Tarantulas and other inverts

>>2323551
As someone who's never kept tarantulas before but has almost 10 years of experience with diverse other inverts (including 5 years of centipede experience) what species would you recommend?

There's just this overwhelming number and going through them one by one would be extremely time consuming.

Keeping conditions should not be a problem, I know how to to temps, humidity, substrate and so on. Fast and aggressive species also shouldn't be a problem, can't be worse than some of the pedes I have.

I'd want something a little more active. During the day or at night doesn't matter, I watch my animals mainly at night anyway, red LEDs are great for that and I assume tarantulas can't see red like everything else I've owned. Or, in case all tarantulas are as passive as I think they are, how about something stunningly pretty instead?

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>>2323559
if you're looking for activity, I'd recommend a curly hair tarantula (Brachypelme albopilosum). Those guys are little bulldozers.

If you wanna crank it up a notch and put your invert keeping skills to more of a test, Lasiodora parahybana might be your choice. Many are docile, but they can be skittish and even a little aggressive.

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>>2323559
Poecilotheria metallica are fancy, if you don't mind something fast and skittish.

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>>2323559
>>2323560
Pic related is an LP, btw

>>2323560
That Lasiodora sounds like something I'd enjoy. Keeping them seems pretty easy compared to some of the stuff I've had (and bred) too. Seems pretty affordable too. I've found some pretty small ones here: http://www.spidersworld.eu/en/sklep/tarantulas/lasiodora-parahybana/

Is this shop legit or should I wait for the next convention to get one?

>>2323562
Like I said, aggressive and fast shouldn't be a problem and I'll be appropriately respectful of an animal that I don't know. Never had anything escape or bite me and I'd like to keep it that way.
Just as an example, I have a Scolopendra galapagoensis lady that a friend once described as a "hate powered venom rocket" that has ripped the silicone from inside her tank, can (and has) run up my 45 cm tweezers in half a second and can rear up to about 2/3 of her bodylength (25cm) in an instant. Never had any problem with this little cutie.

But those prices are a little high for just trying it out to see if I like it. Absolutely amazing looking though, damn.

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>>2323589
If you're looking for something cheaper you could look into some Avicularia species. They also got neat colors.

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My grumpiest H. spinifer taking a drink.

>>2323589
Tell me more about centipedes. Are all of them aggressive? At least the popular pet species? I handle little ones all the time to freak friends out, but I'm guessing a giant Vietnamese won't be so cooperative.

>>2323596
After looking though some I really like versicolor, diversipes, purpurea and A. spec. amazonica manaus. The one in your pic is an amazonica, right? Those are probably my favorite so far.

Any of those in particular you'd recommend or are they pretty much all the same except minor details and paintjobs? From what I've read it seems like diversipes would like it a bit drier and stays smaller but the rest are very similar.

>>2323600
"Aggressive" really isn't the right word, they're defensive. Some more than others. None will come after your hand trying to kill you, at least not the 8 species I've kept so far but they will react to any disturbance very quickly. People say they are unpredictable but with experience you find out that's not true. With a few exceptions they will just run away when disturbed, granted, they do so very quickly and they climb as fast as they run, and if they run towards you or up your tweezers that can seem like aggression but they're really just fleeing. The next defensive behavior that a lot of species will attempt is striking you with their last pair of thorny legs (E. trigonopodus, S. morsitans, S. gigantea, S. galapagoensis, S. polymorpha), which can be surprisingly painful and might be misinterpreted as a bite because it's REALLY fast and can leave marks. The only ones that really DO bite before attempting other stuff are the really big fuckers (gigantea, galapagoensis) and anything from the S. subspinipes complex.

>cont.

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>>2323606
But in general you should just never handle centipedes, not necessarily because they bite (many certainly would) but because they are fast (gone before you can react even if the animal seems calm a moment earlier), they are good at hiding and squeezing into things (you'd never find them) and really prone to desiccation (they'd die before you find them), which seems like a total waste of an otherwise great pet to me.

webm is one the S. morsitans pedelings I had last year :3

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>>2323608
>that immediate bite

W E W

E

W

I think I'll wait until I keep some more grouchy Ts before i attempt a pede. Thanks for the info!

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>>2323612
he just wants to play :^)

But seriously, he was probably after the salt on my finger. They just can't help using their claws. They use them for everything actually, digging, moving stuff, scratching themselves (!), climbing and so on.

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>>2323615
Do inverts usually go for salt on our fingers? I've seen pics where a T will suckle on its owner's fingers and I assume that's what it's for. Like, I've had bumblebees and butterflies clean my fingers up after I eat a honey bun, but. I wasn't aware that carnivorous inverts would feel any need to suck our fingertips a la Bon Scott. Do they even benefit from sodium?

>>2323615
Are there any small centipede species that could be kept in a group? Around 4 inch maybe?

>>2323617
Well, everything needs some amount of Na+ ions to live, it's absolutely essential. And if a source of this stuff that's otherwise pretty hard to get is presented to them they'll just go for it. Just about everything I've had likes to lick my fingers. And it seems to me that many of the predatory inverts we keep probably don't get very much salt in their diet.

>I've had bumblebees and butterflies clean my fingers up after I eat a honey bun
Most butterflies are absolutely CRAZY for salt. Their usual nectar diet really doesn't have any. Many even go for shit and dead animals to suck up the salt that's in there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApWAs9P0Sh8

>>2323627
Whoa.

Well that explains why my friend's rose hair likes sucking my fingers

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>>2323620
Some people keep Alipes multicostis and Alipes grandidieri in groups, I haven't done that yet because when I got them they were still really expensive but I can see that it could work. They're the least aggressive species of pede I know.

A. grandidieri (pic) gets around 3.5 to 4 inches, A. multicostis gets bigger. They don't dig much so you don't need much soil. Instead they like to hide behind bark, so you should provide a rather high terrarium with plenty of hiding spaces so they can avoid each other. Also they like it rather dry.

>>2323636
and by "not much soil" I mean still at least half the length of the pede, or better yet as deep as the pede is long, they do still dig simple burrows sometimes

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Any other ant keepers here?

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>>2323648
>that image
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld2nWfIap2k

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>>2323608

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>>2323651
>he has not yet been introduced to the wonderful world of ANTS

Buckle up.

>>2323661
But seriously what is that though

What's the weirdest/rarest invert you've kept so far?

>>2323669
queen of some Atta species, probably Atta cephalotes

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>>2323669
>>2323671
It's an Atta texana queen.

>>2323670
>weirdest
I dunno, they're all a bit weird, aren't they?

>rarest
Probably the pair of Plistospilota guineensis I currently own. I've only seem them offered once and by one breeder and bought some immediately for a great price. From what I've read they go for ridiculous prices usually.

No idea why they're not more common. They get huge, are easy to take care of (I've had absolutely no problems with mine so far) and grow like weeds.

>>2323589

>"Hate powered venom rocket"

I'm laughing my ass off

Spiders are some of the coolest motherfuckers on the planet but I am scared absoltutely shitless of them on a deep psychological level. Like some people are like "I'm an arachnophobe eeek they're icky!" but I fucking shut down if there's one near me and involuntarily flip shit and scream like I'm dying if they touch me.

I interned ar a zoo and I could handle the cockroaches and the millipedes just fine but I can't even bring myself to get close to the spiders' enclosures.

And it's really too damn bad because they are so fucking neato, but I know the first time one of them would run up on to my hand trying to escape I would lose my cool and best case scenario fling it across the room, worst case scenario kill it and put my hand through the glass.

Enjoy your awesome pets for me.

>>2323956
I actually knew quite a few people that got into tarantulas because of their arachnophobia, in an attempt to confront their fears. And while it certainly didn't completely cure it for most of them (they still don't like the thin long legged spiders that you get around the house) they absolutely ADORE their pet tarantulas now.

And there are plenty of species of tarantula that are super calm and relaxed and their idea of "running" is a slightly faster walk. That combined with their usualy "I don't give a fuck" attitude makes them perfect beginner species imo.

>>2323958

I might look into it, I'm just super afraid I'll murder the poor thing by flipping out.

Anyone here going to be at the Terraristika in Hamm on the 11th?

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>>2323958
>knew

I wonder what happened to them

>>2323598
I too have a grumpy Spinifer, called Snickers.

>>2324031
>>2323598
how big are the enclosures you keep these guys in? and how much substrate do you use?

>>2323670
I had Cambodian Pumpkin Patches when they were relatively new to the hobby.

>>2324033
Always wanted to get into dwarfs but I hear they are pretty much all pet holes. There are some really pretty ones though.

Are there any that actually come out?

>>2324032
Mine is in a ten gal with about 5" of Coco fiber as substrate. My colony of 4 is in a 55 gal with 4" of fiber.

In both enclosures, humidity is the toughest thing to maintain. They like it really humid, so I run diy foggers 2x per day.

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>>2323559
Considering you've kept centipedes there's really nothing you probably couldn't keep.

Do you want a spider that burrows, lives on the surface, or lives in trees?

Do you want a spider that can be handled reliably or one that is just for viewing?

Do you prefer colors or size?

Would you rather a small spider or a large one?

Do you prefer inverts that need moisture or dry conditions?

>>2323956
It's very common for people afraid of spiders to not have any issue with keeping tarantulas. It's also not a very difficult pet to avoid touching. If I were to suggest any species for you it would be Euathlus sp. red or another Euathlus species. They are sort of "dwarf" species, so it wouldn't get very big and are fantastic species to handle if you ever work up the courage to hold it. They are nice to look at and a relatively more active than other species.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMKJ0yF2yAY

>>2323958
>they still don't like the thin long legged spiders that you get around the house
That's known in psychology as discrimination. On a subconscious level their innate fear response no longer considers tarantulas and spiders the same thing.

