# Matt82's Tarantulas



## matt82 (Jan 8, 2012)

Hi, my name's Matt, I'm from Ireland, kind of new to the forum (long time reader, very rarely posted). 
Best way to introduce myself on a T forum? pics of my small collection... =)  

I've been keeping various exotics for a number of years, started keeping T's just under a year ago, and through one reason or another, I am keeping soley inverts now (T's and mantids)

Here are a few photos of the T's I have acquired so far...

*First up my first T, Avicularia versicolor (received as a 25mm / 1" LS sling)*

Avic. versicolor - recently-molted specimen by inverta_shot, on Flickr



*Next up, my Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (got this one as a 10mm / 0.4" LS sling)*

GBB webbing by inverta_shot, on Flickr



*Next, my Avicularia geroldi (got 2 of these as L2 slings, sold one, should have kept it!!)  Now apx 80mm / 3" LS*

Avic. geroldi - Juvi by inverta_shot, on Flickr



*Next up, a T I really like, and is starting to show some of the amazing coloration that is to come; Psalmopoeus pulcher 
(got this one as an L2 sling)*

Panama Blonde - Juvi, 3&quot; / 75mm L.S by inverta_shot, on Flickr



*And last, but certainly not least, my Pterinochilus murinus 
(got this beauty as an L2 also, but she is now outgrowing the rest at an alarming rate!!)*

Orange Boss Tarantula by inverta_shot, on Flickr

Thanks for looking

Reactions: Like 2


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## jbm150 (Jan 8, 2012)

Wow, nice first photo post!  That pulcher is hot!


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## crawltech (Jan 8, 2012)

have i ever told that i jealeous of the psalmo pulcher...I have never had one, and i want one so bad


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## matt82 (Jan 9, 2012)

jbm150 said:


> Wow, nice first photo post!  That pulcher is hot!


Thanks, don't be fooled though, I chose the half decent photos to show, left the duds to one side   P. pulchers are mini Hitlers, but fantastic looking T's.

Had a look through your thread, awesome collection, as I was catching up, I didn't look through it all, but some class species there, nice one!



crawltech said:


> have i ever told that i jealeous of the psalmo pulcher...I have never had one, and i want one so bad


Cheers, IMO they are pretty unique T's alright, possibly a slightly underrated member of the genus.  In saying that, they are my favourite in the genus, although P. irminia is a superb contender!

Here's a couple more photos of that P. pulcher from that set of pics, since it is a popular one!

*Top-down macro job...*

P. pulcher by inverta_shot, on Flickr

*Leg setae...*

Leggy Blonde... by inverta_shot, on Flickr

These are from apx one month ago, and this particular T just moulted the other day, looking even better (the leg setae in particular have an even more saturated, copper/ red tone) and s/he is acting a lot more defensive!!  Time for a re-house, that will be a barrel of laughs!! :wall:

Reactions: Like 1


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 9, 2012)

Nice shots pal


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## jbm150 (Jan 9, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Thanks, don't be fooled though, I chose the half decent photos to show, left the duds to one side   P. pulchers are mini Hitlers, but fantastic looking T's.
> 
> Had a look through your thread, awesome collection, as I was catching up, I didn't look through it all, but some class species there, nice one!


Yeah, thats what a lot of photography is, taking a ton of pics to pick out a few decent ones.  And thank you sir, I appreciate it.  Most of my pics are pretty weak, it's been a process learning how to get good shots.  Neither the camera nor the photographer are very good at capturing their true colors and beauty...but getting better


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## matt82 (Jan 9, 2012)

mcluskyisms said:


> Nice shots pal


Cheers mate!  Gonna try get a few snaps of that post-moult P. pulcher over the next couple of days.  A. geroldi looks ready to upgrade the armour too! 



jbm150 said:


> Yeah, thats what a lot of photography is, taking a ton of pics to pick out a few decent ones.


Good job we have digital photography these days, or else I'd spend a small fortune on rolls of film!


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## matt82 (Jan 13, 2012)

A couple more pics from the archives here...   Both Avic. versicolor, and the C. cyeaneo in their previous skins!


Avic. versicolor - AC emerging by inverta_shot, on Flickr


Greenbottle Blue - AC by inverta_shot, on Flickr

*And the GBB at L5*

C. cyaneopubescens by inverta_shot, on Flickr

*And a shot of the Avic. versicolor at a more miniature stage... very kindly posing on a ruler to display her DLS quite effectively*

Untitled by inverta_shot, on Flickr

Reactions: Like 1


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## Formerphobe (Jan 13, 2012)

Nice pics!  And subjects!


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## crawltech (Jan 13, 2012)

wow man, nice lookin T's...and ya, P. pulcher is lookin killer!


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## matt82 (Jan 14, 2012)

Formerphobe said:


> Nice pics!  And subjects!


Thank you, those 2 are among my favourite species 



crawltech said:


> wow man, nice lookin T's...and ya, P. pulcher is lookin killer!


Thanks, the P. pulcher kicked a molted skin out of it's retreat about a week ago, fed yesterday.  I'll be sure to post some update photos of that one next week!


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## Hendersoniana (Jan 14, 2012)

Nice photos! I especially love your versicolour in the first post, looks really soft and beautiful! Great collection .


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## matt82 (Jan 14, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Nice photos! I especially love your versicolour in the first post, looks really soft and beautiful! Great collection .


Cheers, that Avic is a ball of fluff alright, looks even more so in that photo for some reason, sure is shaping up into a nice versi   Thanks for looking!


2 fresh moults this week, as well as the P. pulcher, the A. geroldi moulted yesterday.  Oh, and the OBT moulted apx 10 days ago, but I will have to wait for her to resurface for a photo op.


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## matt82 (Jan 19, 2012)

*2 recently molted Ts*

The first of last week's molted Ts: P. pulcher.  This one has fed since it molted.  I took him (probable male) out of the enclosure for a few photos today.  After he done his best Usain Bolt impersonation across the room, he finally settled on some bark for some shots.  

New DLS: 3.75"/ 90-95mm in normal stance, apx 4"/100mm in the stretched stance seen in the first photo...


P. pulcher - post-molt stretch... by inverta_shot, on Flickr


P. pulcher - carapace shot by inverta_shot, on Flickr


P. pulcher - Scopulate Forelegs  by inverta_shot, on Flickr


P. pulcher - Hind Leg Detail by inverta_shot, on Flickr

And one more molt this week; Avic. geroldi. The camera battery went dead just as I started to get some shots, so only two here.  This T also appears to be male, both of the moulted exos were too mangled to revive into shape, so just going on an uneducated visual assessment of both.  I was gobsmacked to see how much the navy-blue had intensified, also, the abdomen has all but lost the red colouration, and is now almost totally black. 

New DLS: Basically exactly the same as the P. pulcher, a little bigger maybe.


Avic. geroldi - Post-molt by inverta_shot, on Flickr


Tarsus/Metatarsus Detail by inverta_shot, on Flickr

The OBT has also molted, but still waiting to catch a shot of her.  Her burrow goes deep now, so VERY rarely see her.  Well last few evenings she has been out and about, but bolts away every time I try get a pic


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 19, 2012)

Awesome shots Matt, seriously need me some _P.pulcher_...

:drool:

Reactions: Like 1


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## matt82 (Jan 19, 2012)

mcluskyisms said:


> Awesome shots Matt, seriously need me some _P.pulcher_...
> 
> :drool:


Cheers Chris, go for it man, they're class Ts, you'll like em to keep, and photograph, great range of colour to them; always impressed after this one molts :worship: .  

I got that one from TSS about 7 months ago as a 15-20mm sling based on the adult photos alone (went there looking for P. irminia actually!, but sold out). Thought I'd be waiting a long time to see this colouration appear, but they're quite speedy growers.
Cheers!


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## matt82 (Jan 21, 2012)

I saw this one out of her web retreat, roaming about on the bark log, so grabbed a photo while I had the chance; not often she'll just sit out in the open in the middle of the day...


A. versicolor roaming her territory. by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## Hendersoniana (Jan 21, 2012)

Reeally fantastic pics again! Ur details are amazing, love ur Ts. Keep em coming! .

Reactions: Like 1


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## matt82 (Jan 21, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Reeally fantastic pics again! Ur details are amazing, love ur Ts. Keep em coming! .


 Cheers, glad you liked them; really impressed with how the P. pulcher & A. geroldi progressed post-molt.  Both put on a fair amount of size too.


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## matt82 (Jan 21, 2012)

*Post- Molt GBB from Nov '11*

No newly molted T to show off here, or even a new photo as such, but new to AB, so thought I would share it as s/he was looking particularly well post-molt... 

