Amazing Tarantulas!

One of the fun parts of participating in a hobby like this is sharing some of the day to day activities with others. Here, I will be listing updates on the tarantulas in our care (including our interaction with them), personal stories as our experience in the hobby grows, etc. Enjoy...  

October 6, 2006

I wonder why they call them "Curly Hair" tarantulas?

This picture was taken from one of our juvenile Brachypelma albopilosum. I love these spiders!

October 7, 2006

I've read several questions on various sites recently from new tarantula owners, regarding their tarantula being on its back. Unless that new owner is aware of the molting process, panic can quickly follow. For those that do know about molting, we get excited when we see a spider in this position. For example...

The first pictures is an Aphonopelma chalcodes flipped onto her back, ready for the molting process. The second picture is a Haplopelma sp. that has died. Top picture, glad. Bottom picture, bad.

July 28, 2006

Nothing like a tarantula with a healthy appetite. This Aphonopelma chalcodes stopped to pose for this photo.

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July 24, 2006

Granted, this entry is not about on of our tarantulas, but it is "spider" related. I don't know why it caught my attention in the first place, but noticed this tiny jumping spider by the sliding door of our home this weekend. As I'm trying to get a closer look, I notice a tiny bug about two inches away from the spider. I watched as the spider slowly made it's way closer to the bug. I could almost hear the narrator from the nature programs commenting on the hunting skills of the jumping spider. In the blink of an eye, the spider pounced! I dont' have the best camera, but here is the picture I took...

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July 20, 2006

I am a little late in posting this entry, but you know what they say...better late than never! (They really do say that.) Anyway, Carla and I have shared another "tarantula-related" bonding experience that we would like to share with you. About three weeks ago now, Carla and I got tarantula tattoos!

Carla's "Avicularia metallica" tattoo.

We were eating dinner at our favorite Mexican restaraunt, not too far from our house, when Carla saw a tattoo parlour a few shops away. She announced that we (and since I was the only one there, I assumed she meant me) were getting tattoos after dinner. Now, she has wanted one for a while now, but was never sure what to get. After having just finished her first American Tarantula Society convention, she thought that a tarantula tat would be a great way to award herself for conquering such a long time fear. Since I am such a loving and supporting husband, I decided to get one too (her first, my second).

Rick's "Lasiodora parahybana" tattoo.

We talked to the tattoo artist, and after looking at the few designs they had there, decided to return the next day with pictures in hand. Each tattoo took about an hour to an hour and a half, and we were very pleased with the result.

And if you think this was impulsive, ask us about how we went from dating to engagement in four days!

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June 22, 2006

If you've been on my site before, you know that I wouldn't attend the biggest event in the tarantula hobby without bringing a few new ones home.

Pamphobeteus sp.II from Ecuador.

Aphonopelma hentzi

Aphonopelma chalcodes (caught by Carla during a morning field trip on 6/17/06)

June 20, 2006

It happens once a year, and unfortunately, it goes by all too quickly. This year's American Tarantula Society conference, practically held in my backyard (Phoenix), was an absolute blast! The speakers we had lined up were top notch, and the retail area (aka, the Spider-Mall) was awesome. The other events at the conference that tend to be a favorite of many are the trips into the desert to look for arachnids. Here are some pictures from a daytime trip, as well as a nighttime trip...

We came across this female Centroides exilicauda (Arizona bark scorpion) carrying her babies on her back.

After pouring some water into a burrow, the little Aphonopelma chalcodes (Mexican blond) that calls that hole home popped up to see what the comotion was all about.

No privacy for this mating pair of Vaejovis spinigerus (devil lined scorpion).

I think the most exciting photo came from our night trip on Friday, June 16. While most others were coming the desert with blacklights (in search of scorpions), we decided to break away and look for tarantula burrows or wandering males. Once we were far enough away from the black lights (so as not to disturb them), we clicked on the big mag-light we were carrying. Two feet in front of us was this...

That is why a change of underwear is always a good idea to bring when hiking in the Arizona desert!

