Patrick:
Thanks for your post and Thanksgiving well wishes.

That is great news to hear your Lasiodora Parhybana or Brazilian Salmon Pink
tarantula - I have two and neither are eating at present.  Question:  Did you
offer a 'thawed' pinky or fuzzy or was this live food?  I have bought them
either way (fuzzies and pinkies) but curious as to what you fed your Brazilian
Salmon Pink (thawed or live).  I have also heard of a tarantula eating
beefheart, but my T's wouldn't have anything to do with it (tried it on my
Brachypelma albopilosum Honduran Curly Hair tarantulas).

Now, I am presently up in Washington State and we've had snow already - and, as
a consequence, my tarantulas (with exception to some spiderlings and subadults),
have all but ceased eating.  Still, I offer crickets, mostly to find them still
crawling about a day or so later - uneaten, at which time I will remove them.  I
attribute it (The lack of appetite) to the winter weather here in the Great
White Northwest, but not to fret as tarantulas are known to go extremely long
periods without eating.

Also, it is my observation that the male tarantula seems to eat less and
definitely less often than their female counterparts - I really don't have
scientific data to back this up, but it is my general observation that males eat
LESS and LESS often than their female counterparts.

Thanks again for sharing Patrick.

Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "501st CloneTrooper" <devoe2485@...>
wrote:
>
> Finally after 9 months my Lasiodora parahybana:
> Brazilian salmon pink tarantula ate some food! A small mouse is now in the
grasp and nurishing my Big T.
>  The rest of my Tarantulas are eating as well, the Grammostola
pulchra:Brazilian Black seems to always be hungry and is looking more like a
tick. New substrate is ready for later today if I have time.
>  Happy Thanksgiving Tarantula keepers!
>
> Patrick
>

I feed her a live fuzzy mouse, it was fun to watch. My other Tarantulas had
crickets. The Great White Northwest, yeah its 17* here in the Carolinas and my
son in Syracuse New York, has over 2 ft of snow. Winter is great, I look forward
to going to Syracuse for a visit.

Patrick


--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "BertW" <Bert.H.Wright@...> wrote:
>
> Patrick:
> Thanks for your post and Thanksgiving well wishes.
>
> That is great news to hear your Lasiodora Parhybana or Brazilian Salmon Pink
tarantula - I have two and neither are eating at present.  Question:  Did you
offer a 'thawed' pinky or fuzzy or was this live food?  I have bought them
either way (fuzzies and pinkies) but curious as to what you fed your Brazilian
Salmon Pink (thawed or live).  I have also heard of a tarantula eating
beefheart, but my T's wouldn't have anything to do with it (tried it on my
Brachypelma albopilosum Honduran Curly Hair tarantulas).
>
> Now, I am presently up in Washington State and we've had snow already - and,
as a consequence, my tarantulas (with exception to some spiderlings and
subadults), have all but ceased eating.  Still, I offer crickets, mostly to find
them still crawling about a day or so later - uneaten, at which time I will
remove them.  I attribute it (The lack of appetite) to the winter weather here
in the Great White Northwest, but not to fret as tarantulas are known to go
extremely long periods without eating.
>
> Also, it is my observation that the male tarantula seems to eat less and
definitely less often than their female counterparts - I really don't have
scientific data to back this up, but it is my general observation that males eat
LESS and LESS often than their female counterparts.
>
> Thanks again for sharing Patrick.
>
> Bert Wright
> Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast
>
> --- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "501st CloneTrooper" <devoe2485@>
wrote:
> >
> > Finally after 9 months my Lasiodora parahybana:
> > Brazilian salmon pink tarantula ate some food! A small mouse is now in the
grasp and nurishing my Big T.
> >  The rest of my Tarantulas are eating as well, the Grammostola
pulchra:Brazilian Black seems to always be hungry and is looking more like a
tick. New substrate is ready for later today if I have time.
> >  Happy Thanksgiving Tarantula keepers!
> >
> > Patrick
> >
>

I haven't held any of my collection this winter but spring is approching and
its time to clean out the cages and add new substrate.
I'm looking at buying more RedKnees only because they are so awesome,I need a
curly hair too. I love my tarantulas and today is feeding day, also I ordered
the 2nd or 3rd Edition of "The Tarantulas Keepers Guide".
  Look for new pics of some old friends coming this spring.

Tarantula Keepers,

Patrick

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "501st CloneTrooper" <devoe2485@...>
wrote:
>
>  I haven't held any of my collection this winter but spring is approching and
its time to clean out the cages and add new substrate.
> I'm looking at buying more RedKnees only because they are so awesome,I need a
curly hair too. I love my tarantulas and today is feeding day, also I ordered
the 2nd or 3rd Edition of "The Tarantulas Keepers Guide".
>  Look for new pics of some old friends coming this spring.
>
> Tarantula Keepers,
>
> Patrick
>

Thanks Patrick, for your post.  Yes, Winter has put me into hibernating, as
well.  I have bought 1500 Crickets this winter and maybe 50 of them were eaten.
My cat ate half of those.  I had a bout with cage mites and I am still in the
process of clearing them out.  Thanks for sharing pictures - I need to add some
of my recent photos too. You have inspired me.

Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "Shadoehawk" <TN_Jed7@...> wrote:
>
> hi I was needing to do a survey for school on how many tarantulas do you own
>

      I currently have two tarantulas.

a)     G. rosea
b)     A. avicularia

      Acquired in that order, some time down the road I plan on adding scorpions
as well.

