KaroKoenig
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2019
- Messages
- 437
So, here's what combined wisdom at arachnoboards has to say about Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens:
- They are strictly terrestrial
- They live in extremely hot and dry habitats
Frequently, the Animal Planet documentary featuring Rick West is cited as a killer argument reference. So far so good. C. cyaneopubescens observed right in the wild. That is more than can be said about 90 % of all the other tarantulas in the hobby.
However, that's not the whole story. Looking across the language barrier, in Klaas (2007) "Vogelspinnen - Herkunft, Pflege, Arten", we find the following:
Peter Klaas, during a field trip in 1998 together with Venezuelan biologist Jorge Gonzales, observed C. cyaneopubescens in the wild and noted that the only places they could find them was in hollow trees some 5 feet above ground. The habitat is described as open forest, hot and dry during the day, but with frequent (more or less nightly) influx of extremely humid air from the Sea, leading to substantial dew formation. See photos of the habitat here:
Top photo shows habitat destruction by over-abundant formerly domestic goats. Middle photo shows J. Gonzales photographing a C. cyaneopubescens in-situ. While still on the dry side, this habitat is nowhere near as extreme as the one Rick West visited (dunes, cacti, etc.). In this habitat, the spiders seem to prefer living in the trees rather than in burrows underground. Noting the distinctly terrestrial body habitus of C. cyaneopubescens, Peter Klaas still goes as far as calling their lifestyle "arboreal" in the text.
What do we learn from this? Well, first and foremost: Never fall into the trap called "argument from authority". Neither Rick West (one of the leading experts in the english-speaking world) nor Peter Klaas (one of the leading experts in the german-speaking world) got it completely right. In fact, I think the rather absolute statement made by Rick along the lines of "Here's proof: They live in burrows" could just be the result of him observing the spiders at the extreme limit of their possible habitats, where the animals simply have to find shelter from the extreme daytime heat - or else. Peter's observations show that in less extreme parts of their distribution, a hollow tree a man's height above ground is absolutely sufficient. However, Peter's conclusion that they are "arboreal" most probably results from observational bias, since specimens in hollow trees are simply much easier to find, compared to those who live at the base of bushes and the like. After all, in captivity, only very few specimens actually use burrows, but rather set up shop at ground level under some branches/roots/whatever.
Combining the observations of Rick West and Peter Klaas, there are a few more things we can learn:
- Under normal circumstances, C. cyaneopubescens do not live in extremely xeric conditions. In fact, they get the chance for a fresh dew drink practically every early morning.
- (Here's where I will duck for cover, because a few shots across the bow are likely incoming) The word "semi-arboreal" is not a dirty word. It is a pretty accurate description of the lifestyle (not the anatomy) of C. cyaneopubescens.
- Interesting observation from the Rick West documentary: They actually do stroll around quite a bit in the wild - up to several meters from their burrows/web castles/tree retreats.
- last, but not least: Never trust a single source of information.
Consequences for husbandry, you may ask?
- Does that mean we should keep them in standard arboreal enclosures? Heck no. They are extremely nimble climbers, they actually love to climb all over the place. But in Nature, they rarely find glass surfaces. Very obviously, their tarsal scopula pads are nothing like those of true arboreal tarantulas. They do stick to glass rather well during a casual stroll arould their tank, but I can definetly see the danger of them slipping and falling when spooked. It would be interesting to see what happens when you give them a really high enclosure, but silicone a number of sticks/pieces of bark to the glass. Something they can use their claws instead of having to rely on their tarsal pads. I'm pretty sure they will do just fine and the danger of falling will be absolutely minimal. In such an enclosure, one could offer the whole show of possible retreats: a pre-made burrow, some shelter at ground level, and a substantial vertical piece of hollow tree. Would be interesting to see how many specimens choose the tree.
- Enclosures should be on the larger side. They do move a lot at night.
- Simulating morning dew by daily misting would only work in extremely well-ventilated enclosures in areas where ambient humidity is low enough that the water evaporates very quickly. In the wild, they have very dry air and substrate 90% of the day. So keeping them dry with a water dish definetly is the best option in captivity.
