User Storm76's picture thread

[Storm76]

A. minatrix

...and a few more (check out the other Avic pics last post on the last page, 36!):

"Aurora", Avicularia minatrix, 2.75" adult female - another one being cranky: First time I tried to reposition her she whirled around and bit instantly. I assume she's in premolt...


"Aurora", Avicularia minatrix, 2.75" adult female - After this one today, I'm actually glad I didn't try prod her with my finger hehe (not that it would've done much...)


"Medeia", Acanthoscurria geniculata, ~6" female - clear shot of her carapace and eyehill


Unnamed, Avicularia diversipes, ~2" - for comparison a pic taken without flash, the colors become pretty much indistinguishable that way.

 

[papilio]

Haha! I have a bunch of very old versicolor photos almost exactly like that one!! See my newest post.

It's a great pose and shows off the spider very nicely!

 

[Balvala]

As for your mentioning of A. avicularia - as far as I'm aware the correct ones hardly ever grow bigger than 4-4.5" overall. Any bigger ones are most likely different species of the genus - at least that was my impression after researching quite some.

The size issue is definitely something else that I had considered as well. The origin of that species is quite strange in how the color had developed as it became older. John (catfishrod69) received it from a friend of ours whom he in turn gifted to me due to the fact that he didn't know what it exactly was either (as can be seen in his photo thread.) So, after doing a little more research, I'm almost inclined to lean more toward the A. Braunshauseni due to its larger size and coloration. It was originally received as an A. Laeta due to it being quite brownish in coloration two or three molts prior, but that's definitely not a suitable label for it as of now. I'll have to post better photos than the ones currently in my photo thread to better determine the species after all, because I'm worried that she's mature and reached her maximum size at this point... which will then leave me guessing until the end if no better opinions are presented in the near future.

Anyway, those photos of your lovely specimens just make me feel the need to purchase an A. Diversipes and A. Minatrix even sooner. Thank you for the phenomenal eye candy.

 

[Storm76]

Haha! I have a bunch of very old versicolor photos almost exactly like that one!! See my newest post.

It's a great pose and shows off the spider very nicely!

Absolutely, Michael! I checked out your pics and you're right It's one of the best poses to get some good shots of an arboreal!

The size issue is definitely something else that I had considered as well. The origin of that species is quite strange in how the color had developed as it became older. John (catfishrod69) received it from a friend of ours whom he in turn gifted to me due to the fact that he didn't know what it exactly was either (as can be seen in his photo thread.) So, after doing a little more research, I'm almost inclined to lean more toward the A. Braunshauseni due to its larger size and coloration. It was originally received as an A. Laeta due to it being quite brownish in coloration two or three molts prior, but that's definitely not a suitable label for it as of now. I'll have to post better photos than the ones currently in my photo thread to better determine the species after all, because I'm worried that she's mature and reached her maximum size at this point... which will then leave me guessing until the end if no better opinions are presented in the near future.

Anyway, those photos of your lovely specimens just make me feel the need to purchase an A. Diversipes and A. Minatrix even sooner. Thank you for the phenomenal eye candy.

Avics were and will be a "problem genera" (most messed up genera anyways!) until the revision is finished and even then I'm pretty sure that there's quite a bunch of Avics around that are (accidentally because of not being sure / unknowing) hybrids around - it's just as it is. Hence why I don't acquire a male yet for that girl - I'd like to be -sure- about it as much as I can be and before that, I'm not gonna try breeding her (though I'd love to - she's been tapping before so I know she's ready).


Some vids...

"Sylva", A. versicolor ~3.5", male - Sometimes these are -not- so nice like most people say (this wasn't a feeding response as he denies food)
[YOUTUBE]kj10wHUJGt4[/YOUTUBE]

Video showing the 2nd P. irminia female, "Firali", ~5" after the molt on May 18th, 2013
[YOUTUBE]c67P-9JWcAA[/YOUTUBE]

And a couple feedings from -fast- species
[YOUTUBE]Fql6mM75DV4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Storm76]

A few updates...

Since my P. subfusca "lowland" molted recently and left the molt intact this time (!) I went to confirm my suspicion of that one being a male and sure enough - I was right .


Here's another try at a carapace shot...even with using paper as a diffuser it didn't turn out too well. Still need more practice with this, but I'm assuming my cam just can't do any better really.


"Timea", Avicularia avicularia, ~4" female - this is the one that had the wet-molt and had her legs messed up - she still looks somewhat ruffled


"Timea", Avicularia avicularia, ~4" female - the leg-pairs I+II's toes are nearly bent 90° backwards when she walks (the Avic walk) and that's not normal, hope she fixes it with her next molt.


Unnamed, Avicularia amazonica (Manaus) - in premolt obviously

 

[papilio]

Like the carapace shot Jan! Beautiful A. amazonica!!

