Colouration quibble!

[Ben Cook]

looks awesome whatever it is!

[Peter Roach]

Its definately a Grammostola and im going to stick my neck out and say Grammostola mollicoma (. . . CLICKY . . ) but whatever it is, it most definately isnt a G rosea.


Damian, the first thing to do is get 'him' off of the wood bark ASAP and get him on a more suitable substrate.


There are several types you could use, like coir AKA eco-earth, garden compost or even topsoil or a mix of any of them.
Whatever you use make sure it is dry or nearly so and tamped down as T's do not like 'loose' substrate.
If it helps you at all to make your mind up. I have recently started to change all of my collection from coir to a compost/topsoil mix.
No microwaving, baking or any other type of sterilising, just straight out of the bag and into the tubs.

This is what I recently bought and have so far moved approx 450 slings, juv's and a few adults on to it.





Second thing is if you dampen the moulted skin and unfold it AND can take a reasonable in focus photo, we could have a go at sexing it for you. Sexing a Tarantula

[Damian Storer]

looks awesome whatever it is!

Thanks Ben, the GR has shocked me a little in that i wondered if i'd done something wrong but i'm sure that GR knows exactly what's it doing, i'm just the observer

[Damian Storer]

Hey Peter

A Grammostola Mollicoma! Well that may explain the variation in colour...

Hmmm, substrate. I'm glad you have pointed that out because once i'd set the terrarium up and started to read up on what's what, it became clear that maybe the orchid bark wasn't the best grounding for my G Mollicoma to be on and that i needed something a bit more level. It was quite funny to watch to be honest, as when the GM went for a cricket, there was a bit of a flurry of legs and little bits of bark went flying. It was like a bar fight in an old western film, but that's just my vivid imagination

The image of the substrate didn't come through on the internet i'm on in the posting, but i get the general idea about what you mean thanks. Did you make a typo when you said 450. 450? 450!!!!!! Stanley Shultz said in an earlier posting on this thread that T's were like crisps in that one was never enough, but i can't imagine having another T now or ever, but don't quote me on these words if it ever happens

I've got a pic of my GM on 'his' back as the molt began and you can see the book lungs etc. quite clearly, so hopefully that will be a start in being able to sex the blighter. I'll get that on here as soon as i can Peter.

Thanks for the reply

ps. edit : What would you recommend the depth of the substrate to be? I've read that the GR is generally a burrower so would 3 to 4 inches be enough?

[Ray Hale]

Good call Pete, I have one exactly the same. I would agree.

[craig mcinnes]

*Cough*anthracina*Cough*

[Peter Roach]

*Cough*anthracina*Cough*

Has someone dared to change mollicoma to anthracina without telling me first ?

[Peter Roach]

Did you make a typo when you said 450. 450? 450!!!!!!

Typo ? Nope, I've got lots more than that

I've got a pic of my GM on 'his' back as the molt began and you can see the book lungs etc. quite clearly, so hopefully that will be a start in being able to sex the blighter. I'll get that on here as soon as i can Peter.

We need a photo of the shed skin opened out in the area of the top pair of book lungs NOT a photo of the actual spider or book lungs, to be able to sex it with any accuracy .
(If you have any difficulties or if you really want to know its sex, post the moult to me and I'll sex it for you)

What would you recommend the depth of the substrate to be? I've read that the GR is generally a burrower so would 3 to 4 inches be enough?

It's entirely up to you what depth of substrate you provide although 3-4 inches is a good place to start. I have my substrate anywhere from 1 inch to 6 inches depending on how much I have handy at the time of rehousing.

Tarantulas are very versatile and most can adapt easily to different conditions so dont fuss too much.

[Damian Storer]

Has someone dared to change mollicoma to anthracina without telling me first ?

Well i've been looking at images of both of these now on Bing images and they are so similar. If anyones asks me what type of T i have i'll just say it's a Grammostola of some description!

ps. I'm still favouring Mollicoma, the legs don't look quite right on the Anthracina, but who am i to know. The vote is still out there i guess folks, any more suggestions?

pps. clearly i think that Mollicoma and Anthracina are two different types of Grammostola, but is this just a case of renaming just to confuse idiots like me

[Damian Storer]

MORE than 450? What on Earth? Well i guess that you can just heat a room up nice and warm instead of using individual heat mats etc, but that is alot to consider. It's great to see someone so keen on this subject, but i'm still holding out on keeping just one T, my troublesome Grammostola Mollicoma *cough*Anthracina*cough*

I've taken a superb picture of the shed skin last night and you should be able to see what's what from that, but as i went to post it it appears that we have an allowance on here of how much we can download, as it simply wouldn't let me do it and i was greated with a small icon saying 'donate'. I should be going to the BTS exhibition on 20th May in Coseley so i could bring it then, or alternatively PM me an email address and i'll ping it to you there for inspection

As for the substrate, then i won't fuss to much and leave it at 3 to 4 inches as a start and see how it goes. I'll probably make it a little undulating though for a bit of variety as so far it's always been flat and i doubt that T's live in a world that is that way. I've now seen the image of the substrate you suggested too so i know what i'm looking for now tar very

[Lee Furness]

MORE than 450? What on Earth?

It's a trivial number compared to some of the collections I've heard mentioned around the web forums! I'm a newbie on ~40 at the moment and only coming up on my first year actually keeping T's, space has slowed me up currently - you'll soon end up the same bwahaha!

[Ben Cook]

MORE than 450? What on Earth?

It is very easy to go on TSS website and buy a spray bottle, then think "wait a minute.......those slings are only £4! may as well get one" I have found so many excuses....."oh, my L.parayhbana needs a new home....it would be silly to have an empty house....may as well get another" or my personal favorite at SEAS...."its only £3....i have that in change...i'll just waste it otherwise"

[Lee Furness]

Yep Ben, (re TSS) that's exactly how my numbers keep jumping, I begrudge paying the postage on just one or two things so there's always a couple of slings to pad my orders out and it's lethal if there's a "discount on 5 or more"!

[craig mcinnes]

Has someone dared to change mollicoma to anthracina without telling me first ?

I think you should go give Caroline Fukushima, Fernando Perez-Miles and Rogerio Bertani a good talking to. And to think they were buggering about with Avicularia at the time as well.

[Damian Storer]

It's a trivial number compared to some of the collections I've heard mentioned around the web forums! I'm a newbie on ~40 at the moment and only coming up on my first year actually keeping T's, space has slowed me up currently - you'll soon end up the same bwahaha!

I just can't imagine having more than one, plus i don't have the space!!! Besides, it took so much for me to convince the Mrs to get just ONE in the first place that i count my blessings (i may just have opened a very large can of worms there!!) I can definately see the attraction of having more because there are so many T's i've seen and thought what a good experience it would be to have one (wish list - Indian Ornamental or P Regalis if you prefer), but i daren't risk it. I like my head being attached to my shoulders thanks

Great to read about so many T's being kept though by individuals, it certainly helps the hobby to stay alive and thrive!