This photo is from about mid November last, when I rearranged the GBB setup to allow some more space for this fast grower; probably the only time you'll see a web-free GBB enclosure...  
It had also just molted, hence the small abdomen, I wonder if my guess at male for this one will prove out?  The next molt should help in a positive ID.


Greenbottle Blue: post-molt by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## advan (Jan 21, 2012)

Nice pics Matt! Especially the GBB.


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## matt82 (Jan 21, 2012)

advan said:


> Nice pics Matt! Especially the GBB.


Thanks a lot, that is my favourite T to observe, they're excellent display Ts if the enclosure allows a good view; great to watch them bolster their webbing, and of course, annihilating their prey!

Spot the flailing cricket leg; game over for that one...

Back To The Lair - Post-Hunt by inverta_shot, on Flickr


*OBT*
This one has recently resurfaced to let me know she is still alive...  She was out in full view, but no sooner had I approached the enclosure than she bolted for cover and adopted this familiar view; nothing but legs 
An easily spooked OBT, but seems quite secure as a result of the ever-growing burrow, can't even see her at the bottom of it!  This T is an orange assassin, always clears her plate, but I never catch her feeding! 


Archetypical Pet Hole... by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## Hendersoniana (Jan 21, 2012)

GBBs are great, mine just came out from a molt not long ago. I give her 2 adult lateralis sometimes and she just takes them like nothing. I need to get myself an obt too . Nice pics again!


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## matt82 (Jan 22, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> GBBs are great, mine just came out from a molt not long ago. I give her 2 adult lateralis sometimes and she just takes them like nothing. I need to get myself an obt too . Nice pics again!


GBB are awesome, mine was given a large locust as a "treat" a couple of months ago, after a very brief struggle to subdue it, practically all of it was consumed.  Needless to say it didn't feed again after that until after the molt!  

I wouldn't give it such a feed too often, not at it's current size anyway, but i had some there for feeding to an AF Marbled Mantis, so threw one in to the GBB too... Chomped! :clap:


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## Formerphobe (Jan 22, 2012)

Great pics, Matt!  GBBs are definitely awesome!  Unless they are close to a molt, they never disappoint when it comes to feeding response.


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## Hendersoniana (Jan 23, 2012)

matt82 said:


> GBB are awesome, mine was given a large locust as a "treat" a couple of months ago, after a very brief struggle to subdue it, practically all of it was consumed.  Needless to say it didn't feed again after that until after the molt!
> 
> I wouldn't give it such a feed too often, not at it's current size anyway, but i had some there for feeding to an AF Marbled Mantis, so threw one in to the GBB too... Chomped! :clap:


I feed the freshly molted ones, and its very seldom that i do that, but yea i am also cutting back on her feeding haha! They do eat up everything though!


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## Bosing (Jan 25, 2012)

nice photo of the P. pulcher... one of my favorite species!


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## matt82 (Jan 25, 2012)

Formerphobe said:


> Great pics, Matt!  GBBs are definitely awesome!  Unless they are close to a molt, they never disappoint when it comes to feeding response.


 ...and that's a fact!  Not only a guaranteed response, but generally a frantically enthusiastic response! 



Hendersoniana said:


> I feed the freshly molted ones, and its very seldom that i do that, but yea i am also cutting back on her feeding haha! They do eat up everything though!


Lol, I actually put my Ts through a little fasting period over the Christmas time; no harm ocasionally, especially for the gluttons!  



Bosing said:


> nice photo of the P. pulcher... one of my favorite species!


Thanks Bosing, one of mine too... my only regret with P. pulcher is that I should have bought up more slings last year when I got this one


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## Mattyb (Jan 25, 2012)

Very nice collection.


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## matt82 (Jan 28, 2012)

Mattyb said:


> Very nice collection.


Cheers for looking Matttyb, it is a modest collection compared to some, but I like the selection I've acquired so far.  Lots for on the wish-list, but that goes for most keepers, I imagine  .

Here's a quick snap-shot through the glass of this beautiful P. murinus, on a rarely seen excursion across her domain.


P. murinus by inverta_shot, on Flickr

She was a fair distance from her burrow, but any doubts that she had lost her way were dispelled when the flash went off... on her toes back to her underground lair like an orange blur.
I don't like disturbing this particular T by trying to get photos, I've made good efforts to keep that to an absolute minimum with her, on account of her skittish/nervous temperament, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a quick photo here!

I haven't properly measured this one so no exact DLS, but comparing her visually to one or two of the others, i would say a minimum of 3.5" DLS.


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## matt82 (Feb 2, 2012)

*C. cyaneopubescens: Webbing...*

Here's a few shots of the GBB bolstering its webbing this evening.  S/he normally bolts back to the safety of the retreat as soon as the lid comes off the enclosure, but seemed relatively at peace with it this time (initially!), so I grabbed a few photos.


GBB: Webbing It Up by inverta_shot, on Flickr


Cobwebs, GBB-style... by inverta_shot, on Flickr


C. cyaneopubescens: Home Improvements... by inverta_shot, on Flickr


Screw You Cameraman, I'm Off!! by inverta_shot, on Flickr


Camera Shy GBB: Homeward Bound... by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## jbm150 (Feb 2, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Screw You Cameraman, I'm Off!!


Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets that treatment.  Nice crisp pics of a gorgeous girl!


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## matt82 (Feb 3, 2012)

jbm150 said:


> Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets that treatment.  Nice crisp pics of a gorgeous girl!


Cheers Jeff, glad you liked the pics, and here's hoping that this one is indeed female!  That should be easy enough to determine from the next molted exo!

And yeah, s/he looked to be happy to oblige for some photos, but all of a sudden headed home!  (there is a tunnel that goes from the entrance shown in the last pics, that goes all the way under that log on the right; that's the base camp)  At least there was no orange cloud of hairs kicked, so hopefully it didn't fell _too_ threatened!

---------- Post added 02-03-2012 at 02:21 PM ---------- 

*L1 Cyriocosmus sellatus* (apx DLS: 3-4mm)

I recieved 4 of these slings from Craig Mackay this morning. (cheers again Craig)


L1 Cyriocosmus sellatus by inverta_shot, on Flickr

Due to a postal delay (and below freezing temperatures the last few days) all 4 appeared to be DOA, but now 2 of the 4 are fully active, with one of the others now showing signs of life as well. Fingers crossed for that one.

These slings have shown signs of true grit, considering that at least 2 of them have survived a 5 day overseas trip from Scotland to Ireland in sub-zero temperatures!


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## Protectyaaaneck (Feb 4, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Due to a postal delay (and below freezing temperatures the last few days) all 4 appeared to be DOA, but now 2 of the 4 are fully active, with one of the others now showing signs of life as well. Fingers crossed for that one.
> 
> These slings have shown signs of true grit, considering that at least 2 of them have survived a 5 day overseas trip from Scotland to Ireland in sub-zero temperatures!


Wow, those are some tough little slings! I've got my fingers crossed for you that they all make it. They are pretty cool looking at that size too. Very nice pics of the GBB as well.


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## spiderworlduk (Feb 4, 2012)

some nice pics here matey well done, love the green bottle blue chromatapelma cyaneopubescens very nice stunning colours


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## jbm150 (Feb 4, 2012)

Wow that thing is TINY!  Nice job capturing it and wish you the best with their recuperation


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## matt82 (Feb 4, 2012)

spiderworlduk said:


> some nice pics here matey well done, love the green bottle blue chromatapelma cyaneopubescens very nice stunning colours


Cheers mate, that GBB is a great T to keep, very active and not overly friendly; a good combo for a T IMO 



Protectyaaaneck said:


> Wow, those are some tough little slings! I've got my fingers crossed for you that they all make it. They are pretty cool looking at that size too. Very nice pics of the GBB as well.





jbm150 said:


> Wow that thing is TINY!  Nice job capturing it and wish you the best with their recuperation


Thanks for the well wishes with these slings folks, I really believe if it wasn't for the cold weather in transit, and the unexpected postal delay, I would be looking at 4 healthy C. sellatus slings now.  I would have loved to pick them up in person, but I jumped at the bargain when it was there and subsequently, some of these slings have paid the price; you live and learn!!

Ominous update on these: Friday Feb 3rd - 1 DOA, 1 showed signs of life, but curled up and died soon after rehousing.  The 2 remaining slings showed good signs of a full recovery.

