A, geniculata frisky! Age of Chilean rose guess?

[chris collins]

Hi Forum,

I haven't posted for awhile and greetings to all.

My spider horde (five tats) is doing well. The friskiest of the bunch is A. geniculata. It's from Brazil with the zebra legs. It pounces like a tiger at crickets and bits so hard I can hear the cricket crackle as the fangs pierce. Always hungry! Does this ring any bells? Is this tat type generally like this in your experience? It has the legspan of a baseball about now.

Another oddball tat is the Chilean Rose I got from a Homeplus Dept store about, uh, eight months ago. I've heard this species is from the driest desert in the world. I wonder if this individual was picked up wild from there(?). Hasn't shed in the time I've had it (8mos). I'm wondering if it was
caught wild and is getting on in years(?). Hates water/misting. Sound familiar?

Thanks, Chris.

[Peter Lacey]

oooh those A. Geniculata's look wonderful, very appealing and from what I've read fairly active. There's quite a good vid on YouTube where a number of crickets are thrown in and the G grabs them, quite amazing how fast they go when you're used to seeing them slowly stroll around.
Stan Schultz did a nice care sheet on the G. Rosea spelling out how dry the climate was in Chili and how they might go for long periods without feeding. From my hoovering of the net on this species it seems they often throw odd situations up, whether that be fasting, burrowing, signs of aggression, I even saw my Rosea dancing recently seemingly to rave music, whilst waving its leg, tee-hee. I think I'd certainly stay away from misting the enlosure especially when you consider some parts of Chili never receive rain. Provide it dry substrate with a water bowl and this hardly T should thrive. I believe I'm right in saying no Ts, or at least NW T's, like misting and along with blowing on them will take this as a threat.
As you haven't said what sex it is or how long you've had it it makes it hard to tell if "it's getting on in years".

[Ray Gabriel]

Another oddball tat is the Chilean Rose I got from a Homeplus Dept store about, uh, eight months ago. I've heard this species is from the driest desert in the world.

Sorry I have to reply to this, its not you its this recent rumour they come from the Atacama.

Where does this drivel about them comming from the Atacama come from?

In all the museum specimens i have examined NONE say Atamcma desert, lots of other places but not there.

This species is from a very wide range indeed Valparaiso, Santiago (no where near the Atacama desert) Conception, look at all the threads about "My G. rosea form/from Conception (even further away from the desert), and also found up into the foot hills of the andies whre in some places they cannot be found for a few months as they are under a few feet of snow!

If the exporters can find them within a couple of miles from thier back doors do you REALLY think they will go all the way up north and search in one of the harshest enviroments on earth for a spider which is less than $2-3ea US if you buy them in large enough quantitys?

Tell you what if they come from the Atacama try keeping one at Atacama temperatures 30C+ during the day, with a gradual slow down at night20?25?C with a very light misting in the morning for moisture, all year round................see how long they survive.

tell you what if i were to get a fire hose and spray it at you (the equivalent of a spider mister) how long would you stay put.

G. rosea is a temparate spider which has hot summers and cooler winters, check out your climatic data for Chile (also a good idea to check this out for other Chilean sp).

Sorry had to let this one out

Ray G

[Colin D Wilson]

Ray

I think whats happening here is that people have read in some of those horrible "editable" online encyclopedias that rosea have been found at the edge of the Atacama desert and put two and two together and made five. only really reading the words "tarantula" "found" and "driest place on earth" and dismissing the rest.

[Peter Lacey]

Here's an interesting read from another forum which includes information from Stan Schultz. There are many references to the Atacama Desert but it does start with a good caveat "It should be taken as interim wisdom until
confirmed or corrected by new data."

http://www.tarantulas.us/forums/showthread.php?t=1171

[James Box]

this part from near the top interests me:

The tarantula you refer to is Grammostola rosea. While everybody
has their own favorite variations for the common name, the official
American Arachnological Society Committee on Common Names name for them is "Chilean rose."

that doesn't sound much like Stan, now, does it?
i mean, "official common names?" they don't exist! perhaps Stan can shed some light on this?

[Ray Gabriel]

Cheers Guys,

I see what you are saying Colin, i suppose the "no rain in years" etc bit makes people think they actually come from there.

Knew i would get an answer here

Ray

[James Box]

Ray, your analogy of why T's don't like misting is very apt!
i mist the humidity-loving species quite often. they complain at first, but only understandable. bad eye-sight+sudden blast of cool water in the face+defensive temperament=annoyed spider! only logical. but they get over it fast enough.
people are sometimes too worried about stressing the spiders out. i agree it's not worth doing if you don't have to, but sometimes you need to move the spider, sometimes put water in its dish - even when it's sat on top, check for life-signs and feed it! lets face it, food items will cause the spider some stress when it first notices a scared, jumping cricket! but all is well (for the spider, at least) in the end.
also, i mist my spiderlings to ensure they have drinking water. if they don't like getting hit by stray water...tough! i'd rather they were slightly annoyed with me then becoming desicated!

