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)

Mitzy (L. parahybana) post Molt

Mitzy has grown a bit.  I think (s)he’s about 1 1/2″ now, and molted sometime in the past week.  I am hoping to get another L. parahybana soon…and maybe a roach or 10.

The last photo is Mitzy’s molt.

Highlight-Lasidora parahybana

Meet Mitzy, the 1″ Lasidora parahybana that I acquired in February while getting another tarantula sexed.

Mitzy’s species is the 3rd largest in the world, giving her the reputation of being a “dinner plate” tarantula. In an ironic twist, some  species are used for food. (Although I have been told that the taste is comparable to that of a soft shelled crab.  I think I’ll pass on both, thank you!)

The L. parahybana is an aggressive eater, eating pretty much anything you can throw at it.  Mice and lizards are a wild staple, although my preference is to only feed insects- mostly crickets and roaches.  (For tiny spiderlings of other species, I do occasionally buy flightless fruit flies.)  Which ever becomes your preference is fine, but remember that the LP is a new world species, so  if they feel threatened they will not hesitate to flick hairs.  Take caution to keep these hairs from entering your airways and eyes.  If you do wind up with one of the urticating hairs in your skin, be prepared for an itchy rash.  And yes, I do mean ITCHY.  Also, as if I have to tell you, BE VERY CAREFUL of the fangs of this species!  They can be up to 1″ long, and inflict an extremely painful bite. ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN FEEDING!!!

Mitzy may look harmless now, but someday she (I hope for a she, at least) will be extremely large and bulky, and will grow quickly into a nice roomie 20 gallon tank.  If  you acquire one as an adult, be sure to have an appropriate house.  This means no large sided tanks because if your critter falls, it can be fatal.  Also, a shallow water dish, and moderate humidity should be provided.  Keep a spray bottle on hand to fill the dish from above your tank lid (if the LP’s size is too intimidating for you to put your hands in the tank) and to keep the humidity up.  As your LP molts, (flips over and plays dead while shedding it’s exoskeleton) it will need extra humidity and a quiet dark environment. Cover the tank, and do not handle your LP for at least a week to be safe.  This goes for all T’s, and although some people say to only wait 3 days, I prefer safe than sorry methods.  Do not feed your critter at all during this period as crickets like to feed on, and possibly kill, molting tarantulas.  (Even after they molt, tarantulas are very soft  and easily killed by an aggressive keeper or hungry food source.)

Provide a hiding spot (hollow logs for BIG LP’s and film containers, or halved flower pots for smaller ones.)

Mitzy is now a 1″ spiderling, but was only 1/8″ when acquired.  These suckers grow FAST so be prepared by reading a lot of books, blogs, and articles.  Also, never be afraid to ask questions to other hobbyists.  I do and always will, as there is so much to learn.  Facebook, arachnoboards and the American Tarantula Society are great places to start.  Many keepers also recommend a book called The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide as THE BEST BOOK on tarantula keeping.

I hope to have shared some information that may help you in your own endeavors as a tarantula keeper.  The Lasidora parahybana is an excellent addition to any household as it is low maintenance, displays well, and makes for great learning for older children and adults alike.  No walking, peeing on the carpet, or tearing up of your furniture.

Find me on Facebook. and use my resources to jump start your hobby today 🙂 OR, just search for your own.  They are out there, and in the hundreds of  thousands across the world.

I have been keeping T’s for 4 years, and probably will for many to come.  I love the hobby, the tarantulas, and seeing children and adults take one home for the first time.

Good luck, and thanks for reading!

Related articles

• The creepy-crawly farm that grows 5,000 giant SPIDERS as big as a man’s hand (at least they don’t bite) (thisismoney.co.uk)
• Advice about getting a Tarantula as a pet? (petsandcares.com)
• What are the safest and most docile tarantulas you can keep as pets? (petsandcares.com)
• Shopper shocked after finding tarantula on bunch of bananas (telegraph.co.uk)
• To My Fellow Keepers (UPDATE) (sidnata.wordpress.com)
• Isn’t it Cute? Chilean Farm Exports Tarantula Pets (thejakartaglobe.com)

A few old and new pics

Me and some of my past and present critters 🙂

Osiris (E, cyanognathos)

Nata (G. Rosea)  RIP

Nata

Mitzy (L.P.)

Zero (C. fasciatum)

Serj (A. chalcodes)

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.

Loss and a Molting Rose Hair

Well, the zoo is still on the floor of the new apartment, but I have been pricing some shelving units that will look fantastic in my living room.  Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks I will be scheduling zoo visits with some local children, allowing them to explore the fascinating world of invertebrate keeping.

Molts:

Tonight, I had one molt that was VERY unexpected.  Sarva, my smaller Rose Hair, did the deed after 4 months of barely eating.  She looks beautiful, and the best part is that I am almost certain that she is a GIRL!  YAY!!  I measured her through the enclosure, and I am putting her at around 3 1/2″.  She gained an entire inch!!

Sad news 😦

Raven, my moody Lasidora parahybana sling died yesterday.  I noticed it in the death curl, and moved it into a film container with no lid just to be sure.  I am certain that she has passed, and sadly, I don’t know why.  Once again I believe that the recent molt might have been at fault, but because it was less than an inch, I am unable to give a definite reason.  If you have been following this blog, you will recall that the zoo just lost an Aphonopelma sp- Davis Mountain Rusty under the same circumstances.  Humidity levels have been closely monitored, as have feeding practices.  I am still looking into ways to prevent future losses.

As mentioned earlier, I am looking at shelving units to nicely display the tanks and jars, as well as provide functionality for lighting and heating (we have a gecko here too.)  A camera is in the works so as soon as we are fully settled into the new apartment, I will be posting pictures.

I am looking for photos and set up ideas, so if you have any tips or photos of your own “zoo” displays, send them to me at 8 pink toes at g mail dot com, and I will post them here!

(BTW- If you read the last blog, Aphrodite is doing well, and is her same old self. 🙂

Serj Molted!

Last night, while doing tank checks, I found my Aphonopelma chalcodes standing over a molt.  She still looked almost clear (as the little ones do when freshly molted) so I just left her alone and left the molt as well.  I will post new LS and pics some time this week.

Isis is Molting!!

I just peeked in Isis’s jar, and she is molting!  It looks like she is right side up, but she appears to be okay.  It could just be my imagination….

I will post pics when she is all done, as I do not want to disturb her with the camera and bright light now.

Isis is my Brachypelma smithi, and this is her first molt under my care.

C. fasciatum first meal- Dancing!

Lasidora Parahybana-Salmon Pink Bird Eater

Salmon Pink Bird Eater

Legspan: 9-11″ (3rd largest species in the world)

Terrestrial– Meaning that they need longer tanks as opposed to tall enclosures. Long Critter Keepers are good for this. L. parahybana is very bulky and is a poor climber.  Falls could prove fatal.

Humidity: 70-80%  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: VERY Fast

Life Span: NO INFORMATION FOUND.

Species: New world.  Will readily flick hairs when irritated. (Slightly Nervous) very bold species- can be found basking in the open.

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

L. parahybana is large enough to consume pinky mice.  Though I may find another source….

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