" Welcome to the Danger zone " A. versicolor

[Mina]

I've heard it, but doing so has helped me formulate my opinion.

And good call Eddy, though I think if you really pay close attention to your T, locale is not required.... Though it'd be nice to have anyway.

It did? How? If there is any chance at all that I had anything to do with any of my avic slings deaths, I want to know so I can change it.
It just seems chance to me. It would be different if I hadn't already raised an A. avic successfully, and then had two die on me. If you think I'm wrong Scott, tell me. I really would like to know why this happens and have a chance to make it not happen again. And I recently had a respected breeder tell me he thinks avic slings are more delicate than other kinds.

 

[Hamburglar]

great... all this makes me question my versicolor purchase...

 

[Gesticulator]

Metallica, thanks for that informative post. Many more Avic species than I thought. Of the 11 species I have kept, the only unexplained deaths I have had were A purpurea-one sling and one adult. I do wonder if the seemingly frail nature of many is due to in breeding/cross breeding within the Avicularia complex.

 

[Scott C.]

Mina, I can't argue a breeders word with my meager breeding experience, but I think that instead of being more delicate, they may just be harder to keep, and given the confusion of the genus, I think it is very possible that Gesticulator may have made a very good pointclap: )...

I also acknowledge that some slings(of all sp. IME) just don't make it, and when you buy them very young getting some is a very real possibility.

I have never had any problem with my avics(bred or bought), but I payed very close attention to my T's, and have always been quite good with plants/animals in general when it comes to their needs...

You may have just had some bad luck Mina... I will not say you are wrong, because that would imply that I am right... which isn't something I will say either. I just can't agree that avics in particular are more prone to death as slings than any other....

Gesticulator has added a new angle though that I haven't considered... I will admit that it sounds reasonably possible that the muddled pet trade avics are weaker... but that is not an Avicularia problem, it would be a problem with a genus that is being heavily interbred(not a fact, but a definite probability IMO) by the pet trade...

 

[Beardo]

I don't think inbreeding has anything to do with the deaths of Avic slings.....I know its a hot debate, but pure and simply put.....inverts are not far enough advanced organisms to where inbreeding would have a negative impact on their genetic makeup.

Do you really think adult Avics travel hundreds (or even dozens) of miles in the wild to breed with unrelated mates? We're talking about animals that have very limited ranges, so inbreeding is inevitable. All of the Poecilotheria rufilata in the US originated from the same core group of adults, so all of the specimens owned by hobbyists today are closely related. We don't hear about "Sudden Pokie Death Syndrome" do we?

I've kept the following species of Avics in various conditions multiple times with the end result always being the spider ending up dead:

-versicolor
-huriana
-purpurea
-metallica
-bicegoi
-minatrix

The only Avics period that I've had live longer than a few weeks were adult A. avicularia and adult A. versicolor. Take it for whatever its worth.

 

[julesaussies]

i have to wonder if it isn't related to ventilation. Most all the vials i've received all my slings in only have a few holes in them. i'm guessing this would be fine for most slings but none-the-less i have drilled the whole tops of all my vials full of holes for the most ventilation possible. i haven't had any slings for more than 2-3 months so i'm certainly no expert.

i was a little hesitant to try Avic slings but recently acquired 4 A. avic slings with a beautiful adult female i purchased and i am getting 6 A. versicolor slings tomorrow!!!!

We had another adult or sub adult A. avic before i really started collecting again. Unfortunately she didn't live long but i have no idea how healthy she really was. i am assuming she was WC as we purchased her at Petco. She ate well the first few weeks than quit and shortly after died. She was set up correctly and there isn't anything i would change about the care i provided for her.

i really like checking my slings so they definitely don't have problems getting too dry and i am just going to be careful they have as much ventilation as possible. They're too darn cute not to at least try!!

 

[funnylori]

I have an A. avic sling that I got at less than 1/2 inch in January. Granted, she is still a hair shy of being 1 inch in leg span, but I feel that she is doing well. She has been bone dry, sopping wet, and everywhere in between. The only time I had a problem with her was when I messed with her. I tried moving her to a different container, and I ended up ripping one of her legs off!

Since then, I rarely move her. She has a more accessable lid.

