This does not bode well.

[jebbewocky]

So, I was checking on my B.vagans slings the other day, and I was poking the substrate, just checking moisture.

Lazarus, my 1/2" Brachy sling chased my finger out of his vial. Went right after it.
I can only wonder how Lazarus will turn up all grown up.

EDIT: Sling it half an inch, not a whole foot.

 

[flamesbane]

So, I was checking on my B.vagans slings the other day, and I was poking the substrate, just checking moisture.

Lazarus, my 12" Brachy sling chased my finger out of his vial. Went right after it.
I can only wonder how Lazarus will turn up all grown up.

You meant 1/2" right? Because if not that is one BIG vagans! Has he fed recently? Some of my slings go nuts (as in they come up to the top of the vial) as soon as the lid comes off, and I think it could be the assoc. with food.

 

[Steve Calceatum]

LOL!!!! How cute!!!

The situation is not as bad as you think. What did you expect from the T when you were poking around in it's home? Tarantulas are 100% defensive on their own turf....how they show it is entirely up to them. Personally, I think you're B. vagans will be just fine. If it does have a psychotic temperament, you probably won't see it for a while.

 

[Teal]

LOL how cute! I love lil slings with attitude

 

[jebbewocky]

LOL!!!! How cute!!!

The situation is not as bad as you think. What did you expect from the T when you were poking around in it's home? Tarantulas are 100% defensive on their own turf....how they show it is entirely up to them. Personally, I think you're B. vagans will be just fine. If it does have a psychotic temperament, you probably won't see it for a while.

My G.rosea, and A.avic are much more mellow and either ignore me or move away--and they are adults! B.vagans is apparently one of the moodier Brachys though, so I dunno.

 

[Teal]

B.vagans is apparently one of the moodier Brachys though, so I dunno.

Could you have told me that before I ordered three of them? Sheesh!

LOL

Oh well.. let's see them even hold a flame to the moodiness of an OBT! ;P

 

[Steve Calceatum]

B. vagans, from what I understand, are bi-polar. Since you're talking about having a Rosie and a Avic avic, I'm guessing you've just stepped into a much wider scope of Theraphosid Husbandry. Congrats!!! Once you get used to a T with defensive tendencies, it greatly opens up the doors of possibility. From now on your path will be permeated with lovely (and sometimes lively) Pokies, and baboons.....don't say I didn't warn you!!! ;P

As far as moodines goes, my OBT does not even come anywhere close to my psychotic P. cambridgei. Even then, she is still not as high-spirited as my S. calceatum. Now that's an obnoxiously defensive species!!!

 

[Mvskokee]

My juvie male is an a**hole. But he is still one of my faves. Always and and a smokin red booty.

 

[jebbewocky]

B. vagans, from what I understand, are bi-polar. Since you're talking about having a Rosie and a Avic avic, I'm guessing you've just stepped into a much wider scope of Theraphosid Husbandry. Congrats!!! Once you get used to a T with defensive tendencies, it greatly opens up the doors of possibility. From now on your path will be permeated with lovely (and sometimes lively) Pokies, and baboons.....don't say I didn't warn you!!! ;P

As far as moodines goes, my OBT does not even come anywhere close to my psychotic P. cambridgei. Even then, she is still not as high-spirited as my S. calceatum. Now that's an obnoxiously defensive species!!!

Haha, sort of.
I have had moody pets before. I had a leopard gecko who thought he was a Tokay, and my cat is aggresive enough that I declawed him even though I'm morally opposed it.

Pokies and baboons won't be happening. I'm sticking with NW T's.
I intend on getting some Ephebopus later on though.

 

[Ariel]

B. vagans, from what I understand, are bi-polar.

I can't tell you how true this statement is, at least for my B. vagans, she goes from teddy bear sweet to trying to rip my hand off every other day.

 

[gvfarns]

In my experience, vagans are mean toward me (defensive) and very prey-aggressive. I have an adult female that wants me dead immediately and a sling that's eager to take a piece out of my finger. They are very much unlike any other Brachypelma species I know of as far as behavior is concerned.

 

[Tindalos]

my 1"in flicked hairs at me
i was just checking humidity
i love vagans
cant wait for mine to at least
show more adult coloration

out of all of my T's my !inch vagans
is my favorite

 

[curiousme]

So, I was checking on my B.vagans slings the other day, and I was poking the substrate, just checking moisture.

Lazarus, my 1/2" Brachy sling chased my finger out of his vial. Went right after it.

Is the sling housed in a vial? If so, picture this for me................

You are sitting at home, doing nothing in particular and suddenly this large squishy thing pries up the roof of your house. This of course changes the air pressure and temperature suddenly, but then it proceeds to violate your home to poke at the carpet in an attempt to see how soft it is............... i bet you would run like hell too.

Also, if it is in a vial, you should be able to visually see whether it is moist enough. What are you using for substrate?

I can only wonder how Lazarus will turn up all grown up.

The more appropriate thing to wonder is how it will be next molt, because temperament can change from molt to molt. There is no guarantee of it staying the same after it 'grows up'.

 

[Steve Calceatum]

The more appropriate thing to wonder is how it will be next molt, because temperament can change from molt to molt. There is no guarantee of it staying the same after it 'grows up'.

This is very true. Alot of T's will change, though not often drastically, from molt to molt. My psycho P. cambridgei is still psycho, but I have seen her out every day since her molt....and she seems a bit more laid back, though I'm not anxious to stick my feeding tongs into her enclosure to find out how far I can push it.

A sling also does not start developing their personality until they hit about 3". My P. irminia just molted the other day, and is now starting to display a bit more attitude than usual to go with his new 3" DLS.

 

[jebbewocky]

Update! Lazarus has made a pretty deep burrow in his vial. It goes down about 1/2way into the substrate. He courageously defends this area and will make a hasty retreat into it, followed by an about-face and sometimes a threat pose when I open the vial.
Also, I found out that even baby T's can kick hairs!

 

[Teal]

Awww, what a sweetie! LOL

 

[Obelisk]

Mine is 1 1/2", though it isn't that bad. The most defensive thing I've seen it do is this funny up-and-down wave with its front legs. It was doing it as I was pushing a small flower pot into the substrate as a hiding place for it.

I always thought that T's just flicked their front legs up into the air and stood there menacingly, but this guy looked like he was at a football game or something lol.