Thoughts of P. Formosa

[Amir]

Just wanted people's opinions on the p. Formosa .
Also if any info about growth rate as well

 

[Haksilence]

Opinions on what? We need more information than that. Since it is of the poecilotheria genus expect a reasonably fast/moderate growth rate. From all my pokies I expect no less than 65 days between molts until they are about 3".

 

[netr]

Currently, the only pokie I'm keeping is a juvenile female formosa. On the few occasions that I've had to deal with it directly, it's seemed relatively calm. No bites or threats and barely any dashes. But I wouldn't use that information to make general statements about the species' temperament.

I don't power-feed. When I received it in late 2012, it had something like a 2" legspan. In the four years since, it's doubled in size. Surprisingly, the most recent moult doesn't seem to have yielded much growth at all. It typically dumps its exuviae in its water dish.

With flecks of irridescent purple on the legs and carapace and ember-like red setae on the prosoma, it's a very attractive species. Like practically all pokies, it's shy and difficult to photograph. Here's the most representative snap I've got, though it's from before the most recent moult.



I personally rate this species 8 doomed dubia out of 10.

 

[Poec54]

I don't power-feed. When I received it in late 2012, it had something like a 2" legspan. In the four years since, it's doubled in size. Surprisingly, the most recent moult doesn't seem to have yielded much growth at all.

You 'don't power feed'? That's an understatement. A Poecilotheria that's gone from 2" to 4" in 4 years? You're barely feeding it at all. What temps are you keeping it?

 

[Poec54]

Just wanted people's opinions on the p. Formosa .
Also if any info about growth rate as well

All of my formosa are high strung, they're nervous and always dart around. They're the most high strung of my twelve species of Poecs.

 

[Haksilence]

You 'don't power feed'? That's an understatement. A Poecilotheria that's gone from 2" to 4" in 4 years? You're barely feeding it at all. What temps are you keeping it?

That's what I was thinking! I have a pair of P mets that I got as fresh slings last March and the faster growing of the two is about 3 3/4"


But then again I do "powerfeed" and my t room is a constant 82 degrees or so

 

[netr]

You 'don't power feed'? That's an understatement. A Poecilotheria that's gone from 2" to 4" in 4 years? You're barely feeding it at all. What temps are you keeping it?

One appropriately sized juvenile dubia every 10-14 days. The temperature is almost constantly in the lower 70s. That's constantly throughout the day, night and all seasons.

Did I screw up? It never seems underweight.

 

[Haksilence]

One appropriately sized juvenile dubia every 10-14 days. The temperature is almost constantly in the lower 70s. That's constantly throughout the day, night and all seasons.

Did I screw up? It never seems underweight.

That's fine for an adult, but for slings I prefer to feed more than that. For specimens that aren't getting power fed I typically give an appropriate sized meal every 5 days or so

 

[louise f]

IMO and with my experience with my own Formosa, it is one of the pokies that i own to be one of the most flighty and nervous/skittish ones.

 

[Poec54]

One appropriately sized juvenile dubia every 10-14 days. The temperature is almost constantly in the lower 70s. That's constantly throughout the day, night and all seasons.

Did I screw up? It never seems underweight.

Poec males typically mature around 1 year old, females between 2 and 3 years. Yours is still at a juvenile size at what, 5 or 6 years old?

They're mostly from low to medium elevation tropics (which is hot), and being cold blooded, I think they need daytime highs at least in the mid-high 70's to get their metabolisms up (low 80's is even better). Juveniles should be eating once or twice a week to get decent growth.

 

[Poec54]

IMO and with my experience with my own Formosa, it is one of the pokies that i own to be one of the most flighty and nervous/skittish ones.

+1. With my Poecs, none of the other species are consistently nervous like this (in other Poec species, a few individuals may be a little more nervous than the others). To me, formosa are like the tarantula equivalent of forest cobras, which are also high strung and always darting around. Makes formosa trickier to work with, as they're more unpredictable and can bolt out of their cage at any time. Adults of the other Poec species often stay motionless (hoping they won't be seen) unless you give them reason to react (get too close or bump them); then they may run.