chromatopelma cyanopubescens

[cichlidsman]

What is the ambient temp in your house? I don't use any heat on my spiders but the room stays around 78-83 F. On my scorps I stick a heat pad on 1 side of the tank since my scorps seem to do better at slightly warmer temps.

on a summer day temp usualy stays around 20*C, but at night it drops. and we have very windy and cold days and nights.

ps- the hot rocks don't get that hot, i can keep my hand on them all day.

 

[Greg Wolfe]

The Hot Rock debate...

I tried a little hot rock a long time ago. It had only one setting and it kept drying out the tank.Since then I have using herp heat lamps to warm my T's during the day with my warm mist humidifier going on low. Perfect. At night I shut everything off, especially during the summer.
I keep the heat lamps around 4 feet away and position them so all the T's can enjoy, they love it.
Do your heat rocks have variable settings?

 

[cichlidsman]

ni i cant set the temp. but they dont get "hot" anyway, just worm.

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Cichlidsman,

I have two C. cyaneopubescens, both female. I've handled them both, and although a bit skittish and fast, I've never seen any defensive behavior. Unlike what other people have observed with their gbbs, mine haven't webbed very much. They both have hides but only use them while molting. Gbbs are good starter tarantulas, colorful, hardy, docile, good appetite, and not secretive.

Karen N.

 

[asher8282]

is this a good T for a beginner to T's, but not a biginner to inverts??

 

[big_loader]

I would definately recommend these to a beginner, provided they do their research beforehand (eg read as many caresheets as possible etc.)

They really are beautiful. In the short space I have had my adult female, she has been very docile, not even threatened to flick hairs, webbed alot, and is always out on show looking pretty.

Some links for you to have a read:
http://home.freeuk.com/xclent/chromatopelma-cyaneopubescens-caresheet.htm
http://www.eightlegs.org/chrom/chrom.html
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/cyaneopubescens.shtml

 

[Thoth]

I have one minor hesitation with it being a beginners t, just because many beginners want a t to handle and the gbb is in my experience a bit on the skittish side and very fast. The two of those traits together, make a for t that can get away from you very easily if not experienced in handling ts and then you spend countless days chasing it around the house.

If you're not going to handle it then its fine for a beginner.

 

[M.F.Bagaturov]

Some info also here from me (the best You can really find IMHO ): http://www.tarantulas.tropica.ru/english/index2.php?link=chromatopelma.html
Hope this helps a bit.
Also at the 1st Arachnoculture Mag there was an article by R. West about the Chromo natural habitat in Venezuela...

 

[asher8282]

i wouldnt hold it prolly, just look and care for...

 

[PhormictopusMan]

I loved my GBB. It did web the floor of the entire enclosure-making a sheet against the objects I had placed inside, but it was always sitting on the top of it, never hidden. Of all of my T's, this one was the only one who did not seem to mind either way if it was light or dark. It would continue whatever it was doing without affecting its behavior by the turning on of lights. I kept this one on my bar.

--Chris

 

[Lorgakor]

Mine is a little monster. Eats like crazy, but it is also quite defensive. It doesn't hesitate to throw up a threat or attack my tweezers and brush. I held it when it was smaller, but I wouldn't now. It is about 2.75" right now I think. It just lost the pink legs on the last molt. I keep it dry with a bottle cap water dish.

 

[NYCspiderGuy]

GBB is a great T.
I agree skittish but not agressive - still not my first choice to handle.

I have a great understanding with mine (about4.5") in that when the tank opens she waits for me to drop prey and grabs it in mid-air.
Never goes after me, but nervous when I handle to change tank, etc.

Something I have noticed over time is that she likes it WARM also. Dry as others have said with ready water source, but now I have a 15W red bulb over part of tank and whenever it is on she comes out to bask. Discovered by accident one winter when tank was near heat - I thought too hot, but noticed that she always prefered the hot side. Turned tank, and she switched sides.
Just be sure there's a refuge if too hot.

Also - I setup a tee-pee shape of wood for GBB since it will make a funnel shaped web if possible. Really cool. Semi-arboreal?
Beautiful T!

 

[big_loader]

Something I have noticed over time is that she likes it WARM also. Dry as others have said with ready water source, but now I have a 15W red bulb over part of tank and whenever it is on she comes out to bask.

I've noticed this too, I have a heat mat stuck to one side of the tank and she barely moves from that one spot. Every now and then she'll turn herself around, or move away do a bit of webbing, and then come straight back and press herself right up against the glass

 

[pitbulllady]

I went out and bought myself an immature(supposedly female) from a pet store that specializes in reptiles(mostly "hots"). The guy told me that GBB's were "psychotic", and that they "are really fast and they BITE". After getting this baby home, I'm wondering if he wasn't getting them confused with COBALT Blues-seriously, all four of my Rosehairs are more prone to threat displays than this spider! I haven't even seen it flick hairs yet! It takes some prodding to get it to move, and I wouldn't consider it any "faster" than my L. polycuspulatus and not as fast as my L. parahybana. No sign of aggression whatsoever, though it sure does have an appetite! I've taken some pics, but they just do not do justice. I am waiting for a clear, sunny day(it's rained ever since I bough this spider)since there's no substitute for natural sunlight for photographing T's. I'm pretty hooked on C. cyanopubescens now, and I'd really love to get a large adult(mine is about 3 inches across).

pitbulllady

 

[Crimsonpanther]

Who can seriously not get enough from this sp...
are there only one Sp in the Green bottles Family...i wonder ?

 

[Brian S]

How can anyone NOT like this species. They make a fine beginner T. I know because it was one of my first Ts. They dont exactly make good snuggle buddies but with looks like that who cares

 

[PhormictopusMan]

And they have such striking color shifts between molts.

--Chris

 

[prodgers69]

Mine thinks its 100% arboreal, very rarely touching the substrate, prefering to stay in its web in top corner of tank, between large rock and tank side, it just sits at the entrance of web most of the time.

 

[big_loader]

Mine thinks its 100% arboreal, very rarely touching the substrate, prefering to stay in its web in top corner of tank, between large rock and tank side, it just sits at the entrance of web most of the time.

How old is it? I've read that they are usually more arboreal the younger than they are.

 

[prodgers69]

Not too sure on its age, but its approx 5" Only had it about 6 months, molted about 2 months ago. The webbing is quite impressive, right at the top, about 4" below the lid, starting on one side going round the corner and along the back wall of the tank, it has three exits, one at each end and one in the corner, there is a large rock at one of the exits, and this is where it spends most of its time.