Herman
Live Long and Prosper
___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
              \_ \    \----._________.----/
                \ \   /  /    `-_-'
            __,--`.`-'..'-_
           /____          ||-
                `--.____,-'

I can't remember which of the books that I have that talked about record
keeping.  How many of you keep records, and how extensive is your record
keeping, i.e. what do you record?  I've been recording temp, humidity (twice a
day) as well as my feeding schedule, to to molting.

Herman

I know that the Barron's books are some of the best, what do y'all think of this
book, Tarantulas & Scorpions In Captivity by Russ Gurley?

Is this group still active?

Hello All:

Active?  Always.  This Group Site is kept active for everyone to share stories,
post pictures, ask and answer questions and share experiences.   Have a good
link to a care sheet or Tarantula Dealer?  Post it.  I apologize for not being
as active as other Group Sites, nonetheless, the Group serves a purpose for me
and other Group Members.

Please accept this invitation to post information (on Tarantulas and Tarantula
Keeping or other exotic animals) and also anything 'Tarantula-related' to keep
the Group site active is most appreciated.

With that being said, please refrain from posting advertisements or promotions
to other non-tarantula-related matters.  In the past, there have been instances
of previous members attempting to solicit sales and inundate others with Spy
slash SPAM slash Ad ware - which will not be tolerated :-).  Another member
attempted to add a singles site - to which they were removed as it did not
pertain to our hobby.

Again, thanks to everyone for being a part of this Group and please DO continue
to post stories, share experiences and Photos pertaining to tarantulas and
tarantula Keeping on this Group web site.  Anything that will promote the Hobby
and Taratula Keeping in General is GREATLY Appreciated.  Thank you.

Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, fin santos <spiderking13@...> wrote:
>
> i think so :)
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Herm hfebelingjr@...
> To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 8:19 AM
> Subject: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> Is this group still active?
>

Hello All:
Active? Always. This Group Site is kept active for everyone to share stories, post pictures, ask and answer questions and share experiences. Have a good link to a care sheet or Tarantula Dealer? Post it. I apologize for not being as active as other Group Sites, nonetheless, the Group serves a purpose for me and other Group Members. Please accept this invitation to post information (on Tarantulas and Tarantula Keeping or other exotic animals) and also anything 'Tarantula-related' to keep the Group site active is most appreciated. With that being said, please refrain from posting advertisements or promotions to other non-tarantula-related matters. In the past, there have been instances of previous members attempting to solicit sales and inundate others with Spy slash SPAM slash Ad ware - which will not be tolerated :-). Another member attempted to add a singles site - to which they were removed as it did not pertain to our hobby.
Again, thanks to everyone for being a part of this Group and please DO continue to post stories, share experiences and Photos pertaining to tarantulas and tarantula Keeping on this Group web site. Anything that will promote the Hobby and Taratula Keeping in General is GREATLY Appreciated. Thank you.
Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast --- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, fin santos <spiderking13@...> wrote:

i think so :)
________________________________
From: Herm hfebelingjr@...
To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 8:19 AM
Subject: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
  Is this group still active?

--
Herman

---

1.0.0 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)
0.0.1 2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB
0.0.2 Albino Cory Cats
1.2.0 Swordtail
0.0.3 Neon Tetras
1.0.0 Red Betta
0.0.3 Zebra's
2.10.0 Swordtail (fry)
0.0.? Ghost Shrimp
0.0.1 G. rosea (Kirk)
0.0.1 A. avicularia (Pinkie)
0.1.0 Orange Tabby (Little One)
0.0.1 2009 Giant Seek 2

---

Cockatiel Lovers
Cockatiels Plus
Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti
My Facebook Page

---

Live Long and Prosper
___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
             \_ \    \----._________.----/
               \ \   /  /    `-_-'
           __,--`.`-'..'-_
          /____          ||-
               `--.____,-'

The fish are spread out between several tanks.

Herman, Fin, et al:

Thanks for your posts.  On the Usambara (Pterinochilus murinus), Kelly Swift
writes (on his website under Tarantulas for sale):

From the Usambara Mountains of Kenya, and Tanzania, this spider is very orange,
very fast, and very aggressive! P. murinus has been very popular in the hobby
for nearly 20 yrs. due to it's incredible orange coloration, it's availability,
ease of husbandry demands, and shear animated aggression! Due to this
popularity, hobbyists have dubbed these "OBT's", standing for "Orange Bitey
Thing". Reaching 5.5" as adults. Hatched in the U.S. by breeder Paul Lawniczak!!
Awesome arachnid!!

Kelly is selling 1 inch Usambar Orange Baboon (Pterinochilus murinus) tarantulas
for $20 - which is not too bad.  They're not usually that expensive - they ARE
very easy to keep and are super aggressive.  I have a female at present and she
is more shy than my last Starburst Baboon as it is their nature to raise their
legs and wiggle their fangs, typically.  They will strike at unexpected
intrusions - so aggressive is right.  I have held mine, but usually this
tarantula does not want to be held.  Keep them dry - I do not know them to be
burrowers (as adults - spiderlings will, adults typically web a lot  and I mean
they will COVER an enclosure with webbings).  They are a hearty spider and
usually fairly inexpensive.  $43 is a bit high unless it is a guaranteed female
(in my opinion).  Also, a ten gallon aquarium is really more than an Usambara
will need as it is only necessary to give them an enclosure that is at least
twice its leg span (minimum).  You may want to 'rescue' that one though and get
it in a larger enclosure (perhaps).  At any rate, thank you for your posts.

(On Herman's tropical fish)I had orange and black swordtails that multiplied to
where I had to give the babies to the local pet store.

