The Lava Life -- a G. pulchra diary

[ladyratri]

Wasn’t Lava the “bobbing for crickets” spider?

Ok but that was like, when she was practically a toddler!

(Yes, yes she was. Last November.

Good memory!)

 

[Isaax Critterz]

I'm surprised it took down something that bug. Slings are very interesting spiders

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Good memory!)

I remember you saying my versi could learn from her after my versi built the web tunnel directly into her water dish.

I'm seeing a water loving theme with your dear lady.

 

[ladyratri]

I'm seeing a water loving theme with your dear lady.

Are you sure though?






.....
I see a lot of Waterdish Scandal in my future once she settles in enough to dig. (It took her like 2 months in the deli cup.)

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Lol, so it's a love affair with her waterdish..water, dirt or bare!

 

[ladyratri]

I'm surprised it took down something that bug. Slings are very interesting spiders

I'm mostly at the mercy of whatever size crickets are in the feeder bins at my local big box pet store, where my choices are "large crickets" and "small crickets". Sometimes "small" means quarter inch, and sometimes it means half inch+.

My Avic sling in particular has generally been quite happy to take down a cricket almost as big as himself.

Tarantulas Feeding/Eating!

0.1 Ceratogyrus darlingi, first meal post molt:

arachnoboards.com

 

[ladyratri]

Speaking of crickets...I finally made it to the big box pet store for more crickets. Lava was not excited. At all.

Yesterday she was doing the super-flat thing. I assume this is the maximal vibration sensing pose?


Regardless, I have been judged.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

So velvety!

 

[ladyratri]

Lava would like me to know how ridiculous I looked yesterday trying to get a halfway decent photo of her freshly molted neighbor. I was trying different angles and distances to minimize glare off the acrylic and webbing etc when I bumped her enclosure a little. I turned and there she was in full judgement mode:

I think that's her "well at least I know THAT ONE won't be hogging all the crickets for like a week" face.

Not that she hadn't just been fed the night before.

And still guarding the freshly-filled water dish too.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

My genic, too, seems to be having a love affair with his water dish, lol.

I just got a circular polarizing filter for the glare..unfortunately, I'm still trying to work out how to use the lens and the filter at the same time.

 

[ladyratri]

My genic, too, seems to be having a love affair with his water dish, lol.

I just got a circular polarizing filter for the glare..unfortunately, I'm still trying to work out how to use the lens and the filter at the same time.

I decided to start with the incredibly high-tech approach of... rotating Spunk's enclosure 90 degrees so the main web tunnel is in front instead of on the side

So far so good.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I decided to start with the incredibly high-tech approach of... rotating Spunk's enclosure 90 degrees so the main web tunnel is in front instead of on the side

So far so good.

I still do this, too, but found reflections bouncing off walls, my shirt (if it wasn't black), etc just got too frustrating. I am ever my T's disciple in learning patience!

 

[ladyratri]

Poised and ready for a serious throwdown with her water dish. Or maybe whoever tries to touch it...




She sat like that the whole time I was cleaning and filling Spunk and T's water dishes, and watering Irma.

 

[Cmac2111]

Poised and ready for a serious throwdown with her water dish. Or maybe whoever tries to touch it...
View attachment 442962
View attachment 442963
View attachment 442964

She sat like that the whole time I was cleaning and filling Spunk and T's water dishes, and watering Irma.

'Go ahead, make my day'

 

[Charliemum]

Poised and ready for a serious throwdown with her water dish. Or maybe whoever tries to touch it...
View attachment 442962
View attachment 442963
View attachment 442964

She sat like that the whole time I was cleaning and filling Spunk and T's water dishes, and watering Irma.

Both my pulchra The morg and Griselda sit like that , makes me wonder why they do it

 

[ladyratri]

Both my pulchra The morg and Griselda sit like that , makes me wonder why they do it

There was another thread where someone said the "tall" behavior/postures are about temperature regulation.

Tarantula Lift Kits

Show off your tallest tarantulas.

arachnoboards.com

There are actually a few references from a few different folks if you search the forums for "stilting".

Lava likes to alternate between that and the "shut up, I'm listening" as-flat-as-possible pose.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

If you go back and forth between those two pictures quickly, she looks like a cat playing, lol.

 

[Pedipalpable]

Poised and ready for a serious throwdown with her water dish. Or maybe whoever tries to touch it...
View attachment 442962
View attachment 442963
View attachment 442964

She sat like that the whole time I was cleaning and filling Spunk and T's water dishes, and watering Irma.

I swear, if Lava were a scorpion she would have her pinchers extended and tail coiled, ready to strike.

On a side, am I understanding correctly in that you named one of your Ts T? Is that intended to be meta or does it stand for something else, like Lava stands for Lava, The floor is? I like that name by way. Very clever, not to mention fitting.

 

[ladyratri]

On a side, am I understanding correctly in that you named one of your Ts T?

It's short for "Baby T", my Avicularia purpurea, which was the first tarantula I got. It was a 3/4" sling when it arrived and of course we didn't know the sex, so we gave it a very generic name. It's close on 2.5" now with the last molt and getting some of the adult coloration, so hardly a baby anymore... The running joke for a while in my house has been that if it turns out to be male, we'll just have to upgrade it to "Mr. T" instead which from the last molt, it looks likely it is.

But yeah, saying "Baby T" every time was too many syllables, so we call it "T" for short. Yes, I'm that lazy.

I swear, if Lava were a scorpion she would have her pinchers extended and tail coiled, ready to strike.

1000% probably the closest she'll ever get to a threat pose.

 

[ladyratri]

Lava: "Just one for lunch please. Yes, could I have my usual table?"



Sweetie you uh, you dropped a bit there...