considering a c. guangxiensis. want to make sure I will take care of it right

[skilletsteve]

I'm thinking about getting a c. guangxiensis, a pet shop local to me has an impressive specimen (about 5") that I just can't get enough of (every time I'm in buying T. food I look at it for a good ten minutes). I haven't been able to find much info about this species but here is what I'm thinking will be good for it, correct me if i'm wrong and add more suggestions if you'd like.

since she is a terrestrial forest dwelling spider I figure I should give it deep moist substrate to burrow in. I'll keep her in a 5 (possibly 10) gallon terrarium with a water dish and probably a pre-made burrow that she will hopefully use so I can see her more. As for feeding I will just see what the shop is feeding her now and emulate that with variety. probably a few large crickets a week with an occasional roach or superworm.

Does everything seem to be in order for me to get this T, or is there more I should know?

 

[joshuai]

I have a large female and she is verrrrry fast for a big t, faster than my pokies. and they web a lot so youl like her good luck and i would get her!

 

[skilletsteve]

I have a large female and she is verrrrry fast for a big t, faster than my pokies. and they web a lot so youl like her good luck and i would get her!

care to comment a bit on your setup? is it pretty close to what I have in mind? This will be my first OW T so I want to make sure I'm not getting in over my head.

 

[skilletsteve]

forget to put this in the OP
i took a pic of her at the store
quite a webber.

 

[joshuai]

sounds good, deep sub, a hide, and water dish maybe some sticks to attach webbing, there is web all over my ten gallon tank, all the way up the sides.

 

[blooms]

Congrats on this T. Gotta tell ya, my C. Guangxiensis is one of my fav t's. I gave it deep substrate, but it refused to burrow, instead webbing up the surface and remaining out in the open. I actually have heard that they are more opportunisitic. Often when I observe it, it will turn around seeming to observe me back. Let me second the statement about their speed.....this is the fastest T I've ever seen, could probably do laps around my P. Murinus. It's also a great eater. Crickets or roaches get no second chances when they hit the ground in it's enclosure. When I bought it, its abdomen was emaciated, in about a month it's put on weight to the point where it seems normal.

 

[skilletsteve]

I'm very excited for this one now, glad they tend to stay out in the open more.
I did a search in the bite report forum and couldn't find anything. I haven't known anyone to get bit by this species but the owner of the local shop I buy from said they have a bit more potent venom than most spiders. anyone able to confirm/deny this? that may be a deal breaker for me as I do have a dog in the house and do not want to risk her health for a new tarantula (cool as it may be)

 

[syndicate]

Chilobrachys make for good spiders in captivity.There usually very hardy and like to web up a lot!They do have a nasty temperment tho and can be very defensive so it's a good idea to invest in a very long pair of tweezers or forceps for doing any tank maintenance.
Also another thing I will mention is that a good portion of Chilobrachys commonly sold are mislabeled so even tho this one says guanqxiensis that doesn't exactly mean this is the species your gettin ;]
some of these Tan Chilos can be quite tricky to ID!!
Hope that helps!
-Chris

 

[syndicate]

Oh and about there venom I would say use caution as you should with most old world spiders!

 

[blooms]

I'm told that their venom is no joke. I found this in an abstract from a study of their venom at Peking university...

"Chinese tarantula, chilobrachys jingzhao is one of the most venomous spiders in southern China and its venom is a mixture of various compounds with diversified biological activities."

To me that's saying alot because southern China is Haplopelma schmidti and Haplopelma hainanum country and from what I'm told, those are quite potent.

Also, I agree that it is quite hard to id the tan Chilobrachys species. I found an article online from another Chinese university which describes how to id all the Chinese tarantula species.

http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v36_n2/arac-36-2-425.pdf

Hope that helps.

 

[skilletsteve]

Also another thing I will mention is that a good portion of Chilobrachys commonly sold are mislabeled so even tho this one says guanqxiensis that doesn't exactly mean this is the species your gettin ;]

that is a good point about the label. at the shop it was actually just labeled as "Chinese Fawn" there was no scientific name given. the owner said the spider was imported from china (and he has no reason to lie to me about that) so I just assumed it was a guangxiensis. Either way I am assuming care will be similar between this and other Chilobrachys so I'm not too concerned. thanks for pointing that out though.

 

[blooms]

If its really a Chilobrachys and was truly imported from China it could be:

C. guangxiensis
C. liboensis
C. hubei

Those are the three species of Chilobrachys found in China.

 

[skilletsteve]

the only reason i was thinking it had to be guangxiensis is because that is the only one I've ever seen labeled as a chine fawn, but of course that isn't foolproof.

 

[joshuai]

what about Hauhini

 

[blooms]

Huahini isn't native to China, it's from SE asia.