The Lava Life -- a G. pulchra diary

[ladyratri]

The 1am sneak maneuver

• ladyratri
• Mar 30, 2025
• 1
• female grammostola grammostola pulchra juvenile juvi pulchra

Of course, I startled her by trying to get a better angle for a photo...

 

[LucN]

Great shot ! I'm actually surprised that you've mentioned that she might be pushing 3" and still hasn't gained the glossy black they're known for. Maybe next molt we'll see a real change ?

 

[ladyratri]

Great shot ! I'm actually surprised that you've mentioned that she might be pushing 3" and still hasn't gained the glossy black they're known for. Maybe next molt we'll see a real change ?

I was also surprised, actually. And I think the 3" is probably overly generous -- 2.5" is probably a better estimate, but I haven't held up a ruler to her burrow lately to get a better reference. I was definitely expecting her carapace to be darker this molt though.

 

[ladyratri]

Finally spotted her sitting out before I startled her back into the burrow by stomping into the spider corner too loudly! Huzzah.

G. pulchra "Lava" seen flirting with her new water dish

• ladyratri
• Yesterday at 4:43 PM
• 1
• female grammostola grammostola pulchra juvenile juvenile female pulchra

My last-ditch effort to get her to grace us with her glorious presence has worked! I put a...

G. pulchra "Lava" again

• ladyratri
• Yesterday at 4:46 PM
• female grammostola grammostola pulchra juvenile juvenile female pulchra

Still has some of the baby brown, but her carapace grew significantly in this last molt. Looks...

Couldn't really get a photo from the top, but her abdomen is actually smaller than her carapace -- definitely she's moving into the growth phase of putting on some heft rather than just being all leg all the time. I'm trying to feed at a good cadence to avoid another full year underground without actually non-sarcastically starving the poor girl.

Everyone's probably going to get second cricket tonight, before the feeder bin starts having the good old "big box pet store cricket die-off"

If I hadn't seen her looking so svelte, I might've skipped her for seconds.