>>2324037
Euathlus species are pretty small, sometimes called dwarf though they may be bigger than some people would call dwarf. They also aren't prone to being pet holes.

>>2324135
>Do you want a spider that burrows, lives on the surface, or lives in trees?
Doesn't really matter, though I expect burrowing spiders to show themselves a lot less and as a first species I'd want something that I actually see once in a while.

>Do you want a spider that can be handled reliably or one that is just for viewing?
I don't handle my animals.

>Do you prefer colors or size?
Colors to be honest, I simply don't have a lot of room at the moment.

>Would you rather a small spider or a large one?
Largest enclosure I can offer at the moment would be 40x40x30 cm (around 16x16x12 inches, 13 gal), so anything that would be comfortable in that.

>Do you prefer inverts that need moisture or dry conditions?
I'm keeping centipedes and some mantids that are very sensitive to fucking up the moisture and they're doing great, so it probably doesn't matter.

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>>2324283
>40x40x30 cm
Basically you should have no problem keeping an adult tarantula in that.

Any favorite colors or color combinations? Avicularia versicolor as you already mentioned looking up is a good choice. They look beautiful even as tiny spiderlings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66NBOMgK6HQ&index=9&list=PLpNbT4ORuIHV7umPeZSpBIpNW9iHeTaXg

Other colorful and readily available species are the green bottle blue and the orange baboon tarantula.

>>2323648
I wanna make an ant farm but I've never done so before, any tips or recommended Australian species to start with?

>>2323608
I know this isn't what you meant by pet centipedes, but I always handle Scutigera (house centipedes) every chance I get. They're too damn cute. I just wish I could see a few more in the house.

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>>2323589
>Is this shop legit or should I wait for the next convention to get one?

Most breeders on the web are pretty legit. best way to check is to contact them personally and ask what they've got. Ask for the condition of any animal you want to purchase. Ask for temperament of individuals as well, as this shows how much they're actually in touch their animals

>>2324333
Well, I've read up on all of those and I think I'm getting some Avicularia species and probably also Euathlus spec (they are just too cute). Instead of ordering online I'm planning on going to the next local convention and talk to some sellers and then buy from them. Gonna report back what species I get in the end (from what I've read most Avicularia and Euathlus require similar conditions, so I'm gonna buy what's available).

Also I don't want to buy adults/subadults (where is the fun in that) so they'll go in plastic boxes for now. I do plan on moving the Avicularia at least into proper glas enclosures eventually though. I've got two empty 20x20x40 cm ones (RIP Hyllus diardi pair, I'm taking good care of your slings) and an empty 30x30x40. Would you put an adult Avic in the bigger or the smaller one? And at what size should I move them?

>>2324488
Actually there are big Scutigera spec. from Indonesia that you can keep as pets. They've never been bred in captivity though so they're not established.

>>2324033
Cambodian pumpkin patch huh?

>>2324037
My H. sp Columbia large is always out. N.incei are also pretty visable. Always busy webbing

>>2323589
If you can wait for the convention do it. You'll get better prices and not have to pay shipping, the only problem is that you might not be able to find the species you want. That bring said you can always find LPs and B. albopilosum. They're like...the cheapest...probably won't pay more than 5 bucks per sling (slings are cheap and more rewarding imo).

At the show there will probably be other NW terrestrials too which would be good for beginners

>>2324283
A. geniculata is gonna be for you. They grow fast and are beautiful. Always out, great eaters, and big. Not a lot of moisture requirements. Basically keep it on dirt with a hide and waterfowl and they will be happy.

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>>2324583
>waterfowl

Would a duck be ok? I can get those for free. I can also get geese and swans but I don't think I'd be able to fit one in the enclosure.

>>2324283
Look for Avicularia like versicolor (mostly humid). Or Chromatopelma (arid). I like Poecilotheria but they are not very colorful.

>>2323669
This is a Odontomachus. The first ant pic was Atta.

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>>2323648
yep

>>2324555
>Also I don't want to buy adults/subadults
Major warning, the Euathlus species is very slow growing and long lived. You might be spending a few years looking at a generic tiny spiderling and they often are much more skittish than adults or subadults. I would suggest getting the Euathlus at a bigger size. The Aviv sling is a good idea.

You should put the avic in the taller enclosure.

>>2324470
>recommended Australian species
Not OP, but the best species is pretty much what you can obtain and care for. Ant species make so many queens that will die anyway that a few mistakes won't hurt the wild population.

That said, avoid the species that will sting you at least for now.

>>2324679
>That said, avoid the species that will sting you

in other words, avoid anything from Australia

>>2324726
No, avoid anything in these families: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poneromorph_subfamilies

Those can sting, all the others can't.

>>2324610
Is that a cricket leg?

>>2324730
looks like it

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>>2324470
For a first time ant keeper, I'd recommend finding a hardy species that lives in your area. There's less likelihood that the colony will crash and you'll have an easier time finding a queen.

I recommend buying the nest, but making the outworld yourself. There are plenty of vendors online for nests. AC is the most well known, but their products are overpriced. Making an outworld is pretty simple and there are plenty of tutorials and examples out there.

Once you've got the nest and outworld ready and have a fertile queen, there's not much to it. Wait until the queen has 20+ workers, move them in, and keep feeding them.

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Anyone here keeping assassin bugs (Platymeris/
Psytalla)?

Are they hard to keep? Are they interesting?

>>2323608
it's oddly cute how it is shaking all its tiny little legs in excitement trying to kill you

My sister wants a hissing roach for her birthday. I don't know a whole lot about them, so some of these questions might sound a bit dumb.

My idea for a setup was to use coconut coir as a substrate, a water dish with a sponge, a small hide box with sphagnum moss, another hide box without moss, sone driftwood, and a couple small spider plants.
Is high protein cat food okay as their main diet?
If I give her a standard five gallon tank to keep it in, would a plastic aquarium hood like pic be enough to keep it from climbing out? Or would a thin sheet of glass be okay? If neither of those are enough I could do a 2.5 gallon critter tote.

Do they need supplemental heat? If that plastic lid is okay to use, would a 25 watt incandescent bulb be enough warmth for them during the day?

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>>2324907
Forgot pic of the plastic lid.

>>2324907
Not a expert on pet roaches but this site has a short care sheet. Should work for any hissing species they sell.

Halloween Hissing Roach – And other hissers ( MHC, Wide Horn, Tiger…)
Common name: Halloween Hisser
Scientific name: Elliptorhina javanica
Other name: Javanica Hissing roach

Elliptorhina javanica or the Halloween Hisser is a strikingly colorful species of hisser.
Halloween Hissers are smaller and softer than the standard Madagascar
Hisser. Halloween hissers are very easy to handle and make for excellent
pets or an unique feeder. The adults are softer and can be fed to a lot more
reptiles than regular hissers.

Max adult size: 3”
Live bearing: Yes
Reproduction speed: Moderate
Glass climbing: Yes
Flying: No
Substrate Needed: No
Temperature: Warm-Hot (70-86)
Humidity: Moderate
Food: Chow, oranges, apples, carrots, banana, squash and water crystals.

http://capecodroaches.com/t/hissing-roaches

>>2324907
Get your roaches from an actual breeder, that way you won't get hybrids and you'll probably also get very good advice.

Use potting soil, peat moss or coco fiber as substrate. Just use a flat water dish, sponges are bacteria heaven. Use cork bark as hides (can be bought at any pet store). Live plants will get eaten or destroyed.
Main diet should not be protein but vegetables and fruit instead. A protein supply should always be available though, cat or dog food works.

Adult roaches are strong, they might push off a badly secure plastic lid (one that doesn't snap on). Getting a glass terrarium with proper ventilation might actually be cheaper than buying glass (also you'd have no ventilation like that).

You don't need extra heat to keep them but they won't reproduce at room temperature (or maybe very slowly).

Also, in my opinion, they should be kept in groups of at least 5, and a 2.5 gallon tank is definitely too small for a group like that. 5 is pushing it as well.


Read this:
https://www.sites.google.com/site/cockroachcare/cockroach-husbandry

and then this:

https://www.sites.google.com/site/cockroachcare/gromphadorhina-portentosa-care

optionally also these:

https://www.sites.google.com/site/cockroachcare/info

https://www.sites.google.com/site/cockroachcare/zz---the-hybrid-problem

>>2324921
>>2324924
She just wants one as a pet, she doesn't want to breed them. Do they get stressed if kept alone? Would two or three males be okay together in a 10 gallon with a screen cover and security clips? Like petsmart.com/15053.html and petsmart.com/5195577.html
Would hamster food be okay as a main diet?

I'm basing this off of things I already have lying around or can get very easily and cheaply.

>>2323971
>why is that harvestman shilling for spiders while housesitting some spiderbro's web

>>2323562
Courage and Honour!
We March for Macragge!

>>2325051
Because /v/ drawfriends suck

>>2323648
Waiting for nep. Flights I live in Washington state so I'll probably have to start with something like carpenter or pavement ants. Have you seen ants Canada on YouTube? Any recommendations for a soon to be beginner?

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>>2325161
Tetramorium sp.E is one of my favorites and they're probably one of the best beginner species. Specifically:

-The queens are very easy to catch. If you have a swimming pool or a black light, you can end up with dozens of them.
-The colony will grow quickly. By the time they're ready for hibernation, you should have a few hundred workers.
-They're extremely hardy and will eat just about anything.
-It's very satisfying to watch them attack feeder insects. They're extremely ferocious even in small numbers.
-While they are small, they're shitty climbers and therefore not particularly good escape artists.

I wouldn't recommend Camponotus for your first ant species. They're very interesting once the colony is established, but that takes about a year and they're somewhat prone to crashes in the early stages if you're not careful. If you do want to keep them, I recommend catching another species to keep yourself interested while the Camponotus colony develops.

