Day 3: Picture Day!!

Well, if my camera worked the way it’s supposed to (Cannon AE-1) I will have some awesome shots of each sling, along with my older tarantulas.

The flashlight that I was using to light the deli cups seemed to really annoy the little ones (which I expected) so I had to get as many photos as I could, VERY quickly.

Sadly, when I went to photograph my Madagascars, I discovered that my male was deceased-and he stank to high hell!!  Like rotting meat.  Odd for an insect…not sure if that is normal for this kind….

I did at least manage to get some decent macros of the deceased, and the living hisser.  I am pretty bummed about this though….

Sid was clinging to the side of (her) tank, so I did get some good shots of the iridescent  coloring on her legs, as well as a few macros of her fangs.  Nata, on the other hand preferred to stay camera shy.  She remained huddled in the back of her Dibs container-turned burrow.  I did get some pics of her back there, just nothing exciting.

Hopefully I will have the roll developed this week.  I am praying to the Canon 35mm gods that the camera worked.

We shall see……

New Spiderlings! (and some other goodies too!!)

Today I brought home 3 new slings!  An Aphonopelma (unnamed) “Davis Mountain Rusty”~who sits at a stunning 1/2″, an Alphonopelma Chalcodes (Arizona Blonde) who measured in at a whopping 1/4″, and last but not least, a Brachypelma smithi that comes in first place at an extraordinary 3/4″!!!!!

Now, these may not seem like very big tarantulas, but rest assured, they are certainly larger than the 1/8” slings I saw huddled in a cup at The Invert Shop.

David, the owner/keeper/feeder/breeder/builder/handler/temperature moderator/roach shipper and egg sack baby sitter was kind enough to spend a couple of hours going over his various species, and many roles as an online invertebrate dealer.  I had the privilege to see his shed-errr…shop full of critters that make up his hobby.

Everywhere I looked there were boxes and keepers and tubs and tanks and cups full of invertebrates lazily awaiting their next meal of captive bred cockroaches and other crawling goodness.

Looking at his shop almost made me embarrassed as I nervously went over the various species I had at home.  “An avicularia-Pink Toe, and a G. Rosea.”  2 Tarantulas, 2 tanks.  No need to label, as they look nothing alike-and no need to devote a whole room to them as their 10 gallon tanks take up little more than 3/4 of my livingroom desk.

I felt more like a wishful-thinker, instead of a full blown hobbyist.

After about 2 hours with David, all that changed and I am now a bit richer in knowledge, and a whole lot more excited as there is an experienced keeper not far from my home.  I am sure there will be many trips to the Invert Shop in the near future, or at least a few emails with progressive Tarantula photos, and the occasional plea for help.

I am now up 3 tarantulas, 2 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and a colony of feeders.

I am pretty confident in my ability to keep 3″ tarantulas alive….  so now what am I supposed to do with slings????

I guess that I will be figuring it out as I grow right along with them.

Tomorrow’s challenge:

FROM ONE CUP TO ANOTHER-WITHOUT LOSING A SLING

My new little one’s are in need of a bit more space, so we will see how it goes.