Six eyed sand spiders

Kayota

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I'm really taken with this species (despite the obvious, perhaps overhyped risk) and I was wondering if it's possible to purchase them. I'm pretty new to arachnids so I'm not sure where to look or who the best sellers are. TIA!
 

ReignofInvertebrates

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There are definitely people out there that breed and sell them, but they are uncommon. I’d suggest posting a want to buy ad in the classifieds. It’s also worth joining Facebook groups like “Arachnids: Classifieds.” There are a lot of sellers there that for whatever reason don’t sell on here much.
 

The Snark

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Not a great idea for a starter spider. It's a pet hole without the hole 51 1/2 weeks a year and a potentially nasty bite.
 

ReignofInvertebrates

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Not a great idea for a starter spider. It's a pet hole without the hole 51 1/2 weeks a year and a potentially nasty bite.
This is important to consider too. If you don’t have experience with other fast (and potent) species this is not a great spider for you. I do think they’re a little more fun than say a trapdoor (or other pet hole). I don’t personally own any but I’ve seen feeding videos and those are pretty fun to watch.
 

Ferrachi

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I'm really taken with this species (despite the obvious, perhaps overhyped risk) and I was wondering if it's possible to purchase them. I'm pretty new to arachnids so I'm not sure where to look or who the best sellers are. TIA!
I just got mine exactly a week ago and it is fun to watch the feeding time... but they are very quick spiders with quite potent venom, so you should have some experience
 

basin79

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From years of experience with Sicarius thomisoides so long as you're aware of their venom, although they're not Hexophthalma hahni they're great, easy to keep and extremely low risk spiders.

They can't climb smooth surfaces. They're are in no way defensive. It's not like getting a Macrothele gigas where they'll web up their enclosures so they CAN reach the top of their enclosure and are extremely defensive.

Tall tub, a couple of cm of sand in the bottom and a piece of cork bark lent against a side in case they want to use it to moult. Obviously make sure the bark DOESN'T come near the top.

Once spooked they are incredibly quick. Think of them like a ground huntsman. Tongs for maintaince and obviously ZERO ideas of handling.
 

NYAN

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Not a great idea for a starter spider. It's a pet hole without the hole 51 1/2 weeks a year and a potentially nasty bite.

I have kept two species of Sicarius so far and have around 50 individual specimens. I see mine much more often than a lot of other spiders, sometimes daily. They can absolutely spend a lot of time hidden, but this is because people don’t give them anything to hide under. When given something to hide under, they often do not bury themselves. If you have a good angle you can view them from underneath their hide. Also, an interesting phenomenon that has been brought to my attention, is that sometimes certain individuals will seemingly stop hiding or burying themselves.

Additionally, the popular idea that their venom is super potent seems to be flawed. Recent research on the Sphig D concentrations for many of the South American species have shown that a lot of species are notably less potent than Loxosceles.
 
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The Snark

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@NYAN Thanks for the correction. Do you have a web addy of research of their venom potency?
I was going by an associate's friend who has one. He sees it for about 5 minutes once every couple of weeks during feeding. He posted a video. The thing is blitzing fast and also in a hurry to get back under the sand.
 

NYAN

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@NYAN Thanks for the correction. Do you have a web addy of research of their venom potency?




I was going by an associate's friend who has one. He sees it for about 5 minutes once every couple of weeks during feeding. He posted a video. The thing is blitzing fast and also in a hurry to get back under the sand.

Have him add a hide to the enclosure. He will probably notice that it spends less time hidden after a little while. This won’t mean it’ll be out in broad daylight necessarily, however it will utilize the hide without burying itself.
 

The Snark

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@NYAN I found this one just before you posted that one. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/sphingomyelin-phosphodiesterase-d It's more generic spider oriented but definitely not casual bed time reading. I haven't gone far enough in bio science to grasp more than the rudiments. And on that rudimentary level, it's fascinating that such a complex enzyme has evolved in spider venom. Mom nature, our lady of infinite probability/improbability.

I need to get in touch with that person again. I doubt he would be inclined to alter that habitat as he had that specimen for over 4 years.
 

basin79

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I have kept two species of Sicarius so far and have around 50 individual specimens. I see mine much more often than a lot of other spiders, sometimes daily. They can absolutely spend a lot of time hidden, but this is because people don’t give them anything to hide under. When given something to hide under, they often do not bury themselves. If you have a good angle you can view them from underneath their hide. Also, an interesting phenomenon that has been brought to my attention, is that sometimes certain individuals will seemingly stop hiding or burying themselves.

Additionally, the popular idea that their venom is super potent seems to be flawed. Recent research on the Sphig D concentrations for many of the South American species have shown that a lot of species are notably less potent than Loxosceles.
Yep. Whilst a bite would surely be unpleasant off a south American 6 eyed it's the African 6 eyed that would be an immediate cause for concern.

Although of course you never truly know now an individuals body will react to any venom.

Regarding seeing the little rascals I see mine on top of the sand pretty much every night.
 

Ratmosphere

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While fast on sand, it is great that this spider cannot climb glass. You really have no business trying to handle this species so watching from a far is fun. Depending on what species you have experience with you could potentially keep one without issues IMHO.
 

The Snark

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Q: Going by those white papers, could you explain in a nutshell how the sicarid venom causes Loxoscelism?
A: "In the most simplistic of terms a series of events must occur in the presence of several chemical compounds in order to trigger the condition of loxoscelism. In the classical sense, the condition shouldn't even be classified as an effect of a venom as there is no direct cause and effect."
 

basin79

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Posted more pics on my thread but figured with this being about 6 eyed sand spiders I'd post this 1 here too.

You can see the fluids from the cricket's mouth have washed away the dust and sand particles from my adult female Sicarius thomisoides, showing her true colour. Sand spiders have hairs that trap the dust and sand to give them better camouflage.

E4F93F66-9C22-43C3-A8C2-FD34669A5E11.jpeg
 

Ferrachi

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Posted more pics on my thread but figured with this being about 6 eyed sand spiders I'd post this 1 here too.

You can see the fluids from the cricket's mouth have washed away the dust and sand particles from my adult female Sicarius thomisoides, showing her true colour. Sand spiders have hairs that trap the dust and sand to give them better camouflage.

View attachment 351820
This photo is insane ! Look at the detail... :astonished:
 
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