>>2324801
They're vicious little psychos I'll tell you that

>>2325004
They don't breed at room temperature. Males will fight more when it's crowded and/or there are not enough females. In a 10 gal you can keep 2 or 3 males and 10 or so females. That screentop plus those clips would be perfect. If you're REALLY worried you can smear the top 2 inches with vaseline. With only the top for ventilation you should be careful of watering it too much, don't let it get moldy, keep it relatively dry.

You really don't need to worry about special food for them, just give them fruit and vegetable (uncooked) leftovers and some cat or dog food for protein. They eat surprisingly little. Also you don't actually need substrate but it helps keep some humidity.

This is really not as expensive as you think. A mixed lot of 10-15 hissers should cost you around $20. Some cork bark for hides is $5 to %10, egg cartons are free. Unfertilized potting soil/peat as substrate shouldn't be more than $5. A shallow water dish is also really cheap or just use something like an inverted lid from something. A can of dog food will last at least a year. Leftovers as main foor are also free.

>>2325227
So are many of my centipedes. So this sounds good already. Guess I'll get some. They breed pretty quickly, don't they?

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>>2324801
I have a group of P. horrida

what exactly do you want to know?

>>2325273
>So are many of my centipedes
but `pedes do not shoot their venom in your eyes, assassins can do that

>>2325274
Those are the exact ones I've been looking at. They get a bit bigger than the Platymeris species, right?

Got a few questions.
I want to know how active they are. Do they come out?

How often do they need to be fed?

Are they active hunters or sit and wait strategists?

How quickly do they breed?

How small are the nymphs (I really don't want these to get out)?

>>2325275
I try as hard as possible not to disturb my animals. How much do you have to disturb them to do that? Do you always have to wear safety glasses when doing maintenance on them?

>>2325161
Pavement ants are good and easy to start. You'll have to wait later in the spring/early summer for them to fly compared to Camponotus which usually fly early.

One thing you can do with a Tetramorium colony is steal a handful of pupae from a wild colony (10 or so) to "boost" the new queen into a small colony much faster. That's only if you feel impatient and want an active colony faster.

I've saw him when he first started in the hobby on the antfarm yuku forum. His advice is good but the last time (at least a year ago) I looked his products were overpriced.

>>2325214
>I wouldn't recommend Camponotus for your first ant species.
I agree that Tetramorium are probably one of it not the easiest species to catch and raise but I don't see any point in discouraging people from trying to raise others if they catch them. It's really not a detriment to most wild ants. Worst case it's just an exercise in futility like trying to raise a parasitic Lasius queen.

>>2325278
>I want to know how active they are. Do they come out?
At night, yes
During they day: pretty much never, they flee from the light
But they go on a hunt when you throw food in, even if it´s in broad daylight

>How often do they need to be fed?
at least once a week. I try to make sure their abdomens never get too "skinny"

>Are they active hunters or sit and wait strategists?
Active hunters, but they can be pretty shy sometimes

>How quickly do they breed?
Not as quickly as Platymeris sp. but still relatively quick, if you do everything right

>How small are the nymphs (I really don't want these to get out)?
about 5mm when they hatch, and they like to squeeze into tight places

>They get a bit bigger than the Platymeris species, right?
Yes, about 5mm longer than Platymeris sp. "Mombo", so not too much bigger
They are a bit harder to care for apparently, at least a lot of people told me theirs died for unknown reasons.

>Do you always have to wear safety glasses when doing maintenance on them?
I never wear goggles while doing maintenance on their terrarium. But i got sprayed before, not in the face luckily
One of them sprayed when I moved a piece of bark... but they never sprayed me again
I still would advise you to be cautous around them

Also, they are really gressive hunters, they often runt to the front of the terrarium when they see movement infront of their tank to investigate

Also, they can take prey much lager than themselves, like all assassin bugs

>I try as hard as possible not to disturb my animals.
Perfect, that´s what everyone should do in my opinion

>>2325305
I can get 10 P. horrida for 50€ here, I'm not getting ripped off , right?. Also how big on an enclosure would you put those in?


>I still would advise you to be cautous around them
Will do. Never had anything happen so far and I plan to keep it that way. I might just wear googles anyway, I've got spares from our lab.

>Perfect, that´s what everyone should do in my opinion
I don't see the point of raising and keeping these animals if you don't want to watch their natural behaviors. And you can only see those if you don't spook the fuck out of them at every chance you get.

From what you've written it sounds like I'd enjoy them quite a bit. Now I just have to find out if they can see red light. If they can't I can do my usual trick of using red LEDs to watch them at night. Works great for my centipedes and whip spiders and should work for the tarantulas I'm getting as well.

I'm the guy with the centipedes (and jumping spiders, and some other stuff) btw.

Does anyone know where or from whom I can get an adult (or subadult) male Damon diadema in (central) europe?

Turns out I've got two females and now I'm searching for a male but it has been impossible to find one.

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>>2325284
I wasn't trying to discourage anyone, but ant keeping is not a forgiving hobby. If you get really invested in a single queen or a difficult species, you may be left disappointed and possibly queenless until the next nuptial flights take place. A lot of people aren't prepared for that disappointment. That's why I recommended capturing multiple queens and different species if possible.

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>>2325325
>I can get 10 P. horrida for 50€ here, I'm not getting ripped off , right?
absolutely not, that's a good price

>I don't see the point of raising and keeping these animals if you don't want to watch their natural behaviors. And you can only see those if you don't spook the fuck out of them at every chance you get.
exactly, I'm completely with you there

>how big on an enclosure would you put those in?
about 50×30×30 I would say, you can keep 10 adults + their young ones in there perfectly.
but make sure it is "sealed" perfectly, unless you want the smaller ones to get out
But I think you know how to make a terrerium escape proof, considering you keep centipedes

>Now I just have to find out if they can see red light. If they can't I can do my usual trick of using red LEDs to watch them at night.
Oh, now I know who you are! I remember you from the last few threads
I can try to see if red light disturbs them, if you want

what is the best engineering ant species?

>>2325569
I've got a 40x40x30 and two 30x30x30. I guess I'll use the big one then, that actually has more groundspace than a 50x30.

>but make sure it is "sealed" perfectly, unless you want the smaller ones to get out
>But I think you know how to make a terrerium escape proof, considering you keep centipedes
I'm a bit worried because I use 1x1mm fly screen for ventilation usually. It's fiberglass so it can't stretch but I'm not sure if those holes are small enough so the larva don't get out.

>I can try to see if red light disturbs them, if you want
Please do. From what I've found it seems they can see red light but are not disturbed by it. All the studies I found though were unsurprisingly on disease vectors like Triatoma infestans.

Also cute isopod. I recently got some Armadillidium maculatum myself. They are adorable.

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>>2325889
40×40 floorspace sounds good
they also like to climb, so use big cork pieces
I also use plants and a few twigs, so they can climb on that too

1×1mm flyscreen should work, i think.
you could also seperate the I1 nymphs in a little box and put them back in the terrarium when they are a bit bigger

>Please do
will try it tomorrow

nice, I love A. maculatum, they are so pretty and active, just like the P. bolivari.

P. expansus on the other hand.. damn, these guys hide all day long, it seems they are active during just a few hours in the middle of the night.
A shame, they don't have to hide. I love their colors, even if they are just juveniles yet

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>>2325889
I should add to that that I do NOT use the fly screen for ventilation for any of my centipedes. They would chew through it like butter. Don't use fly screen or metal mesh for centipedes, that would be a terrible idea.

>>2325931
Never head of Porcellio expansus but wow they are beautiful. They also look huge. Never seen them for sale anywhere. I mean I guess I could get them in summer if I just drive over there for a week. Not sure that's quite legal though.

I originally got the A. maculatum to replace my usual cleanup crew of illegal immigrant P. scaber and Oniscus asellus but they're so adorable that I'm actually already considering getting more. Porcellio ornatus is the one I've been looking at.

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>>2325839
What do you mean by engineering? Most ant species will dig tunnels and modify their environment. Leafcutters and fungus growers are probably some of the more unique niche species if that's what you mean.

>>2325889
>>2325931
>>2325952
I recently did some anting and grabbed a few A. vulgare I found just for the heck of it. They're adorable little guys. I think I'm going to keep them and see how they do. Any idea on how quickly they'll breed?

>>2326180
Not that quickly, a few batches of eggs per year per female. And they don's start produdincg eggs until they're at least two years old. Also it's really dependent on population density stress. They will self regulate their reproduction if there are too many.

http://www.geneseo.edu/~beary/BearyPrimary/Isopod%20care.htm

My Avicularia avicularia sling molted for the 2nd time in my care and is now a little over thumbnail size from pinky nail size. This took about a year. Is this slow? I've been raising a curly hair from a similarly young sling which is now 3" and yet I feel like it molted and grew faster than the Avic in the first year. I thought Avicularia were faster growers than this?

>>2326320
Thanks for the info. Are there any general guidelines for population density? I'm sure I'm fine right now, but I'd like to move them into a more permanent setup eventually.

>>2326333
How are you keeping it? Temps? Humidity?

>>2326338
It's in a hand tall 3 finger wide acrylic enclosure with sphagnum moss to climb on and cocofiber substrate.

Room temps in warm part of the house, which is low 70s but can dip into the upper 60s in winter. I have it in a room with a humidifier and I dampen the substrate once a week. No direct measure of humidity though.

Try to feed it small mealworms but each one is still a pretty large meal for it. Try feeding once a week though it occasionally refuses food.

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>>2325952
>Don't use fly screen or metal mesh for centipedes, that would be a terrible idea.
yea, I can imagine, hahah

I thought about getting into centipedes as well. Are there any species you can recommend for a centipede noob?
I'm not even close to beeing a noob in invertebrate keeping, if that matters.

