Runaway Mystery Tarantula in my House - No Idea! (pic)

[Marijan2]

I don't think I can keep it alive. It has some small tears in a few places on the underside, I think it was up high perhaps the ceiling and took a fall. It's barely hanging on

Well, for starters give it some water and if it shows signs of liveliness, give it some pre-killed prey. I went up and read some taxonomical data for Ephebopus genus, and it matches perfectly with all signs i could gather from these 2 pictures, that's best lead for right now. but unless it survives and recovers, we won't know for sure

 

[Haksilence]

thats amazing, just goes to show how resilient these animals are! i had a shipment of obt slings from a breeding project a month or so ago (2nd instars) and i know at least 1 escaped though it beats me how (i use sauce cups for slings and use a hot paper clip to make vent holes since my soldering iron is too thick) so i doubt it slipped through a vent hole, but a week or so after i checked the enclosures and did some watering/feeding there was definitely NOT a spider in this cup.

hopefully i dont find a full grown OBT in my living room in a few years :x

 

[truecreature]

What a weird situation. Maybe the tarantula fairy messed up and waved her magic wand over the wrong house?

Either way, I hope the poor thing somehow manages to pull through but yeah it doesn't look too good

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

My first though was Ephebopus uatuman as well. Since it is on its way out, you can check the inside face of the papal femur for an urticating hair patch. If present, you know for sure it is an Ephebopus species.

 

[ErinM31]

How is the tarantula doing?

 

[chanda]

thats amazing, just goes to show how resilient these animals are! i had a shipment of obt slings from a breeding project a month or so ago (2nd instars) and i know at least 1 escaped though it beats me how (i use sauce cups for slings and use a hot paper clip to make vent holes since my soldering iron is too thick) so i doubt it slipped through a vent hole, but a week or so after i checked the enclosures and did some watering/feeding there was definitely NOT a spider in this cup.

hopefully i dont find a full grown OBT in my living room in a few years :x

It could happen! The guy I purchased my B. smithi from told me he's got a colony of escaped OBTs living in his yard (underneath the ivy). Apparently he bred them, then had multiple slings escape. (This is in So Cal where we have nice warm temperatures most of the year. Of course, it's possible that he was just joking - but I wouldn't rule it out! After all, if Donald Trump can get elected president, anything is possible!)

 

[chanda]

What a weird situation. Maybe the tarantula fairy messed up and waved her magic wand over the wrong house?

Either way, I hope the poor thing somehow manages to pull through but yeah it doesn't look too good

Wait... there's a tarantula fairy?!?!? How do I get on her list???

 

[Bugmom]

It could happen! The guy I purchased my B. smithi from told me he's got a colony of escaped OBTs living in his yard (underneath the ivy). Apparently he bred them, then had multiple slings escape. (This is in So Cal where we have nice warm temperatures most of the year. Of course, it's possible that he was just joking - but I wouldn't rule it out! After all, if Donald Trump can get elected president, anything is possible!)

Someone needs to direct US fish & game to that guy's house. Allowing a colony of OBTs to live in your yard is beyond irresponsible.

 

[chanda]

Someone needs to direct US fish & game to that guy's house. Allowing a colony of OBTs to live in your yard is beyond irresponsible.

Agreed, but I don't know where he lives or even his name. The B. smithi was a Craigslist purchase and we met at a gas station.

 

[ErinM31]

It could happen! The guy I purchased my B. smithi from told me he's got a colony of escaped OBTs living in his yard (underneath the ivy). Apparently he bred them, then had multiple slings escape. (This is in So Cal where we have nice warm temperatures most of the year. Of course, it's possible that he was just joking - but I wouldn't rule it out! After all, if Donald Trump can get elected president, anything is possible!)

I HOPE he was joking as that would be SO irresponsible and likely to result in limiting imports or outright banning species.

Ugh, yes, an OBT was elected president.

 

[chanda]

Ugh, yes, an OBT was elected president.

Orange Blustering Thing?