crickets to the A. Chalcodes, the B. Vagans and the other Avic, they took the food. This guy has been pretty docile so far, although I've yet to attempt handling any of my Ts. I'm sure I will, but I'm in no hurry and they're not that kind of pet anyway. Besides, they just don't dig it. They know we're not food, but their instinct is get away from something as big as we are.
Now, when I checked on him in the morning, the cricket was gone. So, that begs the question, is he eating? Does it just take time for him to settle down and relax from the interaction with the human? The other Ts don't seem to be that sensitive to a little movement and invasion by a plump, gut loaded, cricket.
I think maybe next time I'll setup a camera with Time Lapse just to see if I can catch him doing either, eating or just moving the prey. He has to be eating it, no? If he was just moving it, I'd see it somewhere in the enclosure. The bolus is a bit harder to find
Brachpelma Vagans
2018 04 22
So, my daughter Alexis couldn't take it anymore and nagged me to unhouse the BV.
So, reluctantly, (not really that reluctantly), I agreed to unhouse this little fella. I really wanted to see if something had happened to this one. Typical nube keeper, can't leave well enough alone.
As you can see from the above image, it turns out Tom was right and this little guy just wanted to feel safe in his burrow.
I originally placed him into an oversized (or what I believed was an oversized) enclosure, it was a softball display case. Before attempting to rehouse him, I placed that enclosure into a larger bin and then gently starting to dig out (with a small paint brush) the substrate into the large bin until I found my BV. He/She was understandably wigged out about having been dug out. I immediately re-housed "it" into a "Hot Wheels" enclosure with a smaller piece of cork bark and a fake plant.
I hope the it didn't get too disrupted by the move. I shared my daughter's unyielding curiosity regarding the status of the only other sling I have.
Brachpelma Vagans
2018 04 21
If I ever see this sling again, I'll be posting about him/her here.
MIA T Sling
When I received this sling, I placed him/her into its enclosure and have not seen it since. I wrote to Tom Moran from Tom's big spiders and was re-assured that this is very typical behavior. Appearently these guys like to burrow. I've been providing it food and water and am remianing vigilant. My daughter isn't as willing to be patient, however and roosted the little guy's enclosure looking for him. She reported he was under the cork bark, so I have that.
I'm sure I'll see it again soon. It will undoubtedly molt and get larger. Its just annoying that I can't see it now. Thank goodness for the GP's tendency to remain in the open.