Updates and new bugs

After a trip on Thursday to GBU Enterprises, I came home with some new bugs, a creature I have never kept on the Desktop before, and a critter that was happily released right after I snapped it’s photo.

A turtle, obviously. Something I have NEVER kept before.

3 Madagascar hissing beetles! Yep, I am bringing them back to the zoo!!

A Black Widow and her brood. After photos, they were kindly released away from my home and back into the wild!

She had a few hundred in there, I think. Now, they will be ‘enjoyed’ by the folks of Stockton, CA.

A Pink Toed spiderling 1″ whom I am still trying to name. Sid IV, if you will.

A cool shot of the spiderlings backside, and as one of the forum members pointed out, the spiderling resembles a Green Bottle Blue, though I doubt GBU made that big of a mistake. I am quite certain this is an avic.

 

I had a great time interviewing one of the co-owners of GBU. and may even be volunteering there if I can get out of some engagements that will take up most of my time over the next month or so.  In the meantime I will be enjoying these new additions, and hopefully will acquire more to begin doing private bug-shows and maybe getting back into selling again.  Who knows!

IT’S A BOY!!!

Mitzy, my fuzzy Lasiodora parahybana (also acquired from GBU back in February) has turned out to be a boy.  I’m toying with renaming him, but may keep it the same just to throw people off.  Even though he will not (most likely) have the opportunity to reproduce, I will still enjoy watching him grow, and will  be keeping him as a personal pet, along with Serj, my A. chalcodes female.  Serj, who can live for up to 25ish years, will hopefully become a companion for my son when he goes to college.  He’s 1 now, so just 17 years to go!

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Spider Bugs (a10com.wordpress.com)

Serj feeding and crickets (photos)

This is Serj, named for my favorite System of a Down frontman and solo artist, Serj Tankian.

She is a 3″ Aphonopelma chalcodes who has been with me since August of 2010.

Here she is  eating a cricket, and looking gorgeous!

Here are the crickets, feeding on orange, and drinking from a wet cotton ball:

Thanks for stopping by.  The zoo is well, and no longer eyeing me, hungrily.

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So many Molts!

EEEEK!  Every time I peek into a jar or keeper, it appears that someone is molting.  I thought that molting had to do with species….unless they were all hatched around the same time, and I just happened to get the bunch that happen to be on the same schedule….hmmmm…..  is it possible?

Anyway, this morning, Zero (C. fasciatum) is flipped over. Yesterday it was Athene (N. Chromatus) the day before that it was Raven (L. parahybana) then the day before that it was Serj (A. chalcodes.)

Last week it was Flora (N. coloratvillosus) and the week before that it was Isis (B. Smithi.)

That equals half my collection.

Tarantulas are funny, yet seemingly scheduled creatures. I will post an updated Molt Date/New Leg Span/Picture blog on Sunday if I can.  Might as well do them all at once.

Related Articles

• All About Tarantulas (brighthub.com)

Pictures and Measurements!

I got a couple of Serj and Tank, as well as Isis and Annabel Lee a few days after their molts.  I measured both, and here are the results:

Annabel Lee:

Old LS- 1/8″ New LS-1/2″

Isis:

Old LS-3/4″ New LS- 1 1/4″ (WHOO!!)

I held Isis (Brachypelma smithi) for the first time about 4 days after her molt, when she was out and about looking for food.  Though I didn’t get any of her in my hand, I did get a few of her last night!

Isis 8.29.10

Here is Isis eating a cricket!

Alee- Lasidora parahybana- (as compared to a Cheerio..since I couldn’t find a dime):

Alee 8.29

Alee on the side (By a Cheerio)

Alee by a meal

Here is are a couple of Serj (Aphonopelma chalcodes):

Serj on the Jar

Serj 8.29 With Notecard

Tank (Aphonopelma sp.):

Tank 8.29

Tank and the Cheerio

Spider Zoo

Spider Zoo.- MY NEW STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still working out the bugs, but the kits are available now!!!

Buggy Zoo Photos

Siddhartha<<<<<CLICK THERE

This is my invertebrate page from my website, Buggy Zoo.

STOOOPID ROACHES :|

I fed the spiderlings this morning, and it seems that while I have had pretty good luck with the food cooperating with me, this morning proved to be different.

All 3 times that I tried to gather roaches with the film container, at least 2 tried to escape!  The mother, who is humongous, was the first to make the daring attempt!  I had to scoop her into a temporary container while I gathered the other escapees and fed them to the slings.

