So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?
- Thread starter Lopéz
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I found an alternative for those like me who manage to kill all wildlife they touch...
http://www.virtualcreatures.com/index2.html
Trial doesn't last very long though...
Baggy
http://www.virtualcreatures.com/index2.html
Trial doesn't last very long though...
Baggy
Permabanned
Sik - no matter what the argument is - please take it outside this thread.
And absolutely amazing pics Lopez
It's amazing just how identical the old skin is! You could play some mean pranks with that
Is his lair
p) right up against the glass? And will he keep that lair forever now? Or do they move home? Keep up the good work
Yep it's built right up to the edge of the glass - he's returned to the top chamber now.Originally posted by iam
Is his lair
They tend to be nomadic and opportunistic, and will often abandon a burrow for no apparent reason, or extend the burrow and let the old section become derelict.
Mugabe's species is well known for it's habit of swathing everything in acres of web over a period of months.
He came out for a stretch today - it's amazing just how vividly orange he is post-moult
Like Skooter said, you can really see the vivid colouring of his "feet" after the moult.
Also note the still-soft fangs (not black yet)
Hopefully by tomorrow his fangs will be hard and he can start eating again - he's so slender right now it's a wonder he can walk.
Soldato
My god, his abdomen is virtually non existant! He must be starved. Absoutely gorgeous colouring though, he really is a very attractive tarantula.
Both Jez and Rio are stomping round their tanks at the moment. I'm going to get some larger crickets today and try them both on them. Jez can take fairly large crickets anyway, as proved last week and Rio is miles bigger than Jez so it shouldn't be a problem
Both Jez and Rio are stomping round their tanks at the moment. I'm going to get some larger crickets today and try them both on them. Jez can take fairly large crickets anyway, as proved last week and Rio is miles bigger than Jez so it shouldn't be a problem
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Can the spiders be fed any other foods?
Soldato
That's one gorgeous creature you have there my friend.
Soldato
Yup
- Live brown or black crickets (the most popular food)
- Meal worms or Superworms (Beetle larvae - large maggots)
- Drosophila (Fruit flies. These often come as the genetic wingless mutant, so you don't have problems with them escaping)
- Moths
- Cockroaches
- Locusts
- Pinkie mice - Basically newborn dead mice. Some of the larger T's, like T. blondi (Goliath birdeater) and my A. geniculata will take these when fully grown. I think I'm going to try and find alternative foods though because I can't see my family wanting to have dead mice in the freezer, plus they stink to high heaven.
The general consensus is to feed your tarantula prey that's about half of its body length, and not to feed it anything bigger than itself. Some of the aggressive T's will take prey larger than themselves though. They should be fed about 3 times a week, although some T's may go for months on end without eating.
Although tarantulas will eat a wide range of garden invertebrates, it's not a good idea to go collecting stuff to feed them because the prey may either pass on an infection to your T, or have been exposed to pesticides. Therefore, you should make sure you buy your food from a pet shop, where it will have been bred specially in sterile conditions.
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Cheers Baggy, downlaoding it now.
This is a great thread buy the way guys. I Haven't posted yet, but always come here to check up. Keep up the good work
Commissario
has it eaten yet Lopez?
"Munch"
Soldato
That doesnt half look like it hurts!! 
Don
I went into town yesterday, and watched my m8 buy a Red legged spiderling!! Its sooooo cute!!
hes about the size of a 50p atm, maybe slightly larger.
The bloke at the shop knew his stuff, and my mate got all the gear he needed for 50 quid (spider included)
He is using my old aquarium, which we are setting up tonight.
I was shocked at just how simple it was to keep such an amazing little animal!! (hes in the original box atm, near the heatmat, and seems pretty comfortable in his overnight storage)
i think thats what it will look like when its older
hes about the size of a 50p atm, maybe slightly larger.
The bloke at the shop knew his stuff, and my mate got all the gear he needed for 50 quid (spider included
)He is using my old aquarium, which we are setting up tonight.
