Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
Phoneutria fera
- Thread starter Taffy
- Start date
- Joined
- May 30, 2017
- Messages
- 2,158
I love this species, but no one is working on breeding programs for them. They come and go as people want them, but no one breeds them. Is this is a breeding program?
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
i wouldnt call it a “program” but the end goal is absolutely to breed them. i got a buddy who ordered some too and once they reach adulthood we are going to attempt to breed them
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
hunting a cricket
ForTW
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2021
- Messages
- 407
Good to hear, fera has become quite rare!
CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2022
- Messages
- 257
Really wish ANY Phoneutria was in the trade over here in the ROK...
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
yea i know, i was very surprised when i saw them for sale so i absolutely had to get a buddy to buy some too so we can hopefully breed them in the future
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 731
The specimen in the picture isn't P. fera, it's P. depilata.
This annoying mix-up is likely also the reason P. fera is awol in the hobby.
This annoying mix-up is likely also the reason P. fera is awol in the hobby.
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
molted
ForTW
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2021
- Messages
- 407
Are you Sure? This is a depilata of my offsprings.
ForTW
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2021
- Messages
- 407
Smaller one
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 731
Pretty much. Look at the ophistosoma, enlarged median stripe already visible, but lacking any pattern one could expect to see in P. fera at this size.
I've pics of P. fera in juvenile stages, but will have to search for them. Will edit later and insert pics...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ok, found the pics.
Pics are from February 2006, specimen came from a wc mother from French-Guyane. All pics show the same specimen:
What you see:
prosoma stripe still in development, indicating a rather small (young) juvenile specimen
ophistosoma median stripe is regular, not enlarged
ophistosoma pattern 6 to 8 white dots with black rim (pattern = 2 x 3 or 2 x 4)
metatarsus of leg I & II show white patch
The ophistosoma pattern isn't exclusive to P. fera. The folium develops from the dots visible here, so a very similar pattern can be expected to be found in other Phoneutria sp. that have a folium (e.g. P. nigriventer, P. eickstedtae etc.). The pattern is different to P. depilata pictured above though.
WRT to size: specimen sits in a 0,5 liter (500 ml) cup.
Last edited:
ForTW
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2021
- Messages
- 407
Alright, thanks for clarify.
Must've been around the time i recived mine from A. leetz, unfortunate i didn't reproduce them...was around 2007 if i remember correctly.
However, boliviensis was the most beautiful and docila to me at this time, so i can't complain that they are all over
.
Must've been around the time i recived mine from A. leetz, unfortunate i didn't reproduce them...was around 2007 if i remember correctly.
However, boliviensis was the most beautiful and docila to me at this time, so i can't complain that they are all over
.
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 731
@ForTW P. fera was already around in the hobby in the late 90's when i joined the hobby. The species vanished some time later and was completely gone around 2003.
The specimens from F-G got imported by Thomas Vinmann in 2005 and hit the market some time in 2006.
At the end of 2006 also imports from Peru got rolling, first with few specimens at the end of 2006 but with comparatively large numbers in 2007. Those imports also included P. boliviensis which was the "primary target" (wrt to Phoneutria sp.) of those imports. I know this first hand as Thomas is a friend of mine and i received the pictured slings directly from him.
I was also involved in the Peru imports back then and wrote the "target sheet" for P. boliviensis, so the scouts (the guys who went out into the Amazon to catch specimens) would know what to look out for. In early 2007 i traveled to Peru to visit the guy who was running the business there, I accompanied the guy who was running the show on the german side.
For a while there were two bloodlines around in the hobby in the EU: the ones from F-G and the ones from Peru. The latter were more common as T. Vinmann had only brought very few specimens while each Peru import (which went on for quite some time) included new wc specimens. This, additionally to successful breedings from several hobbyists at that time, including my own.
P. fera was available in the hobby for quite a long time, the last (serious) offer i saw in the EU was from the end of 2021. Since then the species seems to have vanished again. All other offers are quite obvious P. depilata.
But i don't know who messed this up. In the end it also doesn't matter, it's too late. There are some extremely experienced breeders out there but there are very, very, VERY few persons who can ID Phoneutria sp. by pattern. Unfortunately, many of the good breeders seem to think because they succeed at breeding they also would be "experts" at species recognition.
