Another Newbie

Jeff_C

ArachnoAddicted
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
449
to the group and T keeping.

I’ve been basically lurking on this site for quite a while and now that I see a run on lurkers coming out of the dark I figured I would join in and tell my story:

It started innocently enough, in December 02, when I decided to give in to my son (7) who wanted a spider (thanks to the Spider-man movie) and had earned it at school (a long story). Anyway, I did my research and ordered a few s’lings from Swift. The first batch included a 1” B. smithi, a ¼” E. campestratus, a ¼” A. geniculata and of course the ¼” freebie B. albopilosum. This was enough…for about a week. Then came the 4.5” G. rosea from Petco (I know, I know). It was a beautiful specimen and really inexpensive. To keep a long story short, over the course of about the next month later things got really hairy and we added the following specimens: 2” T. blondi, ½” P. irminia, ¾” C. cyaneopubescens. ¾” A. seemanni, ¾” A. avicularia, 1/8” Ahonopelma sp., 4” female E. campestratus, and a 3.5” female red-phase G. rosea. Not to mention the Emperor and Dune Scorps (but that’s another section of this site).

We keep these all in either critter keepers or beanie baby type enclosures with bed-a-beast and spangum moss substrate within a larger cabinet that we bought at Ikea. And, we have decided to basically (almost) never handle them (half out of fear/respect and the other half because it is detrimental to the T).

I should say we have learned a ton from the content on this site (my son loves the pics) and hope to be able to contribute from my own experiences in time.

That being said, I have one important question: Does the craving to add more s’lings to your collections ever end? I just don’t find myself able to stop thinking about what I want next (Andrew, my son, wants an Orange Bitey Thing and I want a Cobalt).

Looking forward to sharing more in the future.

(sorry for the long post)

Jeff
 

Lasiodora

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2002
Messages
852
Hi Jeff,
Sorry to tell you, but the craving to add to your collection never ends and this site doesn't help. I have to fight it everyday.
Mike
 

TheSpiderHouse

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Apr 4, 2003
Messages
96
hehe I think you'll run out of room before the cravings stop.. The good news is, at least its a healthy addiction. :D
 

Nixy

Arachnoprince
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Joined
Feb 6, 2003
Messages
1,486
Nope. It never ends.
If anything it grows and grows and grows...
Hehehe.
Welcome to the board!
To you and your son!
Or should I say welcome out of the darkness of lurkdom. :D
 

vulpina

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Jan 26, 2003
Messages
1,943
Welcome!!!! And to answer the question, no, the craving does not end!! It's good to have you aboard!!

Andy
 

Godzilla2000

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Old Timer
Joined
Mar 14, 2003
Messages
947
I'm going to have to resist the temptation to buy a Tarantula when I got to purchase crickets today. But if they have a FEmale Red Phase Rosehair I might just give in.
 

Jeff_C

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Old Timer
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
449
Thanks for the welcome and the encourgement.

I unfortunately will most likely need to curtail my s'ling purchasing because of two overiding factors: The aformentioned space issues (of course there is always the basement) and the wife. She made me promise to stop (yeah right), so to me that means keep 'em small and fly them in under the radar.


Jeff
 

Nixy

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Feb 6, 2003
Messages
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Living room shelves are nice if you set it up to look good. :D
As for the wife.
get her to fall in love with a cute and charming little virsicolor.....
Get her adicted.
Your home free.
:D
 

Spike

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Messages
517
:? You can put T's in a basement what about temp isn't that like sticking them in the garage? ... Oh welcome I am pretty new 2 so I am sure you will love this site. Lots and lots of help and pics too :)
 

Jeff_C

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Old Timer
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
449
basements can always be heated and the A. avicularia is my attempt to get the wife involved. But somewhere along the line my 2 year old has decided that the avic is now hers (probably because I had it run across her hand when we first got it). Oh well, at least I have 2 of the 3 convinced that the Ts are a good thing :)

Jeff
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
Jeff,
the good thing about it is once you get so many....nobody can tell how many you actually have, and this includes yourself ;)
When asked how many Ts I have, I find I have to be quite vague, as I truly don't know!
Welcome aboard!
Holley
 

MizM

Arachnoprincess
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
4,915
with bed-a-beast and spangum moss substrate

Does the craving to add more s’lings to your collections ever end?

Jeff [/B][/QUOTE]

Throw away the BED-A-BEAST!!!!!


