New Surprise Heteroscodra maculata arriving tomorrow!

[Simon Brown]

I put on an order for a breeding pair of G Pulchras (missing limbs) and a breeding pair of Emp Scorps, to my surprise today they have added a H maculata as a freebie (although missing limbs still a nice surprise)

I have then done a lot of research on them and am now feeling a little worried about recieving it and trying to move it to its new tank

Please can anyone give me any advise and are they really as bad as I am reading

I understand they have quite a nasty bite can anyone share experience as bite reports ive read have been quite a contrast from a few hours pain to days of agonising muscle cramps, nausea and severe pain

My collection (36) manily consists of brachys, grammies and avics with a few GBB's and a lovely P mettalica (which is quite docile and never once bolted or shown a threat posture) again I read quite a few nasty reviews on how fast, defensive and nasty a bite all of which i haven't experienced myself (must of got lucky with a nice docile suspect female)

The information im really looking for is what is recommended type tank im looking at either a medium tall fauna if adult (over 4.5") or a large sweet jar if smaller ie Juvinile as recommended by jon3800 on youtube and most importantly any advise on transfer as im a lil worried that if its as nasty as ive read i may well get bitten

im thinking of doing it all in the bath but not sure whether to put box in the fauna and let it come out itself, goad it into tank or release it into bath and try and direct it up into fauna or sweet jar.

worry of sweet jar is once it gets too big problems of rehousing so may just put it into fauna from the start

any advice to put my mind at ease would be fantastic apologies for the short notice but only found out today its coming, extremly greatful to the spidershop for the freebie, but embarrassingly feel that i may not be ready for a spider of such temperment and speed as Im under the understandign these are meant more for the experienced keepers and dont really class myself as one of these just yet

Thanks in advance

Simon Brown

[Dave Shinn]

Hi Simon,

I have a 2 inch H. maculata, and in my experience, you do need to exercise caution.

I purchased mine as a sling, and up until 3-4 weeks ago it was housed in a sweet jar, it is now in an Exo-Terra 'Nano Tall' (slight tangent, but brilliant little tanks...I have the H. mac in one and my juvie P. metallica in the other), and to put it bluntly, the lil thing scared the sh*t outta me when it came to moving it...the speed of it is unreal, and it was very quick to adopt a threat pose, however, I must point out, that most spiders would react like this when someone is trying to force them out their burrow, but as you've read, they have quite a toxic venom, so I took heed of it's aggression, left it a while, then moved it half hour later after it had calmed itself down somewhat.

I personally think, that as long as you don't take any unnecessary risks with it and exercise proper caution when carrying out maintenance on whatever you decide to house it in, you should be ok, although other people's opinions may vary, and, of course, it's also down to whether you feel confident enough to look after it (and I can't see any shame in saying you're not...better to be honest with yourself than in hospital with a bite from a H. maculata you didn't even want!)

Oh, and again, my after my experience trying to get it out of a sweet jar, I'd say put it in the faunarium, save later issues with a p*ssed of H. mac!

Hope this helps,

Dave

[Simon Brown]

Dave

I thank you for your response its true i didnt ask for it and too be honest its not a Tarantula I would have ordered due to its feisty personality, but from what I have seen it is truly a beautiful T and being as it has limbs missing fear it may be unwanted ifit turns out I cant cope, I will endeavour to give it a loving home and really do appreciate the gift the Spider Shop have given me, just a bit of a shock once I did a bit of research lol

I had a great conversation with them when I put my order in on what I already owned etc and The H Mac was never mentioned so they must believe I am ready and its the fear of the unknown thats making me a bit nervous once its safely inside the tank ill feel a whole lot more confident

My main fear is transferring it once it arrives, once its in its tank it can be left well alone to settle in and only disturb when feeding and spot cleaning, from videos ive seen they are similiar to pokies where they seem to stay hidden when feeding so hope I wont encounter any problems once i get the worrying part over with, so i can then relax and truly appreciate a stunning T that I wouldn't have necessarily purchased ever or for some time to come lol, As mentioned I have a sub adult female P metallica and due to some negative reviews on them I give her a lot more respect and caution than I do with my new worlds (all the same love and care of course), and am having no problems with her at all and hold her in high regards prettiest T I own, though my absolute favourite is my A geniculata such a hungry beast I love her! greatest personality and boy can she move when food is around!

So will be that more respectful and cautious with this one.

If you have any advise on the safest and easiest way to do a transfer that would be hugely appreciated and agree with you that the Fauna sounds the better option to save going through the fear of moving it again!