Saturday Feb 4th - 1 of the survivors found in classic death curl position 
(my theory is, even though it looked like recovering, the sudden jump from very cold to optimum temps *may have* shocked it's tiny system)

Not all doom and gloom though, as the remaining sling (the one that always showed promise, and the one photographed above) really shows a lot of promise still; a good healthy stance at all times, and just attacked a couple of pinheads with gusto :clap::clap:  

All in all, these slings were unbelievably good value, and for what I paid, P&P included, I will be happy with one healthy sling... if you ask me in 3-4 months was it worth it, for one survivor, I will say yes indeed!  I might reconsider ordering L1 slings in such unforgiving weather conditions in the future though!!


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## matt82 (Feb 10, 2012)

The Ginger Kid by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## mcluskyisms (Feb 10, 2012)

Sorry to hear that about the _C.sellatus_ Matt, hopefully there will be more of these around in the not too distant future!!! 

Nice pics as always chief.


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## matt82 (Feb 10, 2012)

mcluskyisms said:


> Sorry to hear that about the _C.sellatus_ Matt, hopefully there will be more of these around in the not too distant future!!!
> 
> Nice pics as always chief.


Cheers man, to be honest I am optimistic about it, 4 sellatus would have been great, but for the price Mr. Mackay was selling them for, even one survivor worked out at a bargain :clap:

The surviving sling will thrive, I've no doubts about that. It has dug down, denned up and webbed up; fantastic feeding response, and eating capacity too!


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## mcluskyisms (Feb 10, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Cheers man, to be honest I am optimistic about it, 4 sellatus would have been great, but for the price Mr. Mackay was selling them for, even one survivor worked out at a bargain :clap:
> 
> The surviving sling will thrive, I've no doubts about that. It has dug down, denned up and webbed up; fantastic feeding response, and eating capacity too!


Aye, Craigs spot on, top chap to know. 

Sounds like the surviving one will be spot on mate.


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## Grin (Feb 10, 2012)

P. pulcher is a beauty!

You take some wonderful photo's as well.
I noticed on your profile you said you have mantids, i would love to see some of those.
Been interested in them for awhile, i'm considering purchasing one in the near future.


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## fatich (Feb 11, 2012)

Nice shots !


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## matt82 (Feb 12, 2012)

Grin said:


> P. pulcher is a beauty!
> 
> You take some wonderful photo's as well.
> I noticed on your profile you said you have mantids, i would love to see some of those.
> Been interested in them for awhile, i'm considering purchasing one in the near future.


Thanks a lot.  Click here to see some photos of some mantids I've kept  .




fatich said:


> Nice shots !


Cheers, glad you liked them 

---------- Post added 02-12-2012 at 10:57 PM ----------

*Cyriocosmous sellatus - 2nd instar *


Cyriocosmus sellatus - 2nd instar


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## Hendersoniana (Feb 12, 2012)

Great pics again! Love the last OBT post, #38, so golden! Oh and cant wait for ur Cyriocosmus sellatus to grow up!


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## matt82 (Feb 12, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Great pics again! Love the last OBT post, #38, so golden! Oh and cant wait for ur Cyriocosmus sellatus to grow up!


It doesn't look like it'll be too long growing, I'm very happy to still have one; really excellent little T 

---------- Post added 02-13-2012 at 01:02 AM ---------- 

A. versicolor mugshot...


Avic. versicolor - carapace shot


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## papilio (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey Matt, you didn't tell me you had begun posting so many more photos here!!  lol  Gorgeous images, they look even better here than they do on flickr for some reason.  REALLY well done!!!

I don't get to AB often, mostly just when I'm looking for something or have PMs.  I should probably start uploading on my own thread here as you have.  

Glad I caught this!!

- Michael


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## papilio (Feb 12, 2012)

Hi again!

I just Googled Cyriocosmus sellatus, stunning!!

Cheers!


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## matt82 (Feb 13, 2012)

papilio said:


> Hi again!
> 
> I just Googled Cyriocosmus sellatus, stunning!!
> 
> Cheers!


Cheers Michael, I assumed you'd have a picture thread on here somewhere, if you haven't started one yet, get cracking, you've definitely get some of the best T photography I've seen anywhere!

The Cyrio's are excellent alright


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## papilio (Feb 14, 2012)

Hiya Matt!  

I just came by to read some more of the comments here on your thread, and I find these nice words from you!  
Thanks!!  :biggrin:

I expect I'll get to it soon ... just a question of how many photos to 'dump' here in one go!  Should probably do something like half a dozen per week, and limit those to my better half or so.  

Then again I don't know, we've got a solid number of _seriously_ good photographers here on the board!!  When you read through some of their threads, it's clear that they are true photographers first, T photographers second.  I'd get very humbled, this place is for the big boys!!  


Cheers Mate!


[Back for a quick edit/addition]

Hey Matt, you remember I mentioned that local AB member who contacted me a couple of days ago?  His name here is Advan ...  check out his photos and you'll quickly see that in quite a few ways he's a lot better than I am, some really nice stuff on his thread!!

[thread=194394][size=+1]Advan's photo thread[/size][/thread]


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## matt82 (Mar 7, 2012)

papilio said:


> Hey Matt, you remember I mentioned that local AB member who contacted me a couple of days ago?  His name here is Advan ...  check out his photos and you'll quickly see that in quite a few ways he's a lot better than I am, some really nice stuff on his thread!!
> 
> [thread=194394][size=+1]Advan's photo thread[/size][/thread]


Didn't want to bump this on without a photo update Michael! Yeah advan's is one of my favourite photo-threads on here, great collection and always impressive shots too.


Here's a (kind of blurry at the front end!) photo of a post-moult Avic. versicolor, who didn't want to stay still today at all...  Moulted 5 days ago, spermatheca present, so 100% confirmed female


A. versicolor - Female, Post-Moult (apx 4 inch DLS)

Also moulted in the last week were a GBB (now MM), P. pulcher (probable male, although not confirmed, as the crucial section of the moult was badly twisted and torn up), and C. sellatus (now 3rd instar).  I'll post some photos soon.

Reactions: Like 1


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## papilio (Mar 7, 2012)

Bravo Matt, gorgeous photo!!  (The T's kinda nice too )


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## matt82 (Mar 7, 2012)

papilio said:


> Bravo Matt, gorgeous photo!!  (The T's kinda nice too )


Keep practising man, one day you will achieve this standard of photography... 

Delighted she is confirmed female, shame about the GBB, but the hooks and swollen palps only confirmed what I kind of knew; MM.  Still though, colour-wise he looks better than ever.  He is off on a holiday to Scotland soon, hopefully he has a good time!!


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## papilio (Mar 7, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Keep practising man, one day you will achieve this standard of photography...
> 
> Delighted she is confirmed female, shame about the GBB, but the hooks and swollen palps only confirmed what I kind of knew; MM.  Still though, colour-wise he looks better than ever.  He is off on a holiday to Scotland soon, hopefully he has a good time!!


Thanks for the encouragement Matt ... but most of the time I wish I could just drop the whole photography thing.  I mean, it's such a drag.

Bon Voyage to the GBB!


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## matt82 (Mar 7, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Keep practising man, one day you will achieve this standard of photography...


The above was sarcasm... lol

@GBB, Bon Voyage indeed


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## papilio (Mar 7, 2012)

matt82 said:


> The above was sarcasm... lol
> 
> @GBB, Bon Voyage indeed


hehe So was mine!


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## Dr Acula (Mar 7, 2012)

that A versi of yours.. such awesome colors  definitely jealous


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## mcluskyisms (Mar 7, 2012)

Stunning _A. versicolor_ Matt, hopefully you'll get her paired up one day!!! Also, your _C. cyaneopubescens_ will be in good hands in Scotland.


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## matt82 (Mar 7, 2012)

Dr Acula said:


> that A versi of yours.. such awesome colors  definitely jealous


Thanks, Dr. Acula; she is a colourful one, no doubt! Filling out really well too, and settling into a revamped enclosure at present!



mcluskyisms said:


> Stunning _A. versicolor_ Matt, hopefully you'll get her paired up one day!!! Also, your _C. cyaneopubescens_ will be in good hands in Scotland.


I actually didn't know you were parting with your batch of mini A. versicolor until Joseph told me earlier that he recieved some from you, so I will take some of them too, try to find this one a partner.  I will PM you tomorrow man!  Yes I am delighted that the GBB is going to Chris, a very trustworthy keeper.


Here are a few photos of an enclosure I had been preparing, for the GBB actually.  He will not get to use it now, but I will find another appreciative inhabitant soon enough!










Some updated photos of the aforementioned moulted spiders to follow over the weekend

Reactions: Like 1


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## Robotponys (Mar 7, 2012)

Wow nice enclosure! Really creative and looks really great! 

