Got my first slings!!!

[saminthemiddle]

I got my first slings in the mail this morning (thanks Swifty)!

Anyway, the DHL guy knocked once and left the poor little things out in the sun on the porch. If I had been wearing headphones the poor dears would have toasted. But, as it is the little slings are just fine.

I got (one of each):
Acanthoscurria chacoana
Acanthoscurria geniculata
Avicularia avicularia
Brachypelma vagans
Cyrophylis portoricae
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
and a Thrixopelma pruriens

I must say though, the Brachypelma vagans didn't like being shipped AT ALL. I undid the wrapping that she was packed in and found funny brown stains all over it; then I noticed that her entire but was one big bald spot. She must have been kicking hairs the whole time. Given the DHL guy only knocking once I'll bet it was "every time she was dropped." :evil:

My cyrophylis portoricae is a real darling. She's definitely the smallest and is only slightly larger than the pinhead crickets he sent me to feed them with. I was expecting problems with her because her species is known for its proactive defensiveness (like my newspeak?) but I didn't even get a threat posture when coaxing her around with the paint brush to make sure she was healthy. She is, btw. I don't think she liked the ride either.

Speaking of coaxing spiders with paint brushes: when I got to my Psalmopoeus cambridgei, WOW! They aren't kidding about that genus' speed. God gave that little scamp rocket motors for legs! She was halfway across my worktable before I realized what just happened (granted I'm a bit tired from staying up all night preparing habitats but still).

I have to thank Swifty for my Thrixopelma pruriens. I ordered a one inch sling and I got somthing that's more along the order of two and a half inches. Sweet :razz:

My acanthoscurria chacoana: almost frustratingly docile. My acanthoscurria genticula: a true hellion! You go figure!

My Avicluria avicluria is alive and well. She's a riot IMHO . A snail compared to my P. cambridgi.

My brachypelma albipilosum is everything you would expect it to be: slow, predictable, and impossible to rile.

The only thing that keeps getting me worried is my Cyrophylis portoricae always looks like she's in a death curl when I look at her. She's not though, it's just because her legs are so darn short.

I love them all, they are the greatest thing to happen to me in a LOOOONG time. I'm so happy.

PS: one of my true spiders that I haven't ID'd or sexed yet just molted this morning too! She's all blue and translucent as her skin hardens.

 

[jblayza]

Congrats!!

 

[jen650s]

Congrats on your new babies. Enjoy!

 

[saminthemiddle]

Thanks guys

But I SWEAR if that little A. chacoana didn't just gosh darn well give me a stroke getting her into her container.

Okay, first she doesn't want to let go. For the life of me I can't get her to move using the paint brush. Then she sticks to the paint brush! She won't let go, I poker her with a pen, my finger everything. Finally I slide a pen cap under her body and slowly force her to let go of my paint brush.

Guess what? She's stuck to the pen cap and refusing to budge. Finally after trying to coax her off of the pen cap I resort to whisking the brush half vigorously in her face to rile her up. Maybe that will help a bit.

It worked! She's in her cup! But before I could get the lid on she bolts out of the cup and on to me, specifically my but.

I carefully get up and scrunch my pants around to find her. At this point I'm just trying to get her back on the paint brush so I can work with her on a body part that I can see clearly. She likes the paint brush right?

Not anymore. That baby bolted up into my shirt. A slowly start taking off my spider and THERE SHE IS! On the inside of my shirt! And yes, she gets away (somehow).

After 15 minutes of spider hide-and-seek I find her stuck to a dust cloth. Getter her off the cloth into the cup was as hard as getting her off the paint brush.

*sigh* I'm naming her Loki if she's a boy and some female equivalent if she's a girl.

 

[Harrod]

I received an A. chacoana from Swift about a year ago and the little girl is doing great. She has alot of spunk and always keeps me entertained. She went from 1/4" to almost 3" in a year. Congrats on the new ones!