[Ray Gabriel]

Ray, your analogy of why T's don't like misting is very apt!
i mist the humidity-loving species quite often. they complain at first, but only understandable. bad eye-sight+sudden blast of cool water in the face+defensive temperament=annoyed spider! only logical. but they get over it fast enough.
people are sometimes too worried about stressing the spiders out. i agree it's not worth doing if you don't have to, but sometimes you need to move the spider, sometimes put water in its dish - even when it's sat on top, check for life-signs and feed it! lets face it, food items will cause the spider some stress when it first notices a scared, jumping cricket! but all is well (for the spider, at least) in the end.
also, i mist my spiderlings to ensure they have drinking water. if they don't like getting hit by stray water...tough! i'd rather they were slightly annoyed with me then becoming desicated!

Dont take this the wrong way, but i have not misted a spider for years, misting is used to increase air humidity but in an enclosure which may not be suitable for the inhabitant.

if the spider is being housed "properly" they will be in a hole in deep substrate, or in some bark or other artificial hide. With deep substrate wich is kept damp (in wet seasons) there will be good humidity with no need to stray. In dry seasons the spiders will have sealed themselves in so not requiring to much humidity.

Theraphosid spiders are mostly nocturnal, at night when the sun is gone there is a temperature drop and witht hat temperature drop an increase in air humidity, this is why most spiders have thier burrows sealed during the day in (the wild) and open them at night.

When they are established in "proper" housing a cricket will stumble across the trip wires and alert the spider there is food about, so shouldnt be in a position to to scare the spider.

A full water dish will provide good air humidity without misting, even in the dry season.

Ray

[James Box]

hmm fair enough. thanks Ray. i've got loads to learn, so more than open to suggestions!
guess i'm paranoid about them not having enough water!

my only concern is that for the slings, water-dishes can be a bit impractical...and due to the heat, the substrate dries too quickly. is that a sign there's too much heat? it's difficult, because our house can get very cold if the boiler fails (as it has been doing lately), so to maintain the most constant temperature i can, i need them to be near the heat mats, if not directly by or on them.
i have used cricket water in some cases, as it won't cause the sling to drown, though i know some people don't like it. my spiders seem to enjoy sitting on it, though.

having trouble mimicking seasons at the moment as well. most of my slings are in small tubs, but some are still in film tubes etc, due to their size, so the housing is almost certainly not perfect at this stage. with that much room, i'm basically just dropping crickets in with the slings, and they're doing the rest.

i'm familiar with the possibility of too much wetness being as damaging to spiders as too much dryness.

guess i'll be studying the habitats of the spiders i have now to see if i can match their seasonal conditions to some extent.

my other problem is that i probably fuss too much!!
so yes, basically i have tonnes to learn and appreciate suggestions from those with more experience than i have!

[Nicola Dolby]

Hi folks,
are there any good sites which explain about various seasons for these animals or am I better off just looking to see what the weather is like today in Kenya/Tanzania or Bengal for example?

[Ray Gabriel]

hmm fair enough. thanks Ray. i've got loads to learn, so more than open to suggestions!
guess i'm paranoid about them not having enough water!

my only concern is that for the slings, water-dishes can be a bit impractical...and due to the heat, the substrate dries too quickly. is that a sign there's too much heat? it's difficult, because our house can get very cold if the boiler fails (as it has been doing lately), so to maintain the most constant temperature i can, i need them to be near the heat mats, if not directly by or on them.
i have used cricket water in some cases, as it won't cause the sling to drown, though i know some people don't like it. my spiders seem to enjoy sitting on it, though.

having trouble mimicking seasons at the moment as well. most of my slings are in small tubs, but some are still in film tubes etc, due to their size, so the housing is almost certainly not perfect at this stage. with that much room, i'm basically just dropping crickets in with the slings, and they're doing the rest.

i'm familiar with the possibility of too much wetness being as damaging to spiders as too much dryness.

guess i'll be studying the habitats of the spiders i have now to see if i can match their seasonal conditions to some extent.

my other problem is that i probably fuss too much!!
so yes, basically i have tonnes to learn and appreciate suggestions from those with more experience than i have!

No probs James we are all learning with spiders as there is so much more to learn.

Try a heated cabinet for your slings, i used to use a fish tank on its side lined with polystyrene tiles and a small heatmat on the ceiling, much easier than trying to get a load of containers onto a heatmat LOL.

I used to go down to my local Aquarists shop ans see if they had any cracked tanks they would sell for cheap, or go down the tip (sorry recycling centre) and see if there were any old tanks being thrown out in the sheet/plate glass section (used to have to pay 50p or so but that was nothing).

For doors for the tank i would use more polystyrene tiles cut for a tight fit, also when housed like this you know where to find escapies LOL

Ray

[Ray Gabriel]

Hi folks,
are there any good sites which explain about various seasons for these animals or am I better off just looking to see what the weather is like today in Kenya/Tanzania or Bengal for example?

An atlas is a good start, one with graphs of temperature and rainy seasons,

for more accurate data i buy old (cheap bookshop) travel guides

Ray

[James Box]

thanks Ray, good suggestions.
i'll try to put some effort into this over the coming weeks. i have a local pet shop that sells tanks, and they may have some cracked to dispose of! always happy to oblige, and if it makes for more easy storage and heating of the little uns, all the better
what i've got right now is ok in the interrim, i have shelves with heatmats along the back of each, and it seems to be creating a fairly warm corner in my room for all the pets.
my main concern is watering, though...must try to get the moisture right!
will be studying

[Ray Gabriel]

Just had a thought,

its that Xmas thing again in a few days, you could ask the coca cola guy for a small wooden terestrial vivarium, which would eliminate the need for the poly tiles.

Ray