Random question for moss/plant growers; How do I make live moss safe for T's? I have a few species growing like weeds in shoeboxes that should do well in T enclosures, but it's collected from the Catskills near a stream. It has tons of beetles and bugs, not something I really want. Can I gas them with CO2? Any ideas are welcome, even suggestions for other animals that could live in a small enclosure full of moss.

Reactions: Like 1


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## jbm150 (Mar 7, 2012)

Awesome enclosure!  Looks fantastic for a GBB, though if you do wind up putting it in there, know it'll turn into a big ball of web

Reactions: Like 1


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## Hendersoniana (Mar 8, 2012)

Beautiful enclosure! Im planning to do something similar for my GBB as well . Hmm, maybe an OBT will appreciate that enclosure in the mean time?

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## papilio (Mar 8, 2012)

Most impressive Matt!!  
Inspired by our youtube friend as I was?  I can't wait to put together some habitats like yours and his!  _That's_ the way to be good to your Ts!!  
I did notice though that he only had something like 5 in his care.

... does it work to take out a mortgage on an apartment? :?

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## crawltech (Mar 8, 2012)

Love the set up matt!,...that last versi shot is epic aswell!

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## matt82 (Mar 10, 2012)

Robotponys said:


> Wow nice enclosure! Really creative and looks really great!
> 
> Random question for moss/plant growers; How do I make live moss safe for T's? I have a few species growing like weeds in shoeboxes that should do well in T enclosures, but it's collected from the Catskills near a stream. It has tons of beetles and bugs, not something I really want. Can I gas them with CO2? Any ideas are welcome, even suggestions for other animals that could live in a small enclosure full of moss.


Thanks a lot, these pieces here already had the moss on them, I collected them from the forest floor and gave them a thorough boiling and also treated them in the oven.  The attached moss will become "active" again and stay alive by occasionally misting.



jbm150 said:


> Awesome enclosure!  Looks fantastic for a GBB, though if you do wind up putting it in there, know it'll turn into a big ball of web


Thanks Jeff, although there will be no GBB going in here, well not for a while anyway!  It was intended for my GBB but now that it has moulted to maturity, I will ship him off for breeding on Monday.  



Hendersoniana said:


> Beautiful enclosure! Im planning to do something similar for my GBB as well . Hmm, maybe an OBT will appreciate that enclosure in the mean time?


 Thank you, I got the idea from Rob. C's bark Backdrop tutorial viv ages ago while researching Ts before even owning them!  I saw the vid and vowed to give it a go, ended up putting my own twist on it, but credit to Rob C. for the idea! My OBT is already in it's final enclosure already, but I am half tempted to dig her out and put her in that new setup  



papilio said:


> Most impressive Matt!!
> Inspired by our youtube friend as I was?  I can't wait to put together some habitats like yours and his!  _That's_ the way to be good to your Ts!!
> I did notice though that he only had something like 5 in his care.
> 
> ... does it work to take out a mortgage on an apartment? :?


 Cheers buddy, yeah I suppose looking at Michel156' vids did inspire me, but just to make it as naturalistic as I could... sourcing the bits and pieces from the forest was the key objective for me; all pieces that occur naturally together in the wild  


crawltech said:


> Love the set up matt!,...that last versi shot is epic aswell!


Thank you sir.  I will have some post moult P. pulcher shots very soon as well!




*Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens MM - post-moult shots.*


C. cyaneopubescens - MM


C. cyaneopubescens - MM, carapace detail


C. cyaneopubescens - MM, pedipalp detail 


C. cyaneopubescens - MM, tibial spur detail


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## Hendersoniana (Mar 10, 2012)

I see! Well it turned out beautiful. If u really want cool tank scapes, go to yooutube and check out Michel156's tarantula scapes. Beautiful natural scaping. Nice GBB shots! Love the detail on them .


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## matt82 (Mar 12, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> I see! Well it turned out beautiful. If u really want cool tank scapes, go to yooutube and check out Michel156's tarantula scapes. Beautiful natural scaping. Nice GBB shots! Love the detail on them .


Thanks, I said I would grab a couple of shots of the GBB before I sent him off for a crack at a female (sent this morning).  That T was looking surprisingly well for a MM.  
Michel's videos and enclosures are excellent alright, big fan of those vids 




*Psalmopoeus pulcher - Post-moult shots*

This one moulted last week so here's a few photos; it was due a rehouse so unfortunately the moult was badly torn in the small confines of the rearing jar, so I don't know the sex of this one yet.


Psalmopoeus pulcher post-moult shots - Shinobi


Psalmopoeus pulcher post-moult shots - forelegs


Psalmopoeus pulcher post-moult shots - Eye-Spy... 


Psalmopoeus pulcher post-moult shots - DLS 4&quot;


I had a free enclosure for this one now, so I set up this T up in it's first non-rearing jar setup. 


P. pulcher's new enclosure


P. pulcher's new enclosure 


P. pulcher in new enclosure

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## advan (Mar 12, 2012)

Beautiful _P. pulcher_ Matt! I love this species! The set-up is really nice too! Can you get a vent pic?

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## awolfe (Mar 12, 2012)

Great collection and great shots!

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## matt82 (Mar 14, 2012)

advan said:


> Beautiful _P. pulcher_ Matt! I love this species! The set-up is really nice too! Can you get a vent pic?


 Thanks a lot Chad, yeah I was sold as soon as I saw the P. pulcher.. I bought the sling on the strength of a nice photo of an AF; impressive Ts, no question!

No vent pic mate, tried to get one today to post up here, but s/he had already webbed a nice retreat behind the bark and I didn't want to disturb the T or the fresh web...  Next opportunity I get, I will post one.  I have a gut feeling it is female, so here's hoping...   Said it before, but my only regret with this species, was buying only one.



awolfe said:


> Great collection and great shots!


Thank you, always happy to share the shots... glad you liked looking at them!!  Some new additions over the coming weekend so I will post some photos here.


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## crawltech (Mar 14, 2012)

Dude!..you wernt kidding...epic psalmo pulcher pics!


....my fingers are crossed for man!..i hope its a she

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## Hendersoniana (Mar 15, 2012)

Nice pulcher! she's a cutie haha. Love her pinkish colour, great pics again

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## matt82 (Mar 16, 2012)

crawltech said:


> Dude!..you wernt kidding...epic psalmo pulcher pics!
> 
> 
> ....my fingers are crossed for man!..i hope its a she


Thanks a lot, this one is really coming on nicely now... and if it comes down to a moult examination to determine the sex, at least I'll be able to retrieve from the enclosure in good condition; this one was becoming a bit of a jack-in-the-box T in the rearing jar...  


Hendersoniana said:


> Nice pulcher! she's a cutie haha. Love her pinkish colour, great pics again


This ones pretty tractable outside the viv, but fairly consistently defensive whilst in the retreat...!!

*C. Schioedtei sling - 20-25mm DLS*

This photo was quite rushed and a little blurred round the edges as this one is a speed freak and would not sit still for long; I took what I could and left it at that for another day!  I got two of these slings yesterday from The Spider Shop, very pleased with them.

The leg span is just slightly under an inch, could anyone tell me what instar that would make this sling, roughly?  I'm guessing 2nd-3rd.


C. schioedtei 20-25mm LS

One more thing on this sling that I thought was worth mentioning, it ran off the bark all of a sudden once or twice (not a large fall, about an inch) and landed on its back, as if to play dead.  It did not seem to do this clumsily, more purposefully.  Is this common of this species, at sling size or otherwise?

Any replies are more than welcome on that one, cheers


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## papilio (Mar 16, 2012)

Cool sling photo Matt!

I see you're getting really good comments on the pulcher photos ... told ya, those are great images!!  

You've got some wonderful natural lighting in those photos, wish I could get some of that in my dark little apartment!


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## Hendersoniana (Mar 16, 2012)

Nice sling! My E murinus slings also ran out of their cages and onto the floor as well. Seems like it was intentional tooo. However they didnt play dead, they just stood there for a while and continued to walk. But that was when i just got them and they havent settled down yet, perhaps they need a little more time .


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## matt82 (Mar 18, 2012)

papilio said:


> Cool sling photo Matt!
> 
> I see you're getting really good comments on the pulcher photos ... told ya, those are great images!!
> 
> You've got some wonderful natural lighting in those photos, wish I could get some of that in my dark little apartment!


Thanks a lot, I like how those photos look too, so I'm happy other fans of the species have enjoyed them too...   A really beautiful spider, that, coupled with the light, made my job of taking some photos a lot easier!  (as did the pulcher's surprisingly mild manner...)  



Hendersoniana said:


> Nice sling! My E murinus slings also ran out of their cages and onto the floor as well. Seems like it was intentional tooo. However they didnt play dead, they just stood there for a while and continued to walk. But that was when i just got them and they havent settled down yet, perhaps they need a little more time .


