# Eupalaestrus campestratus questions



## wsimms (Jul 30, 2003)

I'm contemplating purchasing an E.campestratus female.  I can't find much about them or their care...there's nothing about them in Schultz and Schultz or Marshall and very little on the web.  Does anyone have experience with these?
Thanks,
W


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## RugbyDave (Jul 30, 2003)

hey man

 this thread should clear up alot:

http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnob...=&threadid=8078&highlight=e.campestratus+love

they're great Ts. 
i think they have a pretty interesting colour change over the years, too

good luck
peace
dave


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## sunnymarcie (Jul 30, 2003)

PZB's, I have 2 of them.
They are slings @1 inch each
As slings they love to burrow
I only see them when they eat.
They are living in large pill vials at the moment.
A few more molts and I think I will put them in small
critter keepers.
They are too small for a water dish so their peat is kept
moist.
They are also very good eaters. Little piggy's~)


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## deifiler (Jul 30, 2003)

Apparently, these are excellent beginner spiders and "very hardy" so you can neglect it to your hearts content yet still have a happy, healthy spider. Apperently being the key word here.

I have one at 12mm legspan or so, so I'm not too qualified to help.


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## rosehaired1979 (Jul 30, 2003)

I am getting a PZB on Fri and if you want a care sheet for them go here Pink Zebra CareSheet


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## Godzilla2000 (Jul 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by wsimms _
> *I'm contemplating purchasing an E.campestratus female.  I can't find much about them or their care...there's nothing about them in Schultz and Schultz or Marshall and very little on the web.  Does anyone have experience with these?
> Thanks,
> W *


PZB's are my fave breed of Tarantula. They are extremely easy to care for. I believe http://www.petbugs.com has a good caresheet for them.


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## wsimms (Jul 30, 2003)

Thanks, everybody.  I was planning on getting a B smithi until I was told about these.  My impression is that they are at least as docile and don't kick hairs as much as B. smithi.  Any thoughts on substrate-I was considering peat, vermiculite, or the ground coconut stuff?

W


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## Godzilla2000 (Jul 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by wsimms _
> *Thanks, everybody.  I was planning on getting a B smithi until I was told about these.  My impression is that they are at least as docile and don't kick hairs as much as B. smithi.  Any thoughts on substrate-I was considering peat, vermiculite, or the ground coconut stuff?
> 
> W *


I definately recommend either Peat Moss, I like to use Sphagnum Peat moss, or Vermiculite.


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## Venom (Jul 30, 2003)

Hardy is right. These T's will stand up to some serious care goofs. Mine has survived temps in the 50s more than once, as well as humidity varying from 40% - 100%. Peatmoss  or gardening peat would both be fine, as long as neither has pesticides. As far as their care, just give them 3 - 5 inches of substrate, a wide, shallow water dish, a temp between 70 and 80 F, and moderate humidity. You can maintain humidity levels easily by putting plastic wrap over their screen lid. That way, the water dish will also provide all the humidity necessary.

And you're right, pzbs are very well behaved with their hairs. Mine has kicked hair a couple of times, but usually from extreme duress, like handling her after a molt....not a good idea.  I think she's flicked at me around 3 times, in the 2.5 years I've had her.


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## wsimms (Jul 30, 2003)

Thanks for the info.  That sounds like my kind of spider.  Heck, the B. smithi I used to have would flick me three times in a WEEK.  He would never bite, however.  Do PZB's do the stone statue routine for days at a time like B. smithi, or are they more active?
W


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## arachnopunks (Jul 30, 2003)

They are more active. We have a male PZB and he is up to something more often than any other species we have.  Feeding is really cool to watch.  OUrs is a linebacker, he runs full speed, grabs the cricket or crickets and drags them for a short stint.  He then proceeds to munch doing his happy dance.  And these are good eaters.  Deep substrate and good water source is a definite.  We use a Canadian sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite mix.   We choose to mix our own because you can buy in bulk with peat and vermiculite and have plenty for enclosure cleaning and when you get more T's.    Here is a link to a post on how we set-up our enclosures. The thread had some good tips on humidifying without getting mist happy. http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10561


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## jezzy607 (Jul 30, 2003)

My 5 PZB are about a year old now and the smallest is 1.6" and the largest is 2.5+".  For the first 3 molts I kept them in moist 75/25 peat/vermiculite,after that I have kept them on the same substrate, except I let the substrate dry out before I moisten it again.  They are growing much faster than I expected, but I would say they are not very active at all, but definetly more active than my 2 king baboons. I would still highly reccommend this species.

I must add that all of my Brachys including my smithi are very active, and would reccommend any Brachy species over any other genus.