Good luck with your tarantula keeping.  Please post any other opinions, care
tips or otherwise that you may have on the Usambara Orange Baboon tarantula -
from my experience:

They're usually not too expensive, they are super aggressive, they like DRY
substrate, and they web a lot - also, they are SUPER fast.  I opened an
enclosure once and the tarantula was up my arm before I knew it (no kidding).

Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast





--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, fin santos <spiderking13@...> wrote:
>
> I haven't been active for a long time because of busy schedules. Do we have a
facebook page?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Aaron Pritchard <Gargoyle12@...>
> To: "Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com" <Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> It is still going just very very rare posts.
>
>
> From: fin santos <spiderking13@...>
> To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 1:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> i think so :)
>
>
> From: Herm <hfebelingjr@...>
> To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 8:19 AM
> Subject: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> Is this group still active?
>

Herman, Fin, et al:
Thanks for your posts. On the Usambara (Pterinochilus murinus), Kelly Swift writes (on his website under Tarantulas for sale): >From the Usambara Mountains of Kenya, and Tanzania, this spider is very orange, very fast, and very aggressive! P. murinus has been very popular in the hobby for nearly 20 yrs. due to it's incredible orange coloration, it's availability, ease of husbandry demands, and shear animated aggression! Due to this popularity, hobbyists have dubbed these "OBT's", standing for "Orange Bitey Thing". Reaching 5.5" as adults. Hatched in the U.S. by breeder Paul Lawniczak!! Awesome arachnid!!
Kelly is selling 1 inch Usambar Orange Baboon (Pterinochilus murinus) tarantulas for $20 - which is not too bad. They're not usually that expensive - they ARE very easy to keep and are super aggressive. I have a female at present and she is more shy than my last Starburst Baboon as it is their nature to raise their legs and wiggle their fangs, typically. They will strike at unexpected intrusions - so aggressive is right. I have held mine, but usually this tarantula does not want to be held. Keep them dry - I do not know them to be burrowers (as adults - spiderlings will, adults typically web a lot and I mean they will COVER an enclosure with webbings). They are a hearty spider and usually fairly inexpensive. $43 is a bit high unless it is a guaranteed female (in my opinion). Also, a ten gallon aquarium is really more than an Usambara will need as it is only necessary to give them an enclosure that is at least twice its leg span (minimum). You may want to 'rescue' t
hat one though and get it in a larger enclosure (perhaps). At any rate, thank you for your posts.
(On Herman's tropical fish)I had orange and black swordtails that multiplied to where I had to give the babies to the local pet store. Good luck with your tarantula keeping. Please post any other opinions, care tips or otherwise that you may have on the Usambara Orange Baboon tarantula - from my experience:
They're usually not too expensive, they are super aggressive, they like DRY substrate, and they web a lot - also, they are SUPER fast. I opened an enclosure once and the tarantula was up my arm before I knew it (no kidding).
Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--
Herman

---

1.0.0 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)
0.0.1 2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB
0.0.2 Albino Cory Cats
1.2.0 Swordtail
0.0.3 Neon Tetras
1.0.0 Red Betta
0.0.3 Zebra's
2.10.0 Swordtail (fry)
0.0.? Ghost Shrimp
0.0.1 G. rosea (Kirk)
0.0.1 A. avicularia (Pinkie)
0.1.0 Orange Tabby (Little One)
0.0.1 2009 Giant Seek 2

---

Cockatiel Lovers
Cockatiels Plus
Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti
My Facebook Page

---

Live Long and Prosper
___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
             \_ \    \----._________.----/
               \ \   /  /    `-_-'
           __,--`.`-'..'-_
          /____          ||-
               `--.____,-'

The fish are spread out between several tanks.

Herman wrote :

Bret,

     Thank you for information.  I'll have to stop in to the store and ask them
if they know it's gender.  I will also ask if it is a wild caught or captive
breed T.  Would being one or the other have any baring on it's price?

     From talking with them they seem to be pretty knowledgeable about T's, and I
am sure that the Critter Keeper is just temporary enclosure for display
purposes.  There is another "mom & pop" shop that has several T's and Scorpions
in a long subdivided plastic or Lucite display case.  It's only a couple of
inches tall.  Ironically there is a chain pet store that keeps their T's and
Scorpions in the same style enclosures as they do their reptiles, lizards and
snakes.

     Right now the only spare tank that I have is about 30 or so gallon.  I do
have another (different from the one above) chain store that I can run to, to
get a 10 or 5 gallon tank to house it in, if I decide to purchase it.

     There is one thing in particular that I like about this pet store.  That is
that they do not gut load their crickets with calcium, nor do they use that
silica gel BS to water their crickets.  Which is something that the chain store
that is closest to me does.  I used to get my crickets from that chain store,
but would detox them for a couple of days before feeding them to my T's.



--
Herman

Herman:

I doubt seriously that your Pet Shop would have a wild caught Pterinochilus
murinus or  Usambara or Starburst Baboon tarantula as they would've had to have
been wild-harvested or caught in Kenya or Tanzania (i.e., the African continent
- it happens, but it is doubtful (in my opinion)).  As far as the tarantula
species goes, there wouldn't necessarily be a preference to have Captive Bred
over Wild caught EXCEPT, buying only captive bred ensures the wild populations
remain safe and plentiful - some species have been harvested almost to
extinction - so, in that regard, and for our Hobby in General it is BETTER (in
my opinion) to purchase Captive Bred over Wild caught.  I did purchase an
Aphonopelma chalcodes that was wild caught from Arizona once - the tarantula
never grew, but molted once and when it did, a tarantula did not emerge, but
instead, a huge maggot (tarantula wasp larvae - dunno) appeared - exuvium and
maggot was all that was left -   the dealer did refund my money though as he had
indicated that there were some similar instances in the batch that he had picked
up in Arizona.  My point?  Sometimes you can bring in guests that you did not
want sometimes with Wild caught individuals.

