Soldato
get piccies of it
So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?
- Thread starter Lopéz
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After 2 1/2 hours of laying motionless (just like Mugabe did) Miguel started flexing, and before I knew it was nearly out of his skin. You can see the old carapace (his "back" where the eyes are) on the ground next to him. Note his soft white fangs.
He's pretty much at the half way stage now.
He's pretty much at the half way stage now.
Associate
that is amazing! seems to have more prominant colouring on his legs now, but that could just be because of the white body.
Soldato
Now matter how many times i see piccies of a spider moult, it never ceases to amaze me. 
Fantastic piccies again Lopez.
Fantastic piccies again Lopez.
He's nearly out now.....legs are darkening already, but those fangs will stay soft for days.
Free at last! Miguel stretches and pumps some haemolymph (spider blood/hydraulic fluid) around those legs. Moulting is exhausting stuff.
Now that he's totally free, he'll stay like this for a while recovering.
I managed to straighten out the old skin (so much easier when they are still soft)
Soldato
Absolutely amazing!
Any chance that i could have a skin from one of your next moults please?
Hope that doesn't sound too odd a request?
Any chance that i could have a skin from one of your next moults please?
Hope that doesn't sound too odd a request?
His lordship has finally decided to put himself upright again.
Bungee
Yes, it will be a few days before I attempt to feed or handle him. The fangs take a particularly long time to harden, and can be easily deformed when still soft.
Master Skooter
Sure, I'll have a look for one of Pepper's old skins later, or when Mugabe/Miguel next moult you can have one of theirs.
hsp70
Sorry, I missed your earlier post!
Bone dry vermiculite is dusty, which bugs spiders a bit. I always spray it once lightly all over so it's damp. Once damp it never really dries out enough to be dusty. I just splash water onto the "warm" end of the tank every 2 or 3 days.
Always make sure there is an open water bowl (something like a small bottle top) for both humidity and drinking water.
As for substrate, the more the better - ifyou can then fill it up to about halfway. B vagans might appreciate you mixing the vermiculite with sterilised (microwaved) peat, as this lets it dig a little. Alternatively just make sure there's always something for them to hide under - anything will do in all honesty.
Here's a tip for most burrowing T's (both yours are strictly speaking burrowers)
Don't put the heat mat underneath the tanks, put it across the back of them instead. This way, the spider can dig to keep cool. If the heat mat is at the bottom then the poor spider digs and digs only to find it's getting hotter and hotter....
That's how I have all my tanks set up.
Bungee
Yes, it will be a few days before I attempt to feed or handle him. The fangs take a particularly long time to harden, and can be easily deformed when still soft.
Master Skooter
Sure, I'll have a look for one of Pepper's old skins later, or when Mugabe/Miguel next moult you can have one of theirs.
hsp70
Sorry, I missed your earlier post!
Bone dry vermiculite is dusty, which bugs spiders a bit. I always spray it once lightly all over so it's damp. Once damp it never really dries out enough to be dusty. I just splash water onto the "warm" end of the tank every 2 or 3 days.
Always make sure there is an open water bowl (something like a small bottle top) for both humidity and drinking water.
As for substrate, the more the better - ifyou can then fill it up to about halfway. B vagans might appreciate you mixing the vermiculite with sterilised (microwaved) peat, as this lets it dig a little. Alternatively just make sure there's always something for them to hide under - anything will do in all honesty.
Here's a tip for most burrowing T's (both yours are strictly speaking burrowers)
Don't put the heat mat underneath the tanks, put it across the back of them instead. This way, the spider can dig to keep cool. If the heat mat is at the bottom then the poor spider digs and digs only to find it's getting hotter and hotter....
That's how I have all my tanks set up.
Soldato
Originally posted by Lopéz
Sure, I'll have a look for one of Pepper's old skins later, or when Mugabe/Miguel next moult you can have one of theirs.
Excellent, cheers mate! Could i have one of Mugabe's if you don't mind.......i love his orange colouring.
Associate
Lopéz/Lostkat, this thread is fantastic. I just finished reading it and I think the picture of Miguels straightened out old skin in particular is amazing.
I never considered getting a tarantula before reading this thread, but would love one now. Wifey will not let me get one though. I will have to work on her and try to get her to read this.
Is it possible to get tarantulas posted to Ireland? Exotic pets are very limited here.
Cheers,
Mel
I never considered getting a tarantula before reading this thread, but would love one now. Wifey will not let me get one though. I will have to work on her and try to get her to read this.
Is it possible to get tarantulas posted to Ireland? Exotic pets are very limited here.