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## wsimms (Jul 31, 2003)

Thanks everybody.  I'll send pics when she arrives.
W


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## RugbyDave (Jul 31, 2003)

keep in mind most burrow like NOTHING! I've got some the just decided to start burrowing now, after 3 years... they can build some freaking labrynths, too!



i've got one that will kick hairs no matter what, and then others that have never even picked a leg up to kick a hair. One of my sub adults (one i raised from then eggsac) decided to rear up at me the other day...which was VERY odd, as i've never seen any of my other E.camps do that.... just in a pissy mood i guess, since i had her out last night. 

anyways, enjoy! They're cool Ts!

peace
dave


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## Mendi (Jul 31, 2003)

I've got a juv that is acting like yours is Dave... I'm not used to having a young PZB in such a bad mood. You think it could have to do with the "dog days" of summer    Hopefully her mood will be better tonight.


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## jb62 (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi Im also liking this sp and I'm in England and alot of owners say they are too skittish or always hide away.
I've been told to get a G.pulchra as they are calmer and docile.
But on YouTube Jon3800 said Eupalastrus campestratus is better than G.pulchra and even better than B.albopisum!.
I have a sub-adult B.smithi that is unsexed and could be getting ready for moulting as it's lost hairs on it's rump and it's pink skin is getting darker slowly.
I also have a B.albopisum that's a juvi also unsexed.

John


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## Moltar (Jul 16, 2010)

JB, the whole debate of "this one is better than that one is better than the other one..." is an endless discussion. Any of those species you mentioned will make a great starter T. They're all very hardy and very docile. I don't know about England but here G. pulchras aren't cheap and are sometimes difficult to come by. They also grow incredibly slowly though so, there's that. E. campestratus will grow faster than a pulchra but they don't exactly "grow like weeds" either.


By the way, this thread was 7 years old...

Reactions: Love 1


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## The Spider Faery (Jul 16, 2010)

> Do PZB's do the stone statue routine for days at a time like B. smithi, or are they more active?


They can be pretty active.  Mine's about 3 inches and quite the interior decorator.  I see she rearranges her enclosure regularly.  It's amazing the effort she puts into changing things around over and over again.  And as slings they burrow but they are just as active in creating tunnels and split levels underground.



> By the way, this thread was 7 years old...


Yikes!  Who resurrected this?  Oh well, I'm always in for the opportunity to dote on my PZB.


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## jb62 (Jul 16, 2010)

Moltar said:


> JB, the whole debate of "this one is better than that one is better than the other one..." is an endless discussion. Any of those species you mentioned will make a great starter T. They're all very hardy and very docile. I don't know about England but here G. pulchras aren't cheap and are sometimes difficult to come by. They also grow incredibly slowly though so, there's that. E. campestratus will grow faster than a pulchra but they don't exactly "grow like weeds" either.
> 
> 
> By the way, this thread was 7 years old...


G.pulchra is being bred over here easyier than thought.
As for the age of this thread it was on the net .. Sorry!.
All I wished todo was get as much info on E.campestratus as posible as they sound a great t to keep.

John


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## Moltar (Jul 16, 2010)

They are great T's, to be sure. If you can get a juvenile G. pulchra though, I'd say jump on that! Pulchra's are just the coolest. 
There's no reason not to resurrect a thread if it's on topic, it just made me giggle a bit because it was *so* old. Sometimes people resurrect a years old thread just to say "Me too!" which will get them a little razzing.


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## sinflspeed (Jul 16, 2010)

I'm no expert on the species, but I go have 7 of them right now.  They are hardy and out the group only 1 will have a tendency to hide.  They are all docile and handleable.  They will kick hair every now and again but not as bad as brachy's and nhandu.  They are slow growers as well.  My two larger females (5.5 inches) have not molted in over two years.


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## Falk (Jul 16, 2010)

jb62 said:


> Hi Im also liking this sp and I'm in England and alot of owners say they are too skittish or always hide away.
> I've been told to get a G.pulchra as they are calmer and docile.
> But on YouTube Jon3800 said Eupalastrus campestratus is better than G.pulchra and even better than B.albopisum!.
> I have a sub-adult B.smithi that is unsexed and could be getting ready for moulting as it's lost hairs on it's rump and it's pink skin is getting darker slowly.
> ...


Just because Jon3800 said it its the truth?
The _Eupalaestrus campestratus_ likes to burrow and also do tunnels if given enough substrate (witch always should be provided). They can stay in burrows for weeks but i think its worth it. And they grow fast to


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## jb62 (Jul 16, 2010)

sinflspeed said:


> I'm no expert on the species, but I go have 7 of them right now.  They are hardy and out the group only 1 will have a tendency to hide.  They are all docile and handleable.  They will kick hair every now and again but not as bad as brachy's and nhandu.  They are slow growers as well.  My two larger females (5.5 inches) have not molted in over two years.


you say they are slow growers and the guy under your comment says they are fast lol.. how often have you handled yours.


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## ametan (Jul 16, 2010)

jb62 said:


> you say they are slow growers and the guy under your comment says they are fast lol.. how often have you handled yours.


He said both pulchra and campestratus are slow growers, but campestratus isn't as slow as pulchra. Clearer? Good luck.