On PetCo and other chains - Petco in particular - I am disappointed in their
practice of selling mostly medium sized crickets in lieu of large adult crickets
(at this time) - this is because Adult Crickets die in the store after a week or
so and they lose money - so, they have gone to selling mostly mediun size (and
my larger T's want larger crickets) as the medium crickets will live for a few
weeks instead of just a couple of weeks.  Pet Smart is so blame stingy with
their crickets that they have the sales folks flatten the bag to almost kill the
crickets so that they can count them down to the dozen - not 13 or 14 , but a
dozen.  I have better success with my local Mom and Pop Pet Stores as their
crickets are super healthy, large and well fed - they don't have the overhead
that the large chains do and somehow we customers make out better buying our
crickets from the Mom and Pop Pet Stores than we do at the larger chain Pet
Stores (e.g., Petco and PetSmart).



    I would stay clear of the larger enclosures for MOST tarantulas (unless
breeding or for extra large individulas, e.g., an adult Theraphosa Blondi or
Goliath Brideater).  Smaller tarantulas will tend to climb the sides of the
tank, and risk a fatal fall.  As you may or may not know, a short fall CAN
potentially fatally rupture or injure a tarantula - some species tolerate such
antics more than others, e.g., arboreal tarantulas such as an  Avicularia
avicularia or Guyana Pink toe may tolerate this more than the terrestrial or
ground dwelling tarantulas (in my opinion) - you really don't want ANY tarantula
to fall if you can prevent it.
  - I have had my grammastola rosea of Chilean rose hair tarantulas fall and land
hard on substrate, and be o.k., but if you can avoid situations where the
tarantula will climb just over a few inches, please do so, as a tarantula
falling can be detrimental to the tarantula's well being, as in most cases they
will not tolerate a fall from more than just a few inches - that is why the
'shorter' critter keeper enclosures are almost ideal for the tarantula as there
is liitle or no risk of a fall and enough room for a couple or more inches of
substrate - I have several enclosures that are 10 to 12 inches or more in height
for some of my tarantulas, but most of my T's are in the 'Critter Keeper'
enclosures that are 4 to seven inches in height .  O.K., I've said enough.

Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast


--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, fin santos <spiderking13@...> wrote:
>
> I haven't been active for a long time because of busy schedules. Do we have a
facebook page?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Aaron Pritchard <Gargoyle12@...>
> To: "Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com" <Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> It is still going just very very rare posts.
>
>
> From: fin santos <spiderking13@...>
> To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 1:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> i think so :)
>
>
> From: Herm <hfebelingjr@...>
> To: Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 8:19 AM
> Subject: [Pet_Tarantulas] Hello
>
>
>  
> Is this group still active?
>

Herman:
I doubt seriously that your Pet Shop would have a wild caught Pterinochilus murinus or Usambara or Starburst Baboon tarantula as they would've had to have been wild-harvested or caught in Kenya or Tanzania (i.e., the African continent - it happens, but it is doubtful (in my opinion)). As far as the tarantula species goes, there wouldn't necessarily be a preference to have Captive Bred over Wild caught EXCEPT, buying only captive bred ensures the wild populations remain safe and plentiful - some species have been harvested almost to extinction - so, in that regard, and for our Hobby in General it is BETTER (in my opinion) to purchase Captive Bred over Wild caught. I did purchase an Aphonopelma chalcodes that was wild caught from Arizona once - the tarantula never grew, but molted once and when it did, a tarantula did not emerge, but instead, a huge maggot (tarantula wasp larvae - dunno) appeared - exuvium and maggot was all that was left - the dealer did refund my money though as he had indicated that there were some similar instances in the batch that he had picked up in Arizona. My point? Sometimes you can bring in guests that you did not want sometimes with Wild caught individuals.
On PetCo and other chains - Petco in particular - I am disappointed in their practice of selling mostly medium sized crickets in lieu of large adult crickets (at this time) - this is because Adult Crickets die in the store after a week or so and they lose money - so, they have gone to selling mostly mediun size (and my larger T's want larger crickets) as the medium crickets will live for a few weeks instead of just a couple of weeks. Pet Smart is so blame stingy with their crickets that they have the sales folks flatten the bag to almost kill the crickets so that they can count them down to the dozen - not 13 or 14 , but a dozen. I have better success with my local Mom and Pop Pet Stores as their crickets are super healthy, large and well fed - they don't have the overhead that the large chains do and somehow we customers make out better buying our crickets from the Mom and Pop Pet Stores than we do at the larger chain Pet Stores (e.g., Petco and PetSmart).
I would stay clear of the larger enclosures for MOST tarantulas (unless breeding or for extra large individulas, e.g., an adult Theraphosa Blondi or Goliath Brideater). Smaller tarantulas will tend to climb the sides of the tank, and risk a fatal fall. As you may or may not know, a short fall CAN potentially fatally rupture or injure a tarantula - some species tolerate such antics more than others, e.g., arboreal tarantulas such as an Avicularia avicularia or Guyana Pink toe may tolerate this more than the terrestrial or ground dwelling tarantulas (in my opinion) - you really don't want ANY tarantula to fall if you can prevent it. - I have had my grammastola rosea of Chilean rose hair tarantulas fall and land hard on substrate, and be o.k., but if you can avoid situations where the tarantula will climb just over a few inches, please do so, as a tarantula falling can be detrimental to the tarantula's well being, as in most cases they will not tolerate a fall from more than just a few inches - that is why the 'shorter' critter keeper enclosures are almost ideal for the tarantula as there is liitle or no risk of a fall and enough room for a couple or more inches of substrate - I have several enclosures that are 10 to 12 inches or more in height for some of my tarantulas, but most of my T's are in the 'Critter Keeper' enclosures that are 4 to seven inches in height . O.K., I've said enough.
Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--
Herman