Point taken I could have been a little more patient and to be honest usually am...   The flipping over and playing dead thing was a first for me as a T/sling keepr, I thought perhaps someone may have also witnessed this behaviour in slings, of this or other species, before...!

Here's a slightly better photo, I hoped for an all-in-focus shot of this sling, but this one is at least improved on the previous one.  


C. schioedtei sling - 20-25mm LS

This is the same sling as before. Both specimens have webbed tall tube structures behind their slivers of bark, but both have also opted to dig in the substrate provided, with one in particular having dug a clever little tunnel already... the base of it's tube web meets, and is connected to the "ground" at the base of the bark upright, and a tunnel immediately starts, goes under the bark and has a separate terrestrial exit on the other side of the bark.  Not bad for a few days work


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## crawltech (Mar 18, 2012)

Nice pic Matt!...these are very creative wit the substarte, thats for sure...enjoy!

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## jbm150 (Mar 19, 2012)

Great schioedtei shots.  You're gonna love the species, ridiculously gorgeous and lots of personality!

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## matt82 (Mar 26, 2012)

crawltech said:


> Nice pic Matt!...these are very creative wit the substarte, thats for sure...enjoy!





jbm150 said:


> Great schioedtei shots.  You're gonna love the species, ridiculously gorgeous and lots of personality!


Thanks a lot, they seem like really cool slings to keep so far, had to rab some when they came up 


*took a few random snaps I took while doing some maintenance this evening *


Random shots - A. versicolor, night time, flash on 


Random shots - P. pulcher, night time, flash on


Pterinochilus murinus apx 4 inch LS, probable female

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## Hendersoniana (Mar 27, 2012)

Wow that obt looks real comfortable, do u have a full tank shot? I would love to see how u have designed it. i like the effect of the P pulcher, her toes are black, very nice!

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## mcluskyisms (Mar 27, 2012)

This thread needed rating! Love the _P. pulcher_ have you sexed it yet?

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## papilio (Mar 28, 2012)

Love the shot of the pulcher Matt!     Still being a good display T?
Interesting how they seem to be coming back in style right now, have always thought they were a very underrated psalmo, eclipsed by cambridgei and irminia.


(p.s.  just noticed the signature quote, good one mate!  lol  )

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## matt82 (Mar 28, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Wow that obt looks real comfortable, do u have a full tank shot? I would love to see how u have designed it. i like the effect of the P pulcher, her toes are black, very nice!


That OBT is well sorted alright...! I had more photos from that set there, just hadn't been home since Monday to have a proper look through, I found some there tonight that give a decent perspective of the viv  

There was a good bit of shadow on the foot there alright... unintentional in this photo, but as T's left side was in shadow an protected from the flash, you can get some idea of the full range of colours that pulchers display under different types of light.  Cheers!



mcluskyisms said:


> This thread needed rating! Love the _P. pulcher_ have you sexed it yet?


Thanks a lot mate!  I'm not sure which sex the pulcher is yet no, the last shed skin got shredded as the T was a slightly overdue a re-house at the time of the moult.  I've been meaning to get a decent ventral shot and post them up for a second opinion.  

I know visual ID's from dorsal shots can be sketchy, but would you have any idea yourself from that photo?  Cheers 



papilio said:


> Love the shot of the pulcher Matt!     Still being a good display T?
> Interesting how they seem to be coming back in style right now, have always thought they were a very underrated psalmo, eclipsed by cambridgei and irminia.
> 
> (p.s.  just noticed the signature quote, good one mate!  lol  )


Cheers Michael I like that photo too, this has been a great display T since going into this setup... looks like it is running out of space in the tank in that pic! 

I saw pulcher slings on The Spider Shop's list last year after going there looking for P. irminia and decided to buy one instead on the strength of this photo . Very cool tarantulas in my book too.




*OBT enclosure pics.*


OBT enclosure


OBT enclosure - top-view 


OBT enclosure - tunnel 

This OBT has taken to the subterranean lifestyle, I did not start a burrow for this T apart from offering a piece of buried bark tube as a hide, which has now formed the burrow entrance... 
She hid in this and chose to burrow in a matter of hours of being introduced to this setup, as opposed to webbing up a retreat overground.  

I introduced her to this tank about 5 months ago,and a few moults and a lot of excavated substrate later, she has established an extensive burrow lair, which I think is pretty cool  

Over the last week or so, she has been spinning a  lot of web through the tunnel to block it off, then flattening it out to bolster the burrow, hopefully she takes to webbing up top on some of the surrounding fixtures sometime too, even a little!  I'm sure she will in time.  

I have only recently added the piece of bark that leans on the tunnel entrance, to provide a better (and more convenient) grounds for some potential webbing.  I also added those two craggy looking bark strips to the front as more potential web anchors, I had something there before but it didn't look great.

In saying that though, the burrow must provide her with a lot of security, so I can't see her abandoning her subterranean ways just yet.  I would like to see her exercising her webbing ability as the species are obviously known for being prolific.

This OBT is not a notorious threat posture specimen in the slightest, in fact she has never reared up at all... she is mouse trap-sensitive when it comes to ducking for cover though, and will bail for the bottom of the lair pretty lively if she feels threatened.    




Out Of The Darkness... 


Thanks for looking

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## Storm76 (Mar 28, 2012)

Awesome OBT then  If they wouldn't be that freaking defensive and partly aggressive even I'd consider them a good choice, but alas, I dont for myself hehe


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## papilio (Mar 28, 2012)

matt82 said:


> I saw pulcher slings on The Spider Shop's list last year after going there looking for P. irminia and decided to buy one instead on the strength of this photo . Very cool tarantulas in my book too.


Glad they used that photo in their ad, suitably enticing image of this lovely T!    I love irminias too, but good decision Matt!


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## Hendersoniana (Mar 29, 2012)

Oh nice enclosure! Nice space for her to build her tunnel there .


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## matt82 (Mar 29, 2012)

The OBT resurfaced for a very brief nosey about her territory... :clap: ; a slightly bigger leg span than I thought, over 4" DLS I reckon. 


P. murinus resurfaces 


P. murinus - measuring up for a building project...?? 


P. murinus tunnel entrance -001 by inverta_shot, on Flickr


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## Hendersoniana (Apr 1, 2012)

Ooh one of the more elusive Ts. Like my H lividum, resurfacing every night but never out to explore, nice shots of her ,


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## matt82 (Apr 1, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Ooh one of the more elusive Ts. Like my H lividum, resurfacing every night but never out to explore, nice shots of her ,


Yes extremely elusive, the above photos may be the only full shots I get for some time...!  I did see here out again after those photos and I would now re-guesstimate this T as an AF. 

OBT overload on this thread of late, so this is the last one for a while! - taken yesterday just before she struck while feeding her (something I foolishly though would be easy enough to capture on camera )


P. murinus, SA/ AF (DLS: min 120mm) by inverta_shot, on Flickr

And one A. versicolor photo from a few weeks back that avoided the trash, kind of rushed as she was on the move, but I had another look and thought it was worth sharing.

Avicularia versicolor - female, 95-100mm DLS


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## papilio (Apr 1, 2012)

For as hyper-skittish as you keep saying your OBT is Matt, you sure seem to get a lot of great shots of it!!    Wonderful Ts!

BTW Storm, in my experience OBTs are pretty laid back as baboons go ... neither terribly fast nor defensive.  And certainly not aggressive.  I'd be the last one to categorize T-behavior by species, surely OBTs just as others vary enormously in temperament.  But they're SO pretty, and quite cheap, I'd really suggest you have a go at one!

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## matt82 (Apr 1, 2012)

papilio said:


> For as hyper-skittish as you keep saying your OBT is Matt, you sure seem to get a lot of great shots of it!!    Wonderful Ts!


That's a fair point Michael lol   I might have to stop describing her as such a sketchy T now, as she's been out an about a lot this week, hence the OTT OBT photo-count...  So here's another 'last' shot, as you shouldn't bump your own thread without adding some photos...!!


heads up 

*@Storm*, what Michael said about OBTs, I would pretty much echo.

I've only kept the one specimen, so I do respect the fact that I cannot have a well-rounded idea of this species' temperament as a whole, but I do know that this one is not lurking around every dark corner to ambush me, eat my soul and steal my TV (contrary to what a lot of reports would have you believe )
Maybe the setup has something to do with that, but then maybe their reputation is a little unwarranted.  