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## Falk (Jul 17, 2010)

_E. campestratus_ grows fast, a least my female grew with same speed as _B. boehmei_, _B. klaasi_


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## jb62 (Jul 18, 2010)

Falk said:


> _E. campestratus_ grows fast, a least my female grew with same speed as _B. boehmei_, _B. klaasi_


Falk could it be the food your giving I say this because I fed my curly hair juvi small baby dubia roach and on it's first moult it more than doubled in size like three times it's first size .. I was given it btw with two curly slings that didn't not live long.


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## marcfrick2112 (Jul 15, 2012)

*mind if I revive an OLLLDDD thread?*

Hope no-one minds, but wanted to share a bit about my PZB's ... 

I have 2 sacmates, Jinx and Minx, twins in every way BUT behaviour, tho, both are gentle, very much so... 

I agree, they are hardy, and very gentle. My 2 eat fairly well, are both a hair under 2", but thier growth has slowed lately... 
Jinx, tends to hide a lot, while Minx, is ALWAYS climbing her tank, and moving about... In Fact, I have to hold her (Hoping, unsexed) when re-housing, otherwise she just will venture out on her own! 

Mine are also good eaters.... 
Altogether, great spiders, IMHO...


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## Stan Schultz (Jul 21, 2012)

wsimms said:


> I'm contemplating purchasing an E.campestratus female.  I can't find much about them or their care...there's nothing about them in Schultz and Schultz or Marshall and very little on the web.  Does anyone have experience with these?
> Thanks,
> W


There is nothing arcane or special about this species' care. If yours is a baby, keep it as any other baby tarantula. If it's an adult, keep it as an arid species. They're beautiful, docile, and relatively long lived. They make interesting and hardy pets.

Here is an outline of a care schedule for tarantulas from newly emerged babies to adults. It's "in process" of being turned into another webpage on our website. You're getting the advance info here.

CAVEATS: Note that the following rules of thumb apply to nearly all tarantulas except a few obligate swamp dwellers, and to the arboreal species, and those are addressed towards the bottom.

BABY TARANTULAS: Those younger tarantulas with a diagonal leg span (DLS) of about 1.5" (3.8 cm) or less should be kept in a relatively closed container that heavily restricts ventilation. The substrate should be kept slightly damp. All this maintains a constant, elevated (but not excessive) humidity. Do not mist; instead, reread the last few sentences carefully. Do not spend a lot of time, energy, effort, or money on fancy containers. Like humanoid babies, these will outgrow their containers soon, thereby wasting all your finest efforts over and over again.

SPIDERLINGS TO ADULTS: Those younger tarantulas with a DLS of about 2" (5 cm) and larger should be kept in cages with dry substrate and supplied a water dish with clean water. Keep almost all of these as arid species. (See the exceptions below.)

TWEENS: Those tarantulas between the aforementioned two sizes should be gradually acclimatized to a dry cage over a period of 2 or 3 molts. Gradually allow the container/cage to dry out, but be very sure to supply a water dish with clean water. You're gradually removing the higher humidity and substituting a water dish as the primary water source. In response, the tarantula develops a thicker, more impervious waxy layer to prevent excessive water loss from its body. All it needs is a little time to adjust.

Note that many tarantulas from semi-arid and arid places like the American Great Plains and the Kalahari Desert can make this transition much earlier in life than these recommended times. But, it does them no harm to wait a little longer either.

SWAMP DWELLERS: These are tarantulas like the species of _Theraphosa_, _Ephebopus_, _Hysterocrates_, _Megaphobema_, and a few others. These do not have the impervious, water retentive exoskeletons of the other tarantulas and require a constant, high humidity. Keep these in "baby" style cages for their entire lives, adjusting for increased size of course.

Enthusiasts are discovering that wild caught "swampers" will gradually develop a somewhat greater resistance to slightly drier conditions if the transition is done slowly and over an extended period of time. And, those swampers that are bred in captivity fare much better and can tolerate drier cages much better than their wild caught brethren.

ARBOREALS: Wild caught arboreals (assumed to be adults), particularly members of the genus Avicularia fare poorly when first brought into captivity, partly because of "shipping shock" and partly because of the sudden change in environmental conditions. To combat this, they should be initially set up and cared for as babies for the first few weeks (initial recovery period), then quickly switched to a "Tweens" care regimen (secondary acclimatization period) for the first one or two molts. Thereafter keep them as adult, arid tarantulas but maintain a slightly elevated humidity by slightly restricting ventilation. Always supply them a water dish. (In the middle of the night as they hunt for food they'll pussyfoot down to the water dish and take a sip. And being sound asleep, you'll never, EVER know it happened!)

Captive bred arboreals (assumed to be babies or very young spiderlings) usually do not suffer the acclimatization problems that the wild caught ones do, but sometimes suffer shipping shock from bad treatment during transportation. When first received they should be kept as babies (see above) for two or three weeks, then they can be quickly changed over to whatever care regimen is appropriate according to the schedule given here, depending on their size and age.


Hope this helps. Enjoy your little 8-legged "Paraguayan pink zebra beauty."

Reactions: Like 1


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