I have a 2 inch A. purpurea that I have had for over a year and a half. I got him when he was less than 1/2 inch, fairly comparable to my A. avic. It also has been through the wet/dry routine. I fussed over that thing daily until it was over 1.5 inches.

I think my success (so far) with the slings is ventalation. And luck. Loads of luck.

My first two T's were both A. avic sub-adults. They both died a few months after I got them. My mistakes were well learned, I didn't give them enough ventalation, and I had a heat pad.

 

[Scott C.]

I don't think inbreeding has anything to do with the deaths of Avic slings

Me neither, but I see no reason to think that cross-breeding couldn't have something to do with it........

I've kept the following species of Avics in various conditions multiple times with the end result always being the spider ending up dead:

-versicolor
-huriana
-purpurea
-metallica
-bicegoi
-minatrix

The only Avics period that I've had live longer than a few weeks were adult A. avicularia and adult A. versicolor. Take it for whatever its worth.

For what it's worth, I too have experience with all the above, and my end results are complete opposite of yours. Sometimes things just don't work, but I think it's an over reaction to say that there is something wrong with avic slings in particular.

 

[mcy]

3 versicolors
1 bicego
1 avic avic

they are about 1 inch or slightly bigger and have had 0 loses.

lost one spider due to bad crickets but it wasn't an avic

 

[AubZ]

This is really turning out to be quite useful. I see some ppl are having no probs, while others are. The guy that I get all my T's from has been keeping for 2 & 1/2 years now & has had only 1 death. I think it was a trinadad chevron sub adult. Reasons unknown. He has a few Versi's and Amazonica's that he has had no hasles with either. I have had my Amazonica for about 2 weeks and is 100%. Eating well. I have however after reading about the Avic's put a heck of alot of holes for ventalation in the lid, on the sides near the lid and about 3/4 down the tupperware. So far so good. I also keep all my T's at room temp as where I live it nevers gets that cold at night. I think our lowest has been 13 celcius. But inside temp is around 18 celcius.

 

[jmhendric]

I lost a purpurea sling a week ago I had ideal temps and humidity so not due to
bad husbandry some are weaker than others it happens. But I agree and think in most cases bad husbandry plays the biggest role in sling deaths.

 

[moricollins]

Personal take on raising Avicularia species: cage height is not as important as people make it out to be. I mean they live on trees in the wild, not on plastic or glass (generally speaking, I hope), so providing a large container may (not i said MAY) prevent obstacles to a more robust Avicularia lifestyle (which in my experience is accompanied by a TON of webbing). Or if you go with a tall container, go with one that is tall and provide a piece of cork bark or bamboo tube) that the tarantula can get inside to create their web-house.


Just my two cents.

Mori

 

[AubZ]

I have gone with a tall tupperware with artaficial plant. It is like a vine or something, will post a pic soon. However, I had misted the container b4 putting in my A Purpurea. I know, not the smartest thing to do. Anyway, the lil guy has started webbing just just above the substrate. I did the same setup with my Versicolor and after a day the lil guy went to the top and has now started webbing. My A Amazonica is sitting on one of the leaves, but has yet to web. In his/her previous setup (3 wooden poles against eachother) it was nicely webbed at the top of the joins of poles.

Just thought I'd share that info, as all T's are doing something different. Man, I love this hobby.

 

[pinkfoot]

I have gone with a tall tupperware with artaficial plant. It is like a vine or something, will post a pic soon. However, I had misted the container b4 putting in my A Purpurea. I know, not the smartest thing to do. Anyway, the lil guy has started webbing just just above the substrate. I did the same setup with my Versicolor and after a day the lil guy went to the top and has now started webbing. My A Amazonica is sitting on one of the leaves, but has yet to web. In his/her previous setup (3 wooden poles against eachother) it was nicely webbed at the top of the joins of poles.

Just thought I'd share that info, as all T's are doing something different. Man, I love this hobby.

No problem to mist first, AubZ.. It gets the humidity elevated prior to the new tenant moving in. Don't forget that being at sea level means you will have less hassle maintaining humidity, but you're wise to attend to the ventilation.

 

[AubZ]

Thanks Pinkfoot. I know, it's such a pleasure staying here. I don't even have to worry about temps. I have no heat pads or heat source in my place. I am just rooting that my lil guys make it through winter.