>Porcellio ornatus is the one I've been looking at.
There are a few sellers in germany that sell P. ornatus. I can recommend mantidendealer.de, they currently have P. ornatus in stock (and many other Isopods)
I often bought animals from them, ant the packing, as well as the quality of their animals, is excellent.

Also, P. ornatus is an absolutely beautiful species
well, the northern for is not really yellow, but the commonly sold "high yellow" variant is stunning
They are also pretty easy to breed, compared to other Porcellio species.

this got me interested. how much do these tarantulas live on average? it'd be interesting to have one in my room but i am not crazy about it, so if it's gonna live short I doubt it would worth the money.

>>2326421
That depends both on the species and the gender. Females can live anywhere from 5 to 40 years, the usual range is 10 to 20. Males are much shorter lived and also grow up quicker than females, 3 to 5 years is the norm but some can live a bit longer.

Once owned a Brazilian Black Tarantula (Grammostola pulchra). It was my first and only spider as a pet.

Very docile and nice temperament even for my beginner self.

Fun to handle, but most of my friends / family were too scared. His(or her) favourite spot was to sit in between the folds of my curtains and just CHILL.

The main reason I have not got another T was due to the food it eats. Was more effort to keep the crickets healthy and maintaining their enclosure.

Watched the tarantula go from 1.5cm legspan until it was about the size of my hand. Never once did it try to bite, but boy the fangs were glorious :)

>>2326432
That's the problem with only having one or two Ts, the food is more work than the actual animal. That's why you get like 20.

Anyone here know if it's bad when a jungle/rainforest cockroach bites you?

I don't know their scientific name, but they're generally leaf-mimicking (brown back with organic pattern), a shell "hat" (their heads aren't visible like in domestic cockroaches) and a black spot on the shell hat. Sometimes the hats are translucent instead of solid.

I get tons of those in my house since I live near a rainforest reserve and they love my kitchen lights. I throw them back out by hand and they sometimes bite my fingers slightly, probably due to food smell. Never had any reactions whatsoever, but maybe I was lucky.

>>2326337
I'm just finding that out myself. I put them 10 of them in a 5 gallon box, that should be plenty for them to increase their population. I mean in the wild you often see huge aggregations of them, it's not like they are solitary.

>>2326425
i see. do you know of any international shippers? I found some online sellers but none of the trustable-seeming ones seem to be shipping it overseas, to my country.
also would i need specific equipments to take care of just one tarantula, or can i build something myself out of regular glass and stuff?

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>>2326442
don't worry about a roach bite
It will have no bad effect

also, could you please post a pic of the roaches?

>>2326449
Where are you from? There should be local sellers as well, and conventions.

>also would i need specific equipments to take care of just one tarantula, or can i build something myself out of regular glass and stuff?
You need nothing special to take care of tarantulas period. Don't get memed by any pet store employee.

Here, read these: https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/beginner-guides/

Ask any specific questions you have after reading those here (and if you don't enjoy reading about tarantulas and informing yourself about them then you probably won't have a lot of fun with the real thing either, just as a heads up).

>>2326459
Turkey. Unfortunately there aren't any.

I think I found one shop in Britain. I am thinking of ordering a Brachypelma boehmei and Cyclosternum fasciatum. Would these need to be kept in different places, or could they "live" together? In any case, I'd even enjoy them fighting from time to time, and as long as one of them lives it'd be fine for me.

>>2326464
>Would these need to be kept in different places, or could they "live" together? In any case, I'd even enjoy them fighting from time to time,
classic turk
please don´t get any kind of animal

>>2326464
tarantulas are solitary, keeping them together will result in at least one dead tarantula

>and as long as one of them lives it'd be fine for me.
what's fine for you shouldn't matter, this is about the animals

I don't think this hobby is for you.

>>2326465
>>2326466
how is a tarantula killing a tarantula any different then a tarantula killing a pinky?

>>2326471
why feed a pinky to a T?

>>2326471
>Feeding mammals to tarantulas
That's not even good for them, so no it's not different it's both stupid

>>2326340
>>2326333
Anyone? Is this normal?

>>2326474
>>2326475
Food Consumption: I fed my new born spiderlings fruit flies. When they reached 1/2" I introduced baby crickets. My adult Bahia Scarlet, I give two (2) one-inch B. dubia roaches or 10 adult crickets weekly. This species is a great eater, and attacks its prey with a vengeance. I also give her two (2) pinkie-mouse or a house gecko once a year for variety.

meh, i don't claim to know shit, i just saw it on one of the guides. but my point stands even if you only feed it crickets and stuff. at what point is the "living thing" is ok to be killed? and don't kid yourselves, the tarantulas (and other pets) are for *you*, not the other way around.

>>2326452
As soon as it gets dark and they start coming I'll take a pic.
They look a bit like the one in your picture, only their back is solid/gradient instead of with a pattern. They're very cute and love to squeeze into the space between my fingers (and stay there for minutes at a time) when I hold them.

>>2326480
Why is killing other people wrong? Why isn't it wrong to kill in self defense? Motivation is the fundamental difference. Feeding an animal another creature because you must or it will die is fundamentally different than killing something because you want it to die.

>>2326480
people that keep tarantuls keep them as pets, you wouldn't feed a pet to another pet because you care about them

you want to get a tarantula and not care about it, why is why you're willing to feed it to another one

caring about them is the entire point of the hobby, hence my earlier statement that you should stay far away from it

>>2326432
>was
I'm assuming the poor thing's deceased?

>>2326476
Well, avics are not quite as fast growing as people often think they are but that still seems a bit slow

Raising the temperatures in combination with more food will work of course, just be careful not to overheat the poor thing, it's best to not directly heat such small enclosures but to put them somewhere warrmer.
Switching up the food might also work. Try roaches, crickets or green/blue bottle flies.

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Rainforestfag here again. While I wait for nighttime to take pics of the qt wild roaches, could anyone help me identify this spider?
Don't wanna turn this into a spider id thread, it's just that they're technically mine because there's easily 100+ in my front and back yards.

In pic: Left, in web. Right, belly view and web (they all hang on the underside of the web, and the "holes" are square shaped!). Middle, HD upper view. Bottom pic is a crude "web diagram" showing their tiered webs.

>their web has a dense messy layer on top, a neat arranged square-pattern middle like an orb-weaver web, and another messy layer underneath
>the spider rests on the underside of the middle layer in a "tent" area.
>when disturbed they curl into a geometric shape, not a ball
>their back is spiny like an Argiope, and they also sometimes do the "X" shaped leg arrangement, but I've had no look googling argiopes

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

>>2326514
>Don't wanna turn this into a spider id thread
hey its; alright. This thread's for all sorts of questions.

as for that species, I've never seen anything like it or heard of any webbing/behavior that matches what you've told us. I'm stumped, my dude

guess that's what I get for only knowing about mygalomorphs

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>>2326415
Care for all of them is pretty easy, so I'm gonna recommend species that are not quite as fast and hyper aggressive as others.

Ethmostigmus trigonopoduse (pic) is calm (for a centipede), slow(ish) and pretty. They strike with their back legs when disturbed instead of biting. Not as active as some of the others but still out almost every night.

A sturdy box, 2x as long and 1x as wide as the pede is long with a secure lid with damp (not wet) soil that is half the height of the pede, some cork bark and a little water bowl and they're happy. Room temperature is sufficient. Temps above 27C/80F can kill them in a few hours. They don't like it too wet but the soil should never dry out. Some dig more, some dig less. Feed 2 to 3 times a week with prey that is not bigger than 1/3rd the length of the pede, 1/4th is safer. Remove uneaten food after a day. Regularly remove the bits and pieces they leave over when eating, they're very messy eaters. When they start to leave bigger parts reduce the feeding. No touchy, but I think you know that.

Scolopendra hermosa are also calm and slower but dig a lot and rarely come out. Same setup except more humid.

Alipes species won't bite but they're fast and they need a different setup. Half the soil dry, half damp (still not wet), vertical pieces of corkbark and some thicker branches for climbing. Some people keep them communally but I wouldn't risk it.

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>>2326514
Net reminds me of Linyphiidae but that's all I can say, there are 4500 species in that family.

>>2326445
I have five and they're in a container that's about 10 sq inches. I'm sure it's fine for now, but when they breed or I find some more, I'll probably move them into something bigger.

>>2326563
yeah, just give them space and see how big the population gets, at least that's what I'm doing

>>2325952
i have a D. diadema. she's a big pussy.

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>>2326503
Given to a breeder.

>>2326781
aw

is that pic her?

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Too many athropods in here. Where's M'ollusc at?

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Did I just witness my female P. regius hypnotizing a fly? Sorry for shitty quality, I only have my phone at the moment.

This is the first time she's eaten after her latest molt and I think she was a bit surprised because the fly basically came right at her.

>>2326875
She got the fly of course, right when I stopped filming but this went on for almost three minutes.

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>>2326802
Yea here are a few others I have

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Sling before it got the nice black color

>>2326889
so fuzzy and shiny, what a pretty lady

why did you give her away?

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juvenile G. Pulchra

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subadult Avicularia sp. Peru purple

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subadult B. smithi

>>2326961
A cute!

I always liked the idea of keeping a tarantula or a millipede because insects are so cool but idk if I ever will. I don't particularly mind slow moving insects, or at the very least, predictable insects but if it is fast or unpredicable I lose my shit.

At my local pet store, about a year ago, they had this giant beetle larvae, my only regret is that I didn't get it. Giant beetles are so cute.

I legit have a phobia of butterflies and moths and it's so fucking dumb, I would rather be in a room with a spider than a fucking moth...

