help needed

[Nicola Dolby]

Try here:
http://meyken.spiderlinge.de/?Biete%2FFor_sale

Michael is a good supplier, he will help if he can.

[Christian Elowsky]

I am sorry for your loss. The abrasion from moving the substrate around might have caused some dehydration issues. I think we might want to review some of your cultural practices to ensure we have a good grasp of what might have happened to prevent it from happening again. I have had this species before, and they really are earth movers, but I have never had that level of abrasion. The last time I saw abrasion that bad was from a different species pushing under a water dish for a hide repeatedly. I am not blaming you at all, just hoping to get an answer. Was she mature when you got her 5 years ago?

Also, I can not comment on that side of the puddle, but breeders in Mexico have really stepped up the efforts to bred the local Brachypelma, and a great deal of the captive born slings in the US, which once came from Germany, now come from Mexico. Do some checking, they're often very seasonally available.

Good luck.

[stuart longhorn]

Agreed with Christian, and sorry for your loss.

As the others have said, the red on the legs was just seem to be the underlying exoskeleton, shown as the hairs had been rubbed off. Likely the hairs were rubbed off through all that earth moving. When/if you setup for another, then its worth thinking about why this one might have been unsatisfied with her enclosure. In the pictures, the substrate looked very dry, so its worth considering dehydration, though the abdomen looked plump. These species should live more than ten years, so im curious how much markings/what sized she was when you got her. This species is very slow growing, so 1 yr should only be a small juvenile without much leg/body colour. If her colours were strong when you got her it was definitely much older than 1 year.

While in the wild these live in arid/dry areas, they generally build deep burrows under large rocks. There is some humidity retained deep in the burrows, and the spiders can move into these when needed, particularly when moulting. So, even in species like B.emilia that come from relatively arid areas, it can be important to allow them access to slightly humid areas, such as one corner of the tank, or within whatever is setup for them to shelter under (i typically use cork bark).

Its not so unusual to see Brachypelma emilia available, so you should find another relatively soon after you choose to start looking again, depending on your location. Or you could choose to keep one of the other species, there's a good variety of captive bred species available these days, though generally better to buy from an educated online tarantula dealer than most petstores (who often know little).

[Gareth Brink]

hi guys, i did consider dehydration coz ever since we'v had her shes continualy covered her water dish, no matter how many times we dig it out so we took to just soaking one area of her substrate. the pictures were taken while she was sat on her cork bark, so that may explain why the pics make it look really dry.

i really doubt she was only one year old, coz although she has grown a little over the last 5 years its not been by much, she was probably about 3/4 the size she is now (quite easily the size of my palm), and she was very brightly coloured.

although i use a specialist reptile and arachnid shop, as apposed to a general pet store, i have had a few mishaps with them lately, had one Grammostola rosea just die suddenly a few weeks after purchase (which they very kindly replaced free of charge), and one Haplopelma lividum supposidly a juvinile female who shed once and turned out to be a male (with that one shed being its last one revieling the spurs).

Im looking to get some more beauties for xmas, but being a bit sceptical of buying online and posting, which websites would people recomend having used them before?

[Peter Lacey]

There's pros and cons to any possible seller. The shops have higher prices but more support and will offer help if things arent going right, you also have the benefit of being able to see what you purchase. Online shops can be great due to the volume they probably have and at reduced prices, but they often charge proper rates for postage. Private sellers often only offer one individual or multiple slings. A week after selling you're unlikely to get a replacement but of course you can build up a relationship with the seller over multiple sales and perhaps get some freebies.
Online sellers I'd recommend are BugzUK, The Spider Shop, Virginia Cheeseman and Predator or Prey.

I'm hoping to follow in Stuart's footsteps with mating B. boehmei. 2 good insertions but no idea how long the gestation period is.
I currently have P. cambridgei slings and juveniles plus lots of P. murinus slings available if you're interested and should have P. striata slings around Christmas/New Year, assuming this sac doesnt go bad.

[James Box]

isn't it possible she was just old?
a moult would've restored all the setae, but maybe she had just hit the end of her life...
sorry for your loss, though. it's gutting! but if you had her 5 years as i think i read, then she's probably had a decent life with you...
i know males go scabby as they go on, maybe it's a similar thing

[stuart longhorn]

Hi Guys/gals.

Yes its possible she just got old, so having her five years suggests she had a setup she was happy enough with ! Great you thought to increase
the humidity in one corner after you found her favouring the waterdish area, its really good to take cues from the spider, ie if they favour more humid side, then it suggests they want humidity, etc. It sounds like you did just that, and i knew i was only looking at a part of the tank in the photo, but just wanted to check she had access to more humid part, or a waterdish if you use those (i only do with very humid species).

So yes, sounds like she had a good life in your care, and sorry for your loss. I wouldnt say the redness on the legs contributed, but its dificult to say, if she had scaratched her legs too much she MAY have got a bacterial infection, but its pure speculation. Nothing you could have done if something like that happened, nor a vet. I agree with James, he's a smart man. If she was old, as we could suspect, age was probably a factor in her demise. I find my old females often die in moults, but not always, some surprise me when they die. As you say she was quite large and well coloured when you got her, she was definately over 1 year old. With my twice monthly feeding regime, it took my emilia about 5+ years to get to about the size i think you mean. So, she has had a good run. Theyre very slow growing.

Well, i had fine experiences buying from all the mail-order suppliers that Poxicator/Pete mentioned, though i warn you its cold outside now, and i am against posting/mail delivery when cold, as are some of these suppliers. The spiders suffer in the cold and may die, so i suggest wait until its warmer in spring if you buy mail order/online. I know people like Virginia Cheesman can allow collection from her 'office', and you can see the range of species she has in stock. Else, blatant publicity, but the BTS exhibition next year will have great suppliers from all over in one place, and its a great opportunity to find what you want, plus talk to us all in person !!!

Have a great christmas all.... im off to hunt badly-described spiders in nice warm places again....
s

--ok, off topic now, but saves me an email !
P.s. Poxicatior/Pete .... Dont know if i said by email, but my female B.boehmei is probably breedable again now (she had a rest year to recover), so if you think about getting me the male after you tried, we can give mine another go. But, im not around until January, and she moulted back in august, so she might be too far through her moult cycle by then. Last time i mated her before christmas..., but check a thread on arachnoboards where i [think that i] wrote mating dates and eggsac times... i think she dropped her sac only a few days after the last time i mated her, so just keep trying with yours, even if/when she starts to swell with eggs.... i think it all helps ! Also, go with drier during the mating period/gravid, and during eggsac production, as they breed in the dryer periods. The rains come in may-june, when i think hatching happens .. but though i say 'dry' this species lives in sheltered/ well-vegetated areas which retains some humidity, plus more so deep in the burrows... so not 'dry!'.... you know that :P