WORD OF THE DAY 1.2.11

TODAY’S WORD OF THE DAY IS:

REFLECTION

Isis- B. smithi

Beauty is something that can only be defined through the interpretation of the one witnessing it.  I found this opportune shot to be beautiful, while others questioned the subject herself.

I look, and wonder what she would really see in her reflection.  Would she consider herself to be beautiful? Or would she question her color and size? Would she love or loathe her 8 fuzzy legs?

Perhaps she would think she had wings….

Who would I be to tell her that she doesn’t?

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.

 

More Newbie Tools

Lets talk about more “Newbie Tools.”

I had an experience today that I wanted to share with you. It came about at around noon when I was sitting with my husband on our couch, each of us exploring our own virtual domains via separate laptops.  I was lost in Pogo Games playing Poppit!, and he was browsing Craigslist for things we cannot afford.

He named off some pianos, a guitar, and some other musical equipment, when I finally told him to get out of there (that site) and quit torturing himself.

I then rattled off (while almost completely absorbed in Poppit!) that I hate Craigslist when I am broke, because I always find stuff like fish tanks on there when I have no money.  I then somehow made the sentence: I always use Craigslist to get fish tanks for the zoo; Hell, I got half the tanks for free that way!

That was the sound of the turn of my Sunday.

My husband (what seemed like seconds later…I don’t know…I was lost in that stupid game!) suddenly turned his laptop towards me, and told me to look.  I was startled awake from the game coma, and saw the words “20 gal fish tank and 5 gal fish tank” meet my eyes, followed by a local phone number,

I told him to quit torturing me with stuff I can’t afford, when he gladly pointed out that this was listed in the FREE section.  I WAS ON IT!

Visions of only needing a new tank for one of the L parahybanas came about, and Isis! Oh how Isis would love the Kritter Keeper while Zero would get all the leg room of a 5 gallon!!

I called the number, and left a message.  The number called me back a minute or so later, and I heard the voice on the other end say that they only had 2 small tanks left.

I was still happy to come and get them, because that would mean that Zero, Isis AND the crickets would get a cool tank!! (I am picturing 2 5 gallons now…GLORIOUS SUNDAY!!)

Picture now my face when I got to the house of the tank giver-away-er and was greeted by a 10 gallon that was very dirty, sitting on this strangers porch.  He then insisted that my husband and I go into his house, (as we were followed by another guy ALL creepy) to be met with

(my 5 gallon??)

No.

Sitting on this gentleman’s kitchen counter was an even filthier 10 gallon tank complete with RIVER MINNOWS!

(Oh God, I don’t want fish!)

When he saw my face, and that of my husbands, he offered to dump some of the water down his sink, and the fish too if we didn’t want them.

His wife then came out and added that there was a clam in there somewhere too!!

(Gulp!)

So, just a few minutes later we were back in our car with one very filthy tank in the trunk, and one 1/4 filled tank riding in my lap with Minnows.

(Did I mention the tank was green?  The water too?  How bout the sides?)

When we got home, the green tank went to the porch.

and the trunk tank….

was filled with kitty litter, some type of lid piece that looked melted, a broken glass, (not broken glass, but A broken glass,) a cordless phone….and yes, the charger too.

I tossed the contents of the kitty litter tank and got out the bleach!

Why people would not include the words “kitty litter” in their Craigslist ad was beyond me.

They seem to have forgotten to include a fish net too, so I sat down a few minutes later with a tea strainer and fished out the 6 little minnows, and the one surviving clam. (It seems there were 2 in the ichy murk….

(Did I mention it was crayola green?)

and I placed the living things in a tupperware container intended for Zero.

I am just praying that I can get the fish to eat crickets!

(And what the hell do fresh water clams eat??)

So, in conclusion, Craigslist is one of the many cool newbie tools to have, and if you should ever find something free on there-like fish tanks- you might want to make sure that the fish and the owners kitty litter (and house phone) is NOT included in the deal.

Related Articles

• Ways to Determine What Size Aquarium You Need for Your Freshwater Fish (brighthub.com)

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

Veggie Day!

Carrot crinkle cut slices-

I take one out, take a bite.

My piece, your piece.  Into Tara’s tank it goes.

I wondered if crickets would like carrots too.

Take one out, take a bite.

My piece your piece, into the cricket tank it goes.

Repeat with the feeder roaches, and everybody’s happy!

Turns out that bugs like pre-cut carrots, and tarantulas like bugs who have just eaten pre-cut carrots.

*In other news from the desktop*

I have been trying to spend time with my newest tarantula, the Chilean Rose I rescued from a pet store.

She was kept in a 10 gallon tank with a cross section of plexiglass that divided her from 2 other (MUCH LARGER) Chilean Roses.  When I went to select which one I would go home with, I noticed that one was extremely aggressive (due to starvation I later found out) and the other was very moody and flicked hairs all over the place.

The person who was showing me the spiders knew very little about them, and even had me hold one away from the tank-more than 3 feet up above the floor.  (BIG NO NO for terrestrial tarantulas.)

When he went to pick up the littlest one, she seemed rather frightened, and kept backing away.  We finally got her out of the tank, and once I got her in my hand, she calmed down and sat in my palm.

I guess I would be afraid too if the one’s I shared living quarters with were big and hungry enough to eat me!

I couldn’t bare to put her back in the tank, so I had the salesman grab a box, and home we went.

Every morning, before work, I try to hold her for a couple of minutes, and this evening I sat with her on the floor just letting her explore my hand, or sit there if she wanted to.  It was nice, and she seemed to be okay with me talking to her and holding her up to look closer at her.

The more I do this, the more I hope she gets comfortable with having human interaction.  I don’t normally hold my spiders, but she and Isis have been pre-chosen for education purposes.

Sarvashiva and Isis will go into schools at some point and teach little kids about biology and nature.

One thing I did manage to do at the pet store as I was buying her was educate a group of people (including the salesman) about her species, and New World tarantulas in general.

It was pretty awesome to have kids and their parents asking questions, and then asking if they too could pet the tarantula. Everyone was smiling. 😀

Sarva, you are well on your way! ❤

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.

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.