- They are strictly terrestrial
- They live in extremely hot and dry habitats
Frequently, the Animal Planet documentary featuring Rick West is cited as a killer argument reference. So far so good. C. cyaneopubescens observed right in the wild. That is more than can be said about 90 % of all the other tarantulas in the hobby.
However, that's not the whole story. Looking across the language barrier, in Klaas (2007) "Vogelspinnen - Herkunft, Pflege, Arten", we find the following:
Peter Klaas, during a field trip in 1998 together with Venezuelan biologist Jorge Gonzales, observed C. cyaneopubescens in the wild and noted that the only places they could find them was in hollow trees some 5 feet above ground. The habitat is described as open forest, hot and dry during the day, but with frequent (more or less nightly) influx of extremely humid air from the Sea, leading to substantial dew formation. See photos of the habitat here:
Top photo shows habitat destruction by over-abundant formerly domestic goats. Middle photo shows J. Gonzales photographing a C. cyaneopubescens in-situ. While still on the dry side, this habitat is nowhere near as extreme as the one Rick West visited (dunes, cacti, etc.). In this habitat, the spiders seem to prefer living in the trees rather than in burrows underground. Noting the distinctly terrestrial body habitus of C. cyaneopubescens, Peter Klaas still goes as far as calling their lifestyle "arboreal" in the text.
What do we learn from this? Well, first and foremost: Never fall into the trap called "argument from authority". Neither Rick West (one of the leading experts in the english-speaking world) nor Peter Klaas (one of the leading experts in the german-speaking world) got it completely right. In fact, I think the rather absolute statement made by Rick along the lines of "Here's proof: They live in burrows" could just be the result of him observing the spiders at the extreme limit of their possible habitats, where the animals simply have to find shelter from the extreme daytime heat - or else. Peter's observations show that in less extreme parts of their distribution, a hollow tree a man's height above ground is absolutely sufficient. However, Peter's conclusion that they are "arboreal" most probably results from observational bias, since specimens in hollow trees are simply much easier to find, compared to those who live at the base of bushes and the like. After all, in captivity, only very few specimens actually use burrows, but rather set up shop at ground level under some branches/roots/whatever.
Combining the observations of Rick West and Peter Klaas, there are a few more things we can learn:
- Under normal circumstances, C. cyaneopubescens do not live in extremely xeric conditions. In fact, they get the chance for a fresh dew drink practically every early morning.
- (Here's where I will duck for cover, because a few shots across the bow are likely incoming) The word "semi-arboreal" is not a dirty word. It is a pretty accurate description of the lifestyle (not the anatomy) of C. cyaneopubescens.
- Interesting observation from the Rick West documentary: They actually do stroll around quite a bit in the wild - up to several meters from their burrows/web castles/tree retreats.
- last, but not least: Never trust a single source of information.
Consequences for husbandry, you may ask?
- Does that mean we should keep them in standard arboreal enclosures? Heck no. They are extremely nimble climbers, they actually love to climb all over the place. But in Nature, they rarely find glass surfaces. Very obviously, their tarsal scopula pads are nothing like those of true arboreal tarantulas. They do stick to glass rather well during a casual stroll arould their tank, but I can definetly see the danger of them slipping and falling when spooked. It would be interesting to see what happens when you give them a really high enclosure, but silicone a number of sticks/pieces of bark to the glass. Something they can use their claws instead of having to rely on their tarsal pads. I'm pretty sure they will do just fine and the danger of falling will be absolutely minimal. In such an enclosure, one could offer the whole show of possible retreats: a pre-made burrow, some shelter at ground level, and a substantial vertical piece of hollow tree. Would be interesting to see how many specimens choose the tree.
- Enclosures should be on the larger side. They do move a lot at night.
- Simulating morning dew by daily misting would only work in extremely well-ventilated enclosures in areas where ambient humidity is low enough that the water evaporates very quickly. In the wild, they have very dry air and substrate 90% of the day. So keeping them dry with a water dish definetly is the best option in captivity.
![20210715_081844[1].jpg](https://arachnoboards.com/data/attachments/330/330092-1c75e2f0f0967173d7126d00bfcb15a6.jpg "20210715_081844[1].jpg")
