Molts

Acanthoscurria geniculata - molted 8/19/11

Brachypelma emilia - molted 8/20/11

Avicularia amazonica - molted 8/21/11

Happy Birthday To Me!!

My family laughed at me this year. They found it amusing to see a girl open a gift bag from her husband and be thrilled to find three deli containers of spiders. And I was. My husband got me three Avicularia purpurea slings for my birthday, and I was a happy girl!! :)

I have three Cyriocosmus elegans slings right now that are miniscule, even compared to my new Avics, yet I feel so much more protective and concerned about these pretty blue spiders I just received. Perhaps it's just because I've heard Avic slings can be so delicate. But Chris' A. amazonicas have thrived. I'm hoping I fare as well with my own avics.

For now they are beautiful shades of light and dark blue. When they mature, they will be nearly black with an iridescent purple sheen. Gorgeous.

Like all Avicularia they require high humidity, but good ventilation to prevent mold. They are currently in small deli cups with large drilled holes in the top that are covered by screen. They are misted every couple of days. I'm going to watch the humidity levels, and will likely be adding holes to the sides of the containers soon for cross-ventilation. The spiders will eventually attain a size of about 5 inches.

~ B. Percha

Molt

Female Aphonopelma bicoloratum molted during the night.... finally.

Molt

And the other two GBB's molted only one day later. They're on a pretty tight schedule.

Molt

First GBB molt - 7/24/11.

Hmmm... just realizing that now that we finally have a group of more than two of a species, may be a good idea to ID them with additional methods (as opposed to just male/female or bigger one/smaller one).

A. geniculata - we're here to pump, YOU UP!

I don't know why, but from time to time I'll catch my A. geniculata with a mouthful of pebbles... or a pebble rather. She just carry it around for an hour or more before setting it down and going about her business.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the pebbles are in her water dish to keep to keep her dish shallow enough for her (though I'm sure she's big enough for them to be removed now that she's grown quite a bit). I may leave one or two in there for her though, as I'd hate to take away her favorite toy! Lol.


~ B. Percha

The GBB's Are Here! The GBB's Are Here!

We've been checking the local reptile show for GBB's (Green Bottle Blue Tarantulas - Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) for MONTHS now. This past month we were out of town and wouldn't you know it - they finally show up. We got in touch with one of the dealers from the show and were able to meet him and pick up a few of the eight he had left.

They're just teeny slings now (1/2"), but are relatively quick growers attaining a maximum size of about 6". These are part of our developing breeding projects.


~ B. Percha

Latest Molts:

Grammostola pulchra (our new little male) - sometime last week. (We were out of town.)
Avicularia amazonica - 7/14/11.

Zippity do daAAAHHHHHHH!!!

I finally got around to really checking out the OBT. She's been eating well and has had time to adjust. I wanted to get a good photo of her, and have been too nervous to remove the lid to her container. I closed up the door to our T room, got the camera ready and an extra deli cup in case she got loose. I cracked the lid to her container and lightly prodded her. She just crouched. So I touched her again just trying to get her to step forward and spread out a bit. Again, she seems to be a lot more mellow than I expected.

After a little prodding and moving of the lid I got her to start walking around her container. Snapped a pic here and there. It was going pretty well. Then I think I got a bit too comfortable. I opened the lid a bit wider, got some good clear shots, then she turned and zipped over the edge of the container, across the desk and flew superman-style to the floor. I grabbed the deli cup and went for her, trembling. She kept dodging me and trying to go behind the filing cabinet, at which point I continually blocked her with a large manilla envelope - but each time she would climb over, coming close to my hand and I'd drop it. Finally she scrambled up the wall a bit and I was able to get her in the deli container. Whew. But now what? Transferring her from the small deli cup to her larger deli-style contianer was the most nerve wracking part I think. Lol, in the end I got her back safe and sound, with a new respect for her speed and agility.

And, I got my photo. :)


She has since been moved into a critter-keeper. Much easier to access her enclosure for water, maintenance, etc. without her getting out.

~ B. Percha

Molts

B. emilia molted 6/19/11.

Love that after each molt her adult colors show through more and more.

