# A question about feather leg baboon tarantulas (Stromatopelma calceatum)



## amateur (Jul 9, 2017)

I recently bought a feather leg baboon (Stromatopelma calceatum), I'm still confused about them being arboreal or terrestrial, I saw some pics where their baboons burrowed and some where they are arboreal. Should I make a terrestrial type of enclosure or arboreal?

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## Venom1080 (Jul 9, 2017)

Semi arboreal. They dig a kind of burrow but explore and look for food off the ground. Treat it like a Psalmopoeus, but with dry substrate. Should have sub enough for a small burrow but need more climbing space. 

I've raised its cousin, H. maculata, and from what I read on here. Never actually owned a S cal.

Honestly, you probably shouldn't own one if you don't know the basics of its care. They are considered to be one of the most, if not the most, advanced species out there.
PS especially at 15 years old.  do your parents know about its venom??

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## amateur (Jul 9, 2017)

Thanks for that info. Yes my parents do know about their venom, they told me to not underestimate her and to be very careful. I read the caresheets and everything, the burrowing and stuff just made me confused.

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## cold blood (Jul 9, 2017)

amateur said:


> Thanks for that info. Yes my parents do know about their venom, they told me to not underestimate her and to be very careful. I read the caresheets and everything, the burrowing and stuff just made me confused.


care sheets are 100% useless....research, even in the right places is important, but it wont help as much as one might think....experience is a must.

If your parents were properly educated on this t, i doubt they would let you keep it....if you were properly educated on this t, you would have likely chosen a better species.

Please take no offense, but a 15 year old with an S. cal just makes me cringe.

theyre arboreal btw....most arboreals spend a lot of time at ground level though...only avics and their cousins are strict arboreals their whole lives.

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## WeightedAbyss75 (Jul 10, 2017)

Yep, as everyone else said, they are "semi-arboreal". Got my sub adult female around 5 months ago and recently molted. Never went in the cork tube, but dug and webbed a big dirt curtain the the corner next to it :/ Never seen one act like a clear cut arboreal, more of a shallow burrower IMO. Love it to bits, good luck with yours @amateur . Just be very careful, especially at 15 looking at care sheets


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## amateur (Jul 10, 2017)

Thank you guys.


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## mconnachan (Jul 10, 2017)

amateur said:


> Thank you guys.


As the other members have said "BE CAREFUL" this sp. is known to have one of the most toxic venom of any sp. Will it kill you - NO. Will you end up in hospital - Most likely. Will a bite ruin your day - NO, it would wreck a few weeks of your life. Could it kill a dog - YES. Just be super cautious, and good luck.

[EDIT]Search for S. calceatum toxicity. You should come across a very informative thread with regards to toxicity in general, great read for all keepers new and experienced alike.

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## Andrea82 (Jul 10, 2017)

@amateur
Be sure to check your state rules and regulations concerning keeping indigenous species. If I remember correctly, baboon species are not allowed or restricted to keep in South Africa.
And be careful.
Do you have any other species? Starting out with an S.calceatum isn't the best idea. I see you keep centipedes so that's at least something, but these guys can climb smooths surfaces, and are very fast. Their bite hurts as much as one from that centipede, and can severely affect young people (which is why people are concerned for your safety).
And be careful.
House it bigger than you would normally house one (if you have others, that is). Always use tongs/forceps/tweezers for maintenance and feeding.
And be careful. 

Edit:
Somehow I missed the fact you already have one, sorry. Most of the above still applies though.

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## darkness975 (Jul 10, 2017)

amateur said:


> I recently bought a feather leg baboon (Stromatopelma calceatum), I'm still confused about them being arboreal or terrestrial, I saw some pics where their baboons burrowed and some where they are arboreal. Should I make a terrestrial type of enclosure or arboreal?


This may seem like stating the obvious, but don't allow yourself to ever get complacent. Just because it does the same thing the same way 364 days doesn't mean it won't do something different on the 365th day. 

Complacency is a mortal enemy of keepers, one that could lead some to feeling "comfortable " and not be as alert as they should be. 

With an Avic. It would mean a possible escaped spider and loss of a pet. With yours, it could have much worse implications. 

Cheers.

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## joseoro11 (Jul 10, 2017)

I'm 15 as well. What species do you keep? Though I would love to keep S. cal, the most I can handle right  now is my C. paganus along with G. porteri, B. albo, and Damon diadema. I will admit an Old World fossorial is pushing it, however I do intend to develope experience along with it. Though I was thinking about purchasing an Avic and soon H. mac, I wouldn't be dipping my toes into S. cal anytime soon.

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## kevinlowl (Jul 10, 2017)

joseoro11 said:


> I'm 15 as well. What species do you keep? Though I would love to keep S. cal, the most I can handle right  now is my C. paganus along with G. porteri, B. albo, and Damon diadema. I will admit an Old World fossorial is pushing it, however I do intend to develope experience along with it. Though I was thinking about purchasing an Avic and soon H. mac, I wouldn't be dipping my toes into S. cal anytime soon.


H. maculata isn't that much different from S. calceatum though

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## Red Eunice (Jul 10, 2017)

Here you go! A picture is worth 1000 words.
 5"+ AF S. calceatum enclosure. This has been her home for 2 years now. Burrowed in the substrate as a sling, after reaching juvenile size became semi arboreal. More of a "flight before bite", IME, and I'm always very cautious when working with this species. LD50 ratings put these in the top 10 most venomous tarantulas, depending on the laboratory source. 

