So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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My G. Rosea has walled herself (himself?) into his lair. Dug down a deep hole, and filled in both entrances. Lair consists of a piece of **** bark against the side of the tank. She's been in there for 36 hours now.

Would i be correct in thinking that she's wanting to moult soon?? Or has she done this by accident and isn't smart enough to get out?
 
No idea St0n3y.

Update on my G. Rosea

She dug herself out of the hole about a fortnight ago. Her lair is still a substantial hole under a piece of cork bark, but she's started to web all the surrounding area.
Appetite has dropped off substantially, when i first got her she was eating a couple of crickets a day, it's now a couple a week. I guess she was just underfed in the store.
She's stopped being so hyperactive as well now, no more climbing and exploring around her tank. Seems content enough to sit in the corner where it's most heavily webbed.
She is definately still eating though, she had a cricket last nite, and hopefully from this pic, you can see she's still nice and plump.
Again, apologies for the poor webcam quality :(

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<edit> Posing for the camera </edit>
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It's been a while since I've been in.
Update on my spiders.
Alas I've not long moved house and I didn't really have much room for my spiders.
My Fireleg, Sammy pink and togo have all moved on to new owners.

I've still my female smithi (Sarge) who's fantastic and my two P regalis which have grown large very quickly. The Regalis tank is seriously webbed up.
 
She's moulting!!!

I cleaned her tank this morning, and moved the heater onto the back wall of the tank where she had been making her lair. I thought she was a bit cold with the weather we've had lately.

Came home from uni and she's put all her webbing back at the entrance and exit of her lair, nothing unusual there.

I thought i'd check she was okay with the new heater position, so i peeled back the sticky tape, and she was on her back, about 15minutes ago, so i dont know how long she's been in there.

I quickly put the heater back, and gave the tank a good misting. Hopefully come morning i'll have a shiny new spider :)
 
If she started at 8pm, then she'll be done in the morning. I'll mist the tank again before bed, i dont want to risk her getting stuck.

Thanks for the post lopéz :)

1 hour in and she's still lying with her legs out flat on the soil.. shouldn't they be in the air?
 
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Originally posted by Barbie
If she started at 8pm, then she'll be done in the morning. I'll mist the tank again before bed, i dont want to risk her getting stuck.

Thanks for the post lopéz :)

1 hour in and she's still lying with her legs out flat on the soil.. shouldn't they be in the air?
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The bit before the moulting (laying out on their backs and flexing a bit) is the most time consuming part - it can take hours. Once they actually split the skin and start to wiggle out it should only take half an hour or so to get out. When she's done she'll lay on her back again to recover before rolling upright.
 
She was fully out by 2am, but i was too tired to post anything then :)

I've removed the empty cast from the tank already. It's so light!! I was expecting something a little heavier for some reason.

Spider seems about a half inch bigger across the legs, can't tell till she comes out and has a good walk around, but that probably wont be for a couple of days. Colours on her look amazing!
Abdomen is tiny though with all the hard work she's put into this moult. I guess i'll have to get her a pinkie mouse as a present :)

Will try to get pics in the week sometime, and this time i promise it will be with a decent camera :)

Another thank you to Lopéz for allaying my fears last nite :)
 
I hate to keep posting after myself, but never mind :)

She took a cricket today.. been trying her on them for about 48hours, but she showed no signs of interest.
Put one in this morning, and she didn't care, was about to remove it and it jumped into the entrance of her lair, she runs out and pounces on it. Now she's happily munching away on it, and from the size of her abdomen, she really needs it.

Here's a quick pic i took showing her new size (about the size of a floppy disk )

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I've got a proper camera for my birthday on sunday, so you'll have lovely pictures then :)
 
Update on Shelob my Chilean Rose

Woke up this morning to find her on her back yet again... she moulted while at i was at work. At a guess i'll put her at 3.5-4 inch leg span. All nice and successful :)

I'll get some pictures when i get a new camera :)
 
ok i'm digging this thread up again because i finally got a digital camera :D also my p.vespertinus molted today into a ....male !

pam.JPG

pam2.JPG



does anyone know someone (lopez?) who has a female? i've made a post on the bts website so hopefully something will turn up :)
 
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Originally posted by hsp70
ok i'm digging this thread up again because i finally got a digital camera :D also my p.vespertinus molted today into a ....male !



does anyone know someone (lopez?) who has a female? i've made a post on the bts website so hopefully something will turn up :)
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Pamph males are stunning!

I think Andy Matthews might want it. he's the Pampho man in the UK. :) I'll ask him for you today.

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Done
 
How often should adult female red knees eat? A friend has one that hasn't seemed to eat for quite a while now, I have no idea what tarantulas are like for food but she said it used to eat a few small crickets a week. I think its had maybe 2 in a month now. I've only known them 2 months so don't know what it was like before.

On a side note, I just bought a bearded dragon :D A guy I met in the pub on Friday has one that he has no time to look after (nor inclination I feel), so I'm taking it off him. Never owned a reptile myself, although I used to help my sister with hers, so a bit cautious about it. I don't think the tank he's giving me is actually up to the job, although he has heat mats the basking spot is pretty weak. Do any of you lot know of a good and cheap supplier of lamps etc. for vivariums? And a decent place for food? Been looking at Global Live Food UK but if you know of anywhere better I'd appreciate it.
 
Best place for live foods is www.livefoods.co.uk - much more generous quantities than Global and better quality too. If your buying in bulk then Monkfield Nutrition are apparently very good, always at the shows etc.

With regards to the spider not eating, I wouldn't be concerned - my G.rosea went 10 months without food! They can be stubborn beasts, as long as it isn't thin and emaciated it will be fine. :)
 
10 months?!?!?! She seems fine, certainly doesn't look too thin. Ah well, will leave her be then.

Thanks for that link. Not sure how much food I'll be buying quite yet, he hasn't really given me much detail but I'm reading around at the minute. She's apparently just over 12 months old, so will eat most foods, just need to see what and how much. I got the impression he sticks mainly to crickets, but it looks like they need variety. Sure my bro's GF won't mind me filling the fridge with insects ;)
 
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