And no, the craving never ends! It just gets worse. :)

Also, was wondering, when should we have the common name of p. murinus changed to "Little Orange Bitey Thing!":D :D :D
 

TheSpiderHouse

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Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2003
Messages
96
My wife made me stop at 2.. that quickly changed though, now she helps me pick the new orders. Don't worry, she'll eventually come around :D
 

Jeff_C

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Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
449
I've read that bed-a-beast is nobodies favorite but I can't tell if that's a anti-petstore thing or other because I don't think I've read the rational for dumping it.

The burrowing Ts seem ok with it so I never thought to change it. When I ran out I did buy some "Jungle Mix" from ESU and it also seems to be excepted by the couple of Ts that have it (the A. seemanni and the A. geniculata). I will most likely pick up peat moss and clean potting soil once I head out to the garden center in a few weeks but does anyone have a reason I should run out immediately (or switch everyone to the Jungle Mix)?


As for the craving: I'll probably continue to buy a s'ling here and there, as a fix, now that I have found a local dealer that carries them. While Swift and e-spiderworld are great (truly awesome) you can't just buy one s'ling and justify the shipping so you end up with 3-4 at a time.

J
 

Godzilla2000

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Old Timer
Joined
Mar 14, 2003
Messages
947
Originally posted by Godzilla2000
I'm going to have to resist the temptation to buy a Tarantula when I got to purchase crickets today. But if they have a FEmale Red Phase Rosehair I might just give in.
Update: Well I didn't find a Red Phase Rosehair but I did buy an Orange Bitey Thing instead.
 

MizM

Arachnoprincess
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Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
4,915
Guys & Gals, should we add to this, perfect it and have our esteemed webmaster turn it into a sticky? It sure would have helped me when I was a newbie! Feel free to add, change, correct, delete, whatever!


USER-FRIENDLY LIST OF "S-LANG" (SPIDER LANGUAGE!)

T = TARANTULA

AGE, SIZE
Leggs = "Eggs with legs", the 2nd molt after the egg stage for a pre-sling
Sling = Spiderling
Juv = Juvenile, between sling and adult
Instar = The number of the molt the T is on, after hatching into a sling. 1st instar, 2nd instar, etc.
Post-ultimate = When a male T has molted for the last time before his death
LS = Legspan

SPECIES
NW = New World Species - Urticating hairs!
OW = Old World Species
GBB = Greenbottle Blue (Chromatopelma cyanopubescens)
Blondi = Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)
Genic = Brazilian Whitebanded (Acanthoscurria geniculata)
Orange Bitey Things/PTerrors = Pterinochilus murinus (Usambara Baboon) Known for their BAD attitude!
PZB = Pink Zebra Beauty (Eupalaestrus campestratus)
Pokie/Poke/Poec = Poecilotheria species
Rosie = Chilean Rosehair (Grammostola rosea)
Versi = Antilles Pinktoe (Avicularia versicolor)
Curly = Curlyhair (Brachypelma albopilosum)

PARTS
Palps = Pedipalps
Boxing gloves = Enlarged, bulbous pedipalps of a mature male
Exuvia = The skin that's left after the T molts

CONDITIONS, BEHAVIOR
Dessicated = Dried up, dehydrated
Gravid = Pregnant
Death curl = Pose a T assumes when it's dying, upright with legs curled underneath
On it's back = In pre-molt
Flick = The act of using the rear legs to spread the itchy (urticating) hairs towards a threat
Threat posture = When your T stands up on hind legs, with front leg spread wide and straight up in the air, often with fangs bared.

HOUSING, FOOD
Substrate = What is on the bottom of the habitat, i.e. potting soil, peat moss, vermiculite
Verm = Vermiculite
Hidey hole = Burrow
Pinkie = Newborn mouse
Crix = Crickets

OTHER STUFF
Hammock method = A method of "cradling" an eggsack after it's removed from it's mother
 

Deathreaver

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2003
Messages
51
I personally think that the craven T's is like a drug. Though I do not have any, my better half has about 25 and I am wanting some too, just worried that I won't be able to feed them (b/c I hate buying crickets (they smell) and I am afraid of feeding them wild critters (insect, lizards, and ect.) But I really want some T's, and some snakes too!
 

Jeff_C

ArachnoAddicted
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
449
Deathreaver,

During my T buying spree I also managed to sneak in a Ball Python and Cornsnake (my first snakes) and I would recommend either one for a first time keeper.

I've heard Lobster Roaches don't smell and they are a viable alternative to crickets...just a thought.


Also, decided that I'm gonna pick-up that Cobalt Blue s'ling I desire.
 

petitegreeneyes

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Old Timer
Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
1,113
Welcome to you and your son. I am up to 80 T's now and I can tell you that I said I would stop at like 50, but it is addictive and you always see something really eye catching that you must get.
 
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