Beginner with Brachypelma Bohemi seeking advice...

[Alistair Burrows]

Hello folks, typical beginner questions but thought I'd ask to see if I should be worried or not yet.

Have just got myself my first T, a Brachypelma Bohemi / Mexican Fireleg.

It is sized about 2 and 1/2inches legspan, roughly, bit skittish at the minute so haven't got an accurate measurement yet.

Got it 2 weeks ago, have checked am keeping it at proper temp etc... stayed out for the first 2 days then when it discovered the coconut hide it has just disappeared into the coconut shell and has banked the substrate up nearly covering the entrance, and hasn't come out at all yet that I've seen.

I have lifted the hide to check that it is alright, and looks perfectly healthy, not dehydrating, shrinking etc.. have a water dish in the tank with it and have twice tried it with correct sized brown crickets and it hasn't taken any yet, so have twice ended up removing the crickets after 2 days when they were not eaten and placed them back in the cricket keeper.

Have noticed tonight that the rump is getting rather bald looking so am i right to assume this is a sign that a molt is approaching, or am I wrong?

How long is it normally between molts on juvenile T's like this? not that i know when the last one was.

How long would the T do without food before I should be concerned about it?

Many thanks for any assistance.
Alistair.

[stuart longhorn]

Hi,

Congrats on your purchase.

It would help us if you said what substrate you are using, what 'correct temperatures' and what 'correct sized cricket'. It sounds like you have done some homework on this, but it would help me and others to know what you have been advised, and maybe by who. Ie petshop or major spider dealer.

The cricket should be smaller than the spider. If it's too big it can intimidte the spider. But it does sound like it's just settling in, and possibly coming upto a moult. Spiders often block themselves in when moved to a new home, or commonly when moulting. It maybe both here. Yes the abdomen can go bald before moulting, but also if it's using the hairs to repel a cricket that's too large. The abdomen will go dark a few days before moulting, then all crickets should be removed. If the bald abdomen is not dark, then you can try a smaller cricket than before. Young B.boemei really are not brave with large food unless very Hungary.

I sometimes only feed my juveniles once per month, so two weeks without food is nothing to worry about. The time between moults at that size depends on amount of food and temperature, but moult every 2-4 months sound about right to me, as it gets older it will moult every 6-8months, then eventually about once per year when towards adulthood.

Hope all goes well, it sounds like it's ready to moult though...
S

[Alistair Burrows]

Thanks a lot Stuart,

Am using Pro rep Spider Life substrate with no additional damping as according to things I've read about the Fireleg it is from an arid region and doesn't like damp substrate.

Keep a shallow water dish in the tank, and tank is around the 26'c temp. dropping a bit at night, I have placed the tank on top of my sons Bearded dragon vivarium so gets heat rising from that so shouldn't need any additional tank heating, i think.

Am trying to feed it medium sized brown silent crickets but am picking the smallest ones from the pack as I believe they shouldn't be any wider than the width of the spiders head.

I researched a lot before getting it and use the Tarantula Keepers Guide as a reference book.

Looking forward to getting it fully grown, but it's just understandable new keeper nerves, wanting to make sure i'm doing the right thing for it.

Thanks
Alistair.

[Christopher Smallman]

I have 2 of these beauties and my moult records read as follows.

"Itchy" 30/8/09~11/10/09~25/11/09~8/1/10~22/2/10~30/4/10~9/11/10

"Scratchy" 18/8/09~28/9/09~18/12/09~6/4/10~11/6/10 and is now in pre-moult

These were purchased as small slings and "Itchy" is the largest at nearly 4 inches now.

Chris.

[Christopher Smallman]

"Scratchy" moulted last night

There is nothing more orange and vibrant than a freshly moulted Brachypelma bohemi.

Chris.

[Alistair Burrows]

Thanks for the info Chris, I'm surprised just how often they molt at that age, didn't think it would be so frequent.

I'm looking forward to seeing mine freshly molted, just having to keep lifting the coconut shell to check on him every day.

Cheers.
Al.

[bill bennett]

hi alistair i also have one of these and mind was the same as yours when i first got her i just left mine to it and after a few weeks it setteled in now its my flick monster lol just have to look at her and she flicks
but as if you just do what stuart said all will be fine

[Carole Dallison]

Hi Alistair
I have several of the Brachypelma species and i was really surprised at how frequently they molt (probably means theyre males for me ). Mine have molted nearly every other month and theyre about a 2" leg span (thats one leg. When refering to leg span is it the full width of the spider or 1 leg, lol! in which case theyre 4", der!). Sounds like yours is getting ready to molt. As for feeding, dont worry to much. My G.Rosea sling was offered food for 6 months before she`d eat and my Desert Blonde hasn`t eaten since i got her in april 2010! The way i see it is she`s got 2 choices. But I know shes due to molt. Good luck with yours and enjoy

[Colin D Wilson]

People measure spiders normally either
a: Body length (from the chelicerae to the spinnerettes)
b: Leg span (diagonally from left leg "I" to right leg "IV" (or visa versa)

So Carol, if your spider has a front leg of about 2ins then its approx 5 inch leg span (2 + 2 + 1 inch (ish) for the body))

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

I lost Bo, my B. boehemi over Christmas during a moult, and all the conditions were nearly perfect, so was at some loss as to why I would lose her just like that. She's molted twice since I have had her without problems, so I was baffled.

Anyway, I hope you have better luck, and I'm on the hunt for another, as these T's are stunning.