Acanthoscurria fracta question

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Photo of the Acnathoscurria fracta with a flash

I took this photo with my Nikon D3000 camera. I decided to do it with a flash outside just to see how it turned out. The photo turned out a little dark not good lighting in my opinion.


Acanthoscurria fracta Female

 

[Storm76]

Can't deny this species seriously caught my interest after all I've read and seen now. Beautiful and nice size. Hmmm...*thinking, please wait*

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Can't deny this species seriously caught my interest after all I've read and seen now. Beautiful and nice size. Hmmm...*thinking, please wait*

Yes, this is a beautiful species. Since her last molt her size is 6.5" inches. So far what I have encountered is that I need to keep this species at a higher humidity level. Ever since I purchased the two females that I have I kept them dry, after many months I almost lost my 6.5" inch female. I found her in the beginning stage of a death curl, so I hurried and gave her a new environment kept the humidity high and gave her another fresh bowl of water. Hours later she was back to normal.

I think since I live in a very dry state, I need to keep her in a higher humidity level. Definitely not like geniculata or formanally known brocklehursti, this species I can keep them really dry and not have a problem. And than again this two species are available as captive born and not wild caught.

I'm wondering though since the two fracta's that I have are wild caught has anything to do with them needing higher humidity level. If this fracta's were captive born slings and were raised up as adults do you think the humidity level would be the same as from wild caught specimens? If anyone can give their opinions on this would be great.

I really need to stop calling them Acanthoscurria fracta since this name no longer belongs to this species. I should just start calling them Acanthoscurria sp. "Fracta" or Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra".

I'm hoping that someday I come across another immature male and try again on mating them. I don't think in Germany this species was ever bred or babies were produced from a wild caught female. I have not heard of this anyways, but I could be wrong.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

New photos of my wild caught Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" 5" inch Female

I will go ahead and start calling this species Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" I think this is the proper way to describe this species for now. So this is my 5" inch female that molted three months ago. I figure I should take photos of this species of their development stages every time my adult female and my 5" inch female molt.


Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" - Wild Caught Female

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" - Wild Caught Female

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" - Wild Caught Female

 

[awiec]

I'm not an expert and there are many more people on here smarter than me but I will take a crack at your question. CB specimens have had the advantage of having been adjusted to being kept in captivity, while you have yourself a WC who has been taken from its home and is now in your possession. I would think if one where to gradually adjust the WC specimen to "captive" conditions it may become a little more tolerant of drier conditions. Of course there is only so far that you can go with more tropical tarantulas and really if keeping a very humid enclosure is what makes your spiders happy then I'd run with it. Also this could show that perhaps that other members of the genus may have habitat overlap with more dryer regions than perviously thought while your Para Mongos may have a more narrow and strict range in comparison and thus may be less tolerant.

Once again I probably am wrong on this but perhaps this will lead to better conversation and attract someone better educated in these matters.

 

[Storm76]

Gonna say what I always say on that topic: Personally I keep my T's close to conditions they would have in their natural habitat. Arid? Arid. Humid? Alright, humid then. I saw you keep yours on gravel or whatever that stuff is? I'd use potting soil, ecoearth, or whatever - but certainly not that stuff. That way you can also keep humidity higher more easy by moistening a part of the enclosure.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I'm not an expert and there are many more people on here smarter than me but I will take a crack at your question. CB specimens have had the advantage of having been adjusted to being kept in captivity, while you have yourself a WC who has been taken from its home and is now in your possession. I would think if one where to gradually adjust the WC specimen to "captive" conditions it may become a little more tolerant of drier conditions. Of course there is only so far that you can go with more tropical tarantulas and really if keeping a very humid enclosure is what makes your spiders happy then I'd run with it. Also this could show that perhaps that other members of the genus may have habitat overlap with more dryer regions than perviously thought while your Para Mongos may have a more narrow and strict range in comparison and thus may be less tolerant.

Once again I probably am wrong on this but perhaps this will lead to better conversation and attract someone better educated in these matters.

I appreciate your input.

---------- Post added 06-09-2015 at 05:18 AM ----------

Gonna say what I always say on that topic: Personally I keep my T's close to conditions they would have in their natural habitat. Arid? Arid. Humid? Alright, humid then. I saw you keep yours on gravel or whatever that stuff is? I'd use potting soil, ecoearth, or whatever - but certainly not that stuff. That way you can also keep humidity higher more easy by moistening a part of the enclosure.