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>>2327241
Most brachypelma species are good and slow moving, Same with grammostolas.

Anybody else keep honeybees? I'm up to 8 colonies and hoping to double that this year. Indisputably the most satisfying invert to own.

Also if anyone could point me to where I can find orchid mantises for sale (hypenopus coronatus) please do.

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>>2327249

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>>2327241
>insects
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

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>>2327249
I take it back, actually just found some nymphs for sale. How hard is it to raise a mantis, it seems like providing small flies would be a real pain im the ass when they're young.

>>2327257
Shouldn't be too hard, just answer a few questions.

Where are you?

How expensive are those nymphs supposed to be?

What size are they?

>>2324135
Holy shit this one actually looks terrifying

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>>2327274
>anon falls for the black/yellow mimicry ring

>>2327271
Texas, 14 dollars, allegedly first instar. Shipped from the UK. I assume they have a high mortality rate so maybe it would be a good idea to get like four? A female is ideal and that would increase my chances. Really close to making a kneejerk purchase.

>>2327257
>>2327271
>>2327309
And I'm a fucking idiot. Long story short there are none for sale nevermind.

>>2327257
H. coronatus are not for beginners, start with Sphodromantis sp., Hierodula sp. or if you want a flower mantis, Creobroter sp.

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Need some bug help /an/. I hope I'm asking in the right place, I didn't want to make a thread just for this

There are a bunch of these water bugs in my fish pond filter. After some research and guesswork I figured out they were dragon fly nymphs. Will they be ok if I just leave them in the pond filter? Sometimes when I check the filter an adult dragon fly pops out and there are some empty husks from when others grew up so they seem to grow up just fine. But there's also a bunch of what I think are white orb spiders that hang around the filter as well and sometimes the dragon flies get caught. I'm worried about putting the nymphs in the pond with all the fish because I'm not sure if the koi will eat them

>>2327387
Yes, the fish will eat the nymphs. Yes, spiders will eat the nymphs. Yes, you SHOULD let them grow up!

Dragonflies are a sign of clean, healthy water. They prey on other nastier bugs. More of them is a good thing. Check the filter now and then to free any adults that have molted and things should be fine. You can clear out and move any spiders you find if you are worried about the dragonflies.

>>2327309
So you're in the US, which means you have plenty of online sellers of inverts. Those will also sell feeder insects. Local pet stores as well.

Hymenopus coronatus are not gonna survive a trip across the pond, especially not as L2 nymphs. If you want that species you're gonna have to order from someone in the US, preferably with over night shipping for nymphs that young.

Like the other anon said though, H. coronatus is a notoriously sensitive species. I personally think anyone can start with anything if they're properly prepared but trying to raise L2 orchid nymphs as your first mantis? That's not gonna be fun for you.

If you really want them, I recommend starting with other species that are way easier. Sphodromantis, Hierodula or Phyllocrania paradoxa. Get at least an L4 nymph. I know these are not as spectacular as the orchids but they all are fascinating animals. When you have some experience with those you'll be a lot more succesfull with the Hymenopus.

If you have any questions, ask away.

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One of these it not like the others.

My B smithi likes to rub its fangs on the vent in her enclosure
What does that mean?
It isn't an aggressive rub just like rubbing them on there and I can hear it

>>2327609
Either she wants out or she's grooming herself

>>2327609
On the vent specifically or elsewhere too? She might want to get out if the air is stuffy or it's too hot in there or the humidity is too high.

>>2327612
She does visibly try and push on the door while doing it so that's a possibility
I also left the door unlocked one time and she got out so if her little arachnid brain is smart enough to remember that she knows where to get out from.
>>2327613
The vent protrudes so that's the only thing she really can do it on, if she does it on her decor it's wood and soft plastic plants so I wouldn't hear it. I have the humidity at like 41% because that's the humidity in my room.
I'll have to keep monitoring conditions I guess.

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>>2327635
>I'll have to keep monitoring conditions I guess.
That might be best. They lie it dry

>>2327451
I've kept mantises before, just not any this young and not a species this finicky. Not too worred about my ability to keep them alive. They're so hard to find though, and I really want another mantis so I might go with something more simple. And something larger, I just realized they only get up to three inches, and one if male.

>>2327241
>I always liked the idea of keeping a tarantula or a millipede because insects are so cool

>I always liked the idea of keeping a sparrow or an elephant because fish are so cool

>>2327646
Well most of the colorful ones are pretty small. See it as a benefit. The smaller they are the more you can get. I really don't know what species of mantis are available in the US, I have good overview of what you can get and what it should cost here in europe but I get the impression that mantids are not as commonoly available over there.

Some easier but still pretty (imo) species are: Phyllocrania, Creobroter and Pseudocreobotra. All of these are small and need flies.

Blepharopsis and Sibylla are bigger but also more difficult and also need flies.

There are a few big ones but they are all considered "expert" species. There is Idolomantis, which is notoriously finicky but also big and pretty (and expensive, though prices are coming down right now, at least in europe). Gongylus is not as corloful but also big but also finicky. Heterochaeta is huge but I don't know much about them yet so I can't give any advice (getting a few of them soon though, I'm very excited).

>>2327652
I forgot: If you're looking for a more "normal" type mantis there are various "shield mantids" you can look at. Rhombodera or Deroplatys for example.

And then there are a few that are also the "normal" type but have pretty exciting wing when adult, like Pseudempusa, Prohierodula or Plistospilota.

All of these are pretty robust.

It would really help if someone knew some reputable online mantis seller in the US.

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>>2327652
Heterochaeta are nice. They just need it warm with a lot of space and preferably light food. Work well in groups.

Some colorful bigger mantids that come to mind are Pseudempusa and Prohierodula, both have very impressive threat poses. Hierodula majuscula also sometimes gets interesting colors. Parasphendale are worth mentioning as well.

>>2327669
I'm getting 10 or so of them soon. I've already had species like Idolomantis and bred Hymenopus twice but for some reason I'm super excited for these and I want some more information (of course I've read all the online stuff already).

You have/had Heterochaeta? How did it go and what kind of setup do you have them in? Also how big do they actually get?

I was thinking of putting them into one of these and putting one or two 35W halogen lamps over it: https://ca-en.hagen.com/Exo-Terra-Screen-Terrarium

I know you can get way cheaper sceen enclosures but this one is aesthetic as fuck so that's what I was planning on getting. How many adults would you put into one of the smaller ones?

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>>2327678
I've kept two in a 40x30x60cm tank at around 30°C, haven't bred them though. About 14-15cm is normal for a female. I guess that 45x45x60 tank could hold 3 adults well, mine moved so little that they pretty much never met each other.

>>2327690
I assume you fed them flies only?

>>2327705
Yeah, it's just the safest for mantids with thin arms and they are great feeders in general. I've ditched crickets completely since I've had even Hierodulas start vomiting after eating them.

>>2327710
I've stopped with crickets years ago too. Now it's flies, dubias and locusts.
I just asked because you can actually "powerfeed" certain mantids by mixing in dubias with the flies. I've done that with Hymenopus, Gongylus and Pseudocreobotra. Also (but this is completely anecdotal) it seems to keep the adult males alive longer.

>>2327719
Sounds interesting. Does it speed up development as well?

Also, just wondering: Have you perhaps had any experience with Eremiaphila or Metallyticus? Those are at the top of my wanted list, but it always takes ages until some are up for sale.

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>>2327720
>Does it speed up development as well?
I can't say that for sure. I only do it in combination with high temperatures which does speed up development so I can't say which of these is the deciding factor. It gets the nymphs between 1 and 2 molts ahead compared to keeping them at the "recommended" temperature and feeding only flies.

>Have you perhaps had any experience with Eremiaphila or Metallyticus?
Not yet. I haven't seen Eremiaphila offered in years, I'm afraid they've died out in captivity.

>Metallyticus
You may or may not have reminded me of something, which may or may not have caused me to send a few emails, which may or may not cause me to spend a considerable amount of money, pic related.

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>>2327737
And I may or may not have already gotten an offer back.

>>2327737
>I'm afraid they've died out in captivity.
Not completely it seems. Just yesterday a german breeder put up an offer allowing reservations of E. uvarovi for the Hamm expo. Sadly the breeder doesn't ship and that'd be an 8+ hour drive for me. Otherwise I'd order them immediately. But they really seem to have gotten insanely rare instead of more common.

>And I may or may not have already gotten an offer back.
Hope it goes well, they are such amazingly unique mantids.

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>>2327749
Well, just today two people have put up offers for Metallyticus for Hamm, on which I just jumped. Luckily that's about a 40 minute drive for me.

150 € for 6 Metallyticus splendidus but I'm commited now.

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Guys! I just caught this little fella after he landed in front of me and I watched it kill this fly.
Any recommendations on how to keep it?
I'm currently storing it in a plastic cup I use to keep roaches with a moist napkin under it for humidity.

>>2327802
The cup does have breeding holes
I also have tarantula sling enclosures I'm not using could I use those, what substrate give me all the details.

>>2327775
Let me get this straight. That little dude chomps things with his armpits?

>>2327804
>>2327775
I just realized that's a mantis too. My mistake for not following the reply chain.

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>>2327803
>breeding holes
>spider glory holes

oh my

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>>2327805
Yup. A "primitive" mantis, one that might closely resemble what the very first mantids looked like, after they diverged from roaches, which are their closes living relatives. They don't sit on branches and wait for their prey but instead actively chase them up and down trees. They are very interesting, very pretty, very rare and thus very expensive in the hobby.

Picture is Chaeteessa spec, an even more basal mantis (probably the most basal living one) that I found on a field trip in Costa Rica. Notice how it doesn't even have spines at the front of its tibia, like any other mantis does.

