BABIES

[Sparky]

Well...baby tarantulas. Don't click if you don't like spidey pics. :)

Went to the reptile show in Sacramento today; that's where I got my first tarantula, a Tucson Blond (http://neithersparky.deviantart.com/art/Just-Another-Spider-Pic-65335611), last year. I got my second t a few weeks back, an unidentified-but-probably-hentzi Aphonopelma (http://neithersparky.deviantart.com/art/Mystery-Spider-64998614). Finally ready to get some more spideys, I decided to get some babies. So I got:

Antilles Pinktoe (http://neithersparky.deviantart.com/art/Very-Hairy-66106939)

He's super-teeny! :yeah:

Brazilian Red and White (http://neithersparky.deviantart.com/art/Leave-Me-Alone-Already-66107218)

Lol, I didn't even realise this was a birdeater until I got online and looked up the scientific name...oh well big spiders are awesome.

I'm going to be setting up a "Tarantula Table" soon so I can get all these little guys organised. Oh and, dealing with teensy crickets is annoying. -_-

[jekylljuice]

Lovely collection you have there, Sparky.

Forgive the largely spider-ignorant jj, but does the antilles pinktoe, as his name suggests, actually have pink feet? Sounds very stylish if so.

[Nyo]

Aww, cute! Raise 'em well! ;)

[pitbulllady]

Good luck with those little 'slings(for those of you who aren't into arachnids, a "'sling" is short for "spiderling"), especially that Avicularia versicolor, since they can be fragile little things! They are beautiful, though; they always remind me of little sapphires, with that electric blue coloration. As adults they will be absolutely stunning, even though they look totally different. I'm still wanting to get an Acanthascuria geniculata myself, though I'd rather get a larger one, since I can't get the small crickets here and have to breed fruit flies to feed the little spideys. I could still kick myself for passing up a five-inch female several years ago, that was for sale by the same guy I bought my Grammostola pulchra female from. I HAD a Nhandu chromatus, but mine turned out to be a male, which matured soon after I bought him, and of course, he didn't last too long after that. He had a nasty disposition, though, very quick to throw a threat display, so he was a "look but don't touch" spider.

There is a reptile show coming up nearby in Columbia the first weekend of November, and I can hardly wait for that one. Trouble is, there isn't always a good selection of arachnids at these shows, and you don't ever know who'll be there until you get there.

And yes, Jekylljuice, most of the Avicularia genus of tarantulas, known as "Pink Toes" in the pet trade, DO have pink or salmon-colored footsies, though the Antilles actually is one that doesn't. Some taxonomists now are debating whether it should even be classed with that genus, and recommend placing it in another, since this species also has a feature not found in other Avicularias-a shiny, highly-reflective patch of hair on the abdomen called a "mirror patch".

pitbulllady

[Sparky]

I actually got this shot of the avic later last night: Clicky (http://neithersparky.deviantart.com/art/Avic-Versicolor-again-66125393)

I thought it was cool. ;)

I spent today reorganising the spider area, now they have their own table, covered with a spiderweb tablecloth lol. I collect spider-themed Halloween decor every year.

[Pawbah]

Your babies are adorable Sparky. I want to make them little shirts that say "we love our mommy"... Little shirts with 8 arm holes....

[Sparky]

Lol, make them say "Gimme the d*mn cricket, woman" and we'd be in business. 8D

edit: Oh btw, I saw this today: His Name Is Brad (http://hellcorpceo.deviantart.com/art/His-name-is-Brad-66039479) Lol.

[Medikor]

I'm not big on spiders but I do enjoy seeing people have them as pets. I heard that spiders are really intelligent, so do they recognize their owner, like a dog or cat would or are they just really aloof, like a fish?

[emperor26]

Great pets you got there, Sparky. :D

[pitbulllady]

I'm not big on spiders but I do enjoy seeing people have them as pets. I heard that spiders are really intelligent, so do they recognize their owner, like a dog or cat would or are they just really aloof, like a fish?