---

1.0.0 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)
0.0.1 2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB
0.0.2 Albino Cory Cats
1.2.0 Swordtail
0.0.3 Neon Tetras
1.0.0 Red Betta
0.0.3 Zebra's
2.10.0 Swordtail (fry)
0.0.? Ghost Shrimp
0.0.1 G. rosea (Kirk)
0.0.1 A. avicularia (Pinkie)
0.1.0 Orange Tabby (Little One)
0.0.1 2009 Giant Seek 2

---

Cockatiel Lovers
Cockatiels Plus
Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti
My Facebook Page

---

Live Long and Prosper
___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
             \_ \    \----._________.----/
               \ \   /  /    `-_-'
           __,--`.`-'..'-_
          /____          ||-
               `--.____,-'

The fish are spread out between several tanks.

Herman:

I have 'split' enclosures, but it was a container that had 'guides' that you
could slide the partition down and it was supported and stable - you have to
keep the T's separate though as tarantulas are cannibalistic.

The burrowing (in my opinion) is more for the spiderlings and smaller tarantulas
as adults will not burrow as much - exceptions are my Haplopelma lividum or
Cobalt blue tarantula as they are DEEP burrowers - I have had more than 6 inches
of substrate for my Cobalt blue T's as they like it moist and damp (and they're
meaner than the Dickens, typically).  Another exception (adult T's burrowing) is
the Brachypelma albopilosum or Honduran Curly Hair (one of my favorites), as I
have had a couple that will dig in and burrow, per se.  Usually, a 'hide' is
sufficient for adults (e.g., half of a coconut shell) for them to get away. (As
spiderlings they burrow to control their humdity and hide (again, in my
opinion).

One other note:  On Avicularia avicularia (little bird little bird) or the
Guyana Pink Toe tarantula - I have had several and I love Pink Toes - for me,
they are one of the  harder species to keep (in my opinion).  They are a bit
more demanding of ideal humidity and all of that.  They are ONE species that can
cohabitate (take to a communal setup) - I have done this but do not recommend
it.  One of my males seemed to pick on the others, so I finally separated them
(after keeping a half dozen in the same enclosure).

Please continue to keep us posted and share stories about your tarantula keeping
experiences.  Thanks Herman.

Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "Ebeling, Jr., Herman F."
<hfebelingjr@...> wrote:
>
> On 11-Oct-11 16:21, BertW wrote:
> > Herman:
> >
> > I doubt seriously that your Pet Shop would have a wild caught Pterinochilus
murinus or  Usambara or Starburst Baboon tarantula as they would've had to have
been wild-harvested or caught in Kenya or Tanzania (i.e., the African continent
- it happens, but it is doubtful (in my opinion)).  As far as the tarantula
species goes, there wouldn't necessarily be a preference to have Captive Bred
over Wild caught EXCEPT, buying only captive bred ensures the wild populations
remain safe and plentiful - some species have been harvested almost to
extinction - so, in that regard, and for our Hobby in General it is BETTER (in
my opinion) to purchase Captive Bred over Wild caught.  I did purchase an
Aphonopelma chalcodes that was wild caught from Arizona once - the tarantula
never grew, but molted once and when it did, a tarantula did not emerge, but
instead, a huge maggot (tarantula wasp larvae - dunno) appeared - exuvium and
maggot was all that was left -   the dealer did refund my money though as he had
indicated that there were some similar instances in the batch that he had picked
up in Arizona.  My point?  Sometimes you can bring in guests that you did not
want sometimes with Wild caught individuals.
> >
> > On PetCo and other chains - Petco in particular - I am disappointed in their
practice of selling mostly medium sized crickets in lieu of large adult crickets
(at this time) - this is because Adult Crickets die in the store after a week or
so and they lose money - so, they have gone to selling mostly mediun size (and
my larger T's want larger crickets) as the medium crickets will live for a few
weeks instead of just a couple of weeks.  Pet Smart is so blame stingy with
their crickets that they have the sales folks flatten the bag to almost kill the
crickets so that they can count them down to the dozen - not 13 or 14 , but a
dozen.  I have better success with my local Mom and Pop Pet Stores as their
crickets are super healthy, large and well fed - they don't have the overhead
that the large chains do and somehow we customers make out better buying our
crickets from the Mom and Pop Pet Stores than we do at the larger chain Pet
Stores (e.g., Petco and PetSmart).
> >
> >     I would stay clear of the larger enclosures for MOST tarantulas (unless
breeding or for extra large individulas, e.g., an adult Theraphosa Blondi or
Goliath Brideater).  Smaller tarantulas will tend to climb the sides of the
tank, and risk a fatal fall.  As you may or may not know, a short fall CAN
potentially fatally rupture or injure a tarantula - some species tolerate such
antics more than others, e.g., arboreal tarantulas such as an  Avicularia
avicularia or Guyana Pink toe may tolerate this more than the terrestrial or
ground dwelling tarantulas (in my opinion) - you really don't want ANY tarantula
to fall if you can prevent it.
> >   - I have had my grammastola rosea of Chilean rose hair tarantulas fall and
land hard on substrate, and be o.k., but if you can avoid situations where the
tarantula will climb just over a few inches, please do so, as a tarantula
falling can be detrimental to the tarantula's well being, as in most cases they
will not tolerate a fall from more than just a few inches - that is why the
'shorter' critter keeper enclosures are almost ideal for the tarantula as there
is liitle or no risk of a fall and enough room for a couple or more inches of
substrate - I have several enclosures that are 10 to 12 inches or more in height
for some of my tarantulas, but most of my T's are in the 'Critter Keeper'
enclosures that are 4 to seven inches in height .  O.K., I've said enough.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Bert Wright
> > Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast
> Bert,
>
>      That is good to hear.  I agree that is better for both the hobby
> and the T's to purchase captive breed T's whenever possible.  Like you,
> I've read how certain species have been harvested almost to the point of
> extinction.  I also agree about how with a wild caught that it's
> possible that they might have picked up an unwanted parasite.  There is
> or was until it crashed and came back a thread at
> http://www.tarantulasus.com that had been "stung" but knock wood not
> successfully stung.  And was nursed back to health.
>
>      It's funny that you should mention PetCo and PetSmart as those are
> the two shops that I was referring to.  I haven't bought any crickets
> from PetCo.  Do you know if they gut load them with calcium?  I've never
> had that problem with PetSmart which is where I used to buy my
> crickets.  But because I am now closer to a "mom and pop" type store on
> my daily ride I get a bag of them every couple of weeks.  They have a
> deal that you get 15 for a dollar and change.  Usually instead of the 15
> there is 16 or 17 in the bag.  The other good thing is that as I've said
> I don't have to "detox" them before feeding them.
>
>      PetCo is also the store that uses the same type of enclosure for
> their lizards, snakes and reptiles to display their T's and scorpions.
> PetSmart at the moment doesn't sell them, although there is talk that
> they might.
>
>      The enclosure for my G. rosea is filled about half-way or so with
> substrate.  My A. avicularia is in a Zoomed NT2 enclosure.  With several
> inches of substrate.  Because it's been planted I used potting soil
> instead of compressed coconut husk.  I need to redo her(?) enclosure,
> this time around I'm thinking of adding a piece of sod in the bottom.
> One of the things that I like about planting the A. avicularia's
> enclosure is that it aids in keeping the humidity up.
>
>      I was thinking that being as the Starburst is a burrower that it
> would need a somewhat deeper to facilitate burrowing.
>
>      One of the things that I've been thinking of doing with the other
> empty tank is to sub-divided it.  Yes, I know that that comes with some
> risks.  One idea I've had on that is to use either pieces of window
> glass or plexiglass cut to fit and then use some aquarium silicon to
> secure them in place.  The other idea is to use a piece of plexiglass to
> sub-divide a tank, but to cut a small door in it as well as drilling
> several holes in it.  And setup as a breeding tank.  I figure in doing
> that if one has a known male and a known female they could put one into
> each side of the tank and they can get used to each other's scents.  And
> when it looked like they were ready to attempt to ate the door could be
> opened and they can move at their pace.
>
>      Is a Critter Keeper deep enough for a burrowing T to burrow?  I
> think that they would be a good enclosure for a non-burrowing T, but for
> a burrowing one.  Don't they need a deeper enclosure so that they can
> burrow?
>
>      There is one aspect of this hobby that I can see being "fun."  That
> is if one has raised a T from the eggsack and get envenomated going to
> the ER and telling them: "I was just bitten by a mature male GBB," or "I
> was bitten by a 6 year old female B. smiti."  Can you just see the ER
> staff wondering how we knew not only the species but the gender and age
> of the T that one was bitten by?
>
> --
> Herman
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 1.0.0 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)
> 0.0.1 2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB
> <http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww168/Digital_Cowboy/Picture003.jpg>
> 0.0.2 Albino Cory Cats
> 1.2.0 Swordtail
> 0.0.3 Neon Tetras
> 1.0.0 Red Betta
> 0.0.3 Zebra's
> 2.10.0 Swordtail (fry)
> 0.0.? Ghost Shrimp
> 0.0.1 G. rosea (Kirk)
>
<http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww168/Digital_Cowboy/Critters/Tarantula/Kirk\
/HPIM0600.jpg>
> 0.0.1 A. avicularia (Pinkie)
>
<http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww168/Digital_Cowboy/Critters/Tarantula/Avic\
ularia%20avicularia%20Pinkie/IMAG0039.jpg>
> 0.1.0 Orange Tabby (Little One)
> 0.0.1 2009 Giant Seek 2
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Cockatiel Lovers <http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/cockatiel_luvrs/>
> Cockatiels Plus <http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/cockatielsplus/>
> Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti
> <http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_427253770011&ap=1>
> My Facebook Page <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1088760550>
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> <http://www.facebook.com/tourdepizzafan> Tour de Pizza
> <http://www.tourdepizza.com/>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Live Long and Prosper*
> ___________________           _-_
> \==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
>               \_ \    \----._________.----/
>                 \ \   /  /    `-_-'
>             __,--`.`-'..'-_
>            /____          ||-
>                 `--.____,-'*
>
> The fish are spread out between several tanks.
>