Their one guaranteed trait is their expert hide-n-seek skills (which makes it all the more of a bonus when they do show up )

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## Storm76 (Apr 3, 2012)

papilio said:


> For as hyper-skittish as you keep saying your OBT is Matt, you sure seem to get a lot of great shots of it!!    Wonderful Ts!
> 
> BTW Storm, in my experience OBTs are pretty laid back as baboons go ... neither terribly fast nor defensive.  And certainly not aggressive.  I'd be the last one to categorize T-behavior by species, surely OBTs just as others vary enormously in temperament.  But they're SO pretty, and quite cheap, I'd really suggest you have a go at one!





matt82 said:


> *@Storm*, what Michael said about OBTs, I would pretty much echo.
> 
> I've only kept the one specimen, so I do respect the fact that I cannot have a well-rounded idea of this species' temperament as a whole, but I do know that this one is not lurking around every dark corner to ambush me, eat my soul and steal my TV (contrary to what a lot of reports would have you believe )
> Maybe the setup has something to do with that, but then maybe their reputation is a little unwarranted.
> ...



Maybe, at some point. But I've seen their grease-lightning speed and more often than not, they tend to be quite defensive. I don't know, but if I get into the baboons, I'd rather get an M. balfouri (which go for around EUR 75.- over here I've seen) - although those are very much speed-demons, too, they seem to be more laid  back temperament-wise...plus: The orange of the OBT looks stunning, I'll admit that, but I miss a contrast there, which the Monocentropus has

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## papilio (Apr 3, 2012)

Storm76 said:


> Maybe, at some point. But I've seen their grease-lightning speed and more often than not, they tend to be quite defensive. I don't know, but if I get into the baboons, I'd rather get an M. balfouri (which go for around EUR 75.- over here I've seen) - although those are very much speed-demons, too, they seem to be more laid  back temperament-wise...plus: The orange of the OBT looks stunning, I'll admit that, but I miss a contrast there, which the Monocentropus has


Well, in _that_ case Storm, no contest!  Enjoy your M. balfouri ... magnificent, stunning creatures!!

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## Storm76 (Apr 3, 2012)

papilio said:


> Well, in _that_ case Storm, no contest!  Enjoy your M. balfouri ... magnificent, stunning creatures!!


Don't have one yet, just saying IF I'd get into the baboons


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## matt82 (Apr 3, 2012)

Storm76 said:


> Maybe, at some point. But I've seen their grease-lightning speed and more often than not, they tend to be quite defensive. I don't know, but if I get into the baboons, I'd rather get an M. balfouri (which go for around EUR 75.- over here I've seen) - although those are very much speed-demons, too, they seem to be more laid  back temperament-wise...plus: The orange of the OBT looks stunning, I'll admit that, but I miss a contrast there, which the Monocentropus has


I hear what you're saying about the lack of contrast in OBTs Storm, although I was surprised at the different shades on this specimen after the most recent moult.  

I think if all tarantulas lacked contrast in general, then keeping Ts in captivity would not be as intriguing a hobby at all; Ts with contrasting markings and colourations are the ones that grab the most attention, and rightly so in the case of some of the nicest species. 

But with the OBT, for me anyway, it is the lack of overall contrast in colouration or markings that is their crowning glory.  That's down to the colour of these P. murinus RCF... the orange is such a stunning trademark of these Ts  
The markings may not be too bold on them either, but they are there in a subtle way, the star-burst pattern is very detailed up close on this T, and more ornate than I expected, looks very cool I think!  
(These subtle markings are not really exhibited in my photos here but this T really looks excellent in person, but there are numerous members that have posted top notch photos of the whole genus in the Genus Pterinochilus thread :clap: .  That is one of my favourite and mot re-visited photo threads on here.

I was hoping for 2 E. cyanognathus earlier this week but they sold out, so I bit the bullet and I sprung the extra few Euro and ordered 2x M. balfouri from a Hungarian dealer via a friend.  Can not wait to get 'em!!  

Storm I see you are in Germany, if you want, I can try get contact info for this dealer for you, it shouldn't be difficult as a decent few people are ordering from him lately.  I can PM you his latest list too if you want.  Very reasonable prices, and shipping is only €6, no matter what you get.  M. balfouri 15mm slings for €35, not too bad considering how much they can go for in some places.

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## advan (Apr 4, 2012)

Great shot Matt! I love the action type pics! Keep 'em coming!


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## Hendersoniana (Apr 4, 2012)

I like the blue underneath ur OBT's legs, very nice contrast and the blue colouration is very obvious, beautiful! Nice versi too, all very colourul .


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## Storm76 (Apr 4, 2012)

matt82 said:


> I hear what you're saying about the lack of contrast in OBTs Storm, although I was surprised at the different shades on this specimen after the most recent moult.
> 
> I think if all tarantulas lacked contrast in general, then keeping Ts in captivity would not be as intriguing a hobby at all; Ts with contrasting markings and colourations are the ones that grab the most attention, and rightly so in the case of some of the nicest species.
> 
> ...


35 EUR ?! By all means - please send me that PM!


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## matt82 (Apr 5, 2012)

Storm76 said:


> 35 EUR ?! By all means - please send me that PM!


Done and dusted Storm, list and contact details PMed  .  



advan said:


> Great shot Matt! I love the action type pics! Keep 'em coming!


Thanks Chad, will do 



Hendersoniana said:


> I like the blue underneath ur OBT's legs, very nice contrast and the blue colouration is very obvious, beautiful! Nice versi too, all very colourul .


Yeah the colour of the foot pads under flashlight looks great, especially against the orange!  Some more versi photos here as well...!  Cheers 



*Avicularia versicolor Daylight close up & tank shot...*


versicolor macro


versi enclosure daylight shot



*...and night time feeding photos w/flash.*


versi tank, back view 


No photo of the strike but she came to the top of her hide after seizing the cricket and I got a few pics after that.


versi feeding 1


versi feeding 2


A. versicolor tucking in 


*And a few P. pulcher night time feeding shots, w/flash*

This one wasn't hanging round too long to pose for photos but I managed to get a a few!!


pulcher feeding 1 


pulcher feeding 2


pulchr feeding 3 


The previous few were taken within about 10 seconds of each other, and just as I thought she was going to settle at the hide opening a little longer, she spooked and spun  ;   the next shots being randomly snapped in the process...  Crazy eyes...!!  


pulcher feedng 4


pulcher feeding 5

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## matt82 (Apr 6, 2012)

Some more Avic. versicolor photos from earlier in the week 


Avic. versicolor female 


Avic. versicolor female macro 


Avic. versicolor female - macro


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## papilio (Apr 6, 2012)

Your photos are really getting excellent Matt!!   :clap::clap::clap:  The soft lighting really brings out the color and texture in the versi beautifully!!    And nice seeing how the pulcher's home is shaping up!

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## Hendersoniana (Apr 6, 2012)

Wow the details of their hair is really beautiful! Really amazing colouration.

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## awolfe (Apr 7, 2012)

Awesome photos as always! I enjoy everything you post! Keep em coming!

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## Storm76 (Apr 7, 2012)

Great pictures once again! *thumbs up*

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## Formerphobe (Apr 7, 2012)

Great pics!  Love the versicolor!

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## matt82 (Apr 9, 2012)

Thanks all, for the kind comments... and I am glad you liked the Ts and photos 

*Avicularia geroldi*

Post-moult A. geroldi, moulted last week.  

On inspecting the moult, there didn't appear to be any spermatheca, not even subtlely, but I posted some photos in various places online and all answers were swiftly given and matched my hunch; this geroldi is a male.


Avic. geroldi moulted exuvium 

I had a really difficult time trying to photograph this T today, I just couldn't seem to capture the colour.  Shots were either too dark and lacking detail, or too over-exposed and lots of glare on the T...I need to practice more, plus the battery died just as I was settling into some OK shots; really iridescent species.  After all my efforts, some turned out OK thankfully... 

Anyway, it's not all about the photos, but the subjects... 


Avicularia geroldi - pre-sub/SA male 


Avicularia geroldi - pre-sub/ SA male 





I got a few shots that showed the blue at its highest, alas, they weren't great and were plastered in glare!!  I tried to "darken them down" a bit to reduce the glare, but they weren't great still.  I still liked one or two of them though, so here's one to share here!


A. geroldi 

If I managed to cut out the glare, I think this could have been a pretty decent shot, but not being very technically astute, I tend to leave those details to chance; take what photos I can and hope for the best 


One last thing on this Avic... he has a DLS of 4.5" now (a lot leggier than the photo suggests, esp. the hind legs)...  At a span like that, would this T be more likely a SA, or pre SA??  Thanks a lot, all opinions on that one welcomed and appreciated of course... 


Some updated C. schioedtei shots on the way, as well as a couple of new additions.