Most spiders really aren't bright animals at all. Tarantulas do not appear to recognize people, though I do have some that will actually voluntarily walk out onto my hand without coaxing, and seem to enjoy just sitting on my hand, probably due to the warmth. They have horrible eyesight, in spite of having eight eyes(really TEENY eyes), and are pretty much instinct-driven animals. It doesn't bother them at all if you never handle them, as long as they get fed, lol!

Now, JUMPING Spiders, on the other hand, are a whole different ball game, but keep in mind that even though tarantulas are spiders, they are classified as primitive spiders, while Jumpers are much more highly evolved. Comparing a tarantula to a Salticid(Jumper) is like comparing a 'possum to a Chimpanzee; yeah, they're both mammals with four limbs and lots of fur, but it's hard to find similarities when it comes to brain power! Jumping spiders have acute eyesight, and are capable of learning. Unlike my tarantulas, which just sit there when I come in or say anything, my two Jumpers(females, Phidippus audax and Phidippus regius, respectively) will actually turn to look at me and will jump to whichever side of their enclosure I put my finger on, so they definately respond to a person. Since no one else lives there but me, I really don't know how, or if, they'd react to someone else, or if they'd know the difference. Jumping Spiders are among the few animals, aside from humans, that can recognize their own reflections in a mirror, which indicates a sense of "self" that most animals do not possess. Even my brightest dogs, for instance, still reacted to their reflection as if it was another dog, usually be trying to attack it, or at least walk behind it to sniff its rear end, and were quite surprised that they couldn't find the rest of the dog! A Jumping Spider will react to another Jumper by either attacking it, or trying to court it, but will actually sit and watch their own reflection, turning this way and that, as though "stylin' and profilin'", admiring their appearance, or will just quickly get bored and scurry away. They seem to know that this is not another spider. I wish that Jumpers got the size of tarantulas; with their personality, that would make a great pet! As it is, even a big one is too tiny to actually pet without squashing it. Jumpers also have a very complex system of communicating, using gestures of their front legs, and can learn to immitate gestures of a computer-generated spider on a screen in labratory tests. We just haven't cracked their code, yet.

pitbulllady

[Sparky]

I just uploaded a video of the little red and white moving dirt (http://youtube.com/watch?v=YvrN59SYfRY) around in his enclosure to Youtube. He's neat to watch. :terrsmile:

[Carlaz]

Congrats on your latest additions Sparky!

Who knew I'd learn so much about spiders from being a member of "Never Forgotten"?

My youngest girl thinks you're totally cool & wants a spider for a pet now after seeing your pictures. :)

[Sparky]

Congrats on your latest additions Sparky!

Who knew I'd learn so much about spiders from being a member of "Never Forgotten"?

My youngest girl thinks you're totally cool & wants a spider for a pet now after seeing your pictures. :)

Aw! That's awesome, lol. ;D

[xxxClaire]

Cool spiders, Sparky! ;D

[pitbulllady]

Congrats on your latest additions Sparky!

Who knew I'd learn so much about spiders from being a member of "Never Forgotten"?

My youngest girl thinks you're totally cool & wants a spider for a pet now after seeing your pictures. :)

Tarantulas really are great pets, and are very easy to care for(most of 'em, anyway). While they aren't affectionate like a dog or cat(and some folks will argue that those don't show affection, either, but either submission or food-begging), they DO have distinct personalities and some interesting and often-funny behavior. It's neat to see them do things that we do normally associate with "higher" animals, like washing themselves or carrying around an empty water dish as if to provide you with a strong hint, hint!

pitbulllady

[Bloonan]

Cute, creepy, and cool! Me likes the taranchillas! I'm actually afraid of spiders, but I find those cool!

[Carlaz]

Aw! That's awesome, lol. ;D

How are your baby spideys doing? Do your spiders live in separate quarters or can they live as a community?