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May 31, 2006

Carla and I had the opportunity to appear on a local mid-morning news program, to help promote the upcoming American Tarantula Society conference (held in Phoenix this year). We were joined by the ATS President, Darrin Vernier. While the segment went well, the camera man cut Carla out of every single shot! 

One thing that we got a lot of during our visit to the news station, was the surprise that a "tarantula society" exists in the first place. I guess for everyday folk, it does seem a little strange. Then again, clubs and societies can be found for just about anything where people have a common interest. Whether you believe it or not, there are A LOT of people out there that have a love/fascination with tarantulas, scorpions, etc. Thus, the birth of the ATS - a place where scientists, breeders, and beginners can get together and exchange ideas and information; a place where people of all ages are welcome.

If you haven't been yet, you need to stop by the ATS Headquarters website at www.atshq.org. Check out the message board. It's free, fun, and full of great information!

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May 10, 2006

Well, 'tis the season for molting spiders! It seems as if I am finding new molts every couple of days. In the last month and a half, we have molts from:

Poecilotheria fasciata, Aphonopelma sp. (Carlsbad Green), Brachypelma emilia, Grammostola aureostriata, Cyclosternum fasciatum, 2 Brachypelma albopilosum, Lasiodora parahybana, Brachypelma auratum, Aphonopelma chalcodes, and last night, Grammostola rosea.

A. chalcodes before her molt...

A. chalcodes after her molt...

A few days after the pictures above were taken, our first tarantula, Drucilla (G. rosea) decided it was her turn. When I got home from work at about 1:40 p.m., she was just finishing this web-bed on the floor of her tank. Two hours later, I found her on her back. At 10:00 that night, I took these pictures...

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April 19, 2006

In a recent entry to this site's Guestbook, I was asked how many tarantulas we have currently. At this moment, we are caring for 65 tarantulas! Now, 29 of these are tiny spiderlings that will be used as door and raffle prized for the 2006 American Tarantula Society conference (June 15-17 in Phoenix, AZ). So we actually own 31 tarantulas, ranging from teeny-tiny Nhandu chromatus babies, to our 8-inch+ female Theraphosa blondi.

A book shelf holding some  of our critters.

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April 9, 2006

I noticed that our Theraphosa blondi's cage was in need of a cleaning. (With the high humidity needs of this species, it seems to "breed" various things inside the tank.) I decided that we should take our outside for some pictures while the cage was being cleaned.

We measured her at 8-inches. I think I'll create a poster with her picture on it and hang in on our gate. "BEWARE of GIANT SPIDER!" I guess the only problem would be her pretty calm nature. There was the typical flicking of hair, but even some notoriously docile species do that. No, even with the prodding and moving her around, she never gave a threat position, never turned to face either of us, and never tried to run for it. (More pictures of her afternoon out in the gallery.)

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April 8, 2006

Got up this morning and found that our newest Avicularia species had molted during the night. And boy did this spider grow! If you'll remember from a previous post, this spider was purchased at a large chain pet store and labeled with some funky common name. This did not look like a common pinktoe tarantula, although it was priced as such. After the molt, and conferring with a couple of other "tarantula folks," I am pretty confident that this is an Avicularia metallica.

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April 6, 2006

Carla and I picked up another new addition for the Amazing Tarantulas group - a greaterhorned baboon (Ceratogyrus brachycephalus). The beauty molted approximately one week ago, according to the place we purchased her. She is typical of many African tarantula species - fast and aggressive.

After putting her in her new home, I snapped a few shots of one of our BIG girls out relaxing. This is our big sweetheart chaco goldenknee (Grammostola aureostriata) had just finished a drink of water and was hanging out for us to admire. (I think she's getting a little full of herself, with all of the compliments she gets!)

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March 31, 2006

Our largest tarantula, a female Theraphosa blondi (Goliath Birdeater), surprised us recently with a molt. It was not quite the "clean break" that the G. auresotriata had (see below). This molt came off in pieces, but she is doing fine. She is a beautiful dark brown right now.

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April 4, 2006

One of the fun things about keeping tarantulas is watching their odd, and often quirky behavior. Since so much is still unknown about these creatures, we can only speculate as to why the do some of the things they do.