 

[Formerphobe]

Medeia is drop dead gorgeous!!! And I love the pic of the A. diversipes! So many colors and patterns going on there.

 

[Storm76]

P. pulcher molt - mature male

Like the carapace shot Jan! Beautiful A. amazonica!!

It's the one from my subfusca - really need more practice with that. I was thinking, I'm gonna try a different surface to place the carapace on before trying to take a pic. That thing it's on is reflecting too much and in the process it becomes overly bright. The couple amazonicas I have are seemingly male / female btw, Michael

Medeia is drop dead gorgeous!!! And I love the pic of the A. diversipes! So many colors and patterns going on there.

Thanks, Joyce! She's a tank, really. And back to her own self, hair-flicking is only second line of defense. The first is still threatpose, then bite... Check the A. diversipes pics on the last page, last post on it. With flash they look so shiny even!


So, my P. pulcher molted last night and I was suspecting this one to be a male. While I was sitting there soaking the molt, the T came a little more to the front of the enclosure and I thought I can just take a look at it there - sure enough: Mature male! Somehow, at least with sexing my own T's, I've been right every single time, but once


Some pics...obviously "Flavia" is now "Flavio"

"Flavio", Psalmopoeus pulcher, ~5", mature male - you can see a bulbous pedipalp somewhat on this pic


"Flavio", Psalmopoeus pulcher, ~5", mature male - feet and coloration


"Flavio", Psalmopoeus pulcher, ~5", mature male - not too happy I took pictures of him, but he was still well-behaved.


"Flavio", Psalmopoeus pulcher, ~5", mature male - I'm gonna send him off to a breeder friend of mine to do his deed

 

[Formerphobe]

Check the A. diversipes pics on the last page, last post on it. With flash they look so shiny even![/QUOTE
Wow! Really fantastic colors!

Somehow, at least with sexing my own T's, I've been right every single time, but once

I've missed on two of mine. :-( Not sure I'm up to raising more unsexed slings just to get female N. chromatus and A. genic. Darn their prominent male accessory organs anyhow! LOL

 

[Storm76]

Tapinauchineus violaceus molted ;-)

Check the A. diversipes pics on the last page, last post on it. With flash they look so shiny even!

Wow! Really fantastic colors!

I've missed on two of mine. :-( Not sure I'm up to raising more unsexed slings just to get female N. chromatus and A. genic. Darn their prominent male accessory organs anyhow! LOL

Thought you might like those . There's still the bet running on my 4 Euathlus sp. "red" and the 2 C. fimbriatus...for the Euathlus I'm assuming 2/2 m/f and the fimbriatus 1/1 m/f - although with the latter I'm getting the distinct feeling it's more like 0.2.0 and the second one is a female, too. But we'll see



Just found a new molt! From a -stunning- looking T I think these shots turned out very well actually...(these were not color-manipulated at all - simply taken with flash and self-made diffuser)


"Saranyu", Tapinauchineus violaceus, ~4.25" female - she absolutely despises light and it's hard to get really any pictures of her...


"Saranyu", Tapinauchineus violaceus, ~4.25" female - full body shot, leaves me speechless that coloration, honestly!



Video update on them:
[YOUTUBE]x2Pow0cPpPU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Arachtion]

Some nice Avics you got, I'm after an urticans but all I can find are slings

 

[Storm76]

Heterothele villosella update

Some nice Avics you got, I'm after an urticans but all I can find are slings

And that's bad how exactly? Easy to raise and cute spiderlings.


So, here's a pic of the H. villosella that had the bad molt and came out of it with messed up legs. In her case, her toes are bend awkwardly and she has some trouble walking and climbing. Luckily for her, her webbing helps her immensely, though.

"Takhisis", Heterothele villosella, 2.25-2.5" female


"Takhisis", Heterothele villosella, 2.25-2.5" female - carapace shot

 

[Formerphobe]

Saranyu is a beauty! What is the origin of her name? (I may have to borrow it.LOL)

 

[Storm76]

Saranyu is a beauty! What is the origin of her name? (I may have to borrow it.LOL)

She looks stunning, but is totally secretive, too! The name is a Hindu myth name of the wife of Surya, a goddess of clouds and dawn. I figured clouds = sky = coloration of her = fitting

I'm still using http://www.20000-names.com/ to get names for my T's. I usually pick them depending on their behavior / coloration or the like

 

[Balvala]

I usually pick them depending on their behavior / coloration or the like

I know exactly how you feel... I'm so particular with choosing a fitting name that I research the mythology of originating tribes or belief-system shifts throughout the exact region the tarantula's locale resides within. It's on of the reasons why I almost don't want to get another Haplopelma due to the fact that it was incredibly difficult to dissect originating myths through the various versions of Buddhism, Caodaism, etc... in Vietnam to come up with just two fitting, female names for the H. VonWirthi ladies I own. I would become too bothered by them not having some extra, affirmed identity to each just for me to feel complete with labeling.

