User Balvala's Tarantula Pictures

[Balvala]

Just an ever evolving photo thread I figured I would begin with to compile images and record various species administered to my collection over time; the size records, random occurrences, et cetera... will be included. I'll separate the cellphone photos from the DSLR images after each post.

Profitez de.
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DSLR Images

Augacephalus Ezendami female "Motsesa" in need of a molt to completely regenerate her previously lost limbs. (≈3.5" currently)

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Cellphone Photos

Augacephalus Ezendami female "Motsesa"

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Brachypelma Sabulosum female "Ixtab." (≈1¾" currently)

(Feeding, but the roach slice is barely noticeable)

A feeding video captured before her recent molt (1080P HD):
[video=youtube;Oa-J1DUNVi8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Oa-J1DUNVi8[/video]

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Iridopelma sp. "Recife" suspect female that I received from Brett and Kelly a month and a half ago; recently molted and feisty. (1" currently)

Feeding video captured after recent molt; third feeding (1080P HD):
[video=youtube;PUmI23T8W3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUmI23T8W3c[/video]
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Psalmopoeus Cambridgei female "Kanaima." (2" currently) - [After last month's molt]

Shiny feets...

Kanaima a month later fattening up and in pre-molt once again... (Fed her the smaller sling's scraps for awhile)

 

[Balvala]

Finally got some decent photos from this squirrely miss... It's really difficult to get a photo with my phone in respect to poor lighting because the provided darkness was the only way it would stay still long enough.

Cellphone Photos

Pterinochililus Murinus suspect female. (≈1½" currently)

 

[Balvala]

More quick, cellphone photos just to update. I'll have to take the time to photograph each species I just acquired within the past week, because I went from these five above to eighteen in the course of three days. Here are just a couple:

Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black" fairly certain female. This is very important to me due to the fact that this is the very species that got me interested in the hobby initially, so I thank you John (catfishrod69) for gifting her to me among others. [≈2½" (6.5 cm) currently]

...Those eyes.
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Avicularia sp. female. (Most likely A. Avicularia, but more photos and investigation on the identity through a molt are necessary; ≈5½" currently)

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Cyriocosmus Elegans female. (≈1" currently)

 

[Balvala]

Details...

Here is some better quality imagery to share of a few in my lot I decided to take out to allow for more interaction or to observe a little closer to record signs of pre-molt, et cetera... The photos aren't the greatest when attempt to capture crisp shots at a closer range due to the fact that we lack a macro lens, and I was using my own manual settings to adjust to the lighting as much as possible, however I was pleased with the end result.
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DSLR Images


Haplopelma VonWirthi sporting gorgeous eyes of false innocence after threatening me during a light misting... (view in another tab and maximize the size to observe the full quality of the image)

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More Avicularia sp. (Unknown) photos for species confirmation purposes as she took a stroll upon the bed for awhile. If anyone has any better opinion as to what species she might be, or if she is merely a 5.5" A. Avic, I would appreciate additional insight on the matter.

(view in another tab and maximize the size to observe the full quality of the image)

(view in another tab and maximize the size to observe the full quality of the image)

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My rather orange-toned and passive Psalmopoeus Cambridgei after her recent molt which leaves her a little over 3" currently.

...Asian Psalmo?

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Unfortunately the only photo I could capture of my Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black", for the sake of confirming whether or not she's ballooning up for her next molt, before she scurried back in her hole.

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Very tiny, half an inch Avicularia Versicolor baby at the only moment it decided to stay still at all... while hanging off of my "bothering tool."

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Just a few quick photo updates I captured during some checks before work a few days ago I've decided to pepper in.

Cellphone Photos

Poecilotheria Pederseni also darkening for another molt soon among the rest.

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Haplopelma VonWirthi hiding from the light per usual. I need to rehouse her soon like I did the other... she's grown tired of her deli-cup tunnel system.

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Cyriocosmus Elegans before I rehoused her two nights ago.

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Just updating on the Ceratogyrus Darlingi baby also in pre-molt stages.

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Take care.

 

[Alltheworld601]

I know that Avics are almost impossible to tell apart, but I really don't think that's an A. avic. It doesn't seem to have any other colored setae on the abdomen. It could be a geroldi? I've seen those and they look just like your standard Avic only without the extra hairs. That abdomen is really sleek like a short haired cat. Its beautiful.

 

[Balvala]

Thanks a bunch, Jacqueline.

Like I said, I wish that I could afford to purchase any macro lens for my love's camera to allow for more detailed emphasis on the Avic.'s gorgeous tone in the right light. I had also been narrowing her features down to compare more with what an A. Geroldi might be famous for, so I think that path to label her as such might seem more plausible. I've been discussing it with Jan as well, and I'll probably have to post it on a few other sites for a more accurate opinion, but what bothers me about COMPLETELY comparing her to the likes of an A. Geroldi is the reputation for the deeper blue tones found throughout body that don't necessarily appear in my girl anywhere aside from the femurs and gradually up the anterior leg sets. Above her pedicel, however, you're correct in noticing that she's missing the more common array of longer, red setae that would patch the front, dorsal region of the abdomen. That region carries more of a metallic and teal setae mixture much shorter that most Avicularia sp. that I can find.