- C. Percha

Well that explains it!

My Lasiodora (or Lassie, as we refer to her for short) has been hiding a lot and not eating, nearly ever since her last molt in April. I was beginning to think maybe she's just shy and I would never see her, but she surprised me this week with a second molt. I didn't think she was pre-moult as she didn't even really eat that much between the two.

And since that second molt she's out all the time. Whew, so I don't just have a pet hole! She's really turning into a beast of a spider, even at her modest 3.5 or so inches.


~ B. Percha

Pulchra numero dos.

Picked up a probable male pulchra over the weekend at the reptile show. I'll bring him back after a molt or two to confirm. He's significantly smaller than my female to allow for proper maturation times for breeding. Of all the spiders we are beginning to accumulate (12 T's now), the Grammastola pulchra is still one of my favorites.


- C. Percha

I'm down with OBT. Ya, you know me!

Finally stepped it up in the field of aggressive T's. The "meanest" thing we have at home is the Nhandu, but she's not even that bad - just likes her space. We've been toying with getting an OBT lately, but not sure if we wanted any more T's that we didn't intend to breed. At the show this weekend we saw a few for $30 and I decided to just grab one.

I was a little surprised to find that she's pretty mellow. She doesn't throw back into that threat display that sellers love to show off at the expos. She's pretty quick and active, but just crouches when disturbed. I suppose it's just as well with her being my first aggressive T.

~ B. Percha

Molts

Both Nhandu chromatus and Acanthoscurria geniculata molted over the weekend! N. Chromatus molted on 5/28/11 and A. geniculata molted on 5/30/11.

It's really neat seeing the comparisons in size after each molt. They're certainly growing.


~ B. Percha

Nhandu Is Getting Ready To Molt....

Still her typical defensive self, though this is the first time she's thrown me a threat display...


...and I will take that threat as a promise, and leave her alone! :)

~ B. Percha

B. emilia Molted!

L. parahybana Finally Molts!

Not that I've had her that long, but I've been anxious for her to molt. For the past few weeks (pretty much since I got her), my Lasiodora parahybana has been hiding under her cork bark and refusing meals. I guess I didn't think her pre-molt phase would take so long. My A. geniculata may refuse a meal and molts maybe a day or two later. And I know LP's are supposed to be rapid growers as well. I was starting to get worried.

But then, I walked in one morning and saw this!

My dirt-brown spider is a beautiful bluish black with fine chocolatey hairs. (Although it took me a few weeks to getting around to getting picture of her, so she's already faded a little in the photo below - added 5/20/11.) AND, she's been out a lot more since molting. :)



~ B. Percha

Aphonopelma bicoloratum!

We were able to pick up a pair of Aphonopelma bicoloratum this weekend at the local reptile show. Very exciting for us. These were pretty high on our list and we hadn't been able to find many available, even online (only found 1, in fact).

Currently about 2.5 inches. They've definitely got some growing to do before we can breed them. Wonder how long that's going to take, being as slow-growing as this species is.

Such beautiful little spiders, especially when mature!

~ B. Percha

Grammostola pulchra Before And After A Molt

After close to a month without eating, our female Grammostola pulchra finally molted (3/18/11). She is beginning to show her adult coloration and the difference is night and day.

~ C Percha

Geni Culata

Lol... we don't name our T's, but this is the clever name my husband came up with for my A. geniculata - Geni Culata. Ha - tarantula joke. Anyhow....

My genic molted AGAIN 3-21-11. That's exactly one month past her last molt. She's growing quickly!

~ B. Percha

New Avicularia amazonicas!

I purchased two young Avicularia amzonicas (AKA Amazon Giant Pink Toe) a little over a month ago and they are both doing great. One of them is definitely a female but the other was too small at the time to determine the sex. They both molted within a week of purchasing them. Even though they are small their color is already great. I’m told they are really impressive as adults. Information on amazonicas is almost non existent on the web.

I am working hard to write an accurate care sheet for the species. If anyone has any experience with them I would love to get any information you can provide.

