New Theraphosa stirmi

[Tortoise Tom]

@Metalman2004 sent me this gorgeous stirmi. Just got her today and took these pics shortly after transferring her in to her new enclosure. She's in a 10 gallon tank that I thought would be too big for her, but she's bigger than I thought she'd be, so it fits her well.

I have a smaller one that I got from the reptile show a few weeks ago, but I'm inexperienced with this species. Tips and critiques are welcome.

 

[MassExodus]

Gorgeous girl! I don't think you need any tips Tom. Just my opinion. They like moisture and cooler temps than most spiders, according to Rick West. Room temp is fine. I once killed a male with a heat mat I found out they didn't need hotter temps, took the heat mat off, and the next morning my moist enclosure had condensation dripping off the walls. I drowned him. Then, years later I killed about twenty of mine doing cage maintenance with flee killer on my hands..including an adult male and two adult female stirmis. Don't be a MassExodus. Thats my tip Good luck, they are fantastic spiders, and have a presence that most others don't. They're stridulations are cool as hell.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Gorgeous girl! I don't think you need any tips Tom. Just my opinion. They like moisture and cooler temps than most spiders, according to Rick West. Room temp is fine. I once killed a male with a heat mat I found out they didn't need hotter temps, took the heat mat off, and the next morning my moist enclosure had condensation dripping off the walls. I drowned him. Then, years later I killed about twenty of mine doing cage maintenance with flee killer on my hands..including an adult male and two adult female stirmis. Don't be a MassExodus. Thats my tip Good luck, they are fantastic spiders, and have a presence that most others don't. They're stridulations are cool as hell.

This is actually great info. I had not heard that they needed or liked cooler temperatures. My reptile room runs pretty hot and gets into the low 90s during our summer heat waves. Most of the year it is 75-85. I picked my first Poecilotheria species partially based on what people said about heat requirements. Knowing this about temps for stirmi, I can either bring them out of the reptile room during heat waves, or set them down on the concrete slab floor.

Thank you.

 

[Mr. P]

Dang, I thought Arachnoclown was going to get her and hold her for me

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Dang, I thought Arachnoclown was going to get her and hold her for me

I'm normally a procrastinator, but Metalman's ad came up at a time when I was sitting at the laptop and had a minute to reply. Just dumb luck I got my foot in the door first, and Metalman honored the first come first served etiquette. Lucky for me! She is magnificent. Eventually I would like to breed her, so hopefully there is some consolation in that.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Congratulations on the new addition. Shes gorgeous....I was going to introduce her to my males.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Congratulations on the new addition. Shes gorgeous....I was going to introduce her to my males.

Lesson learned for me. The next time something like this comes up, I would gladly give firsts dibs to someone like you that intends to breed and has waiting mature males. I'm glad to have her, and I eventually plan to breed her too, but I would have let you have her if I'd known.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Lesson learned for me. The next time something like this comes up, I would gladly give firsts dibs to someone like you that intends to breed and has waiting mature males. I'm glad to have her, and I eventually plan to breed her too, but I would have let you have her if I'd known.

No worries...I've got other females.

 

[Arachnoclown]

 

[Arachnoclown]

View attachment 32378

Big bertha... 10.5"-11" female

 

[Arachnoclown]

Lulu 10" female

 

[MassExodus]

I regret not having at least a stirmi/blondi/apophysis in my small collection. That will change though.

 

[Metalman2004]

I regret not having at least a stirmi/blondi/apophysis in my small collection. That will change though.

I had one and now I don’t... but glad she ended up in a good place with Tom. Maybe, just maybe one day I’ll be able to have one again when we move to a house that allows me to keep my collection somewhere besides right next to our bed.

 

[Mr. P]

Which one of those beautiful girls are you holding for me?

 

[Arachnoclown]

I regret not having at least a stirmi/blondi/apophysis in my small collection. That will change though.

I'll send you a couple

 

[Whitelightning777]

They are a neat species, but the setup is a bit more tricky. What i did with mine was to create a hot side and a cold side + a moist side and a drier side.

Mine was a impulse purchase that I rescued from a pet shop that shouldn't be allowed within a mile of any tarantula.

Mine has molted & she's doing great. She basically eats likea black hole. She's also a bit of a drama queen. Hissy fits during routine cage maintenance or when pulling out feeder scraps from the front of the hide are a common occurrence.

Anyway, enjoy.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

She's eating well and seems to be doing great. So far, she's acting an awful lot like my big female G. pulchra. I haven't tried to touch her or mess with her at all, but I've changed the water dish and moved her plant around. No threats, no slapping, no stridulations. She seems pretty chill about everything. Tossed in a big male dubia, and she pounced on it hard.

 

[Whitelightning777]

That's good. It's when you have to move the hide to clean it out under it that really gets mine wound up.

Even after she just molted, she was throwing a threat posture for pulling the molt.

 

[MassExodus]

That's good. It's when you have to move the hide to clean it out under it that really gets mine wound up.

Even after she just molted, she was throwing a threat posture for pulling the molt.

I got bit pulling a molt..just saying. They're very hungry after they harden..absolute worst time to get handsy with tarantulas..

 

[MassExodus]

I'll send you a couple

Say when, bro. I'll take a few slings if you're breeding, hit me up with the price, what do you have, stirmi? I've realized that while my current fascination is reptiles, I still love me some spiders..especially big ass spiders that would eat my new reptile..although..I don't think they would try..he's fast, hungry, and intelligent. I think this baby dragon would do great harm to a big spider..not sure though. When he's grown though..no contest. I question whether any T would try him right now. It would have to be a very large, very hungry spider.