User Ladyratri's picture thread

[Pedipalpable]

I'm really quite smitten with them. Got my sights set on maybe getting a tapi later this year...

I'd like to get a Tapinauchenius as well someday. Probably a T. violaceus because of the beautiful purple. That will not be for a while though. I find their apparently legendary teleportation capabilities too intimidating at the moment.

Still really want to get a Y. diversipes sling.

Just took a look at some photos of that species in the gallery and it seems to me that they go through a number of different colour stages throughout their lives. All of which are very pretty. I have to wonder why some Ts evolved to be like that. Pamphobeteus are the same way.

I love how they hunt, how they move, the proportions, and the coloring...

Terrestrials and arboreals both appeal to me in these ways, albeit differently. Currently, I'm focusing exclusively on terrestrials. But I will definitely consider getting some arboreals eventually. Probably Aviculariinae, as I find the speed of many other new world arboreals too intimidating.

Hope I will be in a position some day to get a pokie and an H mac. that camouflage

I would like to get a P. metallica someday. Those colours are unbelievable! The H. maculata sounds too reclusive for my liking, but they are certainly beautiful as well. Definitely more of a long term goal, though. Not ready for that kind of speed, or the prospect of very potent venom.

And sometimes ominous.
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I know tarantulas don't use their eyes for much, but it is hard to deny that Irma looks like she is eyeing that cricket!
Very graceful movement as well. As I said before, that is one thing about tarantula that I just can't get over. I imagine most people would probably find how they move creepy. I on the other hand find it very elegant.

 

[ladyratri]

I know tarantulas don't use their eyes for much, but it is hard to deny that Irma looks like she is eyeing that cricket!

Arboreals do tend to have better vision than terrestrials, and she definitely reacts to seeing me move too fast sometimes outside her bin -- mostly by running into her web fortress. Just my unscientific hunch, but I think the movement catches their eye.

Very graceful movement as well. As I said before, that is one thing about tarantula that I just can't get over. I imagine most people would probably find how they move creepy. I on the other hand find it very elegant.

100% agree. The "predator slink" is so incredibly self-assured and business-like... And then when they go exploring and just creep along waving the front few legs to feel their way around it's so goofy.

Bonus photo of G. pulchra "Lava" hiding like a toddler:


And C. versicolor "Blue", who finally got around to molting and then kindly allowed me to nudge a cricket into the kill zone, letting us have the tiniest glimpse of its new colors:

 

[ladyratri]

And C. versicolor "Blue"...letting us have the tiniest glimpse of its new colors...

Stop the press folk, Blue actually (gasp) touched the ground!


P. irminia "Irma" otoh is contemplating what she thinks of my watering protocol.


The way she webbed the top of her fortress most recently....diverted my nice "drip some water down along the wall" attempt into more of a "dump torrential rain directly in her face" kinda thing.

Honestly, I was surprised not to get a threat pose. Maybe she actually was thirsty, and is now conveniently drinking that stray drop of water.

 

[ladyratri]

I was permitted to engage in a brief bit of flash photography. Judging by those colors, I think it's safe to say my C. versicolor "Blue" qualifies as "adult"...

I don't see any hooks or emboli, yet at least? Maybe when I redo its enclosure I'll get a decent ventral view in the catch cup.

 

[ladyratri]

"Hi, my name is Lava, The Floor Is. Uh, I'm a Grammostola pulchra and, uhm, it's been five days since my last cricket..."


"Yeah, yeah. Irma. P. irminia. And it's been like, oh my God I don't even know, over 250 days since my last molt "

 

[ladyratri]

Juvi P. irminia "Spunk" modeling its gorgeous new toes about 10 days post-molt:


Hilariously unsexed C. versicolor adult "Blue" looking for a second cricket -- only the second glimpse we've really had of those colors in natural light:


And because I can't do a photo post without a nod to G. pulchra "Lava", here she is, just... Hanging out. Being fat.

She still eats like she's starving to death.

 

[Dementeddoll]

When you are fully aware that you're a sleek, gorgeous predator who deserves to be photographed and admired:
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When your human ACTUALLY dares to photograph and admire you:
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(Still in love with those toes though.)

I’m so jelly. I never get to see full body out of my P. Irminia

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

She still eats like she's starving to death.

Almost like she was a genic in a past life, lol..

 

[ladyratri]

I’m so jelly. I never get to see full body out of my P. Irminia

Only Irma, she's my brave big girl . Spunk (likely 3-3.5" now) I have only seen in full during rehousing... Otherwise I mostly get a "front 50%" at best, and if I breathe too close, it teleports back into its tunnel.

Irma otoh.... Irma doesn't walk. She *struts*.

Spunk mostly needs to build a bigger burrow at this point

Almost like she was a genic in a past life, lol..

I have seen Lava refuse food....once. She was clearly in pre-molt and the size of Jupiter...I really only offered out of some morbid fascination, to see if it was possible to actually fill up the trash compactor...

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I’m so jelly. I never get to see full body out of my P. Irminia

I see mine in the early mornings, then she ducks away by mid to late morning. Unless, that is, she thinks she's starving, then I'll get extended viewing hours. I have to approach slowly though or she'll disappear down the log's peep hole.