~ C Percha

New T's

Just some basics, but I'm happy. Last weekend at the reptile show I picked up a couple spiders from my wish list. I got a Lasiodora paraybana (Giant Salmon Pink Birdeater) and a Grammostola rosea RCF (Rose Hair Tarantula - Red color phase). These won't be part of any of my breeding projects. I simply wanted one monster spider, and one that I could hold from time to time.

I love the Rosy. She's always out hangin' around on her log. She's pretty, active, and calm. Just a cute little display T.


I'm pretty excited about the Lasiodora too. I can't wait to see how quickly it grows. It kicks a little, but seems reasonably calm - not too skittish. A few days after putting her in her new enclosure she burried herself under her cork bark (completely sealed in) and has refused a couple meals - so I'm wondering if she may be in pre-molt. I'm anxious to find out.


We also picked up some roaches to begin a feeder colony. There was a guy there who had an incredible variety of roach species - I'd say he had at least 30 + species with him, and he said he works with more than 70 species! We explained to him what we were looking for in a feeder roach, and we ended up with African Bullet Roaches (Bantua robusta). I had been very leary of the whole roach thing, but they're actaully very entertaining to watch. They do move pretty quick, but don't seem to scatter too much or try to get out of their container when you open it. I quite like them in fact.


~ B. Percha

N. chromatus Reemerges!

Well, I rehoused my Nhandu in a small tank to give her a little more room since she apparently wanted to burrow but didn't have the space to do it. I put her in the new tank, and she dug, and dug, and dug....

I would occasionally see her toes poking out from under the cork bark where the entrance to her tunnel was. Then, nothing. For two and a half weeks I waited and wondered if she was still alright. Finally I took up the corkbark and poked around the entrance of her hole-to-china tunnel. After finding nothing I had to leave for an appointment, and on my return - BAM! There was this BIG beautiful Nhandu chromatus against the glass of the tank! Okay, still only around 3", but HUGE compared to what she had been when she "went missing".

At this new larger size I figured she was large enough to be sexed and took her to the show this past weekend. Happy to say I have a confirmed female. :)


~ B. Percha

Brachypelma emilia

I just purchased this young Mexican Redleg Tarantula (Brachypelma emilia) this past weekend. I have wanted one of these spiders for about 15 years but for whatever reason never bought one. They are known for being quite docile and are an attractive blend of orange and black as adults.


~ C. Percha

Acanthoscurria geniculata

I couldn't wait more than a month to get my little A. geniculata. I think it may end up being one of my favorites. "She" (I'm hoping) kicks just a little, but typically just crouches down when she's disturbed. I've given her a little hide in her container, but I've only seen her use it once or twice.

These T's grow to about 8" in legspan and are very striking with a velvet black body, red hairs on their abdomen and bold white markings on their legs. They have insatiable appetites. They are nervous/skittish, so not great for handling, but are more defensive than aggresive.

Here's my little one the day after a molt (2/20/11):

She may be small now, but A. geniculata grows quickly, and she'll be a big impressive spider in no time.

~ B. Percha

Nhandu chromatus

I finally got the first tarantula I've had in years, only my second ever. I bought my husband the Brazilian Black (Grammastola pulchra) he wanted for Christmas, and while caring for it for a month before being able to give it to him Christmas day I was bitten - by the "tarantula bug". I had to have one of my own.

We went to the monthly reptile show where I had the intention of purchasing an Acanthoscurria geniculata, but once there I saw so many species that I liked. I spoke with one of the tarantula breeders and was torn between Nhandu chromatus or Acanthoscurria geniculata. I ended up with the N. chromatus (though I knew I'd be going back for the other eventually).


She's a beautiful little spider with a big personality. She's always active moving dirt back and forth, and wow is she a kicker! She'll get about 6" to 7" in legspan. As an adult she'll have a beautiful red abdomen, golden-tan carapace, and black legs with striking white markings. Very happy with this purchase.

~ B. Percha

Grammastola pulchra

This is the new Brazilian Black Tarantula my wife got me for Christmas. She is young now but will grow up to be huge and jet black (the spider, not the wife). This type of tarantula can be difficult to find for sale and is known for being very docile. I plan on putting together a small breeding group soon.


- C. Percha