>>2327802
Well, it's obviously native to where you live so go outside, get some soil, some plants for it to climb on, put it in the sling enclosure and feed it flies.

>>2327650
I know they are vastly different in terms of husbandy, which is why I will never get millipedes. I do not know why my stating an interest in them upset you so much.

>>2327823
Not him, but
>I do not know why my stating an interest in them upset you so much.

Because it sounded like you were assuming millipedes or tarantulas are insects.

>>2327810
I could easily grab soil from my backyard
However, would coconut fiber and peat moss do it better?
I'm also thinking of giving it small dry branches since live plants would eventually rot.

>>2327829
How humid is it even outside? You might not need very high humidity. After all the little guy was doing just fine outside until now. Using coco fiber or peat moss might be safer though, you never know what is hiding in outside soil. Live plants or not doesn't really matter, just give him some stuff to climb on.

>>2327826
My bad.

>>2327833
Not very humid
It was next to my pool but it's Arizona

Are hissing roaches like livebearing fish in that even if you get only females they might already be pregnant and give birth later?

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>>2327802
>>2327803
>>2327810
>>2327833
I just threw this together and put it inside once it let go of the fly
It's currently trying to find a way out but I'd imagine that to be normal.
What should I change
Also how often should I throw a fly in there?

>>2327894
Just don't buy adults.

>>2323608
I'm an arachnophobe and I came to this thread to see if I could find some good horror material.

You just gave me a heart palpitation. I still haven't unclenched any muscle in my torso.

>>2327775
holy shit
I wanted some too, but I guess he has none left now

I have to be quicker next time.

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Wish him luck /an/

>>2328098
I got lucky. He said all the big ones were already gone and he put up the ad just two days ago. I'm getting L5/6 nymphs now.

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>>2328102
Well that was quick.

>>2326530
>Linyphiidae
Late reply, but the webs look almost exactly like those!

Another weird thing I found today, the spider I posted was grey but I found another female that is red/orange today. Same features as the other one.

That's one of the shitty things about living in South America and loving inverts, it's almost impossible to identify them properly unless they're very common. I'm also pretty sure I've found some unidentified species over the years but I'm too lazy to go after getting them registered.
>mfw was in the jungle and found a black spider, clearly Latrodectus something due to the eye disposition and general features
>It had a perfect red geometric pattern on it's back
>unlike every single Latrodectus i've ever seen online
>phone was dead so no pics :(

>>2328102
do you get yours from C. Schwarz?

>>2328115
>shitty
You mean awesome. Just stumbling over new critters like that is exciting. I can get that it would be frustrating trying to identify things though.

If you really think it is new (the smaller it is the higher the chance) collect a few, gather your data (locality, date, time and so on) and send it to the next place with an entomological collection. There it will go into some closet for the next 40 years until someone describes it.
Pro tip: Investigate the life history and ecology of whatever you find and see if it is/does something interesting, make sure to tell the guys you're sending it to and they'll get to it waaaaay quicker.

>>2328121
Yes.

>>2328123
>Yes
shit, I emailed him last week about his M. splendidus, and I thought he didn't reply

now I just saw he replied last week already, but his mail was in my spam folder for some reason...

is it even worth replying now?

>>2328126
He doesn't have adults anymore. I think I bought the last L5/L6 he had but he still has L4s. He says he can't sex those though, too small. He only wants 20€ for those though.

>>2328129
well, I wanted a sexed pair.
maybe I'll buy a few of the L4 if he still has any

crap
but I think I'll just reply and see what he has left

>>2328123
Thanks for the info. I've considered getting into arachnid research by myself because I love the little fuckers, but Brazil is a mess in itself and even the best entomological places are like... backlogged to hell and back and lacking even basic infrastructure.

Just so you can have an example, Brown Widows aren't common here at all. The local government branch that makes antivenom is severely lacking them to collect the venom from.
I have over 60 brown widows just sitting here and there's no way they can come pick them up even if I trap them, I'd literally need to separate a day to just go there (3 hour drive each way) with a car full of quite venomous spiders. If I'm stopped by police on the way I'm afraid I could be arrested for eco crime or some shit like that.

I've also had a Brazilian Wandering Spider as a pet simply because they couldn't come pick it up. The phone conversation was pretty lol worthy though, something along the lines of "Sir, we are aware you have the world's most venomous spider in your kitchen right now but we cannot do anything about it. You should kill it" and the lady hung up when I told her I wouldn't because I just love spiders.

>His name was Elliot and he lived for 2 years after I caught him, died of natural causes apparently. Was a vicious little fucker but over time learned that my hand = food so he'd stay still when I opened his container to feed him.

>>2328132
>backlogged to hell and back and lacking even basic infrastructure

That's because everyone nowadays only does genetic data and the number of morphologists is dwindling every year. If you only have molecular data without any morphology to compare it to it's completely and utterly worthless. You need someone to actually describe and assign features to these new species, and even if they're cryptic species someone needs to somehow identify how they are reproductively isolated and that involves work. And yet there are dozens of research groups that shit out hundreds of garbage barcoding papers without any morphological backing.

Luckily people are finally starting to wake up and realize they need people that can look at something and say "yup, that's new and here's why". Only took 15 years. But now they realize that "whoops, all the morphologists are gone and now no one wants to learn it again because we trash talked them for the last decade and in a few years no one can learn it because they'll all be gone".

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>>2328138
I even forgot my picture because I got so upset.

Never been to Brazil, this image is from Costa Rica, but I can imagine that you have an even greater diversity of spiders and I already saw so many pretty ones there.
No idea what exactly this is (Lycosidae, Pisauridae?) but it sure was pretty. Maybe you can tell me, I'm not good at spider identification but you can see the eyes at least.

>>2328138
This is so true.
As an irl anecdote, my brother is a biomedic working on "pests" and an arachnophobe. The second he realized one of the species we have at home are brown widows, he went on a rant about how their venom does this and that to protein chain x or whatever it was. He talked for half an hour about the dangers of Brown Widows from a medical point of view, how they should be contained and removed, how their venom's structure probably reflects their behavior, etc etc.
Long story short, he has no idea to this day that Brown Widows are one of the most mellow and scaredy venomous spiders, because to him spiders are only a bunch of test results on a paper. I've had a couple climb on me by accident and they behave like scared puppies compared to other hots, they'd curl into a ball or run whenever I poked them.
Also pretty lulzy that he'd know how to identify their venom analysis results on a screen but couldn't tell when I was holding one in a cup and asked if it was a house spider.

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>>2328107
>2 hours later the male is hanging out in the females little silk sock and munching on her flies

kek

>>2328007
Are they still pretty easy to sex when they're young?

>>2328141
A bit hard to see without looking from above and sides, but definitely not a Lycosidae.

I've never heard of a blue/black Phoneutria, but the eye arrangement, chelicera size and leg proportion is pretty similar. The problem is that some Pisauridae have parts that look like Phoneutria, and the ones that make them obviously different aren't really showing in the pic.

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>>2328158
I don't have any pictures from the top and the few side pictures I have don't show spinnerets. This is the best I have. Like I said, I ain't good at spiders so I don't know what traits are diagnostic. In most insects I know and if I want to find out what it is I take pics of them but with spiders I know very little.

>>2328161
Hmm, still hard to tell. That's a gorgeous spider! It does look like Phoneutria due to the eye arrangement and the "slope" from the eyes to the mouthparts, body "weight", and lack of pointy abdomen seen in many Pisauridae.
Was it solid black to the naked eye? Or was the blue visible even without the flash?

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Brazil anon again. Tried looking for the unidentified spider and found it, but felt bad that in order to take a pic I'd have to destroy it's web. Will try again some other day.
>mfw almost lost my shit when a giant hornet flew past me

So instead I decided to take pics of this qt bae that was chilling near my pool furniture, please excuse the not so great quality.

1 of 2

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>>2328207
And here is the money shot. Took me 20 minutes trying to convince her to let me take a pic of her belly.

>it looks like I'm squeezing her from the angle, but she's actually hanging from the knife

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>>2328200
The blue was most visible on the chelicerae and front side of the femur, and a little bit on the front of the prosoma and patella and tibia, the rest appeared black. The flash exaggerates the blue of course but it was a very pretty spider.

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Earlier a few people were discussing pill bugs. Does anyone know how to differentiate A. nasatum from A. vulgare? They look identical in nearly every picture I can find. I know nasatum can't curl up into a perfect ball, but the handful I caught seem to like being handled and I can't really get them to curl up at all.

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>>2328288
Found this: udel.edu/~mcdonald/genetics_isopod_key.pdf

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I'm the guy whose sister wants hissing roaches. This is the "starter kit" I've come up with. Anything obvious or big I should change?
I'm also giving her a small spray bottle.

>>2328346
Looks good to me. Have you gotten the actual roaches? If so what species?

>>2328346
Looks pretty much perfect. A few more pieces of cork bark for hiding might be good but that's optional.

Just make sure to tell her to put it somewhere where it doesn't get direct sunlight, eclosures heat up really quickly in sunlight. Also tell her not to overdo it with the spraying, if one half of the soil is slightly damp that's already enough.

If you get the roaches get any Gromphadorhina species. Don't get memed and buy any other hissers, those are probably not the ones she wants, Gromphadorhina are the big fat ones.

>>2328360
>any Gromphadorhina species
Gromphadorhina grandidieri "tiger" is a nice colorful one and Gromphadorhina oblongonota has the size.

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>>2328355
Madagascar hissing roaches. They're the only ones any stores near me had.

>>2328360
The bark and leaves in there are from a pomegranate and plum tree. She can reuse that in between cleanings, right?
Speaking of, how often should she clean it? I've read anything from once a week to twice a year.
I also read that putting pill bugs in the soil will help keep it cleaner. Is it that simple?

And thanks for the advice.