This is why I always use a long gift box bottom to handle my bugs in.

SidNata-1

Roaches-0.

Feeding Chart*

Isis-3

Tank (Darwin)-3

Serj-4(accidentally)

Stoopid Roaches.

Making Some Changes/Slings and Things

Sid is still not quite acting normal.  I checked for mites, possible leftover crickets (that have soured) and other outside influences that could be causing her odd behavior.

So, yesterday I spent some time adding and subtracting some things from her tank, along with removing the remains of her tattered web.  I added in a piece of driftwood that runs the length of the 10 gallon tank, (which thankfully is shaped well, to run from the bottom of the tank to the top, one side to the other at a slant) I have also placed another piece that runs the width of the tank directly under the upward part of the long driftwood…if that makes any sense.)

Sid is sitting by the shorter piece now, on the side of the tank, but has been all over the place.  I hope the pacing stops soon.  She has fresh water, new things to climb, and perfect humidity.  In a little while I will go to the market and try to feed her some crickets.

Nata on the other hand, has been pigging out since yesterday, and I think she might be on her 3rd cricket this week.  She is fascinating to watch, and is quite lively!

SLINGS*

Serj is taking on an ENORMOUS feeder roach right now.  This is her 2nd in the last 24 hours.   She is very active, and I enjoy watching her continually dig in her burrow.

Tank (AKA- Darwin as she has been dubbed) has also been actively burrowing, but I am noticing that the black spot on her abdomen is getting rather dull in color.  This may explain the lack of feeding, as these are both signs of an upcoming molt.  Her burrow is about 2 times as deep as Serj’s, and appears to be molded inward towards the center of the jar, making her difficult to see at times.  It looks like she is making various chambers.

Isis is looking a lot larger than she did a week ago.  I don’t know if it has to do with the added visibility of her jar (compared to her deli cup) but she too looks dull like Tank.  The difference is that she seems to eat readily, and has had at least 2 roaches that I am aware of in the last week.

Siddhartha’s Journey

Today is just another day for 4 of my tarantulas.  (With the exception of Serj, who was caught eating a roach this morning-FINALLY. *why I was up looking at spiders at 1am I will never know)

Sid, however, will have to adjust to a new tank set up.  I am rearranging her tank, and adding a long piece of driftwood that I took out in January for molting reasons.  I hope this helps her, as she hasn’t eaten in about 3 weeks (since her last molt), and has torn her web to shreds.  She has also been pacing, which really worries me.

In order for me to clean out her tank, I will need to remove her into a smaller plastic jar.  The hissing roach I have left is occupying the critter keeper, so Sid will have to tough it out for about 15 minutes in my dollar store holder.

I hope Sid takes well to the transformation.

*In other news*

I dropped off the 35mm film from Monday’s picture day, so I should have the pics back in a week.  I SERIOUSLY need to stop spending money, and get a friggen digital.

Sharing a Banana With Tara

I eat a banana or 2 almost every day.  I love them!  They are awesome for the quick sugar pick me up, as I am very prone to hypo-glycemia.  This morning shows no exception, and as I went to the bunch that I have sitting by my coffee pot, I remembered that there were some other folks in the house that might also enjoy a banana with me.

The first thing I did was pick out a medium sized banana.  I didn’t want to eat a big one, so a medium one worked well.  I then went to the cutting board to slice my banana, and made 2 small cuts at the tip (after I had taken a bite, of course.)  I took both slices and cut them into quarters.  One of the quartered pieces went onto a napkin, and the others I just carried by hand.

The little ones in the deli cup got the napkin slices, and Tara, my remaining female hisser, got the free slices.

Tara hasn’t eaten at all since I brought her and her mate home.  I am very thankful that she didn’t eat the orange I placed in their tank, as I think that’s what killed my male.  (I forgot to wash the fruit before I put it in the tank :*(  The male went to town on it, but Tara ignored it.

I am hoping to have more success with the banana.

On another note:

Tank (my A. unnamed sling) has become even more anti-social, and has dug deeper into her jar.  The really cool thing is that the burrow is by the glass so I can see her!  Serj is also still visible in her jar.  I almost feel like I have an ant farm with spiderlings!

I have been taking suggestions from various forums that I post on, on how to feed the slings.  Using tweezers is the latest suggestion, so I will try it this weekend.