just ordered my Starburst OBT

sssargent1977

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Mar 22, 2011
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I'm very excited about my bitey friend coming :evil: Any owners have any suggestions? Other than don't stick my fingers in it's mouth lol!

---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 PM ----------

I might call him Helios...God of the Sun...lol
 

advan

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I don't own one but I can tell you to keep them very dry with a water bowl. Give them plenty of substrate to borrow and cork bark to attach their webbing. Be very aware of their location when doing maintenance. Once they build their home they should retreat to it when you need to add water or remove boluses.
Please don't stress the tarantula out on purpose to get a threat display(ex. poking and prodding with a stick to show friends.) Pretty easy to keep from what I have heard. They are fast so beware! This is for subadult/adult care, sling care would be a little different. Anyone who actually has experience with this species and has anything to add please do.

For further questions use the search function, it is your friend. Go to advanced search, and search within Tarantula Q's & D's and Chat and that should help narrow down what your looking for.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby. - Chad
 

sssargent1977

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Mar 22, 2011
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Thanks, I also own a Mexican fireleg and he/she is about 1-1.25 inches long and ive had other tarantulas in the past but it was about 10 yrs ago...on that note I have no intentions on handling or prompting my T except for cleaning or re-housing. Especially this little one...but I do plan on getting some long tweezers to feed with...not going to tong feed just using as a precaution. Thanks for the info...
 

Rob1985

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while defensive, they retreat to their burrower/webbed area more often.

They're not like the Haplo species, lol
 

sssargent1977

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Mar 22, 2011
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Awesome...if anyone has some progressive pics from spiderling to sub adult or adult please post...I'd love to get an idea of size, and how fast of maturity rate...plus they are beautiful T's.
 

catfishrod69

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i have 3 slings, about 1 1/4"..they grow sooooo slow ..they are very nervous, and faster than lightning, picture the offspring of lightning and a mongoose....thats them...i had one of mine in a small deli cup, and was gonna give it a little spray...and before my eyes could relay to my brain and tell it what happened, it was out of the cup and about 6 feet across the floor....be extremely careful, or youll be looking for your T.....these are the only ones that im extremley worried about when i open them...and i barely crack the lids.....but good luck
 

BrettG

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i have 3 slings, about 1 1/4"..they grow sooooo slow ..they are very nervous, and faster than lightning, picture the offspring of lightning and a mongoose....thats them...i had one of mine in a small deli cup, and was gonna give it a little spray...and before my eyes could relay to my brain and tell it what happened, it was out of the cup and about 6 feet across the floor....be extremely careful, or youll be looking for your T.....these are the only ones that im extremley worried about when i open them...and i barely crack the lids.....but good luck
Are you refering to H.maculata? Because those grow SLOW,P.murinus grows pretty quickly IMHO....
 

catfishrod69

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yeah i thought thats what he meant...it says starburst...i thought togo starburst baboon..hmmm


Are you refering to H.maculata? Because those grow SLOW,P.murinus grows pretty quickly IMHO....
 

sssargent1977

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P. Murinus. Sorry for the confusion...I ordered my OBT from Ken the bug guy...I thank you for all the advice so far...I'm pretty excited about his/her arrival.
 

catfishrod69

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ok i see...you meant Mombasa golden starburst tarantula, i thought you meant the togo starburst baboon, H. maculata...i also have 4 obt's...they are 2 1/2"....very defensive...i have one that will be almost on his back striking before i get the deli cup open....be careful

P. Murinus. Sorry for the confusion...I ordered my OBT from Ken the bug guy...I thank you for all the advice so far...I'm pretty excited about his/her arrival.
 

baboonfan

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Mar 27, 2011
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I'm very excited about my bitey friend coming :evil: Any owners have any suggestions? Other than don't stick my fingers in it's mouth lol!

---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 PM ----------

I might call him Helios...God of the Sun...lol
Congrats, OBTs are great. I have a one at approx 3.5 inches. Like others said keep her dry with a water dish (if yours is 2 inches or more) and she will settle in. I keep a fiarly realistic looking skull mine took to. It built a castle in there and was brave enough to display itself all day sitting in an eye socket until recently.

Within the past few days it became a reclusive digger that waits for crickets like a trap door spider. It explodes out of the dirt to grab its meal and crawls back under the dirt on its back.

Mine molted about 3 weeks ago and its colors are really beginning to show. There is a nice orange/deep red showing with a well defined starburst pattern.

Its temperment isnt as satanic as alot of people think. I have yet to see offensive behaviors. It was somewhat defensive when I first got it but now its just more skittish than anything else. People making them out to be foul tempered demons tend to be the same people who poke and prod them without mercy to get a reaction. Baboon spiders have an undeserved reputation in my experience.


I never let my guard down with it as its bite is said to be severe. I use tongs to do everything in its cage and I never open the lid all the way unless I am in the tub or outside on my large screened in porch. It can really motor about so dont underestimate its ability to make a run fot it or bite.

Your OBT is a great display piece and an interesting study. Take precautions and you will be fine.
 

Robertb

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Jan 30, 2011
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I recently just got my first obt last week from a local pet store, she was in threat posture the entire ride home lol . That was a first time for me. Once she got into her cage and had a few crickets she calmed down.
 
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