Cyriopagopus doriae: Are All The Rumors True?

[Teds ts and Inverts]

As some of you may know, I absolutely adore the genus Cyriopagopus. So when I first came across pictures of C. doriae, I thought that I had to have one.

But upon doing further research, I was stunned to learn that this beautiful T, which I had only recently discovered, has quite a bad reputation.

Some keepers report that C. doriae is quite possibly the most defensive T in the hobby. Let that sink in for a moment. More defensive than P. murinus, and more defensive than C. minax, Jesus....

But what really caught my attention was that this species’ venom toxicity is supposedly INSANE. I’ve heard some people say that it is even more potent than Poecilotheria sp., and according to one case, someone who had been bitten was rushed to the hospital, and while being treated in the hospital, their heart had stopped THREE times.

So I come here with a simple question, is all this true? Thx

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes, obviously is a very defensive species but something like "the most defensive in the hobby" is a statement that always jumps out during time, notably affecting different species.

I also don't get why a lot of people continue to view the 'OBT' (P.murinus) as an incredibly defensive Theraphosidae when, actually, is among the most shy. I tell you why. Simple, they always offered a wrong set up to 'OBTs'. Give inches of substrate and a piece of cork bark, and you wouldn't even notice the spider.

The 90% of those "super defensive" OBTs were/are nothing that scared as heck spiders 'forced' to live in a web-everywhere environment, due to the poor amount of inches of substrate inside.

As far the venom potency Poecilotheria; Stromatopelma; Chilobrachys (C.fimbriatus in particular, altough not everyone know this); Heteroscodra etc are able to cause heart issues after a bite. Again, not always, not to everyone, but everything depends and vary because, Captain Obvious, everyone is different, with a different body/health issues.

Yes, indeed is a species no one wants to end tagged by, but the same goes for the above listed.

 

[FrDoc]

Another rumor not mentioned is absolutely true. It is one of the ultimate tarantulas to keep. Yep, they DO NOT play. However, are they the “worst of the worst”? Who knows? Keep it with common sense and it doesn’t make any difference if they, or any other tarantula is “worse” than another. I don’t give my C. doriae the opportunity to bite me. Nor do I give my A. chalcodes the opportunity to bite me. Consistency’s the name of this game, or should be. You know, you’ve been around a while Bro’. Snag one (or a few) of those gems and enjoy. Additionally, mine has constructed a very cool sphagnum moss tower over its burrow entrance. DO IT!

 

[Gnarled Gnome]

Another rumor not mentioned is absolutely true. It is one of the ultimate tarantulas to keep. Yep, they DO NOT play. However, are they the “worst of the worst”? Who knows? Keep it with common sense and it doesn’t make any difference if they, or any other tarantula is “worse” than another. I don’t give my C. doriae the opportunity to bite me. Nor do I give my A. chalcodes the opportunity to bite me. Consistency’s the name of this game, or should be. You know, you’ve been around a while Bro’. Snag one (or a few) of those gems and enjoy. Additionally, mine has constructed a very cool sphagnum moss tower over its burrow entrance. DO IT!

I'd like to see a picture of that sphagnum tower burrow.

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

I also don't get why a lot of people continue to view the 'OBT' (P.murinus) as an incredibly defensive Theraphosidae when, actually, is among the most shy. I tell you why. Simple, they always offered a wrong set up to 'OBTs'. Give inches of substrate and a piece of cork bark, and you wouldn't even notice the spider.

The 90% of those "super defensive" OBTs were/are nothing that scared as heck spiders 'forced' to live in a web-everywhere environment, due to the poor amount of inches of substrate inside.

I definitely agree, and quite honestly, the same goes for a lot of OWs and Fossorials. Take E. murinus for example. It’s a fossorial T, yet many keepers (incorrectly, imo) set them up as terrestrials, with not much space to burrow. And those keepers are the ones that tend to report more defensive specimens, as opposed to those who set them up with room to burrow. I have mine in a fossorial setup, and my girl would much rather retreat to her burrow than stand her ground.

 

[FrDoc]

I'd like to see a picture of that sphagnum tower burrow.

Ask and ye shall receive.