First, let me tell you about our adult female Grammostola aureostriata, pictured below. For approximately three weeks now, she has made a daily habit of taking the stance shown in the photo - standing high on all eight legs with her rump in the air. She will stand in that pose anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. After that, it is business as usual. There have been no changes to her home (namely her substrate), she is eating normally, etc. Maybe she just doesn't like the brand of crickets I am giving her...and she is letting me know!

Another interesting behavior that I have seen in my tarantulas is the "Simon Says" phenomenon. I'll walk into the living room (where our spiders are housed) and will see our G. rosea up against the side of her tank, with two or three legs up on the glass. As I make my way along (I always take the time to look at them), I notice the A. chalcodes and A. schmiti doing the same thing. Upon further checking, a few others have taken the exact same stance - often facing the same way. It is as if there is some strange (or familiar) vibration in the air that they are trying to get a better "feel" for. Some other species I have will have climbed to the top of one of their enclosure's walls at the same time. The other week, I walked by and found my B. vagans, L. parahybana, A. wichitanum, C. fasciatum, and both B. albopilosum all on the side of their tanks.

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February 17, 2006

Our seven inch female Grammostola aureostriata (Chaco Golden Knee) had been "pre-molt" for a few weeks now. (The hairless patch on her abdomen turned from pink to black, she stopped eating, etc.) Every time I passed her tank, I looked in, hoping to see her in the process of molting. Finally, on the morning of February 13, I found her like this...

For those of you not familiar with tarantula behaviors, this is actually a good sign. Being invertebrates, tarantulas need to shed their exoskeleton in order to grow. This is called molting. Smaller spiders can do this several times a year (depending on the species), while larger tarantulas, like our Chaco here, usually do this once a year. When they are on their backs, their carapace "pops" open and the spider pushes its old skin off. For our big girl here, she laid on her back for over 15 hours before she began coming out of her old skin! (The picture below is one of the few that came out. We did not want to disturb her by opening the cage for a better picture. If you look carefully, you can see the first signs of her gray/white body pushing off the old skin.)

About 90 minutes later, she was finished. (Thank goodness!) You see, not only is the molting process necessary, but it is also a very dangerous time for the spider. If the tarantula gets stuck inside their old skin, they will die. For those that do make it out safely, they are like Superman holding a bagfull of Kryptonite. They are extremely vulnerable at this time, as their exoskeleton is still soft and plyable - as are their fangs. Their energy is spent as well, so they are a moist, eight legged helpless baby for a while. Lucky for the captive tarantulas, there are no predators to come along and take advantage of this situation.

It is now the end of the week, and she is doing better everyday. She is stretching her legs out and moving about the cage every-so-slightly. Her overall color is much darker than it was in premolt, and the gold markings on her skin are vibrant. (Here is the molt itselt, still intact after the process.)

February 6, 2006

Wanted to show off this cool new lisence plate we got this weekend...

January 30, 2006

Two new beauties for the Amazing Tarantula family...

Brachypelma auratum: Often mistaken for the famous B. smithi, the auratum has bright red markings on its "knees." Our auratum is close to 2", and already has a sweet disposition. One tarantula keeper told me that he found the auratum to be more docile than the smithi (if that can be possible).

Acanthoscurria geniculata: The Brazilian Whiteknee tarantula, one of the truly striking tarantulas in the pet trade. Introduced to the hobby in 1998, these spiders are absolutely spectacular as adults. Our juvenile is approximately 3".

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January 24, 2006

For the past month, I seem to have accumulated a fair amount of spiderlings. Just like any proud "daddy," I wanted to share a little about my experience with these little guys. (UNlike a proud daddy, I don't have any pictures at this time.)

Avicularia versicolor: This is one of the biggest "youngin" I'm caring for at the moment (1.5"). It is a beautiful metallic blue color with a very good appetite. This T is taking down adult crickets with vigor!

Brachypelma smithi: I have two 0.5" to 0.75" siblings at this time. One of them appears close to a molt.

Grammostola aureostriata: I have one sling that is 1.5", who is showing good colors, and another that is maybe 0.25" to 0.5".