>>2328431
>any stores near me
Normally I'd advise getting them online and not getting fullgrown adults

Looks like a nice roach, is your sister helping you set up in that pic or is it a surprise?

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>>2328445
She didn't tell me what she wanted until aboit a week ago and I procrastinated getting things put together, so I just got some on the way to see her.

It was a surprise, but we got it all set up now. There are three, but only one is out right now.

Hey can anyone help me identify this sling i bought it and was told it was a Goliath but they did not specify which of the three Theraphosa species it was

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>>2328524
sorry forgot to add pic

>>2328524
Most likely T. stirmi. They are the most commonly breed in the US and the cheapest and have been mislabelled ever since "SP. Burgundy" was split from T. blondi by taxonomists. They often have 4 front pinkish toes like your pic while blondi doesn't.

This isn't a 100% ID by the way, when it grows you'll need to look at actual morphology to confirm it.

What kind of enclosure is that in? It looks like glass. I highly suggest getting an enclosure with proper side to side ventilation. They need to be kept in more humid conditions than other Ts but 100% humidity and poor airflow will kill them.

Look up a few care sheets for the slings and make sure they were written within the last few years.

>>2328431
>Speaking of, how often should she clean it? I've read anything from once a week to twice a year.
When/if it starts to smell. If it doesn't, twice a year. Just exchange the soil and you're good.

>I also read that putting pill bugs in the soil will help keep it cleaner. Is it that simple?
It is, but they need it wet. They work great in humid setups, they basically do all your maintenance for you but I'm not sure they'll work with the roaches. You want to keep those roaches pretty dry though which again means that the pillbugs won't be doing so great. You can try keeping one half of the soil damp and provide at leat one hide on that soil.

>>2328481
I hope she enjoys her roaches. That setup is better than 99% of what first time owners usually put together. Tell her that if she wants more all she has to do is put a small halogen spotlight over there and she'll have lots of roaches rather quickly.

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>>2328525
Either Stirmi or apophysis, but definitely not a blondi

Given that the pink is mostly on the front legs I'd lean more towards stirmi

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Finally managed to take a picture of one of the Hyllus diardi slings with this shitty phone camera. They're about the size of fruit flies.

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>>2328525
>>2328572
Is it true that stirmis are chiller than the other therphosas?

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>>2328620
absolutely cute!


also, where is the guy who wated to know if P. horrida are disturbed by red LEDs?

I tried it, they flee when you turn the LEDs on, but come out a short time later
So I think it should work

>>2328630
well mine seems pretty calm but Ive only had this one for a month

>>2328572
I appreciate the help I made a thread earlier and was treated like shit for not stating the scientific name lol

>>2324584
>Pepe the dog

>>2328657
beyond cute, they're already as aware and responsive as the adults

>also, where is the guy who wated to know if P. horrida are disturbed by red LEDs?
Yes, thanks for testing. So they do see it, interesting.
You know you just found out something that was completely unknown until now, right? I looked through the literature, there's nothing on the visual spectrum of Reduviidae, except for Triatoma infestans.

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>>2328291
So I took some close up pictures and I'm pretty sure these are A. nasatum. you can see a little ridge between the antennae. I was hoping they were A. vulgare but oh well. Does anyone know if the two overlap in the wild, or does just one species live in a given area?

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>>2328660
Sweet. Well, from what I hear, they seem to be more calm around their owners. Found pic related on archnoboards and the poster claimed she was as docile as his rose hair.

>>2328662
Ah, the T community tends to be kinda anal about it, mostly because the etomolological community is a trainwreck and common names get confused all the time. Hell, even scientific nomenclature gets screwed sometimes. I remember when G Pulchripes was G Aerostratia. Still don't know if it's two different animals or a new name.

>>2328683
>Hell, even scientific nomenclature gets screwed sometimes
Yep, they recently revised the whole Avicularia genus. It's a mess.
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/avicularia-revision-published.291589/
http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=10717

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>>2328739
Sweet mother

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>>2328739
>Ybyrapora diversipes
>Ybyrapora

You can not be fucking serious. Was this actually necessary.

Good paper, but
>In the cladistic analyses, representative species were included of seven of the eight
theraphosid subfamilies recognized [...] as well as species of all aviculariine genera and other available arboreal taxa with uncertain position, in order to test Aviculariinae monophyly.

Doing this with morphological data will lead to garbage 9 out of 10 times.

>Melloina santuario Bertani, 2013 (Paratropididae) was used to root the cladogram.
>2012+5
>rooting a morphotree with an outgroup

Just stop. If you're doing internal phylogeny, do internal phylogeny. They even admit they get garbage in the end:
>Aviculariinae is recovered as paraphyletic since A. rickwesti comb. n. is in a clade with Poecilotheria sp., Haplopelma sp. and Lasiodora sp., genera belonging to three different theraphosid subfamilies. The clade (Ephebopus (Psalmopoeus + Tapinauchenius)) was not recovered as basal group, but in a more derived group of Aviculariinae.
>Antillena rickwesti comb. n. is the sister group of Poecilotheria sp., and both taxa could be considered as aviculariines.

Having to manually pick your tree in the end to fit your analysis should be hint enough that something went wrong. Don't fucking include outgroups if you're doing morphology only, Jesus Christ. The sheer amount of """homoplasies""" this produces shows how worthless it is.


>cont

>>2328778
I know this is not the right place to do this but as it happens me and a few people are working on something very similar, albeit on a very different group of animals but with morphological AND molecular data, so I feel qualified to criticize this.

Until someone comes along and does some proper barcoding to back this up I would take this paper with more than a grain of salt. They make a good point for revising Avicularia since it is a mess apparently and their revision is good but their phylogeny SUCKS ASS. And any conclusions they try to draw from the phylogeny can only be garbage.
Guess I'll add another topic to the list of potential things I want to do for my doctorate.

Also "Ybyrapora" is a fucking terrible name and they should feel bad for using it.

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>>2328571
Yeah, we both think they're kind of cute. Our mom disagrees.

I got all males because none of us want any more roaches. She said she might get a reptile heat mat for them just because it's pretty cold in her room. They were all huddled together under the wood bark this morning.

Thanks for your help again. The setup is better than I would've put together myself as well.

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>>2328807
Roaches are kind of cute, when you look past the usual association of them as pests (there are maybe 6 species that are considered pests, but 4600 in total).

>She said she might get a reptile heat mat for them just because it's pretty cold in her room.
As long as it doesn't dip below 70 for long periods it's fine.

>They were all huddled together under the wood bark this morning.
That's normal. They're social animals, they always huddle together.

So uh, does anyone want to explain to me how isopod sex works? Because two of my Armadillidium maculatum have been sitting on each other for the past 20 minutes and I can not imagine how that would work...physically. Also there seems to be this jealous third dude skirting the sidelines.

>>2328843
Correction: He's more than jealous, he's furious. Ramming his little bulldozer head into the two.

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>>2328843
>>2328844
Why is this making me laugh so hard

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>>2328844
He managed to turn them over but then fucked off. They didn't seem to care. The others seem disinterested.

Did one of my pillbugs just get cucked?

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My stag beetle setup (feat. ugly white medh bc of fungus gnat issues).

Dorcus alcides pair, Spike & Sally, and phalacrognathus muelleri pair, Julius & Cleo.

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>>2328900
Why does my phone do this? Here

>>2328900
>>2328903
Cute setup.

How big are they? Do you plan to breed them?

>>2328864
THIS IS A BLUE BOARD, MISTER!

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>>2328904
Here's a size ref of the muelleri pair, the female is tiny.

I'd like to breed them, but right now I'm teaching abroad and leaving next March, and since beetles can take 1+ years to go from egg to beetle, it's not really possible... I'd like to in the future, though

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>>2328917
My biggest guy, Spike. The female of his species (Sally) is about the same size of the muelleri

He's got a nasty temperament but he's fun to watch explore the room (my walls are textured, so he climbs them)

>>2328918
He looks sick

You ever pit him against other stags?

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>>2328953
Nah, I'm afraid he might crack their shell, he's really strong.

pic related.

>>2328968
Ho-ly shit son ,he's got some muscle.

Always loved how strong beetles are.

>>2323670
Only one was some "indian stick bugs", I used to work at a bug museum so I knew how to take care of them and cull the extra eggs, plus they are an invasive species around here. It was fun.

>>2328917
Nice male though.

>and since beetles can take 1+ years to go from egg to beetle, it's not really possible... I'd like to in the future, though
Aren't P. muelleri known for living pretty long as adults? I heard they can get over a year old.

>>2328968
>armed and dangerous
What a gorgeus beetle though.
I always wanted to get into beetles, stags especially but I'm always put off by the effort of breeding them, with all the wood and flake soil and kinshi and whatnot.

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>>2328739
wow man

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>>2328917
>>2328918
Shame their lifespan is so short. What I would give a for a beetle that lived as long as a tarantuls

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>>2329055
Yeah, I'm a little worried they might outlive my stay here. I know a few people who could take care of them for me if they do...

I'm tempted to mail them, but I'd feel too guilty if they got found & destroyed

>>2329454
It's a bummer. I always think I'll be okay with their short life span, but I still get upset. My rhino beetle's back legs stopped working a few days before he died, but he still pulled himself around, which was sad but inspiring. Bugs don't give a fuck

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Where do you guys stand on the whole handling thing?

>>2329576
My 3 T's happen to be nervous individuals, so I'm not gonna bother stressing them out.
If I ever get a 'docile' T I might try it a few times, just to see how it feels, maybe even let family or friends try it if they're curious. But other than that I'll leave them alone to keep unnecessary stress to a minimum.

>>2329576
For most people it's a novelty thing I think. Having this big hairy spider on your hand is exciting the first few times but it doesn't last. The whole handling thing seems to mostly come up with newer keepers and I have nothing against it.

