Poecilotheria/Trees and Eating Vertebrates

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Dec 8, 2006
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I'm posting this information from a biologist I know who has observed and studied Poecilotheria in their native habitat.

Many of us have rarely seen a tarantula in the wild, let alone a member of this beautiful and likely endangered genus. The few pictures I've seen of this genus in their native habitat do not actually give the accurate story behind what occurs when they are wild caught and shipped off for whatever reason/s.

I thought people should know the history behind WC members of this genus.

Also, notice their prey includes lizards.

"Poecilotheria spp. of all life stages live deep inside natural tree cavities of living trees as they harbor prey items like lizards, beetles and lepidotera larvae. The spiders emerge at sit near the entrance at night. Images you've seen of specimens on trees were made by stealthy approach and using a flash. You can occasionally find Poecilotheria, like other arboreal theraphosids, living on man-made structures (with crevices) near the forests.

Dead trees do not attract a lot of prey items on a long-term basis nor last long as they are the first trees targeted for firewood. The living trees that harbor Poecilotheria are large palm trees with holes made by a type of weevil, or large leafy shade trees, like Banyan, Teak, etc., and generally over one foot in diameter and larger.
https://waglestreetjournal.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/banyan-tree-of-pondicherry-india-6.jpg
When startled, the spider goes deep into the living tree cavity and it has to be chopped out ... needless to say, the tree is either cut down or left with large gaping holes in it that may kill the tree in order to extract the single spider."
 

KezyGLA

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3,013
Savage truths. Us humans are destructive in many ways.

Deforistation, urbanization and development wiping out wildlife.

Collectors in the wild destroying trees for collect one specimen.

Great job
 

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
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Messages
281
Great info @viper69

Savage truths. Us humans are destructive in many ways.

Deforistation, urbanization and development wiping out wildlife.

Collectors in the wild destroying trees for collect one specimen.

Great job
Meh, ppl tend to get all worked up about that stuff but my guess is, 99% of the folks speaking out aginst such things have no issue going home to their house made of wood from chopped down trees, wearing their leather shoes made from animal skin, and using their "products" or taking their medicine (all of which go through animal testing before human testing lol and ritefully so)
 
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KezyGLA

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Meh, ppl tend to get all worked up about that stuff but my guess is, 99% of the folks speaking out aginst such things have no issue going home to their house made of wood from chopped down trees, wearing their leather shoes made from animal skin, and using their "products" or taking their medicine (all of which go through animal testing before human testing lol and ritefully so)
There is always a solution to control these things(to a certain extent) but unfortunately when it comes to money and the people in power... The problem, nor the solution exists.
 

Abyss

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281
There is always a solution to control these things(to a certain extent) but unfortunately when it comes to money and the people in power... The problem, nor the solution exists.
Still say "meh" lol
Its mosty just hype an such for political reasons (look at Al Gores global warming hysteria lmao).
Deforestation an the like are not what they once were. Before we knew better it was bad but now there are new trees/forests being planted to replace whats taken. And with the population of the world being what it is, its needed weather ppl like to admit it or not. And besides, if having lumber to provide a safe/comfortable home for my family knocks out some live animals, insects, plants, etc i will take that trade all day everyday.
Human life far out values any non-human life and for me, my family outweighs it no matter what the friendly (or non-friendly) debate

Agree to disagree so we dont further hijack what would have beena sweet thread lol
Sorry @viper69
 
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viper69

ArachnoGod
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Agree to disagree so we dont further hijack what would have beena sweet thread lol
Sorry @viper69
Understood. If you think global climate change is hysteria you are not in possession of scientific facts. Every country that has a national scientific body all agree there is global climate change. The data is staggering. In fact it's such an issue that our own Dept. of Defense lists global warming in the top 10 threats to the USA's national security.

Anyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts. :D

There's a phrase in science "the data is the data, it's one's interpretation that may be different"

As for deforestation rates being lower, here's a recent set of facts from the Brazilian government. I'll save you a click, it's up 29% from last year. The increased rate is not limited to only Brazil.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...azon-up-29-percent-from-last-year-study-finds

I'm done hijacking my own thread. The rest belongs in the watering hole.
 
