L. parahybana Feeding Video and Husbandry Notes

May 19, 2014August 22, 2014 / cancerides / 2 Comments

After 17+ years of keeping a G. porteri, and with no idea that the tarantula hobby had exploded over the past two decades, I decided that I wanted to see what kinds of species were currently available. To say the number of animals available in the trade was overwhelming would be an understatement, and I soon found myself compiling lengthy lists of potential candidates. After several months of research, I decided on two slings; a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (GBB) and a Lasiodora parahybana (LP).

I purchased my LP sling in October of 2013 at a size of about 3/4″ or so. This species has a reputation for being a very fast grower with some keepers reporting their LPs reaching 4″ in a year. Mine has molted five times in the time I’ve kept it, and in that time, it has grown to about 1.75″. I wouldn’t say this is the fastest-growing T I keep, but it molts like clockwork every two months, and puts on a little size each time.

Besides their awesome adult size (8″ is the norm with 10″ possible), it was their rather simple husbandry that attracted me to this species. I keep mine fairly dry and only moisten the substrate in the corner once a week, letting it dry out in between. I’ve provided my 3″ female with a water dish, which I overflow to provide a moist spot. Usually, it quickly ends up filled with dirt. The substrate is a 50/50 mix of coco fiber and sphagnum peat moss, and for the slings, I give them several inches of depth as they like to dig.

For the first five months I kept my LP, I rarely saw it. The little guy had dug an extensive burrow beneath the surface, and he would only pop out to snatch a prey item. There was a two-month period where I never saw it at all. When entering premolt, it would often close off the entrance of its burrow for weeks at a time. Eventually, the hole would reopen, and I would catch a glimpse of my slightly-larger LP.

I keep my LPs at the same temps as my other Ts; high 70s during the day and low 70’s at night. They are great eaters, only refusing a meal if in premolt. Like my P. cancerides, they usually attack their prey with gusto, often rushing at it from across the enclosure.

As slings, LPs are quite skittish, and will quickly bolt or dash down into their hides with the slightest disturbance. My female is a bit more brave, often sitting right out in the open instead of using her hide.

I know keep three LPs; two slings and the gorgeous female my wife gave me for my birthday. I look forward to the day that these beasties mature into an 8″+ behemoths.

Below is a recent feeding video featuring my 1.75″ juvenile.

Box of Roaches … A Review of Jeremy Stichler!

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 / cancerides / Leave a comment

Having amassed a collection of 47 tarantulas and counting that now includes many larger spiders, I was finding it more difficult to keep adequate food supplies handy. Although I’ve used mainly crickets for prey, I also keep a small quantity of Blaptica dubia and Blatta lateralis roaches. Having found that the dubias were easier to maintain and relatively odorless, I started keeping a lookout for a fairly priced starter colony.

While perusing the for sale page on Arachnoboards, I stumbled on an ad for 125 count starter colony of large Blaptica dubia for only $27 shipped. The vendor was Jeremy Stichler (Jerm357) who had several pages of sparkling reviews on the boards. Having priced out starter colonies before, I was expecting to pay much more for this many roaches (and that was not counting the 10% overcount he offered on top of it). Even better, he guaranteed all larger roaches unless specified that you wanted smaller ones. I jumped at this tremendous bargain and immediately emailed Jeremy.

Communication was excellent, as Jeremy emailed me back immediately with payment information. Correspondence was friendly and very professional, which is always a huge plus in my book. He also shipped quickly, and my package was mailed USPS Priority on that Monday and arrived on Wednesday.

Box arrived in great shape.

Packing was excellent, with the roaches double-boxed and insulated with newspaper. There wasn’t a single dead roach in the bunch, and all were quite lively when I opened the package. In fact, one of the larger males quickly shot out of the package and landed on my arm. Now, I know I have dozens of giant, hairy spiders, and most would find that frightening, but I don’t think I’d ever seen a roach that big. And, perhaps I panicked just a bit when I tried to quickly brush it off and the little beast barely budged. Wow, those suckers are strong…

After opening the first box, I discovered a second box safely nestled in a bed of newspaper. (Note: Notice my 3-year-old’s creepy Mega Blok figure. Those little pagan-looking totems are all around my house. Should I be worried?)