Cheers,
Mel
Associate
Originally posted by Lopéz
His lordship has finally decided to put himself upright again.
he looked like he needs a rest, how big is he???
well have to let my daughter look at the new pics (and then clean my monitor again)
Keep the pictures comming
GJUK
This seems to be a constant problem in Ireland.
I'm sure Scuzi and Kieran were discussing a pet shop in Ireland (not sure exactly where) very near the beginning of this thread.
A lot of people won't send stuff out to Ireland by mail either.
Your best bet is to mail independant dealers, as they tend to be more accomodating than online shops.
Keep a close eye on this message board
http://www.thebts.co.uk/cgi-bin/bulletinboard/newsboard.cgi
as this seems to be where everyone gets their more desirable specimens from.
Alternatively, there's the British Tarantula Society Show in May (in the Midlands) which will be packed out with rare and more common tarantulas for sale.
just to fill you guys in on the two tarantula's that arrive this friday. No name for them yet but i'm considering several
the B.vagans (red rump) has settle in very well he's made a home in a small crevice between the lump of cork bark and the side of the container wall ( i had initially planned for the little guy to make a nest underneath the bark itself but this is better as i can see him without much disturbance to him). He has done some arranging of his own and blocked up one side of his crevice with vermiculite to make his nest more secure and has fed on one cricket.
The b.boehmei however is still very shy, he hies underneath his cork bark and i haven't really seen him come out. except when i placed a cricket in the cage which crawled into his nest under the bark. Instead of eating the cricket however he shot out of the nest. Eventually i removed the cricket from inside his nest and placed it in the corner of the tank near his home. he hasn't eaten and just mopes about in his cave.
lopez do you think he is ready to molt? i can't really tell if he has darkened more than usual as i have only have him for a few days and he's so small really i can't make out too many details. Should i try with another circket tommorrow or leave him for a few days and see if he molts? i don't think he would starve as his abdomen is pretty big.
Also i'm wondering what's the best time to feed them? when they are active and walking about? around when the lights go off/on? or do you just drop the cricket in whenever and let them hunt around for it?
the B.vagans (red rump) has settle in very well
he's made a home in a small crevice between the lump of cork bark and the side of the container wall ( i had initially planned for the little guy to make a nest underneath the bark itself but this is better as i can see him without much disturbance to him). He has done some arranging of his own and blocked up one side of his crevice with vermiculite to make his nest more secure and has fed on one cricket. The b.boehmei however is still very shy, he hies underneath his cork bark and i haven't really seen him come out. except when i placed a cricket in the cage which crawled into his nest under the bark. Instead of eating the cricket however he shot out of the nest. Eventually i removed the cricket from inside his nest and placed it in the corner of the tank near his home. he hasn't eaten and just mopes about in his cave.
lopez do you think he is ready to molt? i can't really tell if he has darkened more than usual as i have only have him for a few days and he's so small really i can't make out too many details. Should i try with another circket tommorrow or leave him for a few days and see if he molts? i don't think he would starve as his abdomen is pretty big.
Also i'm wondering what's the best time to feed them? when they are active and walking about? around when the lights go off/on? or do you just drop the cricket in whenever and let them hunt around for it?
Soldato
hsp70 - I think it's worth telling you that my emilia didn't eat for over a week when I first got her. She had to get used to the tank and settle in first. Sometimes they settle straight away, sometimes it takes a while. I'd say try feeding your boehmei every other day until it eventually eats. You can't force feed them, it'll eat when it wants to
I feed mine at totally random times... doesn't really make much difference if they're hungry
I feed mine at totally random times... doesn't really make much difference if they're hungry
Remember Mugabe's treetop web?
Well, he built a ground floor extension to moult in, but grew so much in the moult that he's had to make more extensions - a nice middle floor linking between the ground floor and his penthouse apartment.
The web had been looking awfully battered, most of it has been destroyed over time.
Here are the results of his overnight work:
Must be tiring work for such a small creature.
Oh, and Miguel has hardened nicely after his moult on Friday.
If you look back and compare the new pics to his old ones a few pics back, you can see he's grown substantially.
That should keep the pic lovers happy for a while.
Well, he built a ground floor extension to moult in, but grew so much in the moult that he's had to make more extensions - a nice middle floor linking between the ground floor and his penthouse apartment.
The web had been looking awfully battered, most of it has been destroyed over time.
Here are the results of his overnight work:
Must be tiring work for such a small creature.
Oh, and Miguel has hardened nicely after his moult on Friday.
If you look back and compare the new pics to his old ones a few pics back, you can see he's grown substantially.
That should keep the pic lovers happy for a while.
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