Herman:
I have 'split' enclosures, but it was a container that had 'guides' that you could slide the partition down and it was supported and stable - you have to keep the T's separate though as tarantulas are cannibalistic. The burrowing (in my opinion) is more for the spiderlings and smaller tarantulas as adults will not burrow as much - exceptions are my Haplopelma lividum or Cobalt blue tarantula as they are DEEP burrowers - I have had more than 6 inches of substrate for my Cobalt blue T's as they like it moist and damp (and they're meaner than the Dickens, typically). Another exception (adult T's burrowing) is the Brachypelma albopilosum or Honduran Curly Hair (one of my favorites), as I have had a couple that will dig in and burrow, per se. Usually, a 'hide' is sufficient for adults (e.g., half of a coconut shell) for them to get away. (As spiderlings they burrow to control their humdity and hide (again, in my opinion).
One other note: On Avicularia avicularia (little bird little bird) or the Guyana Pink Toe tarantula - I have had several and I love Pink Toes - for me, they are one of the harder species to keep (in my opinion). They are a bit more demanding of ideal humidity and all of that. They are ONE species that can cohabitate (take to a communal setup) - I have done this but do not recommend it. One of my males seemed to pick on the others, so I finally separated them (after keeping a half dozen in the same enclosure).
Please continue to keep us posted and share stories about your tarantula keeping experiences. Thanks Herman.
Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

Bert,
That is good to hear. I agree that is better for both the hobby and the T's to purchase captive breed T's whenever possible. Like you, I've read how certain species have been harvested almost to the point of extinction. I also agree about how with a wild caught that it's possible that they might have picked up an unwanted parasite. There is or was until it crashed and came back a thread at http://www.tarantulasus.com that had been "stung" but knock wood not successfully stung. And was nursed back to health.
It's funny that you should mention PetCo and PetSmart as those are the two shops that I was referring to. I haven't bought any crickets from PetCo. Do you know if they gut load them with calcium? I've never had that problem with PetSmart which is where I used to buy my crickets. But because I am now closer to a "mom and pop" type store on my daily ride I get a bag of them every couple of weeks. They have a deal that you get 15 for a dollar and change. Usually instead of the 15 there is 16 or 17 in the bag. The other good thing is that as I've said I don't have to "detox" them before feeding them.
PetCo is also the store that uses the same type of enclosure for their lizards, snakes and reptiles to display their T's and scorpions. PetSmart at the moment doesn't sell them, although there is talk that they might.
The enclosure for my G. rosea is filled about half-way or so with substrate. My A. avicularia is in a Zoomed NT2 enclosure. With several inches of substrate. Because it's been planted I used potting soil instead of compressed coconut husk. I need to redo her(?) enclosure, this time around I'm thinking of adding a piece of sod in the bottom. One of the things that I like about planting the A. avicularia's enclosure is that it aids in keeping the humidity up.
I was thinking that being as the Starburst is a burrower that it would need a somewhat deeper to facilitate burrowing.
One of the things that I've been thinking of doing with the other empty tank is to sub-divided it. Yes, I know that that comes with some risks. One idea I've had on that is to use either pieces of window glass or plexiglass cut to fit and then use some aquarium silicon to secure them in place. The other idea is to use a piece of plexiglass to sub-divide a tank, but to cut a small door in it as well as drilling several holes in it. And setup as a breeding tank. I figure in doing that if one has a known male and a known female they could put one into each side of the tank and they can get used to each other's scents. And when it looked like they were ready to attempt to ate the door could be opened and they can move at their pace.
Is a Critter Keeper deep enough for a burrowing T to burrow? I think that they would be a good enclosure for a non-burrowing T, but for a burrowing one. Don't they need a deeper enclosure so that they can burrow?
There is one aspect of this hobby that I can see being "fun." That is if one has raised a T from the eggsack and get envenomated going to the ER and telling them: "I was just bitten by a mature male GBB," or "I was bitten by a 6 year old female B. smiti." Can you just see the ER staff wondering how we knew not only the species but the gender and age of the T that one was bitten by?
-- Herman

--
Herman

---

1.0.0 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)
0.0.1 2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB
0.0.2 Albino Cory Cats
1.2.0 Swordtail
0.0.3 Neon Tetras
1.0.0 Red Betta
0.0.3 Zebra's
2.10.0 Swordtail (fry)
0.0.? Ghost Shrimp
0.0.1 G. rosea (Kirk)
0.0.1 A. avicularia (Pinkie)
0.1.0 Orange Tabby (Little One)
0.0.1 2009 Giant Seek 2

---

Yahoo Groups:

---

Cockatiel Lovers
Cockatiels Plus

---

Facebook Groups:

---

Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti
Snitch - Say NO to irresponsible Tarantula crossbreeding and hybridization
My Facebook Page

---

---

Live Long and Prosper

___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
             \_ \    \----._________.----/
               \ \   /  /    `-_-'
           __,--`.`-'..'-_
          /____          ||-
               `--.____,-'

The fish are spread out between several tanks.

Pet Tarantulas Group:

Hello Everyone!  The site has been almost dormant of late and I just wanted to
tag up and ask folks to:  Please post your stories, experiences and any
Tarantula Keeping matters to share.  After all, that is how we learn in our
Hobby - everyone sharing their stories  and tarantula keeping experiences.

Please continue to use the Group Site to post pictures, share stories, post
Tarantula or other exotic critters for Sale or Trade, add links to your Web Page
or add the link to an informative web site.   With That being said, everyone
shouldgo to the Group's Links page and visit Ken The Bug Guy's website (link is
at the bottom of the page) as he has a passel of Tarantulas and Feeder Roaches
for sale - as there are also other links too - check out the Links on this Group
Site for great Tarantula resources.  Thanks everyone.


Best regards,
Bert Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

Soon to be homeless Tarantulas (Isanti)

My son is moving and cant take his T's with him.
We are located in Minneapolis MN. I am not a good T keeper as I
watched his collection for him when he went on vacation last December
2 got out and 1 I never did find, A king Baboon! :-S

2 Orange baboons He hand raised these guys from slings at .25 inches
to the size they are now (they are about a year old now). I know one
is a female, He got a good molt from her He checked but the other
likes to crunch it's sheds. Asking 20 a piece.

