Welcome to part four of my series where each time I focus on one tarantula species in my collection. The photos used are of my actual tarantulas and the information I include is based on my own experiences. Please keep in mind that my experiences may differ from yours so just because I say it here does not mean that it is set in stone. I am just sharing what works for me.
Continue reading Grammostola pulchra: Once You Go Brazilian Black You’ll Never Go Back!
Welcome to part three of my series where each time I focus on one tarantula in my collection. The photos used are of my actual tarantulas and the information I include is based on my own experiences. Please keep in mind that my experiences may differ from yours so just because I say it here does not mean that it is set in stone. I am just sharing what works for me.
“Tarantulas of the World” is another book put out by NAP Editions in France, like “Scorpions of the World” by Roland Stockmann and Eric Ythier, reviewed HERE. It is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the subject and is a must have in every tarantula enthusiast’s library. In many ways it even puts “The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide” to shame.
Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: “Tarantulas of the World” by Francois Teyssie
Welcome to part two of my series that I am working on where each time I focus on one tarantula in my collection. The photos used are of my actual tarantulas and the information I include is based on my own experiences. Please keep in mind that my experiences may differ from yours so just because I say it here does not mean that it is set in stone. I am just sharing what works for me. If you haven’t seen part one of this series, dealing with Lasiodorides striatus, then click HERE!
I have always been under the mindset that bigger is better and this was always true of tarantulas as well, until 2015. It was then that I was made aware of a genus of dwarf tarantulas known as Euathlus (pronounced you-aath-luss). This genus makes up 6 species, according to “The Tarantula Bibliography” by Michael Jacobi. There does seem to be some confusion though and major work needs to be done with this genus. There are four species regularly available from tarantula dealers and yet none of them can be found on Jacobi’s list. These species are truculentus, two species of pulcherrimaklaasi (also known as sp. blue or Blue Femur Beauty and sp. green or Green Femur Beauty) and the subject of this entry, sp. red. Up until recently Euathlus parvulus was sold by dealers as Paraphysa parvula, a genus that is not even recognized on “The Tarantula Bibliography.”
Welcome to part one of a series I am working on where each time I will focus on one tarantula in my collection. The photos used are of my actual tarantulas and the information I include is based on my own experiences. Please keep in mind that my experiences may differ from yours so just because I say it here does not mean that it is set in stone. I am just sharing what works for me.
Lasiodorides striatus (pronounced Lah-sigh-oh-door-eye-dees stry-ate-us), also known as the Peruvian Orange-Stripe, is a hard to find species in the hobby. In the 90’s, when I got my female, these were often sold as Goliath Orange-Stripes on pet store dealer lists. This lead to some confusion in the pet trade as they were often purchased thinking they were actually Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantulas (Theraphosa blondi at the time). I was actually looking for a blondi and the owner of the mom and pop pet store that I went to said he could get them and this is what I ended up with. Though not a blondi it is still a very interesting and easy-to-keep species.
Continue reading The Rare But Wonderful Peruvian Orange Stripe Tarantula (Lasiodorides striatus)!
I have been keeping tarantulas for over 40 years and am always looking for better ways to house them. When I first started your only real choice were glass fish tanks. These were ok but heavy if you had to move them (and you have to also remember that tarantula guides from the 70’s recommended using fish gravel as a substrate adding to the weight). Next came the Critter Keepers, plastic enclosures with snap on, well-ventilated lids. I started using these and have been happy until the last few years, where the plastic used for the lids has gotten more flimsy, preventing the stacking of the enclosures. Thankfully Exo-Terra has come up with a solution in their Breeding Boxes.
One of the most difficult things in being an invertebrate keeper is finding good information on the very animals you are keeping. Sure you can do a Google search and find pretty much anything you want but then you have to ask yourself, “How reliable is this information?” What is the source? Is this information good for keeping an animal alive for many years or just a few months? Good, reliable information is hard to find, especially when it comes to animals that may not be as widely available as something like a tarantula.
The act of molting is a usually stressful process that invertebrates go through to grow. Since they have a hard exoskeleton they literally have to break free of their old skin, revealing a new skin underneath. At the time of molting the new skin is still soft and pliable and once blood is pumped to all of the extremities, the animal becomes larger.
In the case of tarantulas this is a fascinating process. Not only do they grow larger, but any hairs that were flung off in self-defense are replaced. If a leg has broken off, this too is replaced. After a molt, the tarantula’s colors are also very bright and fresh. Unfortunately though, this is when the animal is most vulnerable as it cannot defend itself.
Continue reading The Molting of Nhandu chromatus, the Brazilian Red and White.
Just before Christmas of 2015 I became aware of two books that I found to be very exciting, “Tarantulas of the World” by Francois Teyssie and the subject of this review, “Scorpions of the World” by Roland Stockmann and Eric Ythier. It had been awhile since a new book on scorpions came out and despite its $95 price tag, I immediately bought it.
Though I primarily keep tarantulas, I have always found scorpions to be fascinating and I have always kept at least one species as pets. Most times scorpions seem to be covered in books having to do with arachnids in general such as “Arachnomania” by Philippe de Vosjoli and “Tarantulas and Scorpions In Captivity” by Russ Gurley. Finally here was a book that dealt with just scorpions and though it wasn’t a book designed for people who keep scorpions as pets, though it is covered briefly, I thought it would be a good reference book. I could not have been more right.
Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Scorpions Of The World by Roland Stockmann and Eric Ythier
Having hobbies is what in many cases keeps us sane. It gives us a chance to relax and enjoy ourselves doing things that make us happy and help to forget how monotonous the real world can be. I have always been someone who has had many hobbies and they often seem to go in a cycle. Sometimes certain hobbies will be more important than others and then it will flip back again, oftentimes depending on my mood or even what time of year it is.
I have kept tarantulas since 1979 and have always had an interest in entomology. Growing up I would collect insects, mostly butterflies and moths, and I would pin them into display cases. As conservation became more important to me, so did the importance of insects being able to live out their lives in the wild. I decided that instead of capturing and displaying dead insects, I would switch and capture them on film instead. This is how my photography hobby began.
Homeomma chilensis
Continue reading SHOOTING TARANTULAS…with a camera of course!
davethebugguy.org 