Acanthogonatus francki

[cinnaka]

Hi! I’m buying a unsexed Acanthogonatus francki today. The seller does not know the age either. As I do know the basic husbandry of this species, I can’t seem to find ANY information on their level of venom or life expectancy. Does any one of you have an idea as to if the venom can be compared to an OW-T or a NW-T? Also how long they might live?
Thanks =)

 

[RezonantVoid]

Hi! I’m buying a unsexed Acanthogonatus francki today. The seller does not know the age either. As I do know the basic husbandry of this species, I can’t seem to find ANY information on their level of venom or life expectancy. Does any one of you have an idea as to if the venom can be compared to an OW-T or a NW-T? Also how long they might live?
Thanks =)

What a superb acquisition! Don't see this species mentioned anywhere near as much as they should be.

I can't get this species as Australia forbids importing exotic insects, but I keep over 150 different non tarantula mygalomorphs including some in the same family as these guys (Pycnothelidae, although mine are Stanwellia sp.). Being mygalomorphs like tarantulas, these guys should easily live between 10-20 years if well looked after. Not sure on venom, the majority of mygs on a worldwide scale possess mild venom (including the Pycnothelidae in Australia), so I'd imagine these guys would do little more than leave a painful bite, but caution is always advised.

The general consensus for trapdoor spider housing is simply a deep enclosure mostly filled with damp peat moss and sand mix. Personally I advise against this overused, generalised method of husbandry, and prefer to use wild/natural soils that closely mimic the consistency that a species would burrow into in a wild setting, but with the limited information available about the species wild habitat other than being from Chile, I'd say its probably the only option you have.

Here's a Stanwellia sp. I personally caught, it's in the same family as Acanthogonatus

 

[cinnaka]

What a superb acquisition! Don't see this species mentioned anywhere near as much as they should be.

I can't get this species as Australia forbids importing exotic insects, but I keep over 150 different non tarantula mygalomorphs including some in the same family as these guys (Pycnothelidae, although mine are Stanwellia sp.). Being mygalomorphs like tarantulas, these guys should easily live between 10-20 years if well looked after. Not sure on venom, the majority of mygs on a worldwide scale possess mild venom (including the Pycnothelidae in Australia), so I'd imagine these guys would do little more than leave a painful bite, but caution is always advised.

The general consensus for trapdoor spider housing is simply a deep enclosure mostly filled with damp peat moss and sand mix. Personally I advise against this overused, generalised method of husbandry, and prefer to use wild/natural soils that closely mimic the consistency that a species would burrow into in a wild setting, but with the limited information available about the species wild habitat other than being from Chile, I'd say its probably the only option you have.

Here's a Stanwellia sp. I personally caught, it's in the same family as Acanthogonatus
View attachment 398747

Thank you for your thoughts and good input! I will strongly consider all of this
I read that the francki likes very dry enclosures, as it’s a desert sp. so maybe I’ll try making a damp corner to see if it drags more towards the moisture or if it decides to stay away from it. Btw, your Stanwellia look BEAUTIFUL!


My francki came from a very bad enclosure, as the previous owner left it alone for almost a year with rotten food, moldy soil and decaying elements all over. It was fed approximately once a month and it was extremely dehydrated. So it’s a lot smaller than it should be, but I’ll hopefully be able to restore its magnificence and good health. I added a pic in the temporary enclosure, and I will rehouse it to a big one soon. Also It accepted food for the first time today.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Such a shame, I feel alot of non-tarantula mygalomorphs get overlooked because T's are much larger and more readily available, looking forward to hearing how this one recovers. IMO, these can be among the most beautiful spiders in the entire world when freshly molted, based on some of the photos I've seen. Wishbone spiders are a particular favourite of mine

 

[cinnaka]

Such a shame, I feel alot of non-tarantula mygalomorphs get overlooked because T's are much larger and more readily available, looking forward to hearing how this one recovers. IMO, these can be among the most beautiful spiders in the entire world when freshly molted, based on some of the photos I've seen. Wishbone spiders are a particular favourite of mine

People are crazy! after seeing this guy doing his business, I’d love to have more of these cuties! All of my tarantulas are hiding most of the day, but this guy is doing his bidding all over the place. I even saw it drink water multiple times already