Chicken spider?

[Taki Tsonis]

Thanks again for all the info & links Mark. I found it very interesting that the CS isn't urticaceous, are the rest of the Pamho's the same? I have a fortis and a 'platyoma/sp/ecuador' and don't recall them ever flicking at me?

[Taki Tsonis]

Lets not forget EXPENSIVE as he has so nicely put.

This is probably not what you want to hear Toran, but isn't it only obvious and fair for that matter, that they would be expensive,considering that they would be the first ones in the hobby, along with their other highly positive attributes.
I for one would pay a premium (obviously within logical reason), to have some of the first ones.

[Patrick Gildenhuys]

What I find interesting, is that Martin felt it could be Acanthoscurria...
Has this been ruled out?
There are no carapace markings, and slings don't have abdominal chevrons.

[Taki Tsonis]

Valid point Pat, although the slings in the pics i've seen are quite big already. Martin, have you or anyone else seen smaller slings?

[James Box]

This is probably not what you want to hear Toran, but isn't it only obvious and fair for that matter, that they would be expensive,considering that they would be the first ones in the hobby, along with their other highly positive attributes.
I for one would pay a premium (obviously within logical reason), to have some of the first ones.

not really. he certainly didn't pay a premium.

[Toran Tanner]

This is probably not what you want to hear Toran, but isn't it only obvious and fair for that matter, that they would be expensive,considering that they would be the first ones in the hobby, along with their other highly positive attributes.
I for one would pay a premium (obviously within logical reason), to have some of the first ones.

so would you like some Aphonopelma iodius then as they are the first in the euro hobby I'll sell them to you at a very high price. I am the only one in europe that has them other than a few people I gave them too. They have highly positive attributes as well. That is for lack of better words "a very retarded way of looking at it". I would be very happy to wait for price drops on any spider.......

[Eric Reynolds]

I found it very interesting that the CS isn't urticaceous,

Where are you getting this from?

Eric

[Patrick Gildenhuys]

The first link in post #26. (You have to read through the chat dialogue though)

[Mark Pennell]

Where are you getting this from?

Eric

Eric
Martin is remarking on the fact that they seldom flick hairs as a defence not that they do not posses these hairs, as the do!

Regards
Mark

[Taki Tsonis]

so would you like some Aphonopelma iodius then as they are the first in the euro hobby I'll sell them to you at a very high price. I am the only one in europe that has them other than a few people I gave them too. They have highly positive attributes as well. That is for lack of better words "a very retarded way of looking at it". I would be very happy to wait for price drops on any spider.......

Like with all things in life, tell me the price and I'll decide Toran. You not holding a gun to my head to buy them!
I won't pay an absurd price for them, but if he comes up with a price I'll decide wethere I buy or not. If it's too high, no one will buy and the price will drop not so?
If I can afford it and I'm comfortable with it, and that makes me retarded, then so be it

[James Box]

don't think he said you're retarded and perhaps not the word i'd use, anyway.
however, the fact is, if it's the "first in the hobby", which isn't proven, charging extortionate prices simply for the sake of it is not really "on".
Toran charged a pretty high price for the iodius slings (wasn't it £15?), which isn't extortionate, considering he actually paid LOADS to bring his spiders over. so trying to make back some actual cost.
this "CS" thing is a completely different situation, and me going any further into it may result in me being modiferated. but i have strong feelings on this subject, to say the least.
before i relax my guard, i want proof it's
a) actually the "Chicken spider" in question
b) actually a new species
c) and that the seller cares about the species or is just trying to make a quick "buck"

that's cool in your case you want to give the benefit of the doubt. i also hope you're right!
in the meantime, i look forward to setting up a Hysterocrates gigas colony in the near future...of which there is proof that it works to some degree. they even share food that has been killed!
not to mention the diving and fishing behaviour

[Taki Tsonis]

I'm not trying to argue with you James. I am also assuming that it is the real CS. I am very trusting by nature and figure if it's a scam, he would just drag his name throgh the poopoo. I don't know Craig from a bar of soap, however I definately trust Martin and that's enough for me.
Toran's low price for his iodius is honourable and good on him. However the CS (if it's all true, is rather a different kettle of fish).
I would love to hear how your gigas colony goes, I currently have 1 and is in an 'island' terrarium. It has a choice of dry or wet and I can tell you it's often underwater taking a swim

[James Box]

no, i'm not trying to argue either, Taki just stating my reasons that i'm not exactly holding my breath.
i do trust Martin, as well...so as far as a Pampho spider being communal and apparently hunting prey as large as chickens...that's fair enough! very cool too... as for it being in the hobby, that's where i start to doubt.
also, i don't think anyone who has studied this spider at all has made the 100% claim it's a new species.
the reason i'm not holding my breath is that proof is going to take a while!
i hoooooope it's true, i don't like doubting things. but it just seems from that thread and a number of others that there are reasons to be cautious.
Ray's numerous comments on the nightmare of taxonomic classification lately are one example! Pamphobeteus is a mysterious genus, and some far more well-known genera are a muddle...so for this and other reasons...lets see what the tests say!
it may even prove true that several Pampho species can behave in this manner...

that sounds amazing, watching your H gigas swim i am trying to work out how i'm going to set up a tank big enough to allow a group of large spiders to burrow and keep to themselves when they don't want to be social, which i assume may be key....as well as allowing a swimming area of sorts.

[Taki Tsonis]

Well that's it exactly. My very first initial reaction, the first time I saw the CS thread, was that the pics could be misleading and that the slings were just pretty large and could be about to leave the nest so to speak. However I think I've heard that it's been seen on multiple occasions now, and I also recall hearing that there were several generations together. Whatever the case, even if it's not a completely new species, if all those reports are true, and the slings are from that species (old, new, Acanthoscuria, Pamphobeteus, whatever), then I just want some . As you and everyone else has said though, let's just wait and see......

[Ray Gabriel]

this "CS" thing is a completely different situation, and me going any further into it may result in me being modiferated. but i have strong feelings on this subject, to say the least.
before i relax my guard, i want proof it's
a) actually the "Chicken spider" in question

Well according to Craig, his specimens came from a pet shop so are in fact unidentifed pet trade material

b) actually a new species

Well i have offered a couple of times, and Craig has said he has a dead male, i have booked bench space at the BM, so all i need is Craigs dead male AND if anyone else has any dead male Pamphobeteus i can use to compare against, and we will be closer to finding out if Craigs material really is.

Ray