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!

 

 

 

 

 

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• Spider Bugs (a10com.wordpress.com)

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.

Crawley Things

Here is my Christmas in July wish list, as far as what is carried at the Invert Shop.  You can donate to PayPal to help me get them via my website, or you can just look at my list and start creating your own.  Either way, thanks for stopping by!!

MY WISHLIST<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<CLICK THERE!!

*The Brachypelma boehmei I want is not an adult.  I want one of the babies not listed….

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.

Day 6: Roaches and Burrows

I had to remove the nifty film cartridges from Tank and Serj’s jars.  They both chose to burrow instead!!!  Tank chose a burrow far enough into the center of the jar to where I can only see her abdomen.  Serj, on the other hand, chose a burrow right next to the side of the jar where I can see her!

I gave Isis 1 dead, one live roach, and she seems to be ignoring both.

Tank got 2 semi live roaches, but when I put the flashlight on, I startled one of the roaches.  It jumped into the burrow, and scared the hell out of Tank.  Tank jumped out, and proceeded to climb up the side of her jar.  OOPS!

Serj got 2 accidentally live roaches.  I thought they were more incapacitated, so hopefully she will see them before they burrow.  I may have to retry again after work today.

in other news:

Realizing what she’s done, Sid is staring at what remains of her web.  Perhaps she will build a new one soon?

Day 5: Sid and the Web/Feeding Time

Sid’s web has been destroyed.  I noticed it this morning during my daily Tarantula check.  She has been hanging out on the sides of her tank for the past week or so, but I had no idea that she had destroyed her home!

EEEEK!! All this after I threw 3 deliciously plump crickets into her lair. Humph.  She hasn’t been eating well, and has not seemed to care about the roaches i was trying to give her.  She just molted, and isn’t due for another one for a couple of months.  I guess I will wait and see what happens.

Isis, on the other hand, fully enjoyed a roach last night.  I had the idea to use the nifty 35mm cartridge to rattle the roaches up a bit.  (For some reason, this seems less horrible than cutting them up..)

Serj also seemed to notice her roach, but just sat by it for a while.  I couldn’t tell if she had eaten it or not.

Tank-well…….  no luck yet, as far as I saw.  She just sits on the side of her cup.  I think she is not liking the coconut fiber substrate.  Oh well….it’s all we have for now.

I thought over the maggot food idea, and decided against the potential colony of flies.  Nothing against flies, but my apartment is not suited for a bug room yet, nor do we have a shed.

For now, all 5 tarantulas are living on my desk in the livingroom.  It is set into the wall, so they aren’t hit with constant bright lights.  (They wouldn’t be, anyway, due to the fact that we live like cave dwellers as it is.)

Day 2: 2 Girls, one Deli Cup (Ea.)

I don’t know their individual sexes yet, but I am hoping they are female.

I did manage to get 2 of my slings into larger deli cups, but one of them- the Davis Mountain Rusty (Aphonopelma un-named) managed to hold onto my finger mid transfer, and was quite adamant about NOT going into her new cup.  I had to coerce her in with the nifty camera film holder- the same one that scoops mini feeder roaches with ease.

I gave each relocated sling 2 feeders.  I am unsure of what was eaten yesterday as feeder roaches apparently like to burrow.

My A. Chalcodes (Arizona Blonde) was left in her mini cup, as she is still too tiny to be moved.  I also have no idea if she ate her feeder roach yesterday.  I will give her a single roach in a little while, just in case.

Feeding Time

I just realized an amazing thing that camera film holders are good for: FEEDING.

I used this nifty device to feed all 3 of the new slings. Since I am new to using feeder roaches, I thought this would be the simplest way to scoop them out and hold enough feeders for each sling.

Davis M. Rusty Sling- 1 small roach
Arizona Blonde Sling- 1 small roach
Mexican Red Knee Sling- 2 small roaches

*NOTE* While feeding the Red Knee, I noticed that he grabbed a roach before it hit the ground of his condiment cup. I saw an old molt lying there and  boldly went to remove  it. Red Knee immediately dropped his meal and lunged to guard his molt from my fingers. Odd behavior, but perhaps he was just startled.

Neither of the 2 smaller slings seemed to notice their meals as of yet.