Nhandu chromatus: I have two of the smallest slings I've ever seen! Both of these guys could sit on my pinky nail with room to spare.

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January 20, 2006

We picked up a new species for our collection last night. Since our Poecilotheria regalis had dies about a month ago, I wanted to get another "Pokey" to replace her. We picked up this P. fasciata at our local tarantula headquarters. This spider, measuring a little over 3 inches right now, has shown me was FAST really is!! (The photo below was taken through the plastic container it lives in, as I didn't feel like chasing it down if it decided to make a run for it.)

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January 14, 2006

Well, our Nhandu Chromatus molted for the first time in our care. Upon checking the molt, we discovered it was a male. Upon checking the spider, we noticed sex organs on the pedipalps, as well as tibial hooks on the front legs. In other words, our boy is all grown up and ready to become a man. The search now begins to find him a female so that more N. chromatus will be available for other hobbyists! Wish him luck...

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January 12, 2006

I open the lid and can see the water dish half full (because I'm an optimist) and a slab of cork bark. I take the water dish out, clean it, fill it, and return it. I take out a couple of pieces of debri that I see lying around. I dump two fat crickets into the tank and close the lid. I return the tank to the bookshelf where it resides, and stop. What the heck is in this tank again?

I purchased a beautiful Thai Tiger (C. paganus) about two months ago. After putting it in the tank, it dug a burrow and that was it. I walked by the tank yesterday and had to do a double take. So that's what it looks like! It finally came out of it's burrow and stayed put for some pictures.

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January 5, 2006

Doctors sometimes bring patients in for what is called a "stress test." The patient is made to perform certain activities that will increase their heart rate - like running on a treadmill. Well, we at Amazing Tarantulas have an easier way to get the 'ole pumper going; stick your finger in the tank of our adult female Brachypelma vagans (Mexican Red Rump)!

Now, I'm not saying that this spider is aggressive, but she is VERY QUICK to pounce (and investigate) anything that enters her tank! She is usually one of the tarantulas in our collection that runs for her burrow whenever I open the tank for feeding. Well, one evening last week, I was feeding the brood and came to the vagan's tank. She sat out in the open, making no attempt to run for it. Having held her on only one occasion previously, I decided I would give her a little leg-stroke before dropping in her dinner.

She ended up giving ME a stroke! My finger had barely grazed the fine fuzz on her leg, when she launched herself onto my hand - all eight legs (and pedipalps) wrapped around my hand. A split second later, she let go and turned her back to me. After screaming...I mean, expressing my surprise, I understood that she thought I was a cricket.

A few days later, Carla has the long tweezers in hand to pick something out of the vagans tank - a very routine procedure. I'm not sure if the tweezers even made it to the substrate in the tank before spider had again launched itself onto the "intruder." It was almost like watching a slow motion movie clip, but the vagans was climbing the tweezers towards Carla's hand. Needless to say, she quickly abandoned the task at hand. (Luckily, the spider was only about an inch off of the substrate when she let go of the tweezers.) Now we had the problem of retrieving the tweezers. With the help of a spatula, another pair of tweezers, and some holy water, we were able to wrench the captive tweezers free!

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December 25, 2005

My wife and I were getting ready to drive to my folk's house for our family Christmas get-together. I realized that there would be family members there that had not seen, or interacted with, any of our tarantulas. It just so happened that we had recently acquired a beautiful female Aphonopelma schmiti a few days prior. We decided she would go with us for our family Christmas.

We received many cool tarantula related items from our family, including a large tarantula puppet (which will be used with our school presentations), a beautiful baseball cap with an embroidered B. smithi on it, a framed tarantula and black forest scorpion, check book covers with B. albopilosum on them, etc. After we opened gifts, out came the schmiti. Below is a picture of the spider checking out my brother's hand.

She was well behaved and didn't mind any of the prodding or stroking. It wasn't until my uncle asked to see the tarantula's fangs that the spider objected. Carla gently cupped the schmiti and, having a secure grip, turned her over to show off the underside. Immediately, both fangs shot straight out. We knew that this was her closing number for the day, and she was gently placed back into her tank.

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