Anyway, I too absolutely love the Tapinauchenius spp., so Saranyu is especially gorgeous to me along with Takhisis's rather awkward, yet alluring, stance. Very nicely done.

 

[Storm76]

Anyway, I too absolutely love the Tapinauchenius spp., so Saranyu is especially gorgeous to me along with Takhisis's rather awkward, yet alluring, stance. Very nicely done.

Thanks, they're both very beautiful. Especially the violaceus - such a great coloration and look - kinda leathery actually on the abdomen, very interesting!


Here's a little update vid in which you'll find some footage of "Nila", the A. azuraklaasi / braunshauseni.
[YOUTUBE]6DYxsvBZgLA[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Balvala]

This is really troubling for me. Just so you have a little something more to compare with, here's a photo gallery of an A. Azuraklaasi developing coloration from a spiderling to adulthood: http://gallery.tarantulas.us/gallery/v/tarantulas/Avicularia-azuraklaasi/

Hopefully that compares more so than any A. Braunshauseni photo that's reputable. After observing all of the photos that I've been able to view, the spiderlings heading into juvenile stages (in regards to A. Azuraklaasi) tend maintain a rather deep red along the ribbed design in their abdomen whilst A. Braunshauseni display a lighter hue of red/orange. Now, one thing that I have noticed with A. Braunshauseni is that the posterior, last set of legs tend to be a little longer with a rather bushy patch of that rusty-red hair around the metatarsus. The body also doesn't display as MUCH blue as the A. Azuraklaasi (i.e. "Powder Blue Pinktoe".) If you have raised her from a sling and she compares almost exactly with those photos in that photo gallery (assuming that I haven't just sent you something of a completely opposite nature,) then I would stick with your initial label.

Also, if you could get a decent picture of her carapace, I've started to notice that an A. Braunshauseni will have a little more setae surrounding the cephalothorax at that size. Otherwise, she's absolutely beautiful no matter what species she is.

 

[Storm76]

That's pretty much her development from the looks, yes. Those pics are really close to what she looked like as sling (if you go back in my thread, you'll find more pics of her as small T) as I got her as a 2-2.5" sexed female. As I mentioned in the vid, the breeder I got her from is very well respected and he swears this is an A. azuraklaasi - but he got it from a befriended breeder and it was the last one he had. Luckily I was able to acquire it before a buddy of mine could do so

She's simply beautiful nevertheless. Personally, I'm still pretty sure it's an A. azuraklaasi as these grow up to ~6", too. They are one of the bigger Avics, too, after all. For some reason though, certain T's are apparently completely differently looked at USA / Europe. Kinda surprised by that, really. Best example is A. geroldi - those you get over here almost look like A. metallica exept that their satae is not whitish but very blueish tinted.

 

[josh_r]

Thought you might like those . There's still the bet running on my 4 Euathlus sp. "red" and the 2 C. fimbriatus...for the Euathlus I'm assuming 2/2 m/f and the fimbriatus 1/1 m/f - although with the latter I'm getting the distinct feeling it's more like 0.2.0 and the second one is a female, too. But we'll see



Just found a new molt! From a -stunning- looking T I think these shots turned out very well actually...(these were not color-manipulated at all - simply taken with flash and self-made diffuser)


"Saranyu", Tapinauchineus violaceus, ~4.25" female - she absolutely despises light and it's hard to get really any pictures of her...
View attachment 117635

"Saranyu", Tapinauchineus violaceus, ~4.25" female - full body shot, leaves me speechless that coloration, honestly!
View attachment 117636


Video update on them:
[YOUTUBE]x2Pow0cPpPU[/YOUTUBE]

I've never been a big fan of taps, but this is a nice looking spider.

 

[Storm76]

"Kamala", Brachypelma auratum - freshly molted

I've never been a big fan of taps, but this is a nice looking spider.

She's looking incredible. And I'm not that much of a Tappie fan myself, but these as well as a couple other species of the genus are looking really nice!


Couldn't really sleep with all the crap I've to deal with in RL currently, so I was checking on my T's and what did I find?

"Kamala", Brachypelma auratum, 5"+ female - freshly molted June 7th, 2013


"Kamala", Brachypelma auratum, 5"+ female - freshly molted June 7th, 2013


"Kamala", Brachypelma auratum, 5"+ female - freshly molted June 7th, 2013


"Nila", Avicularia azuraklaasi, ~5" female - here's a better pic of her chilling on the door of the enclosure


"Nila", Avicularia azuraklaasi, ~5" female - here's a better pic of her chilling - slightly different angle / lighting