That stuff is vermiculite, it can also be use for substrate for any tarantula, as well as humidity.

I had both of my Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" very dry for a long period of time cause I heard that you can keep them like any other Acanthoscurria sp., but finding out the hard way from my experience the Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" are definitely on a higher humidity level. This is so far from my observation about this species, specially for this species being taking away from their natural environment in the wild. Even though the 6.5" inch female has been captive raised for a number of years, it does seems that this species need the humidity level high.

And than again I do live in a dry desert State environment, so this maybe a big factor for this species to be in the proper condition. Also from my understanding is, that the Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" are being collected and shipped to the U.S.A with the Theraphosa sp., E. murinus and some other species. Since Theraphosa sp. need their environment to be humid I'm thinking that the Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra" do need to be in the same condition as well.

Thanks for your input I always appreciate any additional information.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Another safe and successful molt

I got a nice surprise today from my adult female. I was not expecting her to molt, she gave me no sign of wanting to molt besides not taking a bit of food. She did not have a bald spot, as matter of fact every time my young female and my adult female have not flicked, kicked their hairs before they molt.

In two weeks she is going outside for photos.

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra"

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Devil's Pet!

I had a chance today to take new photos of this beautiful species. I know you've seen her once, twice etc. but gotta take new photos of her every time she molts. She is roughly 7" inches by now, don't know for sure I will have to take measurements on her a different day.

I keep on wishing and hoping for another male to come along my way. Guys and gals, Please keep your eyes open for me if you come across an immature or mature male.

With her recent molt I noticed a little change on the carapace, she has a couple of marks on the left and on the right side by her eyes. This are perfect markings and she did not have this on her previous molt cycles.

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra"

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra"

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra"

 

[Poec54]

With her recent molt I noticed a little change on the carapace, she has a couple of marks on the left and on the right side by her eyes. This are perfect markings and she did not have this on her previous molt cycles.

Are those spots where the carapace didn't come off cleanly, or are they supposed to be there? if so, it gives the appearance of having bigger eyes and eye cluster.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Are those spots where the carapace didn't come off cleanly, or are they supposed to be there? if so, it gives the appearance of having bigger eyes and eye cluster.

After examine her a bit, it seems when she molted the old carapace took a little tiny bit of her surface hairs.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Nice attitude, reminds me of a female Acanthoscurria muscolosa i had years ago, she loved to dig a lot. Miss her.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Nice attitude, reminds me of a female Acanthoscurria muscolosa i had years ago, she loved to dig a lot. Miss her.

I like muscolosa a bit on the soft side though compare to the Devil's Pet.

Here is another photo of her.

Acanthoscurria sp. "Para Mongo Zebra"

 

[Storm76]

I like that attitude she display there

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

I kept this sp. years ago. "Devil's pet" is a good name for them. They are the equivalent to a new world H. minax. The threat display is very similar, mine used to flip on her back fangs bared, and she would stay like that for an hour sometimes when disturbed. They are probably the most aggressive NW out there. Great species!

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I kept this sp. years ago. "Devil's pet" is a good name for them. They are the equivalent to a new world H. minax. The threat display is very similar, mine used to flip on her back fangs bared, and she would stay like that for an hour sometimes when disturbed. They are probably the most aggressive NW out there. Great species!

What did you do with yours? Did you have a female of male?

Both of me females behavior acts the same way that yours did. I've seen venom drip from my younger female fangs at times, not always but sometimes.

---------- Post added 08-15-2015 at 04:33 AM ----------

I like that attitude she display there

I also like that display. Like always she was giving me attitude. Often when I take photos of them even though they give me threat posture I'm able to use my tweezers/ tongs to gently move her legs to spread for my photo shoot. They are not like other spiders that never sits still.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Definitely a T to have.

 

[Storm76]

Definitely a T to have.

I agree...now to find some information about them in Europe...might prove difficult.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I agree...now to find some information about them in Europe...might prove difficult.

Yes, here there's an ocean of Acanthoscurria geniculata, few muscolosa, natalensis, atrox, brocklehursti (even if is disbanded, if i'm not wrong, being them geniculata sp. as well), saw suina once, but never saw fracta.

 

[Storm76]

Yes, here there's an ocean of Acanthoscurria geniculata, few muscolosa, natalensis, atrox, brocklehursti (even if is disbanded, if i'm not wrong, being them geniculata sp. as well), saw suina once, but never saw fracta.

Hmm...I think I gotta talk to someone tomorrow and see what he says about that..