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Poecilotheria picture thread

Kymura

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Absolutely! I told my adult kids that they are all capable of seriously hurting them either with venom or the fact that they have large fangs that can cause injury. Always better to be safe then sorry. I'm more about viewing then handling so I'm zero worried about that aspect and may have to think about these guys. I have to admit I like the spiders with a bit of attitude. (other then rehousing 0.o)

I treat everyone but my avic like they were able to kill me,
her I have no choice about, shes a nosy PITA and crawls up my arm the moment I open her enclosure,
she is the ONLY one I'm relaxed that way with however, its totally normal to see her following me around while I'm 'window washing' climbing all over her enclosure and my arms making sure I do a good job.
she was so thin and skittish when i got her (lps buy) that I rather like how bold and nosy she is now.
 

Timmy G

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Absolutely! I told my adult kids that they are all capable of seriously hurting them either with venom or the fact that they have large fangs that can cause injury. Always better to be safe then sorry. I'm more about viewing then handling so I'm zero worried about that aspect and may have to think about these guys. I have to admit I like the spiders with a bit of attitude. (other then rehousing 0.o)

I treat everyone but my avic like they were able to kill me,
her I have no choice about, shes a nosy PITA and crawls up my arm the moment I open her enclosure,
she is the ONLY one I'm relaxed that way with however, its totally normal to see her following me around while I'm 'window washing' climbing all over her enclosure and my arms making sure I do a good job.
she was so thin and skittish when i got her (lps buy) that I rather like how bold and nosy she is now.

My Rosea is like that. I had her out last night letting her get some exercise. She did NOT want to go back in her habitat when I was ready for bed. She kept trying to crawl up the sides. Eventually I took her back out for 10 more minutes. I know these are silly "Spiders" but I swear they have their own little personalities. My Avic is pretty calm too. I'm still getting used to her movements but what a beautiful T.

This new one though is making me cautious.
 

Kymura

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My avic was an accident, couldn't leave her how they had her, LOVE them now, hoping to get an Avicularia minatrix eventually.
Have a porteri that is either sweet as syrup or psychotic, she is without doubt my favorite spider, she is honestly fine 99% of the time, its that 1% that she gets all PMS about things ^^ Usually if you try to feed her a roach lol
 

Chubbs

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I may be wrong but I'm agreeing with Chubbs and Nicolas about the Heteroscodra Maculata. I've done about 6 hours of internet reading and looking at pics. After reading about it's characteristics, this thing scares the sh*t out of me though. I gotta be real careful. I sat down with the kids (8 and 17) last night and explained how we will NOT be handling this one like we do the Rosea and Avic. Really cool to watch though.
It's rather hard to tell as of right now given the size of it. How big would you estimate it to be? At that size both H.maculata and S.calceatum look pretty identical to most people. Once it gets a bit larger it'll be easier to tell. Female H.macs are unmistakable though once they get their adult coloration (about 2 or so inches usually). Both are considered by many (myself included) to be two of the most challenging species to deal with, especially when it comes to rehousing. They both are among the fastest-moving tarantulas around (I'd argue even faster than pokies but at least on par) as well as some of the most unpredictable. The unpredictability of these two species is what makes them so much more of a handful than most Poecilotheria. Not only are they extremely easy to spook, but they are much more erratic in their movements and are more prone to spazzing out at the slightest disturbances. In my experience, both species are prone to jumping to escape a threat, should there be no other exit for them. Both are extremely sensitive to lights being shined on them. H.maculata is far less defensive than S.calceatum, and is much more likely to retreat when scared but isn't that far behind it on the venom potency, and many consider them to be the 2nd most venomous of all tarantulas , being just as potent (perhaps even stronger) that Pokie venom. So of course, S.calceatum has H.maculata beat in the venom department. Venom from Australian tarantulas may be worse, but so little research has been done on those (even on a basic level) plus they're extremely scarce in the hobby. Obviously, opinions and experiences will vary, but as it stands, most hobbyists seem to agree that S.calceatum tends to be # 1 (tied with a few others obviously) on the scale when it comes to attitude. Species like P.murinus, H.lividum, P.irminia I would definitely label as being "highly defensive." The same would still apply to S.calceatum, given that their aggression is still motivated by fear, however it does seem like they ARE almost borderline aggressive at times. It amazes me how little it takes before they go into a threat pose and immediately start striking at the air (I've witnessed venom dripping off of the fangs of mine when it does this). One time mine did this when all I did was simply shine a flashlight beam on it for a few seconds :p OBT's are usually at least courteous enough to go into a threat pose before they bite, S.cals don't even do that a lot of times it seems. Best advice I can give is that the terrarium both species are kept in should be built around these traits. You'll want an enclosure that is designed in a way that you don't have to remove the lid completely every time you feed or give them water, and you can simply open and close it without much trouble. I prefer to give fast-moving species like this slightly more space inside of the terrarium in case they decide to bolt (less furnishings/decor or just a slightly larger terrarium). When rehousing, always do so in a room with lots of open space, and always keep a catch cup nearby should you need it. Try researching certain "hands-off" methods for rehousing OW's, such as the bag method or the bottle method. I almost always use methods like this when rehousing these types of tarantulas. It's just too risky using a pair of tongs or a paintbrush and attempting to guide the spider into the new enclosure. Slings of both species are a breeze for the most part and very rarely react defensively, so with younger ones it's mostly just the speed to worry about. I prefer to house them as I would a typical arboreal species, with plenty of good cross-ventilation, and with a slab of cork bark to web against. Much like Psalmopoeus and Lampropelma species they often create hides on or close to ground-level, but they still like to climb sometimes, so they'll appreciate the extra height. S.calceatum tends to be a pretty heavy-webber throughout its life. H.maculata will sometimes web a decent bit when younger (although ime they often seem to prefer burrowing), but much like a pokie, will spin less extensively as they get larger. I give them about 2-3 inches of substrate, but you can definitely give them more. These (especially H.maculata) are definitely semi-arboreal species. They should be kept a bit more moist than some baboons ( unlike arid species including Ceratogyrus, Pterinochilus, or Augacephalus to name a few), but you definitely don't wanna overdo it either. Both are really fun species to keep (albeit very shy and reclusive at times), and are always a treat to see out and about at night. As far as I know, both of these baboons are the only two African arboreals that are regularly available in the pet trade.
 