I was shocked at just how simple it was to keep such an amazing little animal!! (hes in the original box atm, near the heatmat, and seems pretty comfortable in his overnight storage)
i think thats what it will look like when its older
Soldato
Wow! Did your mate get his sling because of this thread, or did he happen to want one anyway? Do you happen to know if it's a red LEG or a red KNEE, cos the pic you've shown is actually a red knee (Brachypelma smithi). My emilia is the red leg Sorry to sound pedantic but I want to know if he's got the same spiderling as me or not
Hope it's very happy in it's new home. Make sure it's not got TOO much room though.
Sorry to sound pedantic but I want to know if he's got the same spiderling as me or not Hope it's very happy in it's new home. Make sure it's not got TOO much room though.
Don
I think its a red legged, looking at the picture now, its not correct.
He (we think its a he, terry is his nameth) seems to have a small bald patch on his bum, and very pale red legs, and huge bottom
It was pretty much a direct result of this thread. He heard i was looking at a preying mantis, decided he wanted one, then i showed him this thread, and he watched Lopez's eating video, and decided a spider was for him.
He has a preying mantis arriving at my house tommorow, hes at work all day, so i am looking after it till that evening
He spent the first few hours in his new home, testing it out for escape routes, then settled down on the floor, and has been stomping about. He seems to like his heat mat, and spends a lot of time bathing in the warm side of the tank. I have not seen him eat yet, but the 4 small crickets are now 3, so i can only presume one has bought it.
He has not put any webs down yet (will he?), although i have not been down to see him today.
He (we think its a he, terry is his nameth) seems to have a small bald patch on his bum, and very pale red legs, and huge bottom
It was pretty much a direct result of this thread. He heard i was looking at a preying mantis, decided he wanted one, then i showed him this thread, and he watched Lopez's eating video, and decided a spider was for him.
He has a preying mantis arriving at my house tommorow, hes at work all day, so i am looking after it till that evening
He spent the first few hours in his new home, testing it out for escape routes, then settled down on the floor, and has been stomping about. He seems to like his heat mat, and spends a lot of time bathing in the warm side of the tank. I have not seen him eat yet, but the 4 small crickets are now 3, so i can only presume one has bought it.
He has not put any webs down yet (will he?), although i have not been down to see him today.
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If it's a Red Leg (B emilia) it will be slightly more colourful than a Red Knee (B smithi)
Regardless, both are very very similar tarantulas, needing similar care, both long lived, and both generally docile.
Males tend to be slimmer and lankier than the females - they also have a fraction of the females life span.
It will be tricky to sex it at such a young age - infact, even when they get older it's tricky. In about 3 years or so the spider should mature, making it much more obvious if it's a male (they develop large "bulbs" on the pedipalps amongst other features)
The bald patch is from kicking hairs, something nearly all S. American tarantulas do when disturbed.
It doesn't mean the spider is bad tempered or mistreated, it's just one of those things.
When it gets close to a moult, the bald spot will get darker and darker, and after a moult it will be gone, replaced with fresh hair.
As for webbing, if it's anything like my Brachypelma albopiosum it will lay a few strands of silk across the floor, but nothing really noticable.
Regardless, both are very very similar tarantulas, needing similar care, both long lived, and both generally docile.
Males tend to be slimmer and lankier than the females - they also have a fraction of the females life span.
It will be tricky to sex it at such a young age - infact, even when they get older it's tricky. In about 3 years or so the spider should mature, making it much more obvious if it's a male (they develop large "bulbs" on the pedipalps amongst other features)
The bald patch is from kicking hairs, something nearly all S. American tarantulas do when disturbed.
It doesn't mean the spider is bad tempered or mistreated, it's just one of those things.
When it gets close to a moult, the bald spot will get darker and darker, and after a moult it will be gone, replaced with fresh hair.
As for webbing, if it's anything like my Brachypelma albopiosum it will lay a few strands of silk across the floor, but nothing really noticable.
Don
Good, good, i shall be taking some piccies of terry later.
Hopefully should tell us what he is for sure. I think he is female tbh, so he may yet become Terrina
Is it not possible to tell with the skin from a moult? I read that if u look at the underbelly of the skin, the shape of the colouring will denote the sex.
Hopefully should tell us what he is for sure. I think he is female tbh, so he may yet become Terrina
Is it not possible to tell with the skin from a moult? I read that if u look at the underbelly of the skin, the shape of the colouring will denote the sex.
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