A few old and new pics

Me and some of my past and present critters 🙂

Osiris (E, cyanognathos)

Nata (G. Rosea)  RIP

Nata

Mitzy (L.P.)

Zero (C. fasciatum)

Serj (A. chalcodes)

Questions Answered

I had a few more hits on my blog today than expected.  Being a blog about tarantulas, you can probably imagine that the stats are not stunning.  However, the same questions and searches seem to keep coming up.  Today, I will use the search terms from this blog today, along with some recurring questions/searches to get you to the right info.

Remember that if you do not find an answer here, you can always join InsectGeeks, visit forums, or ask around your social networks to see what their experience is.  Although most information is useful, you will find outdated or unusable info around the web, so SEARCH WISELY!

The FIRST THING I would recommend is to get a copy of the TARANTULA KEEPERS GUIDE by Stanley A. and Marguerite Schultz.  This is considered the “bible” of the keeping hobby, and is recommended by most top breeders/dealers and hobbyists.  GET THIS BEFORE YOU GET YOUR FIRST TARANTULA.

If you already have a T, and still have questions (and you should) GET THE BOOK.

Then, NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK.

I have many friends across insect geeks, facebook, on forums, and elsewhere.  When I see a blog or site that shares information in a readable non-ad flashy way, I contact the webmaster and compliment them.  This opens up a dialogue for future questions, and lets them know that their hard work is helping someone.  (Like ME!)

Now, on to today’s searches:

brachypelma boehmei when will she get the colors: My boehmei has colors, and she is only a half inch.  Look closely, and if you notice yours getting dark and ugly, then it is probably time for a molt.
why is my b. smithi is pacing? Could be a hunger thing, could be that her soil is too moist, could be that she is looking for a retreat.  Try to fix each of these and see if it helps.  Usually, the pacing stops shortly after the problem is addressed.  My A. avic was doing this, and I realized that I had forgotten to put a climbing branch in after  a cleaning.  When I put the branch back in, Sid climbed up and made a nice new web.  The pacing ceased.
parahybana on girls hand My parabyana is too small to be handled (1″) and I have seen her flick hairs…so I cannot help you there.  Try Google Pictures.
aphonopelma sp care sheet Try THIS
n. chromatus care sheet Try THIS and add enough soil to allow for burrowing!!
brachypelma smithi spiderling care YER KILLIN ME SMALLS!!!!!  Try THIS and if yours is as small as mine (1 1/2″ls approx) use a film canister as a hide.  These are GREAT for any terrestrial spiderling!
how fast do rose hair slings molt I am not too familiar with a rosie as a sling, but I do know that as adults, there is NO TELLING.  Rosies do their own thing at their own pace.  If your sling gets sluggish, gets ugly and darker in color, and refuses food, you are probably headed for a molt.  Hit up some forums for more info.
spiderling care sheet SEE ABOVE ANSWERS!  Please be more specific.  Certain spiderlings (like my E. cyanognathus and P. subfusca require more humidity, and different set ups than other spiderlings.) When you hit the forums, have a species in mind so the community can better assist you.   If you have any specific questions for me, please use the form on the right to ask it.  I won’t bite!  If I can’t answer a question. I will be more than happy to find the answer for you because it will probably benefit me and my growing tarantula zoo as well!! You can always email me directly at 8pinktoes@gmail.com too…. Thanks for looking! ~Tia Marie

New Pics, New Members, New Year..soon….

I have not blogged in a while, and there are some aspects of the zoo that have changed.  First of all, there are fewer members now as I have started getting Buggy Zoo on track to begin selling (which actually came in handy for the holiday season…but not for what you think..) and secondly, we finally managed to get a REAL camera!

Who’s Been Sold:

Zero (C. fasciatum) and Sarva (Grammostola rosea)

Both went to wonderful homes, and are definitely missed here at the Zoo.

Even though I really disliked seeing them go, it was definitely an experience worth having.  I got to screen the people buying them, and even managed a cool roach (G. portentosa) freebie with the sale of Sarva- who went home with a very intelligent, and very young girl who was already raising frogs and other reptiles.  Sarva was to be her first tarantula, so all the nights of handling the well mannered arachnid should pay off.  They were a good fit for each other!

We also had an addition here at the zoo- another Rose Hair that I have dubbed “Fluffy”.  Fluffy is actually the oldest in my zoo, at an estimated 7 or 8 years old, and began her journey towards the Zoo as a Halloween Decoration that never seemed to leave the house that she was decorating.  The tarantula started out as a pet for at least 6 years, but was left at a house to scare party goers.  For a whole year Fluffy stayed as a decoration that was reluctantly fed by a woman who was deathly afraid of her. Even though she was fed well, Fluffy wound up on a Craigs List ad that caught my eye.

She is fat, dull in color, and kind of decrepit looking- which is why I love the name I chose for her.  “Fluffy” denotes her true beauty, which comes in her still fuzzy appearance:

Now, compared to Nataraja (old photo on the right above my wrist)

Nataraja

There is quite a difference.

I love our new camera, and in the new year, I hope to use it much more.

