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

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

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