P. boliviensis is to my personal experience indeed the most calm Phoneutria species i've seen so far. It's also the most difficult Phoneutria species that i've ever raised. Unfortunately this species seems to have gone, too, from the market in EU. In summer of 2021 i supplied an egg sac of my own breeding to a reseller in germany. The slings were 2.-3. instar and readily accepted prey. The reseller counted a tad more than 230 slings, all gone.
By now, i see P. nigriventer available here and P. depilata. Also sometimes offers of P. fera. I usually contact sellers if there aren't any pictures provided first hand. All checked offers of P. fera turned out to be P. depilata, this includes offers from quite reputable dealers and breeders.
The specimens from F-G got imported by Thomas Vinmann in 2005 and hit the market some time in 2006.
At the end of 2006 also imports from Peru got rolling, first with few specimens at the end of 2006 but with comparatively large numbers in 2007. Those imports also included P. boliviensis which was the "primary target" (wrt to Phoneutria sp.) of those imports. I know this first hand as Thomas is a friend of mine and i received the pictured slings directly from him.
I was also involved in the Peru imports back then and wrote the "target sheet" for P. boliviensis, so the scouts (the guys who went out into the Amazon to catch specimens) would know what to look out for. In early 2007 i traveled to Peru to visit the guy who was running the business there, I accompanied the guy who was running the show on the german side.
For a while there were two bloodlines around in the hobby in the EU: the ones from F-G and the ones from Peru. The latter were more common as T. Vinmann had only brought very few specimens while each Peru import (which went on for quite some time) included new wc specimens. This, additionally to successful breedings from several hobbyists at that time, including my own.
P. fera was available in the hobby for quite a long time, the last (serious) offer i saw in the EU was from the end of 2021. Since then the species seems to have vanished again. All other offers are quite obvious P. depilata.
But i don't know who messed this up. In the end it also doesn't matter, it's too late. There are some extremely experienced breeders out there but there are very, very, VERY few persons who can ID Phoneutria sp. by pattern. Unfortunately, many of the good breeders seem to think because they succeed at breeding they also would be "experts" at species recognition.
P. boliviensis is to my personal experience indeed the most calm Phoneutria species i've seen so far. It's also the most difficult Phoneutria species that i've ever raised. Unfortunately this species seems to have gone, too, from the market in EU. In summer of 2021 i supplied an egg sac of my own breeding to a reseller in germany. The slings were 2.-3. instar and readily accepted prey. The reseller counted a tad more than 230 slings, all gone.
By now, i see P. nigriventer available here and P. depilata. Also sometimes offers of P. fera. I usually contact sellers if there aren't any pictures provided first hand. All checked offers of P. fera turned out to be P. depilata, this includes offers from quite reputable dealers and breeders.
Last edited:
ForTW
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2021
- Messages
- 407
Oh i ran in a scam aswell but yeah, somehow almost all tought depilata is fera.
As far as i know leetz was in F.G. and imported some aswell besides boliviensis and keyserlingi.
One question, how can you know, those were boliviensis with the Peru Imports, which were considered boliviensis at that time, weren't acktually depilata? Just out of curiosity. Or do you?
The depilata aren't that diffrent from boliviensis, i think they are nice and good looking. Sizewise decent, do well and my big girl is still kicking it. One of the older reaching labidognaths.
Just the fact, that they don't get mislabled as boliviensis kinda proofs your point.
As far as i know leetz was in F.G. and imported some aswell besides boliviensis and keyserlingi.
One question, how can you know, those were boliviensis with the Peru Imports, which were considered boliviensis at that time, weren't acktually depilata? Just out of curiosity. Or do you?
The depilata aren't that diffrent from boliviensis, i think they are nice and good looking. Sizewise decent, do well and my big girl is still kicking it. One of the older reaching labidognaths.
Just the fact, that they don't get mislabled as boliviensis kinda proofs your point.
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
so cute lol. only 3/4 rn. i can’t wait for it to get bigger.
Taffy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 235
it’s getting bigger. it molted again!
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Messages
- 6,104
Is it a type of huntsman spider ? Those would be cool pets .. I’ve never had one . Not sure how babies are fed so tiny .
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2012
- Messages
- 2,307
It’s a wandering spider, family Ctenidae
Commonly known as "Brazilian Wandering Spider" and absolutely not a beginner species. Pretty potent venom.
If you want a fast true spider that can climb anything and be gone in the blink of an eye, just like a Wandering Spider, but without the dangerous part, try looking for a Heteropoda huntsman.
If you want something that looks kinda like this, but easier to keep contained cause it can't climb glass, look for a Dolomedes fishing spider. It isn't dangerous either.