Well I finally got one

[chid]

After seeing the photos and wanting one for ages I finally went for it and have gotten 2 x 1" Usambara Orange baboons - Pterinochilus sp arriving tomorrow.

This is a big step into the world of Fiesty T's for me as my collection up to now only contains docile species such as Brachys,Grammastola etc .

So what have I let myself in for? Any tip's?

Chid

 

[Bob the thief]

Dont get bit.
You wont like it one bit.

 

[Nixy]

Experience with our orange demon.....

Fast fast fast...
If I have to go in her viv I put a deli cup tent over her.

I have it set up so when she Does start going web crazy I have access to her water source through a port. It's a seperate little slide door Just big enough for the water dish and Nothing else.
I also have vent holes near the bottom of the viv as well as the top.
Now this might sound stupid but given the choice of being a bit silly and having orange demon fangs in me. I'll pick silly...

I rolled the end of a pipe cleaner so it blunted and can't hurt.
I slide that through a vent hole furthest from the water dish.
While Keoche is happily attacking and beating the Hell out of pipe cleaner.... I slip the water dish out.

She goes for Anything that moves.
So.
Distract and move fast. LOL.
The cricket port is a round hole a little under the size of a dime. It has a little slide door over it and it's Just big enough to get a nice fat large cricket in.

For those crickets she has bitten the head off or in other ways mangles, twisted and left without eating...
Pipe cleaers again...

I use the vent holes, flick the half chomped cricket bodies to the water dish side and fich them out with a set of tongs when putting in fresh water.

Other then that I don't invade her territory. I Knew we were getting a nasty mean B*tch spider so I set up for it in advance to make sure we could do what we Had to for her and with the minimal amount of invasion into her space.

I know this might sound exccessive. But my little ones are the spider collectors. I Help Them with Their tarantulas. If I use safe protocals. They will.
Kids learn by example and proper education.
Teach them right, and they will do right.


Well,, till they turn into teenagers.....

Hehe...

Hope this was Any help.

 

[Hamadryad]

Usumabara care

Well, Nixy seems to have a pretty good setup going - I myself have found that the P.murinus or "Orange bitey thing" is like about the easiest to care for tarantula in my entire collection.Yes, they are highly defensive and will bite if provoked but in my experience they will web up an entire enclosure and prefer to remain hidden most of the time, unless they are out stalking around looking for prey.They prefer very dry conditions so it minimizes the amount of time you have to spend misting them unlike some of my Asian species which need to be kept humid all the time.The Usumabara will thrive on a few crickets a month - just toss them in there and the spider will do the rest.All in all I find them to be a real "no-brainer" of a spider to care for.You just have to be careful not to put yourself in a position where you would get bit - just realize that they are a pretty fast spider and work with them accordingly.I have three big females and I dont even worry about them nailing me.I am not in their enclosures enough to worry about it.

Good luck

The Evil Spider Hunter