Hopefully some more opinions will shed an even brighter light on the confusion with her, but if she doesn't happen to molt again in my care, I'll be incredibly upset to not be able to quell my curiosity.

 

[Storm76]

There's always the chance that she's a) just old and not looking that brightly-colored anymore and b) a hybrid by chance. Either way, it'll be hard to impossible to 100% ID this one, I guess. It's a challenge, but one you'll probably not be able to win.

 

[Balvala]

Just some rough attempts to reverse mount the standard lens and capture some macro-style images to the best of the my ability, so excuse any surrounding blur.

DSLR Images

Chilobrachys fimbriatus female decorating the outer realm of her lair... (Currently a little over 2")

Cyriocosmus elegans with some mites on her chelicerae and left pedipalp that I'm working to find a solution for. (Currently around 1¼")

A rather active Avicularia minatrix baby that I received from Brett and Kelly recently. (Currently about ½")

One of the two Tapinauchenius gigas babies that I received recently as well. (Slightly past ½")

Ceratogyrus darlingi baby. (Currently 1")

Iridopelma hirsutum finally molted and ate her first meal. I'm posting this because you must appreciate her feet as much as I do... (Currently 1½")

Nhandu chromatus baby shying from the flash. (Currently ½")

Avicularia versicolor baby after a recent molt and first feeding as well. (A little more than ¾")

Psalmopoeus cambridgei female "Kanaima" had escaped once I went to water her, so I took advantage of the opportunity to take a few photo updates after she had hardened from her previous molt. (Currently 3")

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Cellphone Photos

Poecilotheria pederseni after her first molt in my care and having fed right before the photo. (A little over 1")

Augacephalus ezendami female "Motsesa" a little sluggish after her recent molt. (Currently 4.5" - Nearing her maximum and in need of loving)

- Indulging in a second and larger meal...


My Iridopelma hirsutum again freshly molted in these photos, to which my phone did its best to capture her natural coloration in the sunlight.

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Hope you enjoyed.
HELP ME, PLEASE...

 

[Storm76]

Nice new set of pics, dude. I had to reinforce the vent on the enclosure of "Hera" (one of my C. fimbriatus) as I caught her trying to nom through it. Hot-glued another layer of galvanized metal-mesh over it - so at least it would give me time to realize hopefully in time before she tries that again. Her sling enclosure is in another enclosure now for enhanced security - don't really want to wake up with an angry fimbriatus in my bed, lol .

 

[Balvala]

Thank's Jan. I truly appreciate it. I'm glad you were able to catch that issue soon enough before a sufficient gap were created for her escape. Surprisingly enough, my C. fimbriatus is a complete sweetheart... when she's not noticeably hungry. She usually comes back out almost immediately after I open the lid and either just stands a little away from her burrow or on top of it to view whatever I might be doing, but no lunging or postures as of yet. I just rehoused that second Haplopelma vonwirthi that's in the group of photos above, however, and she's probably the meanest of any in my lot. I accidentally set the torque too high on the drill I was using for air holes in her lid and it snapped a piece of plastic out about the size of her body, so I've only patched it with multiple layers of duct and packing tape. I'm going to use hot glue to stick some cork over the patched area as well, though I doubt she'll attempt to venture out of her burrow to hang upside down and gnaw away at the tape even.

The most eventful thing I'm waiting for right now is for my Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black" to actually molt and reach well past three inches, and I can record the appearance with a few new photos of her. It's been almost two months since she began refusing food and gaining a bit of a dark, glossy abdomen, so I'm hoping that within the next week or so she'll see it fit to expose her new body.

 

[Storm76]

Thank's Jan. I truly appreciate it. I'm glad you were able to catch that issue soon enough before a sufficient gap were created for her escape. Surprisingly enough, my C. fimbriatus is a complete sweetheart... when she's not noticeably hungry. She usually comes back out almost immediately after I open the lid and either just stands a little away from her burrow or on top of it to view whatever I might be doing, but no lunging or postures as of yet.

Mine are usually still shy, though Hera becomes more and more devilish shooting out of her burrow at times when I open the enclosure and instantly going into threat posturing...it's rather hilarious but also quite intimidating. She's certainly one I wouldn't want to mess with unless necessary, in fact these couple will certainly be more interesting to transfer than my subfusca which went very uneventful and totally easy. I do like them, but if they turn out to become really defensive up to the point that they are out all the time, I'll either house them in glass-terras, or sell them in the worst case (if I feel I'm in over my head) - so far, they're challenging but manageable.

Good luck with the Lampro! Post pics once she molted . As for the Haplo - I would seal that asap nevertheless - they can wander around and if the T sees a chance, she'll probably take it...

