Haplopelma lividum or not????

[Stephen jordan]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could offer any tips on the H lividum, I really want one and all the care sheets and info I find says the same thing...Experienced keepers only! So really my question is "when do you know youre ready for such a spider?" I'm thinking if you don't keep the spiders how on earth are you going to build up the knowledge and experience needed to care for such a spider as the Cobalt blue. Any opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated

[steven simcock]

I think is best to work your way up to spider such as H lividum. The thing is a spider like a g rosia will run and hide where some spiders will come at you fangs aloft. I had a g rosia as my first then a L. parahybana and then on to a Psalmopoeus irminia. Its up to you and if you think you are ready they there is nothing to stop you owning a lividum. Saying that stephen my lividum never comes out of its underground burrow. Maybe if you buy a h lividum spiderling like i did and you gain experience as it grows.

[Stephen jordan]

Thanks Steven, Impulsive as I am...I've just bought one. I think if I exercise common sense and respect, I'll be ok. I've had some experience of aggressive exotics, mostly snakes so I'm fairly aware that if i'm careless I'm going to get tagged! Like you said youre lividum spends all the time in it's burrow, and the only real "risk" time if there were any would be maintanence/feeding etc, so caution and respect will play a big part in keeping one of these spiders. I've put about 4 -5 inches?? of substrate in it's tank so with any luck it'll get digging and be a happy as a lividum can be, temperatures ok and humidity is fine. I'm looking forward to owning one for sure, beautiful spider without a doubt. Again thanks for the advice

[Matthew Baines]

This is my own personal opinion. One of the first spiders i got was a Haplopelma Lividum sling. As long as you give it plenty of places to burrow and are not tempted to poke , prod or dig it up you will be fine. Just be prepared to spend hours upon hours looking at a hole in the ground as they do not venture out very often. But they have a special place in my heart as the spider that turned me to Asian spiders.

[steven simcock]

I've had some experience of aggressive exotics, mostly snakes

Well i think you will do fine stephen with your new lividum, Mine is a sling and it is just over 2cm's and has been busy building this last month but only at night when i'm in bed.

This was my lividum slings pot just after the first night i brought it



And this is now

[wayne randall]

nocturnal h lividum

my lividum comes out of a night and is quite active but very defensive, a good feeder and my gosh is she quick

[James Box]

good on ya, the only way you can get experience with spiders is to keep them! just respect its speed.
mine incidentally always darts down its burrow rather than fight.

[wayne balcombe]

my haplopelma lividum spent the first 3 days i had her wandering around her terrnium. every time i looked in she was out, i thought i'd got lucky and found a really sociable specimin but soon after this she started burrowing and i only ever see her 2 front legs now as she waits at the entrance to her burrow at night time. the hoppers keep myseriously disapearing though lol.

[Stephen jordan]

It arrives tomorrow morning, one thing I was wondering was did you start a burrow with a flower pot or leave the tank bare for the spider to dig up itself? I've started a burrow off with a lengh of plastic piping cut lenghways in half hoping it would carry on where I left off.

[steven simcock]

All i did is put a piece of bark in and left it be. The next morning it had built a volcano and was deep underground as seen on my pics above.

[Craig Moore]

There's a Lividum for sale in a garden centre near me for £80.00. I feel so sorry for it, the place obviously have no idea how to keep spiders and have put it in a critter keeper with roughly an inch of pure vermiculite as substrate

[steven simcock]

That does truly suck big time, they may have only that much subtrate in because they don't want it to burrow else they won't able to sell a spider customers can't see.

[Craig Moore]

Very true. £80 is alot though, there's some juvies/sub-adults going for alot less on the spidershop website.

[steven simcock]

I alway think places like that always charge more.

[Stephen jordan]

£80 thats a lot of wonga for an unhappy spider, It doesnt take very long to brush up on a bit of knowledge does it? I'm of the opinion if you don't have an idea of how to care for an animal then you shouldnt sell or keep them, It's not fair on the animal in question at all. However I do suppose a spider stuck in a hole all the time doesnt make for a great sales pitch. My lividum arrived this morning and has spent all of today it looks like on the side of it's tank. I'll be a little concerned over the next few days though as I hope it settles down and makes itself comfy. It hasnt shown any sign of defensive or aggressive behaviour either, I doubt i'd be in a good mood if i'd been stuck in a box overnight with Royal mail either to be fair. With a little luck it'll start a burrow and chill out in the next few days, very happy with my new spider I have three more tanks to fill yet decisions decisions