The second box is now open. A piece of cardboard serves as a spacer. You can now see some of the roaches…yum!

With the cardboard moved aside, you can now see more of the little buggers.

With the cardboard (and some of the roaches) out of the way, you can now see a bunch of very large and healthy roaches.

All of the roaches have been rehoused in their new home (I will post later about their new quarters), and all are eating well. I honestly couldn’t have been more happy with my purchase from Mr. Stichler. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from him again.

This was an A+ experience, and I would highly recommend Jeremy Stichler to any hobbyist looking for a dubia feeder roach starter colony.

Pamphobeteus antinous

May 6, 2014April 22, 2016 / cancerides / 1 Comment

As my T collection grows and I gain experience with different species, I’m finding that I’m developing an affinity for the larger South American Ts. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place in my collection for some of the slow-growing genera, like aphonopelma, grammostola, and brachypelma. Many of the species in these genera are simply gorgeous, and their slow growth rate means that I’ll have these guys for many years. However, for the impatient keeper in me, the faster-growing, aggressive eaters are just a thrill to watch. Recently, I decided to investigate some new species for potential purchase, and I wanted something big and feisty.

While perusing the Net-Bug site, I came across a Pamphobeteus antinus, or “Steely Blue Leg”, female for sale. I had researched several species in the Pamphobeteus genus many months back, and at that time, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a T that required a bit more humidity. Having gained some experience since then and become more skilled at maintaining humidity in the enclosures, I decided that I was ready for this species.

My 3.5″ P. antinous female.

For my new acquisition’s home, I set up a large Kritter Keeper with about 5″ of a moist 50/50 peat moss and coco fiber mix. As the heavily-vented tops of KKs allow for too much ventilation for species requiring higher humidity, I used contact paper to block off much of the top and sides while still allowing for cross ventilation. Using a 5″ cork bark round, I sunk part of into the ground as a starter burrow and covered it with soil and sphagnum moss. As I want to maintain a higher level of humidity, I also provided her with a large water dish. Once a week, I sprinkle water on her substrate and on the sphagnum moss (think a good, quick rain shower) to keep the substrate from drying out too much. For temperatures, she is kept in the low 70s during the night, and high 70s/80 during the day.

A large Kritter Keeper modified to accommodate a species with higher humidity requirements.

It didn’t take long for the P. antinous to create an impressive burrow. Gnawing through the bottom of the cork bark, she dug straight to the bottom, constructing a small compartment in the lower corner. Here she sits until she detects prey items above. Alerted to a meal, she bolts from her hide, her lithe legs tapping against the plastic as she scrambles for the surface. Out of all of my Ts, this is the first one I’ve actually HEARD coming for a cricket. The speed and ferocity she displays when attacking her food easily rivals that of my P. cancerides. Right now, she gets four large crickets, or two 1+” dubia roaches, a week (this species is known for being a good eater).

My P. antinous inside its den (back view).

With my female still sporting her immature reddish-brown colors, I will look very forward to seeing if she gets any of her “steely blue” coloration on next molt. Also, as this is also considered to be a species with a fast growth rate, I will be anticipating quite a size jump. Although I’ve only owned her for a couple months, my P. antinous is proving to be one of my most interesting tarantulas.

P. cancerides Feeding Video

May 3, 2014 / cancerides / Leave a comment

Dinner Time!

One of the thrills of keeping tarantulas, in my opinion, is watching them stalk and snatch their prey. I know for anyone who doesn’t keep Ts, this probably sounds a bit strange or sick even. However, it’s not that I don’t feel a bit of sympathy for the prey items after they are unwittingly dropped into an enclosure, or when they wander around the unfamiliar terrain, blissfully unaware that they are mere inches away from their doom. No, I do feel bad for the poor roaches, crickets, or meal worms.