 Your age isn't relevant, the choice of species and lack of experience is.
 BE VERY CAREFUL!!

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## mconnachan (Jul 10, 2017)

Red Eunice said:


> Your age isn't relevant, the choice of species and lack of experience is.


His age could be relevant, depending on his weight, the lighter you are the more prone you are to serious repercussions from a bite, as you said the LD50 rating on S. calceatum makes it one of the most toxic tarantulas you can own. Just saying again - *BE CAREFUL!*


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## TyjTheMighty (Jul 10, 2017)

mconnachan said:


> His age could be relevant, depending on his weight, the lighter you are the more prone you are to serious repercussions from a bite, as you said the LD50 rating on S. calceatum makes it one of the most toxic tarantulas you can own. Just saying again - *BE CAREFUL!*


This might be a bit off topic, but I would say most 15yr old boys weigh more than I do. I'm 5" and pretty small. It never occured to me that my size could potentially put me in a rough spot when dealing with OWs. I know I'm not ready for OWs yet, but I'm guessing whenever I am, I need to maybe be more careful than the average keeper?

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## joseoro11 (Jul 10, 2017)

kevinlowl said:


> H. maculata isn't that much different from S. calceatum though


I apologize for the confusion.


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## cold blood (Jul 10, 2017)

its not about weight...it is about age....a 15 year old is unlikely to be prepared or experienced enough for such a t.

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## EmilzHernandez (Jul 11, 2017)

Just gonna say, I'm 17, entered the hobby with a serious mindset when I was 16, and my OW's outnumber my NW's 8 to 4. That being said, like many other people mentioned, experience is much more important. My first T was a female Rose hair I received from a teacher when i was 11. I still have her today. Since then (with thanks to my job at an exotic pet shop) I have pokies, and my favorite T's of all, baboons (my all time favorite being her majesty). That all being said, an H.Cal as a first T is pretty worrying


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## joseoro11 (Jul 11, 2017)

EmilzHernandez said:


> Just gonna say, I'm 17, entered the hobby with a serious mindset when I was 16, and my OW's outnumber my NW's 8 to 4. That being said, like many other people mentioned, experience is much more important. My first T was a female Rose hair I received from a teacher when i was 11. I still have her today. Since then (with thanks to my job at an exotic pet shop) I have pokies, and my favorite T's of all, baboons (my all time favorite being her majesty). That all being said, an H.Cal as a first T is pretty worrying


Goals


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## amateur (Jul 12, 2017)

Thanks for your concerns and advice

@Red Eunice, thanks for the photo.

@joseoro11 @Andrea82, I have a curly hair, Hysterocrates gigas (cameroon red baboon), 14cm scolopendra morsitans, 6cm scolopendra morsitans, _antilles pinktoe _sling, 2 scorpions and I had millipedes. I also have other lizards etc.

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## Angeleahxo (Sep 22, 2021)

I’m 18 years old and have owned 3 of the most aggressive spiders you can own , I have never been bitten and know how to handle them correctly I respect everyone’s opinions but age is just a number It doesn’t matter if your 15,30, or 40 if you know your stuff or doesn’t matter how old you are , my Stromatopelma calceatum crawled straight out of its enclosure straight out on to my hand  it was the most scary experience of my life lol , lucky I stayed calm and she didn’t bite

Reactions: Meh 1


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## Hakuna (Sep 22, 2021)

Angeleahxo said:


> I’m 18 years old and have owned 3 of the most aggressive spiders you can own , I have never been bitten and know how to handle them correctly I respect everyone’s opinions but age is just a number It doesn’t matter if your 15,30, or 40 if you know your stuff or doesn’t matter how old you are , my Stromatopelma calceatum crawled straight out of its enclosure straight out on to my hand  it was the most scary experience of my life lol , lucky I stayed calm and she didn’t bite


They are not aggressive. They are defensive. Respect is what matters most, not cockiness.

This thread is 4 years old btw, speaking of age.


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## Tarantulafeets (Sep 22, 2021)

Angeleahxo said:


> I have never been bitten and know how to handle them correctly


You might know how to handle your ts "correctly," but the t doesn't know how to be handled "correctly"


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## Neonblizzard (Sep 22, 2021)

Angeleahxo said:


> I’m 18 years old and have owned 3 of the most aggressive spiders you can own , I have never been bitten and know how to handle them correctly I respect everyone’s opinions but age is just a number It doesn’t matter if your 15,30, or 40 if you know your stuff or doesn’t matter how old you are , my Stromatopelma calceatum crawled straight out of its enclosure straight out on to my hand  it was the most scary experience of my life lol , lucky I stayed calm and she didn’t bite


Pics or didn't happen


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## 0311usmc (Sep 22, 2021)

Angeleahxo said:


> I’m 18 years old and have owned 3 of the most aggressive spiders you can own , I have never been bitten and know how to handle them correctly I respect everyone’s opinions but age is just a number It doesn’t matter if your 15,30, or 40 if you know your stuff or doesn’t matter how old you are , my Stromatopelma calceatum crawled straight out of its enclosure straight out on to my hand  it was the most scary experience of my life lol , lucky I stayed calm and she didn’t bite


What are the 3 most aggressive spiders you can own? Just curious is all, thanks!


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## Neonblizzard (Sep 22, 2021)

0311usmc said:


> What are the 3 most aggressive spiders you can own? Just curious is all, thanks!


Bitus rapidus
Highlo venomi
Fangus humongus

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