Nicolas C

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Great answer, Chubbs. And great informations about the care and character of both these spp. You are right about the almost identical look of young S calceatum and H maculata. The clue which made me think it could be a maculata was the name given by the dealer: "Ornamental baboon", which is sometimes given to maculata (never to calceatum). But as we both know, common names given by dealers can be completely misleading! As you said, the best is to wait for some more molts and it will be possible to say exactly what this sp. is.

I don't know in the USA, but in Europa we have another African arboreal sp. regularly available: Encyocratella olivacea.

As you said, it's a real treat to see them out (I've seen my calceatum early this morning... it makes my day!), that's what I like with the hidden spp.
 

Chubbs

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Great answer, Chubbs. And great informations about the care and character of both these spp. You are right about the almost identical look of young S calceatum and H maculata. The clue which made me think it could be a maculata was the name given by the dealer: "Ornamental baboon", which is sometimes given to maculata (never to calceatum). But as we both know, common names given by dealers can be completely misleading! As you said, the best is to wait for some more molts and it will be possible to say exactly what this sp. is.

I don't know in the USA, but in Europa we have another African arboreal sp. regularly available: Encyocratella olivacea.

As you said, it's a real treat to see them out (I've seen my calceatum early this morning... it makes my day!), that's what I like with the hidden spp.
Almost forgot about them. Yes they are also available over here as well.
 

Timmy G

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Chubbs and Nicholas again thanks for the info. I'm starting to see its traits now that he's settled in a bit. Very little webbing but he's dug under the cork bark and has two or three holes he pops out of. Yes a magician of sorts as one minute he's hanging on the side of the habitat, the next he darts into his hide. 90% of his day is spent burrowed. Enormous appetite. Seems like he enjoys waiting for crickets to walk by his openings, and his speed is sick. As he grows, I'll post more pics.
 

Timmy G

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Chubbs and Nicolas..new pic of the same T. Thoughts?
IMG_20160307_184917.jpg
 

Nicolas C

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Oh, it's bigger than I first thought. If body length is about 2 inches, yours could very well be a soon to be matured male, most probably H maculata. Normally, he should have some dark spots on the tarsi / metatarsi, but maybe are they present but not very visible on the photo.

My H maculata female was already wearing her adult colors (black & white) at 2 inches BL.

But I could be wrong, maybe Chubbs has other clues.
 

Timmy G

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Oh, it's bigger than I first thought. If body length is about 2 inches, yours could very well be a soon to be matured male, most probably H maculata. Normally, he should have some dark spots on the tarsi / metatarsi, but maybe are they present but not very visible on the photo.

My H maculata female was already wearing her adult colors (black & white) at 2 inches BL.

But I could be wrong, maybe Chubbs has other clues.

This T is definitely a Burrower too. Comes out at night but spends most of the time under it's log in a hole.
 

Chubbs

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If it is indeed an H.maculata then its definitely male If it's already that large. You would know by now if it was female. Here's my male that I had a few years back:
uploadfromtaptalk1457580436310.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1457580446086.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1457580456708.jpg
 

Timmy G

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I can definitely see the similarities. I rather enjoy this T as he settles in to his habitat. I love watching him hunt his prey. National Geographic in action !!! Thanks fellas !
 

Timmy G

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I don't have photos of my female maculata when she was young, unfortunately: too secretive... And now she's adult.
But here's a photo of my Stromatopelma calceatum, young female, around 3 cm (= 1,2 inches) of body length.
df2936bc3c2da3b3cff922ef56d03ae1.jpg
I don't have photos of my female maculata when she was young, unfortunately: too secretive... And now she's adult.
But here's a photo of my Stromatopelma calceatum, young female, around 3 cm (= 1,2 inches) of body length.
df2936bc3c2da3b3cff922ef56d03ae1.jpg

I really like the black in "feet". I'm sure she's a cuddler!! :)
 

Johnnyp1987

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My p.smithi molted today, unfortunatly the molt was destroyed so i couldnt attempt to sex it [emoji20] and i couldnt get a decent photo inside the enclosure because of where it molted so heres one from the outside. I estimate it to be about 2.5" now. Its the 3rd molt this year, awww they grow up so fast, time for a rehouse soon if it carries on growing at this rate [emoji1]
039034593221f410564014af9f2be6ee.jpg
 

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