Cheers

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## Hendersoniana (Apr 11, 2012)

Very nice geroldi. The colour is amazing!

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## crawltech (Apr 11, 2012)

wow man!...always wanted a geroldi!.....*hes* a looker for sure.

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## matt82 (Apr 11, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Very nice geroldi. The colour is amazing!


Yeah I love the blue colouration on this one too... _slight_ bit of attitude (if that can be said about an Avic) which is a bonus in my book!



crawltech said:


> wow man!...always wanted a geroldi!.....*hes* a looker for sure.


Indeed *he* is, good to be able to stop referring to Ts as 'it', or s/he...  


Here are some progression shots of the same A. geroldi... first shot is from 1 year ago, maybe a little more, as a 0.5" sling... then the following photos are from each successive instar after that.  (He has also moulted 3 times since the last photo below...  )

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## jbm150 (Apr 11, 2012)

Wow that's a gorgeous avic!  Nice shots

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## mcluskyisms (Apr 12, 2012)

Cant beat those _Avicularia_! Nice pics man.

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## Storm76 (Apr 12, 2012)

Looks like geroldi and azuraklaasi slings look very similiar...


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## papilio (Apr 22, 2012)

Love the series on the geroldi growing up Matt!!

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## Hendersoniana (Apr 22, 2012)

Last shot is beautiful, u captured the colours beautifully! We all lovd a T with a little attitude now and then dont we all? .

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## matt82 (Apr 26, 2012)

Storm76 said:


> Looks like geroldi and azuraklaasi slings look very similiar...


I think the vast majority of Avic. slings look quite similar as far as I've seen, apart from the obvious ones which we all know look different as slings!  

My Avic. sp Peru Purple was the same, slightly different hues, but pretty much the same patterning.  






(bit of a change after the next moult)






I regret selling  that little T, a keeper here really had their heart set on on one though, so I done the generous thing, I'll definitely buy more sometime.



papilio said:


> Love the series on the geroldi growing up Matt!!


Lol, raided the photobucket archives   I've had that geroldi from a very small sling, and it has been a real champ of a T.



Hendersoniana said:


> Last shot is beautiful, u captured the colours beautifully! We all lovd a T with a little attitude now and then dont we all? .


Yep, can't beat a P'ed off T, even its 200% bluff with this geroldi!



I picked up a few new additions recently, a MM P. murinus (RCF), and 2x M. balfouri slings.  Unfortunately the M. balfouri slings were really playing hard-ball, and would not sit still whenever I have tried to photograph them.  Both seem to be doing quite well though!

*MM P. murinus (RCF)*

I planned on removing this T from the viv to take my time and get some shots... the spider had a different opinion on that though haha. Best off leaving him in the viv perhaps...
Quite a relaxed specimen, as in no berserker antics yet, but he sure can put boot-to-floor when he wants to...


P. murinus MM - DLS: apx 100mm/ 4 inches 

He displayed his running ability just after I took this one... decided to close the lid and back away then!


OBT MM


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## Rue (Apr 26, 2012)

Excellent photos!

Am I the only one who loves t toes?  So cute...

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## Jared781 (Apr 26, 2012)

siick photos!! OBT and versi are my favs aha

good fotograghy skills there!

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## matt82 (Apr 26, 2012)

Rue said:


> Excellent photos!
> 
> Am I the only one who loves t toes?  So cute...


Its hard not to like the Avic's toes haha, that's one of the best things about keeping Avic slings, when the pinktoes actually kick in. Thanks!



Jared781 said:


> siick photos!! OBT and versi are my favs aha
> 
> good fotograghy skills there!


Thanks a lot, really like those 2 as well myself, versi was my first sling to buy, although I'd say my pulcher is my favourite looking T - really cool when you see her patrolling her domain some evenings, they just have a wicked looking stance... Great species IMO!


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## Hendersoniana (Apr 28, 2012)

Nice OBT! i find the RCF beautiful!


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## Storm76 (Apr 30, 2012)

matt82 said:


> Its hard not to like the Avic's toes haha, that's one of the best things about keeping Avic slings, when the pinktoes actually kick in. Thanks!


100% agree, Matt!

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## matt82 (May 5, 2012)

I've given the MM OBT about 10 days to settle in now, he's fed once, webbed up, and on the advice of another keeper, I added some of the female's old skin and webbing to the MM's enclosure to see how he responded.  After about 4 days, pretty positive response 


Setting a lure... 


mm obt inspecting the female's webbng 

I am pretty sure he has loaded up his palps, and now that he has begun thoroughly inspecting the female's webbing, I'm sure he's ready to be introduced to the female's tank now.  I'm gonna try a first introduction tomorrow

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## Hendersoniana (May 6, 2012)

Thats pretty interesting! I didnt know they would be attracted that easily, ive never bred Ts before so i wouldnt know haha. Great pics, i like the 1st one!

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## wesker12 (May 6, 2012)

Obts are horny little spiders! Great choice to learn the basics of breeding!
Just went through all 9 pages and I am impressed, both by your macro skills and those gorgeous gems you have 
You should check out A.purpurea as your next T!

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## matt82 (May 6, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Thats pretty interesting! I didnt know they would be attracted that easily, ive never bred Ts before so i wouldnt know haha. Great pics, i like the 1st one!


Yeah just a tip I heard recently, that if he shows interest in this webbing and skin, he is ready to breed.  He was 



wesker12 said:


> Obts are horny little spiders! Great choice to learn the basics of breeding!
> Just went through all 9 pages and I am impressed, both by your macro skills and those gorgeous gems you have
> You should check out A.purpurea as your next T!


Thank you, and horny Ts is right, no time wasted at all!! And he survived date night as well, so bonus for him 


Here are some pairing pics...


OBT encounter 


Exchanging drum solos 


Good first date 


Dr. OBT in session 


The female was very receptive towards the male, and at least 2 insertions were made, and I suspect more, he definitely got a couple of turns on her before she retreated down the burrow, and could have already made an insertion by the time I saw they'd discovered one another...

She eventually backed off down her burrow, and any attempts the male made to follow, he soon got the message not to; he was better off backing off after that as she was getting highly defensive. 

I'm going to see how the male fares being left in there for a couple of days - she has retreated underground and he is roaming around; it is a big tank and I've prepared an area with some of his webbing so maybe he'll find it and settle there.

Any advice or criticism on the above co-habiting plan is welcomed, of course!

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## Hendersoniana (May 6, 2012)

Pretty lucky male there! Beautiful pics, very cool series!

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## Robotponys (May 7, 2012)

Can't wait for pics of tons of little orange speedsters!  Lovely OBT's. 

IMO, it's all right if the male gets eaten. The ENTIRE purpose of their life is to make more of its kind. They usually die soon after anyway. For me the exceptions are if it is still young, extremely rare and needs to be passed around, or if it you're attached to it.  Just my opinion.

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## advan (May 8, 2012)

Good luck with the pairings! Very nice shots too! I can never seem to get any decent shots when mine are doing the thing.

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## matt82 (May 8, 2012)

Hendersoniana said:


> Pretty lucky male there! Beautiful pics, very cool series!


Still warm, the hemolymph that courses through that MM!  He is now co-habiting in the female's tank, and has webbed up again.   Glad you liked the pics, I am just fortunate that I caught them in the act, just took these through the glass! 




Robotponys said:


> Can't wait for pics of tons of little orange speedsters!  Lovely OBT's.
> 
> IMO, it's all right if the male gets eaten. The ENTIRE purpose of their life is to make more of its kind. They usually die soon after anyway. For me the exceptions are if it is still young, extremely rare and needs to be passed around, or if it you're attached to it.  Just my opinion.


True, thanks for the input too man, I think I'll leave him in with her for another week at least, or until she show no interest.  I'll play it by ear!



advan said:


> Good luck with the pairings! Very nice shots too! I can never seem to get any decent shots when mine are doing the thing.


Cheers Chad, they seem to be quite prolific sac producers, so here's hoping; pretty excited to see a good outcome.  As for the shots, luck of the draw I guess!  She obliged and displayed her best position


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## Storm76 (May 8, 2012)

Hope you'll get some nice sacks...and that OBT gives certain sentences a whole new meaning ...

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## wesker12 (May 8, 2012)

Co habiting is a good way to ensure that the female is bred! It does however lower the mature makes chance of living quite drastically! But to be honest better as nutrition for his children then slowly wasting away and dying!

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## matt82 (May 12, 2012)

I picked up this sling as a freebie yesterday, nice little C. darlingi


C. darlingi - 30mm DLS


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## wesker12 (May 12, 2012)

Is it in premolt??


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## matt82 (May 12, 2012)

wesker12 said:


> Is it in premolt??