>>2329576
my T goes running every time she hears the screen flex on her terrarium's lid. still trying to find a workaround for that

I might try it when she's an adult, but the occasional removal for terrarium cleaning is enough for the both of us

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>>2329593
>>2329739
>>2329742
Maybe you guys could try a trick I learned with a friend about a year ago.

>friend had this kinda nervous rose hair named Harriet (pic related).
>offers to let me hold her, but as soon as my hand entered her enclosure, she entered a wary semi-threat posture (legs were up, but not the fangs).
>pulled my hand out not wanting to get tagged until he told me "it's okay, just shake her hand."
>What do you mean by that?
>"Put your finger under one of her feet and she'll taste you and realize you're not dangerous. Stroke her leg a littel bit as you go."
>this_nigga.jpg
>Decide to try it, fully expecting at least a slap from her
>She doesn't even flinch as I touch her foot and start stroking
>Within seconds she's in my hand, calm as can be.

It's worked every time I've tried it since.

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bump with cute

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Beetle anon here, question for T owners.

This is meant to be curious (not snarky), but is it still fun to have a pet you can't/don't handle? A big part of the fun of the bugs for me is letting them climb all over me while I work on the computer, but beetles might be more suited to that (clingy legs, can't go very fast). Is it akin to having a fish, more if a visual thing?

>>2329809
That sounds cute.

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>>2330062
In many cases, it's a visual thing. Especially with OW Ts.

Still though, I've met many NW Ts that seem to genuinely enjoy it, if not just for the warmth or salt.

I have another m8 who's a total pothead, Named his poor girl "Dank." Dank seems to love black wool clothes like sweaters, and if you hold her, the instant she sees/touches the sweater, she goes nuts. She wallows in it, cleans her fangs on it and just loses herself. More often than not she tuckers herself out, finds somewhere warm on the sweater, like your neck and just falls asleep.

>>2330062
For me it's mostly a visual/observative thing. I like them for what they are and how they look. They're not really active but it's always a nice surprise to see them cleaning their fangs or fixing their web, not to mention their molting behaviour. Another aspect I like is how easy it is to take care of them, they're as low-maintenance as a pet can get.

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>I like to collect bugs

some people just aren't fixable

Does anyone here have experience with emperor or Asian forest scorpions? And how do they compare to tarantulas in terms of behavior and husbandry?

>>2326827
skrell yeah :)

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>>2330099
Mostly cuz we don't need no fixin' nigga

>>2330080
Beetles are the same as far as low maintenance (or more, since they just eat jelly cups) so I feel you.

Sometime I'll have to ask my
Local exotic petshop about tarantulas, they're cool guys and might let me check one out up close. Being bitten scares me a bit, but I figure there are warming signs...

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>>2330264
>I figure there are warming signs...

Trust me, unless it's an OW, they'll give you plenty of notice

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>>2330062
I like watching them burrow and groom and make webs, but overall they're not very exciting pets. The way I see it, I may not get a lot out of them, but they ask very little of me either. I have dogs to satisfy my petting needs.

>>2330264
If you piss off a New World tarantula, it's much more likely to flick hairs at you than to bite. Just stay away from the OWs for now.

Since you're already used to keeping bugs, you could probably manage an Avicularia (or related genera now that they've been reorganized). My first T was an A. minatrix. I've only heard of accidental bites from Avics (either using their fangs to help them climb, or dumbasses who tried hand feeding them). I hear they itch for a few hours but that's it.

>>2330164
I don't have any experience with them myself but I know a guy that has them and he says that the Emperors are very strongly nocturnal, you won't catch them outside when it's daylight by accident but apparently they do roam at night. The Heterometrus are a bit more active apparently.
Both need even less food than tarantulas though so don't expect that much activity.

To get the real picture you probably have to do what centipede anon does, when you can't watch them at night you really can't be sure what's going on.

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>>2330062
>Is it akin to having a fish, more if a visual thing?
Yes, pretty much but there's more to it. Some of course are just astonishingly pretty, people will ask if they're fake while they're standing in front of them and the more you get the more differences you start to see, which also turns this into a collectors hobby. Just having one tarantula is rather rare. I mean they're basically furniture but you can have hundreds of them and it's still less effort than a single dog so people start collecting. And then successfully breeding and raising them is also very exciting.

Also there are some individuals of some species that you CAN handle. I say individuals because temperament within a species can vary greatly but you probably know that with your beetles.

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P. bolivari babies, finally

>>2330598
Cute!
How many do you have? I would unironically buy some from you (if I had money, it's all gone, for Hamm).

>>2330598
>>2330635
Forgot to ask you something: How often do isopods molt? Shortly after I got my A. maculatum a lot of them molted, in just a few days. Seemed strange to me that they all would to it in such a short span.

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I think my rose hair is going through its first molt, this is my first spider and all of a sudden it stopped eating and put down all these webs. I've had it for about 5 months and it pretty much didn't use any webbing until now.

but the reason I'm posting is, he hasn't eaten in about 3 weeks, 2 days ago I tried giving it a cricket but it just ignored it. is this normal?

also, give me some suggestions of stuff I should add to the tank, I know it's kinda empty.

>>2330857
>is this normal?
Yes. Will go on for some time too, then it will molt, then it will need another week or so to harden the exoskeleton and then it will eat again.

>>2330864
ah that's good.
can I clean up the webbing or does it feel safer or something with it like that?

>>2330857
>also, give me some suggestions of stuff I should add to the tank, I know it's kinda empty.
Add more substrate, the space between the top of the enclosure and the floor shouldn't be higher than 2 times the spider's legspan. Some tarantulas like to climb and might injure themselves by a fall, especially if they're big.

Also don't worry too much about the feeding. I haven't fed mine since late november and my 3 T's are doing fine (they're all kinda fat atm).

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>>2330874
I would suggest leaving it. He'll most likely use it to molt on

>>2330874
if your T puts webs there it thinks there should be webs there, they'll be back in no time if you remove them

basically just let them do whatever they want with their enclosures

>>2330877
yeah I was planning on adding more substrate but every time I feel like doing it I feel too afraid to even indirectly touch it lol. one day tho.

>>2330882
>>2330883
ok, thank you

>>2326530
>hey bro check out some of my black metal band logo concepts

>>2330877
I didn't know spiders could get fat or thin. That's weird and interesting...

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>>2330420
Thanks for the info! I know almost nothing about tarantulas despite my interest in beetles, so I had to look up the whole OW/NW thing. And the fact that they can flick barbed hairs at you...? That's bizarre.

I may look into one when I'm in a more stable living situation, but that lifespan is intimidating. I'll have to make friends with someone who has one, so I can just visit it.


For all invert owners: Ever do photoshoots with your pets?

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>>2331129
Yeah, tarantulas store their nutrients in their abdomen and it gets bigger the more you feed them. General rule of thumb is to have a 1/1.5 carapace/abdomen size ratio at most.
Pic related is an example of a 'fat' tarantula.

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>>2331129
I put my very, very fat G. pulchra sling on a starvation diet, 8 months later it hadn't slimmed down or molted so I just gave up and started feeding it again. The joys of keeping pet rocks.

>>2331131
>http://www.mikebasictarantula.com/Species-caresheet-Grouping.html
This site is pretty good for the basics, and you can get an idea of some of the species suited for beginners. Arachnoboards is also a good place, though some of the old timers bitch at newbies asking newbie questions.

The severity of urticating hairs varies by species, and also personal sensitivity. You may become more sensitized with repeated exposure, so wearing rubber gloves while cleaning out old NW cages (really only necessary when rehoming to a bigger enclosure) is a good idea.

I was intimidated and put off buying any for the same reason. But let me tell you, if you know anyone at all locally, unwanted tarantulas are EXTREMELY easy to rehome. A single tarantula requires less than a minute of maintenance a week, so nobody will have a problem taking on an extra tenant or two.

If your living situation is stable enough to buy crickets every week or two, and fill water bowls once in a while, you're able to keep Ts. My personal suggestion is to hit up the exotic petstore and look at their spiders. If you quickly become smitten (which you likely will), then make the jump and buy one (or five).

FYI Avicularia only live a decade, vs the 20-30 years you can expect from a lot of terrestrials. They have a reputation for being delicate and sensitive towards incorrect housing, but in my personal experience all you need to do is ensure they have lots of cross-ventilation and a water bowl at the bottom of their cage. They're also much less likely to flick hairs, their first line of defense is shooting poop with startling distance and accuracy.

Trying to photograph tiny spiderlings with a phone camera is suffering. Someday i will get a proper camera and take cute photos with props.

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>>2330635
>>2330638
You can have some when zhey are a bit bigger if you want, they should be ready at the start of summer or so

well, depends on the species, the big ones like bolivari and expansus mabe every few weeks/months, depending on size
the P. pruinosus seem to do it constantly, no matter which color variant


also, wish me luck guys, these fellas just arrived, I hope I'm able to breed them...
One is a bit light colored, I hope he survives..

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Hey guys, I got my first insect today, he's a rose-hair tarantula. I spoke to the guy I got him from and he said that it's okay to keep him in my hamster's old cage so that's where I have him at the moment, he seems to love it because he's sleeping or whatever in the corner.

Anyway, I have a couple of other questions.

Do they really make webs everywhere? Because that's kinda gross, I already had to clean one up because it looked nasty.

Also I held him earlier and he ran off my arm and fell like half a food but he's so big so he's gonna be fine, right?

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>>2331260

>>2326480
killing house geckos in turkey is a taboo. kill yourself

>>2331260
Haha ebin <:^)!

how can I get over my fear of german cockroaches?

>>2331266
culturally enrich them

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Crabs are top comfy.