 

[Balvala]

Okay, so I lied about my C. fimbriatus being a sweetheart. I think it was merely due to the fact that she just recently molted that she was being quite easy toward me. No, since she's eaten twice and hardened her exoskeleton a bit, she's nearly always out of her burrow and when I even breathe out my nose near her enclosure, she tries to attack the vent that she felt the breeze from. I find the aggressiveness interesting in most species however, so I don't mind her behavior one bit. In regards to both Haplopelma, I don't think I have to worry about the patch hole at the top. What I was bothered most by was the fact that I woke up one evening to them widening the base of their burrows but literally scratching with their fangs at the bottom of the enclosure to which there are now small scratch marks against the edge. In my opinion, I think they were just trying to clear every amount of coco fiber away from the sides to the best of their ability so nothing was obstructing an area to molt. I'm fortune that I've been able to view them both at all times due to me making their starter-burrow entrance against the very corner of their enclosure, so they just conveniently followed the wall down to clear substrate. I'm almost tempted to rehouse them once they molt to see how far they actually do burrow, because "Au Co" is about 4.5" deep and 9.5" across the bottom, whilst "Ba Set" is 6" deep and 9.5" while also clearing more in the back after making her L-shaped burrow to extended along the side...

We'll see how everything develops, anyway. I just received my thousand B. lateralis... which was a fun time, by the way... and every single spider of mine ate immediately aside from the few in pre-molt (T. gigas babies and A. minatrix) and the tiny A. versicolor I had to help out of a molt yesterday morning.

Regardless, I'll keep you updated. Thank you.

 

[Balvala]

Alright, after a long while of waiting around, humidity adjustment and more, my Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black" finally decided to molt before expanding anymore to the point where it seemed as if it might explode. Here are some more, quality photos that I was able to capture the day of and day after her molt on the first of July:

0.1.0 Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black" - I can't get over how gorgeous the subtle mixture of coloration is throughout her body. (Currently 3¼")

She just isn't having it at this point...

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These last two photos I captured with my phone the actual day that she molted.

Through the eyepiece of my microscope for confirmation.

Seriously, you have no idea what they can do to me...

 

[catfishrod69]

Glad your Borneo turned out female bro! I still am not positive what mine is yet. That A. ezendami is a beauty. Gonna have to let me have her though .

 

[Balvala]

Glad your Borneo turned out female bro! I still am not positive what mine is yet. That A. ezendami is a beauty. Gonna have to let me have her though .

Haha, NO! I got so lucky with her by saving her, nursing her back to health and everything. I'll only trade her for something incredibly high on my list, which probably wouldn't even be worth it for the other person. She and the Lampropelma sp. "Borneo Black" are the two most important tarantulas in my collections in terms of significant placed upon the purpose me owning them. If you found a male before me however, I wouldn't mind initiating a 50/50 project with you. More people need to experience these little critters. Even at her size, she's still incredibly "docile" for a baboon, and I absolutely love that aspect due to the fact that I never have to worry about her getting bothered by me doing maintenance... ever.

 

[catfishrod69]

Well im sure ill have a male in the future. But right now my little ones are only 1" or a hair more.

 

[Balvala]

Quick and Sloppy Update

Ephebopus uatuman - A four inch female that I picked up in fairly rough condition a month and a half ago, missing a leg and still regenerating another, from a local shop. She still has yet to eat or web amount of her enclosure, though I've still maintained proper humidity and substrate depth in hopes that she may molt soon.

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Augacephalus ezendami - Female still at four and a half inches in DLS, being a little more lively and temperamental on this day. (Taken with phone)

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Chilobrachys fimbriatus - Female at nearly three inches bolting out of her hole and "hugging" her web, more than likely anticipating more food.

...and her web tunnels without her body interrupting the center. (Poor lighting, so I apologize)

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Brachypelma sabulosum - Female at a little over two and a half inches. As I received her in February as my first tarantula at 3/4", she's been growing quite well and growing out of her relative burrowing stages. Thank you, John, for gifting her to Devin whom, in turn, gifted her to me.

 

[paassatt]

The webbing of that C. fimbriatus is amazing. Great stuff.

 

[Balvala]

Oh, I agree. It took her a whole three days to map out the placement of those tunnels and apply the web to a deserving degree along each wall. She's been adding to it since June. I feel terrible because once she molts again, I fear she'll be too large for her initial burrow underneath the web mess.. so, I'll have to go in and transfer her hoping she doesn't attempt to rip open a portal leading to the Netherrealm and throw me in it it under a fit of spider-rage.

 

[Balvala]

Iridopelma hirsutum female nearing two and a half inches in diagonal leg span. The lump upon her abdomen has remained since her fourth instar molt, however.

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One of two Tapinauchenius gigas spiderlings nearing one and a half inches. I'm assuming this particular specimen is female due to rough molt inspection through the microscope and ventral confirmation, however it's much too small to be completely certain.

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This is the second time that my incredibly spastic Poecilotheria vittata has performed a front flip off of something and attempted to "play dead" for any period of time until disturbed once more to get back into its enclosure. Practically at two and a half inches in diagonal leg span after measuring recently.

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Very uncooperative Cyriocosmus bertae gave me a moment of her time to capture a quick photo and record her size. Currently around an inch in diagonal leg span.

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Rough photo of my healthy Avicularia minatrix spiderling currently an inch in DLS. I desperately need a macro lens as the graininess of this photo was nearly impossible to mask.

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Finally just updating on my slow-growing Avicularia versicolor spiderling nearing almost an inch and a half in DLS.