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Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Understood. If you think global climate change is hysteria you are not in possession of scientific facts. Every country that has a national scientific body all agree there is global climate change. The data is staggering.

Anyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts. :D

There's a phrase in science "the data is the data, it's one's interpretation that may be different"

As for deforestation rates being lower, here's a recent set of facts from the Brazilian government. I'll save you a click, it's up 29% from last year. The increased rate is not limited to only Brazil.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...azon-up-29-percent-from-last-year-study-finds

I'm done hijacking my own thread. The rest belongs in the watering hole.
Hahahahaha "hijacking your own thread".
Climate change happens and is part of the natural course of things and been happening since the earths birth.
I only meant the actual hysteria and used global warming as an example of hysteria. Theres hysteria surrounding MANY other things too lol
Also i refer you too a hilarious show called Penn & Tellers bullshit. Its hysterical by nature but they actually look at "topics" and cut the propaganda and BS and expose the sheer stupidity of ppl surrounding random "topics".
Agree or not its worth the watch. Was an HBO show i think
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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I've hijacked my own thread before when someone has clearly diverted away from the original info provided, not the first, won't be the last.

I submit you read about climate change and you will see the data doesn't support what is occurring as "natural". Back to Ts.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
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Messages
3,292
By any chance, has that quote been published? I'd like to read more on this, it's quite interesting. Studying terrestrials is wildly easier, finding good data on arboreals (especially ones as rare as this) is difficult.
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
Still say "meh" lol
Its mosty just hype an such for political reasons (look at Al Gores global warming hysteria lmao).
Deforestation an the like are not what they once were. Before we knew better it was bad but now there are new trees/forests being planted to replace whats taken. And with the population of the world being what it is, its needed weather ppl like to admit it or not. And besides, if having lumber to provide a safe/comfortable home for my family knocks out some live animals, insects, plants, etc i will take that trade all day everyday.
Human life far out values any non-human life and for me, my family outweighs it no matter what the friendly (or non-friendly) debate
Don't let little things called "facts" get in your way. Deforestation for example. While a few companies (like Weyerhauser) manage their lands, the majority of companies and there are a ton of them that buy tracts and strip it, never replanting it. I see it in the PNW all the time. Most US timber comes from up here. They also do things like leave 50 yards of trees near the road up and strip the land behind it. It's much worse in places like Brazil, where the forests are still coming down at an alarming rate. They do it for multiple reasons, like harvesting timber and land for cattle. These trees are a major source of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

I'm good with managed forests. New trees convert CO2 to O2 better than old trees. It provides good jobs and a good carbon footprint. It's just not being done as you suggest it is.
 

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Don't let little things called "facts" get in your way. Deforestation for example. While a few companies (like Weyerhauser) manage their lands, the majority of companies and there are a ton of them that buy tracts and strip it, never replanting it. I see it in the PNW all the time. Most US timber comes from up here. They also do things like leave 50 yards of trees near the road up and strip the land behind it. It's much worse in places like Brazil, where the forests are still coming down at an alarming rate. They do it for multiple reasons, like harvesting timber and land for cattle. These trees are a major source of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

I'm good with managed forests. New trees convert CO2 to O2 better than old trees. It provides good jobs and a good carbon footprint. It's just not being done as you suggest it is.
Glad i now know we get oxygen from trees lmao (Just teasin ya) and i never said ALL companys do it rite.
Again, i was poking fun @ HYSTERIA (specifically the hypocrits who cry about such things yet continue to use the products it produces) lol not deforestation itself smh
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Messages
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People Hijacking my thread again eeesh. I'm going to get the mod to delete all these posts.

Glad i now know we get oxygen from trees lmao (Just teasin ya) and i never said ALL companys do it rite.
Again, i was poking fun @ HYSTERIA (specifically the hypocrits who cry about such things yet continue to use the products it produces) lol not deforestation itself smh
Now I see what you are saying. You raise a valid point. I think the difficult part is striking the right balance between using the environment and destroying it. There are some things where a logical middle ground can be found, and other things where a good middle ground cannot be reached in the current political climate.