 

[ladyratri]

Otherwise I mostly get a "front 50%" at best, and if I breathe too close, it teleports back into its tunnel.

I finally said it loud enough -- Spunk had to go make a liar out of me.

Unless, that is, she thinks she's starving, then I'll get extended viewing hours.

I suspect this is in fact what's up... It's only had one meal post-molt. That svelte little arboreal abdomen is clear evidence that I am starving it

As a bonus, I got a nice DLS measurement from the pose in that first photo -- just over 3".

 

[Dementeddoll]

Yeah the only one that comes out like that is my P. Cambridgie. I also have to approach in a stealthy manner or he I think it’s a he bolts back into its dungeon.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I suspect this is in fact what's up... It's only had one meal post-molt. That svelte little arboreal abdomen is clear evidence that I am starving it

[/QUOTE]

I see this as her telling me, "Look at my butt! Can you see how small it is? I NEED crickets! How am I going to bring all the boys to the yard this way?" Then disappears for a couple days after I give her one.

 

[ladyratri]

Walked out of the spider room tonight feeling like I just got mugged for crickets and had to tell them my pockets were empty. Guess I'll be stopping by the pet store on the way home tomorrow.

A. purpurea "Baby T":


P. irminia "Spunk":


C. versicolor "Baby Blue, lol so not a baby anymore, Blue for short, dammit not blue anymore either":


Really, those eyes though

 

[ladyratri]

What are these "meetings" and why did you let them stop you from getting me more crickets?


*Silent judgement intensifies*

 

[ladyratri]

Comparison of P. irminia "Spunk" last October vs today:


Definitely growing up fast. (Particularly compared to the A. purpurea and the G. pulchra )

Great to see it getting a little more brave about occasionally leaving its web tunnel. I think the size it gained in that last molt made a big difference.

 

[ladyratri]

I have unfortunately been prevented from getting to the pet store this week for more cricket, due to An Over-Abundance of Life Happening All At Once (tm). For which I am being silently judged.

P. irminia "Spunk" had been shockingly visible and even did a little "front porch" construction:

Those plaintive little palps...geez.

P. irminia "Irma" by contrast seems to not understand how big she is now in her fresh new clothes:


C. versicolor "Blue" is also uncharacteristically bold on its front porch:


A. purpurea "Baby T" had to check the water dish for cricket activity:


And, well, Lava got a tiny mealworm... But still had to go check if anything cool was happening in the corner of her enclosure closest to the feeder bin

Lava does not need any more crickets with that butt.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

G. pulchra "Lava" helping me test out my brand new clip-on macro lens for my phone.
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My, my we have a professional photographer I love all your T photos and what stunning tarantulas you have. Thank you for sharing

 

[Pedipalpable]

Those plaintive little palps...geez.

Funny you should mention their pedipalps because I find it interesting how much bulkier P. irminia pedipalps are compared to those of most other tarantulas. I wonder why they‘re like that?

P. irminia "Irma" by contrast seems to not understand how big she is now in her fresh new clothes:

Nice to see that Irma finally molted. I gather it had been quite a while. Have you been able to measure her? What size is she now?

A. purpurea "Baby T" had to check the water dish for cricket activity:

Were they intrigued by you pouring the water in? Sometimes my more aggressive hunters will try and attack the water dish when I fill it.

And, well, Lava got a tiny mealworm... But still had to go check if anything cool was happening in the corner of her enclosure closest to the feeder bin

Lava does not need any more crickets with that butt.

Definitely in need of a molt, that’s for sure. I wonder if she’ll keep the heart pattern when she molts?

 

[ladyratri]

Nice to see that Irma finally molted. I gather it had been quite a while. Have you been able to measure her? What size is she now?

This was her first molt in my care. She's hasn't really stretched where I could measure her yet, but I'm guessing close to, or possibly just over, 5" now. Her molt measured about 4.3" (it's a dumb ruler, that's a 1/3 inch mark)

Not bad for a girl who was sold to me as 3"! I don't feel nearly as bad about "overpaying" for her.

I thought she was going to molt months ago but instead she dropped a phantom sac in like April. She actually molted while I was away for a week in June (my husband was home, and was keeping an eye on the T's for me.)

Were they intrigued by you pouring the water in?

Nope, hadn't even touched the bin. Just came in and it was exploring .

Definitely in need of a molt, that’s for sure. I wonder if she’ll keep the heart pattern when she molts?

Her last molt was 140 days ago. The cycle before that was only 79 days. To be fair, she's been growing like a weed by pulchra standards, and is on that border line to "juvi" so I expected the molts to slow down. She's still taking food, if a little more lazily than usual, but I've cut back to what I think of as her "snack" feeding regimen -- one little lesser mealworm every 7 days or so. She stays nicely hydrated, and I'll get better visibility on when she starts actually refusing food.

Meanwhile, next door, the cricket I gave Spunk decided "ok wow this nice quiet tunnel made out of weird webby stuff looks like a PERFECT place to hide!"

Last hiding place you'll ever need, cricket...