Tag Archives: hobby

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!

Serj eating Serj looking lovely My lovely girl Looking red from glare

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

Crickets feeding cricket on cotton

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

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So Many Updates… but just a few for now…

Well, I have obviously neglected the Desktop blog, and sadly, there is no longer a desktop.  It looks more like a cardboard box and a couple of 10 gallon tanks.

I feel like the Zoo and I have been moving for eternity, bouncing from place to place in Stockton. Through the past few months I have bought and sold more additions than I care to mention, but the good news is that we now have an official (free) website that allows me to keep a virtual store and more- but the problem is that I have lacked the desire to rewrite care sheets and bug hunting info.

I suck, right?

Well, at least I think we have finally settled somewhere for the long term.  A studio apartment that I share with my mother.  Part of what I have been doing with the Zoo, though, consists of  adding them to yard sales and showings in whatever location I am in.  For instance, when I am at my boyfriend’s house, I have customers meet me there.  Tomorrow I will be here at Mom’s, so my customer is coming here.

This still equals a lot of bouncing for the zoo, hence the cardboard box.  I am down to 5 spiderlings, Sid, Nata, and a new A. avic that I have yet to name.

After this next weekend, though, I think I will finally be able to let these poor guys rest at my mother’s- because my guy is scared to death of them….particularly the roaches I also have.

I am sad to see the zoo has dwindled to such a state, but I am planning to rebuild with the money I make over the next few months.  It is all for the new Buggy Zoo- I call it Zen Critter.

Zen Critter’s website can be found at:

http://zencritter.weebly.com/index.html

Once I get off my tired butt, I will once again add care sheets, better photos, and of course kid guides, and a pitch for some upcoming projects that I already have in the works.  The nice thing  is that my experience with Buggy Zoo has given me the framework for a much bigger (streamlined) idea.

Look for updates soon.

One last note- and I am pretty sad about this:

Siddhartha II (Avicularia avicularia) is not looking well.  He is in a permanent Kritter Keeper to help him get to his food, as he is no longer climbing or moving much.  He appears to be nearing the end, after an ultimate molt last December.  I am already researching ways to preserve him, as he was my first (long living) tarantula on the Desktop.  (You may remember Sid I lived for about 18 days after I got him… thanks PetCo. 😡  )

Sid has been retired from the multiple showings, and only comes out when absolutly necessary. (The last was for his safety, as this most recent move was a very messy one that involved some police, thieves, and sadistic threats from teenagers involving the killing of my critters…but that is another blog, for another day, in another place).

As for Nata, he is well, has taken to being handled (sort of) and is as pretty as ever.

With all the moving, I am surprised that the zoo has not packed up and left me for good.

Nhandu Chromatus/Coloratvillosus- Brazillian Black and White

Nhandu Sp.

Nhandu sp.

Legspan: 5.5-6.5″

Terrestrial– Meaning that they need longer tanks as opposed to tall enclosures. Long Critter Keepers are good for this.

Humidity: 60-80%  Should be lightly misted once a week.  When they reach a leg  span of 1.5″, they should be provided a small water dish.

*I use moss from a local forest to place in the water dish to keep everyone (spider and food) from drowning.

Growth Rate: Fast

Life Span: 15-20 years, if not longer.

Species: New world.  Will readily flick hairs when irritated.

*Eats: Crickets (adult) and roaches (spiderling).

*This is how my entire collection is fed.  Feeding practices may vary by enthusiast, and in some cases, species.

Poecilotheria Regalis-Indian Ornamental

This is a neat looking spider that I refer to as a Poe. (As in, Edgar Alan.) But most enthusiasts refer to the Poecilotheria species as Pokies.

Indian Ornamental

Pokie

Legspan: 8-11″

Aboreal– Meaning that they need taller tanks as opposed to short/long enclosures. 10 gallon tanks are good for this.

Humidity: 80-85% Should be misted, but spiderlings should be misted more often, and when they reach a leg  span of 1.5″, they should be provided a water dish with moss in it.

Growth Rate: Fast

Life Span: Up to  10 years, if not longer.

Species: Old world.  Fast, agressive, will inflict a nasty bite.

*Eats: Crickets (adult) and roaches (spiderling). Pokies prefer flying insects, locusts and others.

Brachyhpelma Boehmei-Mexican Flame Leg

These little guys are probably my favorite looking tarantulas.

Mexican Flame Leg

Mexican Flame Leg

Legspan: 5-5.5″

Terrestrial– Meaning that they need longer tanks as opposed to tall enclosures. Long Critter Keepers are good for this.

Humidity: 50-65% Normal room humidity, but spiderlings should be lightly misted once a week.  When they reach a leg  span of 1.5″, they should be provided a small water dish.

*I use moss from a local forest to place in the water dish to keep everyone (spider and food) from drowning.

Growth Rate: Slow, and they will reach maturity in about 5 years(?)

Life Span: Up to 30 years, if not longer.

Species: New world.  Will readily flick hairs when irritated, but still easily handled.

*Eats: Crickets (adult) and roaches (spiderling).

*This is how my entire collection is fed.  Feeding practices may vary by enthusiast, and in some cases, species.

New Things and Slings

Next weekend I get to add a couple more new spiderlings to the zoo.  I am pretty excited about this as I have thoroughly enjoyed watching my Red Knee, Arizona Blond, and Davis Mnt Rusty slings.

I am currently undecided which slings I will be taking home, so over the next week I will be featuring a few species that I am interested in.  Each day I will choose a sling or 2 to feature, and for each, I will post a care sheet as well as a picture from the web of that sling as an adult.

I will post here as usual, but possibly start a Care Sheets section on this blog, as well as a page of sheets on my website BuggyZoo.com.

Here are a few of the species I am considering:

If all goes well, I hope to be somewhat educated about the species I decide to get so the thing has a chance of survival!  So far, with the exception of a single roach, everyone is alive and well.

I must admit- I am now addicted to tarantulas.

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! ❤

Molting and Digging

I woke up this morning, after a crappy sleep, and was thrilled to see that my Aeluropoda insignis had molted!  She was about 2 1/2″ before the molt, so I am hopefully going to get the chance to measure her new body after work.  Since I wasn’t expecting to get cockroaches when she was given to me, I know nothing about her- so, every little thing that signifies health and well being makes me grin REALLY BIG!

Since I am on the subject, if you know or have any decent care sheets on this little beauty, send them my way PLEASE!

I have browsed the net and come up with very little.  (Funny how I was just talking with another enthusiast about this very thing-a LACK of info on the net.

*Enthusiasts, hobbyists, professional breeders and the like- PLEASE start putting your experiences out there! People  like me wind up with critters that would benefit from accurate and accessible care sheets! If you have a blog or website dedicated to the invert hobby, let me know so that I can link it-  not just for me, but for other enthusiasts!)

Pics coming soon of my roach molt!

Now, on to the subject of digging-

I had the privilege of digging out Tank yesterday.  She had been MIA for about a week, and so I sat with her jar, a spoon, the nifty film container, a new jar and the gift box lid.  I dug for about 10 minutes(a very tedious and delicate process) and finally found Tank buried about 3/4 of the way down in the center of the jar.  I see no signs of any molting, but she is now visible in a shallower jar, with a roach or 2 to feast on…if she EVER eats :\

Pardon the rambling, but again I slept like crap, and am in need of another gallon of coffee before the day gets rolling.

When I get time, I will also be posting pics of the elusive Tank, my reclusive Aphonopelma sp. “Davis Mountain Rusty”.