Female Singapore Blue I raised from a slings at .5 inches to the size
she is now (a years and 1/2 old). Asking 100 Her last molt was solid
and let him get a 100% positive sex ID on her

2 Cobalt Blue's Asking 60 a piece

These all come with nice cages with deco for free if local. Will ship
at buyers expense.

He has 20+ other types pf tarantulas He is trying to re-home of so If
you get more then one He will cut you a deal.

I'm Patrick and I love Tarantulas and others who love Tarantulas. People in
general don't understand our commentment to this hobby, so for me its easier to
talk with others with the same intrest. Bert I like to thank you for the warm
welcome back,and to the new members I have huge respect to all who collect and
call their tarantulas family.
  If some of you recall I had a RedKnee "Sugar" which turned out to be a male and
passed after with its last moult. Its hard to see him go but he had a good life.
March has been a bad year for my collection as my top shelf fell and killed my
baby Brazilian Black.The rest are fine along with a new addition a Costa Rican
Zebra Tarantula. I assure you my shelfs will not fall as I have installed 100
lbs anchors to all 4  points of the shelfs.
  I will add photos of my collection soon and I'm in the process of buying a new
Redknee and a Brazilian Black.

  List of my Tarantulas: Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula
                         Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula
                         Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
                         RoseHair
                         1 unknown baby tarantula

  It's great to be back!

  Patrick

Patrick:

Thanks for your post.  Yes, I remember Sugar and I hate to hear that she has
passed.  Brachypelma smithi or Mexican Red knee tarantulas are a great Pet
Species - hearty and very long-lived - they can and will live upwards to 30
years.  Still, I have had some not make it even close - but this is (oftentimes)
the nature of our hobby.

I also hate to hear about your Grammastola pulchra or Brazilian black tarantula
falling.  I have a Brazilian black female and they are definitely one of the
harder-to-find, but GREAT Pet species (some say one of the best    Pet Species
tarantulas).  I also had a similar episode with our Cat getting too close and
knocking off a couple of 'cages'/enclosures.  Tarantulas do not 'fall' well and
can't take much of a tumble - usually.  There are exceptions but it is
unfortunate and usually the case that they do not survive from a considerable
fall (distance or height-wise).

O.K., again, thanks for your Post and Welcome back Patrick.  Please continue to
share stories and experiences.  That is how we learn - sharing our
tarantula-keeping experiences.

Best regards,

Best Wright
Fellow Tarantula Keeper/Enthusiast

--- In Pet_Tarantulas@yahoogroups.com, "patrick.devoe" <patrick.devoe@...>
wrote:
>
>  I'm Patrick and I love Tarantulas and others who love Tarantulas. People in
general don't understand our commentment to this hobby, so for me its easier to
talk with others with the same intrest. Bert I like to thank you for the warm
welcome back,and to the new members I have huge respect to all who collect and
call their tarantulas family.
>  If some of you recall I had a RedKnee "Sugar" which turned out to be a male
and passed after with its last moult. Its hard to see him go but he had a good
life. March has been a bad year for my collection as my top shelf fell and
killed my baby Brazilian Black.The rest are fine along with a new addition a
Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula. I assure you my shelfs will not fall as I have
installed 100 lbs anchors to all 4  points of the shelfs.
>  I will add photos of my collection soon and I'm in the process of buying a
new Redknee and a Brazilian Black.
>
>  List of my Tarantulas: Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula
>                         Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula
>                         Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
>                         RoseHair
>                         1 unknown baby tarantula
>
>  It's great to be back!
>
>  Patrick
>

 I'm Patrick and I love Tarantulas and others who love Tarantulas. People in general don't understand our commentment to this hobby, so for me its easier to talk with others with the same intrest. Bert I like to thank you for the warm welcome back,and to the new members I have huge respect to all who collect and call their tarantulas family.
If some of you recall I had a RedKnee "Sugar" which turned out to be a male and passed after with its last moult. Its hard to see him go but he had a good life. March has been a bad year for my collection as my top shelf fell and killed my baby Brazilian Black.The rest are fine along with a new addition a Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula. I assure you my shelfs will not fall as I have installed 100 lbs anchors to all 4 points of the shelfs.
I will add photos of my collection soon and I'm in the process of buying a new Redknee and a Brazilian Black.
List of my Tarantulas: Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula
Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
RoseHair
1 unknown baby tarantula
It's great to be back! Patrick

--
Herman F. Ebeling, Jr.

---

Bicycles:
2005 Specialized Hardrock MTB	2009 Giant Seek 2
Pets:
01.00.00 Normal Grey Cockatiel (Hikaru)	00.01.00 Orange Tabby (Little One)
01.00.00 Betta, Red	00.00.02 Cory Cats, Albino
00.00.?? Ghost Shrimp	00.00.03 Neon Tetras
01.02.00 Swordtail	02.10.00 Swordtail (fry)
00.00.03 Zebra’s	00.00.01 G. rosea (Kirk)
The fish are spread out over several tanks, that are setup as Walsted tanks, i.e. “natural planted” tanks.
Facebook:
Cyclists Against Carlos Bertonatti	My Facebook Page
Links:
Bike Forums
	.
Yahoo Groups:
Cockatiel Lovers	Cockatiels Plus

---

Live Long and Prosper

___________________           _-_
\==============_=_/  ____.---'---`---.____
             \_ \    \----._________.----/
               \ \   /  /    `-_-'
           __,--`.`-'..'-_
          /____          ||-
               `--.____,-'