[Dave Shinn]

Hi again Simon,

They are a beautiful spider, I wasn't 100% confident when I ordered mine, but just give it the respect it deserves every time I have to 'interact' with it. I find it quite a 'reclusive' spider, although that said, since moving it in to the nano it is a lot more active at night, the only aggression it has ever shown me was during the re-housing, which was 'provoked'.

I think that the best bet would be to open (carefully!) whatever it arrives in, inside the Faunarium (if you feel more confident doing this in the bath tub, do so...it's nice to know they can't get too far if they make a run for it! Ha ha), then, if you have long tweezers or something similar (ideally 30cm+) to coax the spider out of the tub. Hopefully, it will make use of the nearest cover available (it is my experience that most tarantulas will run and hide rather than attack if the option is available) and you can remove the plastic tub it came in, sit back, let a big sigh of relief out, and enjoy your free, slightly disabled pet and of course, it's limbs will regrow I had an accident with my Ceratogyrus marshalli when I was moving it and it lost an entire leg...2 moults later it was fully re-grown

Again, hope this helps and I hope you enjoy your new acquisitions

Dave

[Lee Furness]

Congratulations on the freebie, they're a beautiful spider and one that's on my want list once I've got room for more, I've watched a few video's of them and blimey they certainly are fast!

[Mark Harrison]

Tbh simon dave has pretty much summed up the H.mac. Transferring the maculata in the bath is in my opinion a waste of time, when i transferred my AF I put the tub inside the new home and gently coaxed her into moving. In this scenario she bolted out of tub and straight into cork hide i'd created for her, as long as you are aware and respect the T you will have a gorgeous looking and rewarding tarantula. Although they may posses potent venom, i believe they have received a bad press like P.Murinus. Enjoy and no doubt this will start a fascination in baboon spiders like it did with me

[Simon Brown]

Thanks for all your responses my package arrived an instead of the H. Mac I received an extra emporer scorpion I am so relieved and so happy as this brings my colony up to 5 and a few already look pregnant so fingers crossed my colony will continue to expand as these lovely scorpions are becoming harder and harder to come by

After reading all your comments I'm a little gutted it didn't arrive but honestly an extra scorpion was such a bigger n better surprise so THANK YOU spider shop for making my day and weekend

I may now have to get a H Mac after your reassurance but will have to hold off till I can make more room, thanks again for your comments although I never received it in the end, it has now become one for my wish list for future purchase

[Lee Furness]

I'd be more panicked getting an unexpected scorp, never kept them before and honestly they're not at all my thing, I'd probably be narked if anything since I'd have to unload it somehow.

[Simon Brown]

Nah emporers are the most docile and largest of scorpions, I ordered a breeding pair and got one extra, due to import ban these are getting harder and harder to come across so to get one free really was Xmas come early for me now have 5 and 2 that arrived today may be preggers so even better

I was honestly more panicked when I thought it was the H Mac heard a lot of bad press just how quick an potent the venom was and got a bit worried not very experienced with real aggressive T's as I only have the one old world a fake p mettalica and to be honest she is very gentle and more graceful than quick and defensive

After hearing all the comments on the H mac I think I may get one eventually but will probably get a p irminia first to get a bit more experience before getting something so potent have a few kids so can't take any chances on it escaping on me during transfer or feeding etc

[DJKelly]

Hi Simon,

Used to keep Emps myself - lovely beasties.

From my experience you might want to consider rehousing any gravid females away from the colony as they can get pretty territorial a few weeks before giving birth.

Good luck with the babies!

Dave

[Simon Brown]

Dave

Cheers for that didn't know that heard it was wise to seperate but thought this was down to stress n possibility of eating the young so thank you I've learnt something else lol

Any other advise from your experiences would be more than appreciated they all seem pretty happy at the mo though only really see the male out on a nightly basis and one of the females every now and then which I hear is a good sign as I here the less you see them the happier they are

[Paul Hadgett]

My M mac was kept in a small plastic tub and as luck would have it I had a spare House Of Spiders enclosure going so I put the jar into the HoS jobbie and opened the lid and left the spider to it's own devices. It took two days before it moved fully out of the tub and now it's safely housed in it's new home. In the HoS enclosure there's a large piece of cork bark that the spider rests on right at the front - right near the hinged door! So I have to be very very careful when misting it but I gently tap it cause a vibration and the spider scuttles away into it's little webbed hole but by is it quick. They are very very nice patterned spiders but one I will always take great care of when looking after it.