Veranda sized enclosure for a biome project

[Gogyeng]

One of my dreams in the hobby, although I am sure this concept has appeared previously, would be to dedicate a section of veranda with insulation to recreate a particular biome. In such space selected species of invertebrates (eg. species of theraposid of choice, katydids, phasmids, coleoptera, hymenoptera and compatible flora (indoor ficus, bromeliads) would be included. I confess it sounds lavish, but with maintenance in hand, double hatch doors for security, good draining installations and proper supervision of Temperature/Humidity, one could consider enjoying a cup of tea 'in' a such terrarium for good measure and investigate the specimens in a slightly more naturalistic environment. This would be not the same to dedicate a room for free-wandering orb-weavers mindyou, but a more naturalistic scene although logically human presence would not be completelly avoided, as one can imagine, by inclusion of a path or sitting bench with control equipment. 'Now for a charming evening scene within a Socotra-biome' with a huge Balfouri communal and other allospecific fauna from an arid biome. Has anybody attempted such design?

 

[chanda]

But... balfouri aren't arboreal! The vertical space in the enclosure is supposed to be no more than 1.5 times the DLS of your spider! You'd never fit!

Seriously, though - it does sound pretty cool, if a bit impractical. If a person were to enter the enclosure, there's the risk of accidentally stepping on or otherwise injuring one of your pets. With mixed species, it is almost certain that some of them will eat others. Also, more timid or skittish species (like the aforementioned balfouri) would most likely hide any time you entered, so you would rarely if ever get to see them. But with more visible creatures, it would be interesting to be able to sit out on your veranda and enjoy them. The Los Angeles Natural History Museum does a spider pavilion every fall that's a bit like that - but with assorted orb weavers, not tarantulas - and I absolutely love it. I could easily spend an afternoon relaxing in there if it were permitted - but sadly, tickets are time limited and you have to leave.

Come to think of it, I do have something sort of similar, filled with a variety of native species - it's called "outside."

 

[Gogyeng]

Well, there aren't tons of Balfouris around here and tickets to Socotra are well... impractical. I guess in a typical VV (Veranda-Varium) you would see canopied webs on the lower levels due to assiduous webbing...
and visiting tours could be guided from 2-4am with night googles. With enough web to get stuck on surely, for hours...
For a guyana biome, thinking about it, could have even two species of theraposids, say a terrestrial like T.Stirmi or Pamphobeteus sp. and strict arboreals, avicularia, with likely minimum interaction, but plenty of presence to witness. With must of the dinner animation lead by salticids, followed by Scytodes, and evening show led by the common Theraposid sp. and visitors... some urticant hair inhalation as a treat, but thats part of the experience. As for stepping on specimens, well, there comes the design, the double hatch doors, the access to the path, the choice of camouflage for the first-aid kit (case you decide to include Phonetrias) and emergency phone of course (for the fire-brigade, nearest living relatives ex. mother in law, toxicon journals).

 

[viper69]

with a huge Balfouri communal

a biome is meant to replicate nature... no one has reported M. bal's on Socotra Island living communally.