It could well be alright, I am no expert for spotting an upcoming moult, other that a lack of feeding response.  Just picked this one up yesterday.  S/he is certainly fat enough to suggest that it could be!  
I'll leave it be, offer a very small feed tomorrow or Monday; no response and that'll be a good enough indicator for me 

---------- Post added 05-12-2012 at 04:02 PM ----------

I will try for some M. balfouri sling shots tomorrow, they are not cooperative, whatsoever...!  
One of the C. schioedtei moulted yesterday/ the day before, so I will try for a pic of it as well. (not tomorrow or course, I'll leave that one for another bit)


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## mcluskyisms (May 12, 2012)

Nice little _C. darlingi_ there sir, not bad for a freebie! I don't see anything that would suggest pre-moult though, in fairness it looks pretty fresh to me!

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## matt82 (May 20, 2012)

mcluskyisms said:


> Nice little _C. darlingi_ there sir, not bad for a freebie! I don't see anything that would suggest pre-moult though, in fairness it looks pretty fresh to me!


Not too shabby for a freebie, true indeed!  Proper little digger too, having fashioned a very cool tunnel already (pretty impossible to photograph it's extent, but it's an impressive structure) - a simple setup, rearing jar mostly filled with substrate, small piece of moss for a water source, and a thin bark tube buried into the soil, which was put to instant use, and in true baboon fashion, a burrow was established in record time  

I am a setup nerd, love seeing pics of setups, even mini ones, so here's some pics for the rest of the setup nerds... 


C. darlingi - sling setup 


C. darlingi sling setup - burrow entrance 

I think despite me initially thinking that this little baboon looked quite round, it would appear to be quite fresh alright, having darkened in colour since that shot (although the natural light may have enhanced the colour in that shot somewhat) and fed on a sz. 3 cricket or two with gusto.  

*P. pulcher - ventral shot...*

I finally got around to annoying this T for a ventral shot.  


P. pulcher - ventral shot 

I know it is far from an accurate method of determining the sex of a T, and as this is taken in the dark with flash on, some detail will have been lost ( it's cropped too) - but even so, if anyone can have even a guesstimate at the sex of this P. pulcher from this shot, I would be very grateful


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## advan (May 20, 2012)

You have a lady Matt, congrats!

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## matt82 (May 20, 2012)

advan said:


> You have a lady Matt, congrats!


That is fantastic news Chad, I am delighted with the conviction of that reply   Really did not want this one to be male, she is my favourite T, hands down.  Cheers!

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## matt82 (May 21, 2012)

Quick update photo of the OBT girl - she appears to be lugging around a bit of extra junk in the trunk. Paired 2 weeks ago and has not really been excessively fed since - well fed, but not excessively


Gravid? 

Spotted her once or twice since Saturday, outside the burrow, and moving around quite cumbersomely - I think she could possibly be looking for a new spot to set up shop...

I read before in a well known T keeper's book (not TKG, the other one...  ) where the author says they "defy you NOT to have success with breeding this species!" - so far, that seems to hold true...

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## Hendersoniana (May 31, 2012)

That is a beautiful colouration! She is super fat as well haha.


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## papilio (Jun 15, 2012)

Hey Matt!  

Sorry I haven't been by for a while, was just on flickr and realized I needed to update myself on your latest activities ... sounds like you're having LOTS of fun!!  Best luck with the OBTs!!!!!  My female H. mac from Thad just dropped her sac yesterday.  

You've got balfouris???   SOOO jealous!   Once I get my collection back together that's gonna have to be an addition soon as possible.

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## Storm76 (Jun 15, 2012)

Crossing fingers for you that she's gravid, Matt!

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## matt82 (Jun 16, 2012)

Thanks folks, I hope she produces too 

I haven't been really taking much photos lately, none of the slings like being hassled, so just leaving them to it really.  

-Both of the C. schioedtei have moulted once or twice and are doing good - neither are willing photo-subjects so I just leave them be.  

-The M. balfouri slings were small when I got them apx. 2 months ago (prob. 2nd instars) - one moulted the first day I got them, the other has yet to moult - both are fine though, doing well I think.  Feeding them slow and steady.  These definitely are not for removing from the vials for photos - too delicate,and also, they really need to be left in peace; they can be easily disrupted if disturbed.

-C. darlingi sling is bulking up well and really making the enclosure it's own, with a fantastic mix of tunnelling and webbing. Probably approaching a moult.  Cool species!




Quick update on the OBT girl - I spotted her out patrolling the glass apx. 10 days ago, looking fairly swelled up now.  (This ventral angle doesn't really reveal the actual extent of the swelling, but it was the only angle on offer... )
She's totally abandoned the burrow now - which would have been difficult to fathom beforehand - (In favour of a more suitable laying-site I'm sure), and has set up shop behind a piece of bark, burrowing a comfortable groove in the soil to reside in, but nothing more than that.  
She has webbed up too.  She had been refusing food, going into full OBT berserker mode at the sight of a cricket... pretty funny to see!  
She has since begun feeding gain (after the below photo was taken)


Gravid OBT envenomating the glass! 

She had already tried envenomating the glass a couple of times before I seen her, that wasn't a reaction to the camera!  It is noteworthy that the only defensive behaviour she has really ever shown was after being mated - good indicator that she is most likely developing a cluster of babies inside!

Paired on 6th May, so just short of 6 weeks ago.  I will be keeping my eye open for any further developments over the next couple of weeks.  Hopefully the next update will be one or two photos of an opened sac.

Big thanks to ArachnoBoards and it's helpful members, it has been a great source for learning more about tarantulas - the best online source for T's infact.  Cheers.

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## hnyhny (Jun 16, 2012)

I think I just like AV' baby shiny blue!!

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## mcluskyisms (Jun 16, 2012)

Good luck with the _P. murinus_ mate.

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## famish (Jun 16, 2012)

Good looking tarantulas!

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## advan (Jun 16, 2012)

She looks like a bright orange balloon with legs! Good luck Matt!

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## papilio (Jul 4, 2012)

Hey Matt!    How'r things coming along, any news yet?

I lost both the H. mac and the regalis sacs, guess I have to pay my dues.    I REALLY hope yours is successful!!


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## matt82 (Aug 11, 2012)

The female OBT dropped an eggsac between the 9th and 11th of July, apx. 9-10 weeks after the initial pairing.  I removed the eggsac yesterday, apx. 30 days later.  

I had no camera at hand yesterday, so took some shots with a phone - the pics are rushed and blurred, but I was fairly eager to get the contents into the incubator and paid little attention to focus or anything like that    






The mother, not too happy to have her whole world turned upside down and her babies "stolen".  She was fairly manageable all the same, great T   



















Most were @ the 1st instar stage, some EWLs too, with some still eggs.  Only 2 confirmed bad eggs, so hopefully a decent amount of 2nd instars soon enough.

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## Storm76 (Aug 11, 2012)

Nice! Good job so far! All the best for getting them grow furthermore

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## papilio (Aug 11, 2012)

Hey Matt!!    YAAYYYYY!!!  Great job, excited?  

The regalis was paired a second time, and the H. mac may double-clutch, so I'm still hoping ... 
And I recently got a beautiful pulcher sling from Chad, I'm pretty fond of it!

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## matt82 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks Storm, I don't think these will be long growing, the parents were matured in less than 18 months, lol.  Hoopefully I'll get some good L2's soon!
Cheers 

Thanks Michael, yeah it was pretty exciting to remove and open the eggsac, and a good stage to find them at too.  Really happy with the outcome here!  All the best with your projects too, and congrats on the P. pulcher, really are one of THE nicest Ts you can keep

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## advan (Aug 11, 2012)

Congrats on the sac Matt!  It's about time you updated us.

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## matt82 (Jun 21, 2015)

I know resurrecting old threads is a bit of a no no, but I thought I would considering its mine! 

After nearly 3 years of not keeping Ts at all,  I've recently started a respectable little haul of slings  I'm definitely enjoying keeping them all over again. 

I've laid off the photos as I just want to let them all settle,  but here's one, a 2nd instar A. versicolor 



Other species I picked up were:

C. elegans; N. chromatus; P. pulcher; P. subfusca; T. gigas 

I got at least a couple of each sp. ; I intend to update this thread in good time   Most are 2nd instar except the P. pulcher, which at a guess are 2x4th, 1x3rd instar.

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## lalberts9310 (Jun 21, 2015)

Welcome back to the hobby!!! I can't see how it's possible to give up the addiction :biggrin: pretty little versi you have there, those are high on my wishlist


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## Storm76 (Jun 22, 2015)

Why did you get out of the hobby in the first place, silly?


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