And to be fair, there are always unintended consequences of good actions. Take wind power, those wind mills are a great idea, studies have been showing they are disrupting and killing birds, among other environmental no-no's. That might be one of those things that is a middle ground.

As opposed to people who are developing wind farms off the coasts (smart!) yet you have wealthy people, some who are environmentalists, and some who aren't like Donald J. Dump, who complain it ruins the view. TOO BAD.

No more Hijacking my thread guys, or my own today.
 
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Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Now I see what you are saying. You raise a valid point. I think the difficult part is striking the right balance between using the environment and destroying it. There are some things where a logical middle ground can be found, and other things where a good middle ground cannot be reached in the current political climate.

And to be fair, there are always unintended consequences of good actions. Take wind power, those wind mills are a great idea, studies have been showing they are disrupting and killing birds, among other environmental no-no's. That might be one of those things that is a middle ground.

As opposed to people who are developing wind farms off the coasts (smart!) yet you have wealthy people, some who are environmentalists, and some who aren't like Donald J. Dump, who complain it ruins the view. TOO BAD.

No more Hijacking my thread guys, or my own today.
Lol agreed
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
I HATE people who cut you off on the road and then slow down.


Wait...what was this thread about again?
 

IsraelMS

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
33
Hahahahaha "hijacking your own thread".
Climate change happens and is part of the natural course of things and been happening since the earths birth.
Climate change is one thing that occurs in terms of geologic time, global climate shifts have occurred many times during Earth history. However, this global warming that we can measure as it occurs is a radically different thing, and has anthropic origins without any doubt. Is this bad? Good? We could have a long discussion on this.
Another thing that I cannot avoid to write, because all that I see and read here in my country and all over the world, almost always from the same 'political-sociologic side'. I am a scientist. And as such I tell you: opinion does not equal knowledge, although many people pretend just that equivalence.

Live long and prosper...
 

ErinM31

Arachnogoddess
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
1,217
I'm posting this information from a biologist I know who has observed and studied Poecilotheria in their native habitat.

Many of us have rarely seen a tarantula in the wild, let alone a member of this beautiful and likely endangered genus. The few pictures I've seen of this genus in their native habitat do not actually give the accurate story behind what occurs when they are wild caught and shipped off for whatever reason/s.

I thought people should know the history behind WC members of this genus.

Also, notice their prey includes lizards.

"Poecilotheria spp. of all life stages live deep inside natural tree cavities of living trees as they harbor prey items like lizards, beetles and lepidotera larvae. The spiders emerge at sit near the entrance at night. Images you've seen of specimens on trees were made by stealthy approach and using a flash. You can occasionally find Poecilotheria, like other arboreal theraphosids, living on man-made structures (with crevices) near the forests.

Dead trees do not attract a lot of prey items on a long-term basis nor last long as they are the first trees targeted for firewood. The living trees that harbor Poecilotheria are large palm trees with holes made by a type of weevil, or large leafy shade trees, like Banyan, Teak, etc., and generally over one foot in diameter and larger.
https://waglestreetjournal.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/banyan-tree-of-pondicherry-india-6.jpg
When startled, the spider goes deep into the living tree cavity and it has to be chopped out ... needless to say, the tree is either cut down or left with large gaping holes in it that may kill the tree in order to extract the single spider."
Thank you for sharing this, @viper69! I know it was a while ago, but I may have overlooked it at the time as I then had the notion I was only going to keep NW T’s. :rolleyes:

I won’t comment on what already has been, but rather was wondering about including additional prey items for my pokies. Right now I feed all my T’s crickets, a few roach species and occasionally mealworms (those only pre-killed or if I can be sure the T grabs it right away). I was surprised to see beetles mentioned as a good item as I thought spiders generally didn’t care for them. Are there any beetles that people successfully feed their pokies or other T’s? Might Lepidoptera larvae such as hornworms be good supplements for pokies and other arboreal T’s?
 

LittleGiRLy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
162
Very informative. Regardless of where you stand it is always good to know where things come from, and how they are aquired. Thank you for sharing! We don't really think about what goes on behind the scenes, and this was truly educative. It must be amazing being able to see and study them in their native habitat. I'm sure there are other behaviors that are still unknown to us!
 
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