Tarantulas really are great pets, and are very easy to care for(most of 'em, anyway). While they aren't affectionate like a dog or cat(and some folks will argue that those don't show affection, either, but either submission or food-begging), they DO have distinct personalities and some interesting and often-funny behavior. It's neat to see them do things that we do normally associate with "higher" animals, like washing themselves or carrying around an empty water dish as if to provide you with a strong hint, hint!

pitbulllady This is most interesting! I'm not afraid of spiders (but snakes I'm like Indianna Jones here!:wiltshock:). I didn't know they would show these characteristics. Thank you for your reply. My 8 yo really needs a pet tarantula now after I read this to her. 8D

[pitbulllady]

How are your baby spideys doing? Do your spiders live in separate quarters or can they live as a community?

This is most interesting! I'm not afraid of spiders (but snakes I'm like Indianna Jones here!:wiltshock:). I didn't know they would show these characteristics. Thank you for your reply. My 8 yo really needs a pet tarantula now after I read this to her. 8D

I can answer that first one: most spiders, regardless of size, do not "play well with others", to put it mildly. They are highly cannibalistic(or is that "cannonballistic", as according to Eduardo?)by nature, and bigger ones will almost always eat smaller ones, even of the same species. Only a few species of spider are communal, and even among those, they recognize members of their colony and will attack outsiders that intrude, like wolves in a pack will kill wolves from another pack. A few species of tarantula will tolerate same-size members of their own species, as long as everyone is well-fed, but once somebody gets hungry, any of their living companions will be fair game! For this reason, tarantulas and other spiders are best kept separately, each with his/her own enclosure.

pitbulllady

[Sparky]

How are your baby spideys doing? Do your spiders live in separate quarters or can they live as a community?

Like pbl said, the simple answer is no. Don't ever house them together. I don't even know how filmmakers shot scenes like that one in Something Wicked This Way Comes where a slew of tarantulas swarm all over the one kid's bedroom - there must have been a lot of "spidercide" on the set...

The babies are good so far. The chromatus is one fat little toddler, I could probably stand to feed him a little less. He drinks like a sponge; he was more likely than not deprived of water for a good while prior to the reptile show, though his abdomen wasn't shriveled. He's too young to tell his gender just yet, he needs to get a bit bigger. But I can't wait to know. The teeny one has webbed up his vial like mad and seems good. I did find out after I got him that the species has demanding humidity and temp needs, like my snake, which worried me because it is VERY dry here. I hope he does okay.

My 8 yo really needs a pet tarantula now after I read this to her. 8D

Just be sure to do your homework! Arachnoboards (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/) is a good place to start, and if you get a common G. rosea ("rosie") there's a whole section (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=5292) just on taking care of them properly, as they are the common pet store tarantulas that are so often sold by pet stores who don't know anything about t's to customers who don't know anything about t's. Anyways, you can find pbl there (as pitbulllady) and me too (NeitherSparky).

[pitbulllady]

Like pbl said, the simple answer is no. Don't ever house them together. I don't even know how filmmakers shot scenes like that one in Something Wicked This Way Comes where a slew of tarantulas swarm all over the one kid's bedroom - there must have been a lot of "spidercide" on the set...

The babies are good so far. The chromatus is one fat little toddler, I could probably stand to feed him a little less. He drinks like a sponge; he was more likely than not deprived of water for a good while prior to the reptile show, though his abdomen wasn't shriveled. He's too young to tell his gender just yet, he needs to get a bit bigger. But I can't wait to know. The teeny one has webbed up his vial like mad and seems good. I did find out after I got him that the species has demanding humidity and temp needs, like my snake, which worried me because it is VERY dry here. I hope he does okay.



Just be sure to do your homework! Arachnoboards (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/) is a good place to start, and if you get a common G. rosea ("rosie") there's a whole section (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=5292) just on taking care of them properly, as they are the common pet store tarantulas that are so often sold by pet stores who don't know anything about t's to customers who don't know anything about t's. Anyways, you can find pbl there (as pitbulllady) and me too (NeitherSparky).