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to holding my breath a bit in anticipation as one of these brutal hunters senses its next meal. I can’t help but to get a bit excited watching these fascinating predators in action.

Recently, I was able to capture my 3″ P. cancerides as it ambushed its latest meal, a large cricket. As mentioned in earlier posts, I find these particular spiders go after prey with an energy and ferocity that surpasses that of many of the other species I keep. Although the following video doesn’t depict a particularly impressive take-down, I still think it’s a fascinating look at one of these amazing creatures as it captures its prey (and a healthy reminder of just how fast these guys can move). Enjoy!

Note: My apologies for the music; I was so absorbed in catching this feeding, that I didn’t realize that my three-year-old was screaming in the background. Trust me…the music is better.

Orphnaecus philippinus – Philippine Tangerine

April 19, 2014April 22, 2016 / cancerides / 6 Comments

My juvenile O.philippinus.

A sleek, secretive Tarantula, and a unique-looking species, the Oprhanaecus philippinus, or Philippine Tangerine, is a species that should enjoy more popularity in the pet trade. From the Philippines, this old world tarantula and obligate burrower thrives in warmer and more humid conditions. Unlike many terrestrial species, O. philippinus have lithe frames with long, slender legs, a pill-shaped abdomen and an overall sleeker build. At a max length of around 6″, this is an impressive animal. A gorgeous orange/tangerine color overall, these Ts have shorter hair, which gives them a very soft, velvety appearance.

My 2+” O. philippinus hiding in its den a week after molting.

Despite being an old word species, my O. philippinus slings would much rather flee to their burrows than stand and fight. They are obligate burrowers, and they require deep substrate so that they can construct suitable dens. This is a species that requires a more humid climate, and for them to thrive, they do need slightly moist substrate. When presented with two starter dens, one on the dry side of the enclosure and one on the moister side, both of mine chose the moist side to create their homes.

For substrate, I keep them on a mixture of coco fiber and peat moss with a bit of vermiculite mixed in on the bottom to help maintain moisture. I will then sprinkle water in occasionally to keep the surface just a bit moist. The majority of the water will percolate down the sides of the enclosure keeping the lower levels more damp than the upper levels. This allows my T to burrow and chose the level of moisture it needs. I also allows for water to evaporate more slowly, keeping the humidity up.

Once its den is constructed, the O. philippinus will wait just inside the entrance hole for a prey item to stumble by. When the unfortunate insect is sensed, the O. philippinus will launch out of its hole, ambushing the insect and grabbing its meal. It will then drag the item back into its den so that it can eat in private. In my experience, they are voracious eaters who will only refuse a meal when in premolt. When mine were about 2″, they had no problem taking down larger crickets. I feed them appropriately-sized cricket or roach every three days or so.

As far as a downside for these wonderful creatures, there are few. Humidity and moisture requirements can make the husbandry a little trickier. Moisten substrate too much, and you run the risk of creating hospitable conditions for mold and mites. Keep it too dry, and your O. philippinus is likely to dehydrate. Moist substrate AND proper ventilation is key. They are also VERY fast, and can go from crouching in a corner to out of the enclosure in a blink of an eye. Keepers not used to keeping faster species could find this shocking.

For temperatures, they are kept at mid to low 70s although they will thrive at temps in the low 80s as well. As with most species, higher temps will bring faster metabolisms and growth rates. I’ve kept mine for about a year, and in that time they have gone from 1.25″ slings to 3.5″ sub-adults. I have not noticed a significant difference in growth rate between the winter months where they are kept mid to low 70s and the summer when temps are high 70s to low 80s.

O.-philippinus-Jan

O. philippinus Pulling a Cricket into It’s Den

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLGd8t02hsk Because they spend the majority of the time in burrows and normally venture out only at night, sightings of your prized pet may be rare. Personally, I enjoy the thrill I get when I catch one of my slings out and about; or when I witness one snag a prey item. They are an amazing , beautiful, and unique tarantula that would make an excellent addition to any collection.