# Calisoga



## Pacmaster (Apr 5, 2009)

So I finally got my calisoga spiders.
I been wanting some for a while now, as I caught one years ago whenI was young and it was the most aggressive spider I had seen at the time.
I cant wait for these guys to grow into their attitudes, and get down to business of being large nasty spiders.
Being that they are Ca natives, and are found not too far from me, I wouldnt think Ill have too many issues with care conditions(I live in the heart of their range), but There is not alot of info out there that pertains specifically to them.
Any tips or advice is wanted and appreciated!
Ill get my pics uploaded in a few.


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## Pacmaster (Apr 5, 2009)




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## CodeWilster (Apr 5, 2009)

The setups look good! I've always kept mine pretty dry though. They are an awesome spider.


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## Pacmaster (Apr 6, 2009)

Yeah, I had just made the substrate and figured some humidity wouldnt hurt for a few days while it dries out.
They also have some bark on the surface to hide under.
They have each stopped up the entrances of the burrows as they excavate the bottom into chambers it looks like.

They seem to be making themselves right at home, and I might try feeding them later tonite.


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## skippy (Apr 6, 2009)

any info on growth rate? i might keep one or two if i find any this year...


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## Pacmaster (Apr 6, 2009)

Imma go on a hunt in the late summer as well.

Im about an hour away from Marin co, the most common place Ive heard to find them, and where I found one years ago.

Im gonna have to let you know about growth rate


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## skippy (Apr 6, 2009)

are you going to the sfbats meeting on the 25th in concord?


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## halfwaynowhere (Apr 6, 2009)

These are definitely on my want list. very cool.


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## Pacmaster (Apr 6, 2009)

skippy said:


> are you going to the sfbats meeting on the 25th in concord?


Dunno, tell me more?!
Im outta the loop . . .


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## skippy (Apr 6, 2009)

check it out: http://sfbats.myfreeforum.org/

we're having a get-together on the 25th in concord. there'll be a few tables with exhibits and sales and ken the bug guy will be there too! if you want something off his site you can email him and pick it up at the meeting.

there should be quite a few newbies and old hats alike with lots of friendliness all around


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## Pacmaster (Apr 6, 2009)

Sounds like fun dude!
Circumstances permitting, Ill be there!

Hey, THANKS!!!


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## CodeWilster (Apr 6, 2009)

I'll also be at the next meeting! I'll be bringing a bunch of 5.5 gallon tanks if anybody needs any,as well as some other stuff. They will look VERY new. And my C. longitarsus is male and I got him last summer from a friend as a 1" sling and he is currently about 2-2.5" (about 2 or three molts later). He should be molting again soon, I think this one will be the maturity molt. As far as he is concerned, growth rate is not much different than most terrestrial, subtropical Ts and seems to be growing at the same rate as my Brachy slings. So I guess not pokie fast but not Citharischius slow either, if that helps at all.


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## skippy (Apr 6, 2009)

cool, thanks for the info. and i'll look forward to seeing you both there


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## Pacmaster (Apr 7, 2009)

CodeWilster said:


> I'll also be at the next meeting! I'll be bringing a bunch of 5.5 gallon tanks if anybody needs any,as well as some other stuff. They will look VERY new.



How many you got, and how much you gonna want for them?
I can wash them out myself . . .


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## Pacmaster (Apr 13, 2009)

Just a little update for ya . . .

My calisogas have dam near doubled in size since 4/3 when I got them.
Both have molted, and they are ALWAYS hungry- they each take 2-3 just-biger-than-pinhead crix a day.
I know thats alot, but I want to get these guys out of the "sling zone" as quickly as possible, and they havent slowed down yet so hope all is well(seems to be).

I love my native Ca spiders . . .


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## cacoseraph (Apr 13, 2009)

these are some of my favorite CA/native USA spiders


Code... was i supposed to do a write up of my experiences catching these guys for you?


i had vid of mating a couple pairs but i lost it when my stupid memory card erased itself :/
ah, nice... i forgot ihad uploaded some pics

presumably C. longitarsus



























possibly C. theveneti (they are more blue in sunlight... SO hard to get a good pic of!)


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## Pacmaster (Apr 13, 2009)

I saw another thread, where you and another guy went on a collecting trip . . .
I sent probably him a PM, shoulda sent it to you . . .


Where???
When???
Tell me please???
PM???

Thanks!!!
Those are awesome spiders you got there . . .


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## cacoseraph (Apr 13, 2009)

you should join scabies... it is more specifically oriented towards soCA ppl but we have stuff on lots of NoCA species, too

thev
http://scabies.myfreeforum.org/about1338.html


longi
http://scabies.myfreeforum.org/about1336.html


both
http://scabies.myfreeforum.org/about898.html




oh, and their might be another species... there is a chance it is er, just brown. unfortunately me and the main bug guy who went collecting kind of had to piecemeal out our collections and i have no idea where the possible third species went.  we found brown individuals in the same place we found the bluegreen ones


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## Pacmaster (Apr 13, 2009)

Yeah, just joined sfbats, Im on too many to keep up with as it is . . .
Ill prolly join tho!

The 1 I found in Marin a long time ago was a velvety brown, not silver or blue or green.
It was a menace- had to keep the tank duct taped shut . . .

So you guys found those ones down south?

EDIT:
Hey, just tried to reg for that site, and it said the reg link is broken . . .