Most of the movies have Common Pink-toes(Avicularia avicularia) in them, which is one of the few tarantula species that can be kept communally, IF they're all very well-fed. Often, the "spider wranglers" will stick them in a refrigerator for a short time to slow down their metabolism and make them more sluggish, then the filmmakers will speed up the sequence to make it look like they're running all over the place, when in fact they were barely able to move at all and not interesting in eating each other while in that state of semi-suspended animation. It's risky to the spiders, and I'm sure a lot of them DO get killed during filming, which is another reason filmmakers prefer using Pink-toes: they're cheap, as tarantulas go. They also are very safe to have around the crew and cast, since they're so passive.

I'd also recommend many of the Aphonopelma species of tarantula as first-time pets, especially the New Mexican or Tuscon Blonde, Aphonopelma chalcodes. Sparky has one of those, and I've got four, and I often call them the "Golden Retrievers of the tarantula world", lol. They are just that laid-back and docile, and they're easy to care for, especially when compared to the tree-dwelling tropical tarantulas, like the Pink-toes. They have a much more reliable temperament than the Rosehairs, which tend to swing from "Wilt" to "Duchess", or even "Berry", all over the span of a few days, when it comes to moods!

pitbulllady

[Carlaz]

Like pbl said, the simple answer is no. Don't ever house them together. I don't even know how filmmakers shot scenes like that one in Something Wicked This Way Comes where a slew of tarantulas swarm all over the one kid's bedroom - there must have been a lot of "spidercide" on the set...

The babies are good so far. The chromatus is one fat little toddler, I could probably stand to feed him a little less. He drinks like a sponge; he was more likely than not deprived of water for a good while prior to the reptile show, though his abdomen wasn't shriveled. He's too young to tell his gender just yet, he needs to get a bit bigger. But I can't wait to know. The teeny one has webbed up his vial like mad and seems good. I did find out after I got him that the species has demanding humidity and temp needs, like my snake, which worried me because it is VERY dry here. I hope he does okay.



Just be sure to do your homework! Arachnoboards (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/) is a good place to start, and if you get a common G. rosea ("rosie") there's a whole section (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=5292) just on taking care of them properly, as they are the common pet store tarantulas that are so often sold by pet stores who don't know anything about t's to customers who don't know anything about t's. Anyways, you can find pbl there (as pitbulllady) and me too (NeitherSparky).

Most of the movies have Common Pink-toes(Avicularia avicularia) in them, which is one of the few tarantula species that can be kept communally, IF they're all very well-fed. Often, the "spider wranglers" will stick them in a refrigerator for a short time to slow down their metabolism and make them more sluggish, then the filmmakers will speed up the sequence to make it look like they're running all over the place, when in fact they were barely able to move at all and not interesting in eating each other while in that state of semi-suspended animation. It's risky to the spiders, and I'm sure a lot of them DO get killed during filming, which is another reason filmmakers prefer using Pink-toes: they're cheap, as tarantulas go. They also are very safe to have around the crew and cast, since they're so passive.

I'd also recommend many of the Aphonopelma species of tarantula as first-time pets, especially the New Mexican or Tuscon Blonde, Aphonopelma chalcodes. Sparky has one of those, and I've got four, and I often call them the "Golden Retrievers of the tarantula world", lol. They are just that laid-back and docile, and they're easy to care for, especially when compared to the tree-dwelling tropical tarantulas, like the Pink-toes. They have a much more reliable temperament than the Rosehairs, which tend to swing from "Wilt" to "Duchess", or even "Berry", all over the span of a few days, when it comes to moods!

pitbulllady


Truly fascinating! We greatly appreciate your posts regarding spiders. Thank you.

[Sparky]

The one with the stripey legs, the n. chromatus, well I'd heard that birdeaters can double in size when they molt but I figured it was an exaggeration.

IT'S NOT. :o He molted last night and I swear he went from 1 1/2" in legspan to about 3". HE'S FRICKIN' HUGE! I had to buy him a new home...now I have to get him into it...Lol. :P