 

[SonsofArachne]

Another rumor not mentioned is absolutely true. It is one of the ultimate tarantulas to keep. Yep, they DO NOT play. However, are they the “worst of the worst”? Who knows? Keep it with common sense and it doesn’t make any difference if they, or any other tarantula is “worse” than another. I don’t give my C. doriae the opportunity to bite me. Nor do I give my A. chalcodes the opportunity to bite me. Consistency’s the name of this game, or should be. You know, you’ve been around a while Bro’. Snag one (or a few) of those gems and enjoy. Additionally, mine has constructed a very cool sphagnum moss tower over its burrow entrance. DO IT!

Now I want one, blast it. I really don't need more T's......well what's one more, right?

 

[ShinyTurd]

I definitely agree, and quite honestly, the same goes for a lot of OWs and Fossorials. Take E. murinus for example. It’s a fossorial T, yet many keepers (incorrectly, imo) set them up as terrestrials, with not much space to burrow. And those keepers are the ones that tend to report more defensive specimens, as opposed to those who set them up with room to burrow. I have mine in a fossorial setup, and my girl would much rather retreat to her burrow than stand her ground.

I completely agree! Most of my more "defensive" Ts are quite shy. Proper setup is key here. If a T has its retreat, a place of comfort to flee to one would never have a stand off with a T.

My C. Lividus for instance, is always out in the evening but as soon as i disturd the enclosure she retreats. My OBT also behaves like this.

 

[Gnarled Gnome]

Ask and ye shall receive.

View attachment 324639

Awesome!

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

I completely agree! Most of my more "defensive" Ts are quite shy. Proper setup is key here. If a T has its retreat, a place of comfort to flee to one would never have a stand off with a T.

My C. Lividus for instance, is always out in the evening but as soon as i disturd the enclosure she retreats. My OBT also behaves like this.

Right!?!? My Female C. lividus is probably an even better example (than my E. murinus) based on my personal experience.

When I first got her, I had her in a temporary enclosure that didn’t allow much room for burrowing, and during the 4 months that she was in there, she was VERY defensive and prone to bolting. But once I was able to get her a proper enclosure, she took to the pre-made burrow I made for her, and whenever I catch her out, it’s simply thrilling! And when she gets tired of me taking pictures of her, she just quickly darts back down into her burrow.

In this instance, a proper setup turned a feisty T into a reclusive T that would rather retreat than stand her ground

 

[basin79]

My lass will do what the vast majority of tarantulas do when I open her enclosure. If she's out she retreats. If she's already in her burrow she stays there.

Now obviously a tarantula is all instinct so I have been given a defensive posture but that's just her reacting to me. And that's 100% understandable.

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

@SonsofArachne Tell that to my dad....

 

[basin79]

Infact I've got a defensive posture pic. I was hoping to get some pics but she didn't fancy being a model. Notice she hasn't got her fangs bared. She hasn't gone vertical? A tarantula doesn't want to fight. They don't want trouble.

 

[Feral]

Ask and ye shall receive.

View attachment 324639

Am I the only one who loved how his signature was perfect for his photo?

 

[Vanisher]

If the setup is correct the spider will retreat rather than being defennsive. Someone earlier wrote "setup is key" i totally agree! Especially true with fossorials, in that sense that most are very shy, including the most defenssive specimens. And you will never see any defenssivness in the enclosure other when rehousing them! I have very defenssive P murinus (tete) and E murinus. In the tanks they always retreat instead of biting. Only time they show defenssive behaviour is when i rehouse them. On the other hand, i have a very defenssive P atrichomatus, that even if he has a setup with deep substrate and a burrow, he is usally sitting out in the open, and is in threat pose and attacking and biting when i change the waterdish! So i have much more problems with that one!
I have read this things about C doriae, but i cannot confirm it and i am little wondering why this speicies should have more potent venom than the rest of the genus?

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

Right!?!? My Female C. lividus is probably an even better example (than my E. murinus) based on my personal experience.

When I first got her, I had her in a temporary enclosure that didn’t allow much room for burrowing, and during the 4 months that she was in there, she was VERY defensive and prone to bolting. But once I was able to get her a proper enclosure, she took to the pre-made burrow I made for her, and whenever I catch her out, it’s simply thrilling! And when she gets tired of me taking pictures of her, she just quickly darts back down into her burrow.

In this instance, a proper setup turned a feisty T into a reclusive T that would rather retreat than stand her ground

@cold blood Why the facepalm?