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## cacoseraph (Apr 13, 2009)

Pacmaster said:


> Yeah, just joined sfbats, Im on too many to keep up with as it is . . .
> Ill prolly join tho!
> 
> The 1 I found in Marin a long time ago was a velvety brown, not silver or blue or green.
> ...




the longitarsus were found in more like Sacramento latitudes
the theventi was found in mariposa county


the ones that look crazy silver in my pics can look almost completely brown in the "wrong" light.  even in the sun they are more brown than silver... the flash brings out the super silvery goodness of them


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## CodeWilster (Apr 18, 2009)

cacoseraph said:


> Code... was i supposed to do a write up of my experiences catching these guys for you?


I didn't know you were still posting here on the boards, good to hear from you. And yup that was me. And it would especially be nice now because that sling you sent me is male :wall: . I think it's going to mature next molt which should be coming up soon too. I keep searching outside when I get the time. No luck yet. 

Here's some pics after his last molt:


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## Pacmaster (Apr 18, 2009)

Nice spider Code . . .


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## richp (Apr 21, 2009)

*How to care for Calisoga?*

Hi all,

I caught a Calisoga in my empty pool (having work done on it) yesterday.  I live in the Sierra foothills near Grass Valley, CA.  I've found Calisoga's in the past dead in my pool and found a couple burrows in the past.  This is the first one I've caught alive and healthy.  It is a feisty spider that is very aggressive.  I love how it goes into its defensive posture with the front legs extended up in the air.  

I put it in a 9x14x6" plastic container with about 2" of native dirt and black oak mulch/leaves in it.   I caught a few small beetles and a small inchworm and threw them in there along with a couple of small spiders.  I also put a Gatorade bottle cap with water in the enclosure.  Overnight it dug a burrow and lined it with a small web at the entrance.  Is two inches of dirt enough?  I didn't want to put more in there or else it could get out fairly easy.

My main question is what to feed it and how often?  It is approximately 2.5" long from front to back legs.  I figured if I keep it in the garage the climate will be similar to what it had naturally outside.  I'd appreciate any tips on caring for it.  I've searched the web and found some general information but no real in-depth info on the spider and its feeding habits, habitat, etc.

I always thought these were a type of tarantula and had found some dead ones in the Santa Cruz mountains when I used to live there.  It wasn't until I started researching it on the web yesterday that I found out it isn't actually a tarantula.  It sure is a cool looking spider though!  

Also, how do I tell a male from a female?  If it was caught in my pool roaming around does that lend it to be a male?  How long should I expect it to live if cared for properly?  Will it come out of it's burrow much?  Only at night?  I'd like to get some pictures of it to post but it is in hiding now.

Any help/pointers appreciated!  I'll post some pictures when I can get some.

Cheers,

Rich


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## cacoseraph (Apr 23, 2009)

CodeWilster said:


> I didn't know you were still posting here on the boards, good to hear from you. And yup that was me. And it would especially be nice now because that sling you sent me is male :wall: . I think it's going to mature next molt which should be coming up soon too. I keep searching outside when I get the time. No luck yet.
> 
> Here's some pics after his last molt:


ah carp, is it that blue in real life?  i might have given you a C. theveneti somehow... they are found the same areas, possibly, sometimes.


if you do get a mature male and don't have any mature females you can always see if anyone in scabies or sfbats has females they are trying to mate

i found the slings to be quite easy to care for but some ppl got a sling and had it croak pretty quickly on them


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## Pacmaster (Apr 24, 2009)

My slings are growing like weeds.
These spiders are soo aggressive, even when small.

The ultimate spider . . .

Whats a bite like?


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## CodeWilster (Apr 24, 2009)

cacoseraph said:


> ah carp, is it that blue in real life?  i might have given you a C. theveneti somehow... they are found the same areas, possibly, sometimes.
> 
> 
> if you do get a mature male and don't have any mature females you can always see if anyone in scabies or sfbats has females they are trying to mate
> ...


The blue was not that bright (flashed emphasized it a bit) but it did have a bit. Keep in mind the 2nd pic was only a few days after a molt, just when he started eating again. When I look at him now there is absolutely no blue. It looks a lot like a MM I found last spring. 
I recall you know a lot about collecting these guys, right? When's the best time to find females? Where are the best places? I guess they're holes are supposed to be perfectly round and deep but I've flushed out my entire yard and no luck yet. Every hole seems to just have a Hogna sp in it.


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## CodeWilster (Apr 24, 2009)

Pacmaster said:


> My slings are growing like weeds.
> These spiders are soo aggressive, even when small.
> 
> The ultimate spider . . .
> ...


They are awesome! I don't remember any other Theriphosidae/Nemesidae spp being so "chrome" colored. Mine is not very aggressive and I have not yet been bitten so can't really help you out there  All I can say is it is probably a bit painful  

I think they slow down in growth dramatically when they get larger. The one I have was 1" when I got him about a year ago or so and is 2" now and it's a boy too.


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## Pacmaster (Apr 24, 2009)

Code, lets go onna collecing trip sometime?
Where you at exactly, Im just outside Sac . . .


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## CodeWilster (Apr 24, 2009)

Pacmaster said:


> Code, lets go onna collecing trip sometime?
> Where you at exactly, Im just outside Sac . . .


That would be cool, as long as you know the hot spots  All I ever find is males in my area and it's usually one, maybe two a year. I'm located just outside of Redding CA, I have some fam and friends in Sac also.


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## Pacmaster (Apr 26, 2009)

Heres what a cailsoga entrance hole looks like . . .

















Thats the spiders legs in the last pic, it was coming up to see if I had some food for it- theyre ALWAYS hungry!


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