Here is one more for you:

For questions, comments, or sales info- please use the form on the right.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

~Tia Marie

Molts, NaNo, and a stray Roach.

Quick Update for you guys:

-Siddhartha, the Godfather of the Desktop (or floor of the new apartment) has molted!

I am guessing that (s)he is 4″ now!  This is the 3rd molt this year.  One every 5 months is the trend.

-Osiris Molted!  The Ephebopus cyanognathus from the kind stranger looks like it might be about 3/4″ now, up from 1/2″ ! It still has the pink legs, and hopefully will keep baby colors for a while.

Stray Roach-

One of the Gromphadorhina portentosa babies escaped, and was found basking in the light on top of Lizzy the Leopard Gecko‘s tank.  I think a few more are missing, and some have been found living amongst the crickets.  I just pick them up and place them back in the roach tank- I can’t figure out how they are escaping!

Aphrodite (Brachypelma boehmei) has not moved in a few days.  I am keeping a close watch, in hopes that there might be a molt coming up.  She hasn’t eaten in some time, so we shall see…  I hope that she turns out okay, but I refuse to move her or do anything until I know for sure.  Every forum I have read says not to move a tarantula that might be dead until it is in the death curl,and/or stinking.

NaNoWriMo–

12,774 words as of this posting.  I took Saturday off to spend time with my husband whom I had not seen in a week due to the move, and his new Graveyard schedule.

I have been making coffee by hand (since our old maker had to be thrown out) and my guy was awesome enough to bring us home a new one this morning!! (After I had just spent a half hour hand making a pot…sheesh!)

It gets tough to write without thoughts of editing and restarting every five minutes.  However, knowing that I have committed to doing this has really allowed me to stick to it without feeling like I can just walk away.  I have developed “writing buddies” on all of my social networks, along with interacting with local Wrimos -although I have yet to be able to make it to a write-in.  I hope to, someday!

Well, it is back to the ol’ word processor, and hopefully a few more words so that i can at least make my daily goal of 1700 words for the day.

Wish me luck, and if you are writing as well, good luck to you!

You can always look me up on the NaNo website under the user name SidNata!

 

 

Care sheets updates

A few months back I made some quick care sheets for various species using photos and info from around the web.  Now that I have acquired a few new slings, I decided it was time to update the care sheets using my own photos and some information relevant to my critters to give you a quick overview of the desktop.

To see these updated sheets, just visit this link HERE.

The site BUGGYZOO will now host the “Meet the Zoo” page as well.

I see a lot of searches for the Cyclosternum fasciatum and Nhandu chromatus, so I will be sure to keep these pages updated frequently.

Each care sheet now has my critter’s LS, name, common name, and photo- as well as information on temperament and housing etc.

I have been promising these updates, so finally, here they are!

 

PICTURE TIME! and NEW ADDITIONS! and MOLTING!!

First of all, here is something you might like, a lot:

and maybe even this:

and for good measure, how ’bout one more:

 

 

The first picture is of one of the two new additions to the desktop.  It came in the mail yesterday.  I would have blogged about this then, but Ms. Blue Fang was a bit bigger than expected, and was also able to run fast and jump.  Thank God I was not recording the unpacking of this spider. 😐

The 2nd picture is of Isis, after her molt this morning.  After losing Tank this week, I thought for sure that the lack of motion for hours was a sign that Isis wasn’t making it.  All the arachnid forums said to leave her alone (well… based on q and a’s from other users..) so I did as advised and she came out okay.  I am guessing she is between 1 1/2″ -2″ LS now.  Cool huh?

The third photo is of Athene, my beautiful Nhandu chromatus. She molted yesterday afternoon, so this is also a post molt pic!  WHOO!!

Now, I did mention that Blue Fang spiderling was one of two additions….  unfortunately the P. subfusca was hiding during picture time…and well….has been hiding since I got it in the new jar.  As soon as I find it (gulp!) I will be posting pictures.  I am guessing that it is about 1/2″ and it really has beautiful markings.  This is my first Pokie, and my first old world species, so prepare for my newbieness in these areas…..

Names? Hmmmm…

Poecilotheria subfusca (Ivory Ornamental) Poe, Edgar Allan. (Poe)

Ephebopus cyanognathus (Skeleton Blue Fang) Osiris or Iris.

These 2 were freebies from the facebook stranger.  I guess it does pay to network, and if you are new to keeping, I would highly recommend using as many forums, social nets and blogs as possible to meet other experienced keepers (and newbies.)  It will save you and your collection massive heartache in the future!  THANK YOU SO MUCH TO JOE FOR THE SPIDERLINGS!!! AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR BLOGS, ARTICLES, BOOKS, SOCIAL NETWORKING PROFILES, YOU TUBE VIDEOS, PHOTOS, CARE SHEETS, and EXPERIENCE! Over the past year I have gone from newbie to almost somewhat experienced keeper because of you, and plan to continue my journey as an invert keeper.

Someday, I will meet a newbie, and give them something the size of a quarter, hairy, fast, and terrifying (while it is running away from the box it was shipped in) so it too can make someone’s desktop a little bit happier.