Spectacular Takedown

I fed the spideys yesterday. I shake them out of the container and size is random. Mustapha's bug was HUGE for him. I decided to sit with him for a few minutes to make sure he wasn't scared of it to the point of me having to fish it out. Ha! He attacked right away. The cricket had some serious fight in it and they wrestled for a good ten minutes with Mustapha, always having the upper hand. He's very bloated atm.

I also noticed that he's grown in to his new suit and is officially BIGGER THAN SMITHY. He's just gorgeous too. He has his black and white stripes and fuzz. I can't believe four months ago he was just this little speck. I'm actually starting to get the feeling that Mustapha is a she. If that's the case I may change her name to Fatima or something similar to keep my middle eastern theme. Don't ask why, he's a Brazilian species.

Smithy had a much smaller cricket and also pounced right away. She carried it around under her arm for a little while, like a toy or blankie and then did her death dance. She can really shake her booty!

Spiders are cool.

Mustapha Molted!

I knew it! I'm getting much better at recognizing the signs now. The fasting, the darker complexion, the lethargy...I noticed yesterday evening that he was pale, BIGGER and still a little folded up.

I have to go in there later. I want his skin! He usually molts in his burrow and I haven't been able to grab one since the very first molt.

I noticed it had happened because I went to feed Smithy. I looked over to him, looked back at her, and she had already caught the bug...D'oh! I wanted to see!

So right now, everything with the spiders is just dandy!

P.S. I think Mustapha is big enough for a water dish now!

Just a T Update

Mustapha has stopped eating. That can only mean one thing, MOLT TIME! It's pretty cool have two spiders because they're molt cycles have been about a month apart and at around one molt every couple of months, I get to see one approximately every thirty days!

Smithy has eaten about 3 times since her molt at the end of October. She's so fast and skittish now! I really hope she chills out. I actually saw her JUMP! Ummm, I didn't think redknees could jump. Then again, she moves so fast that it could have just looked that way. If you blink, you will miss her moving and now she's in this habit of running up the container. I *really* hope she never runs out when I have to go in there.

With her first meal she lunged at it, and like threw the cricket across the container upside down in to her water dish. I had to rescue it from drowning so she could try again.

I did some maintenance last night. Just refilling water dishes and spraying. I think I sprayed Mustapha's home too much because there is still condensation this morning. Actually it's more like droplets. I hope he's not too warm in there!

I also had to take a cricket out of his place because it's been in there a few days. It's being saved for Smithy tomorrow.

I know I keep saying this, but I'll take pics very soon!

Settling In

Smithy ate her first meal since molting. It's actually time to feed her again.

I have noticed that since the molt, she is moving more quickly, and seems kind of skittish. I hope she settles down. We want to play with her again!

Mustapha has also eaten at least once since his big move. I thought it was twice but a cricket got lost in his burrows and died in there. I noticed the dead bug pressed up against the container deep down in his burrow, at the bottom of the container. Now it's going moldy and there's no way to get it out! D'oh!

I still have his little container in there with him, and he seems to prefer it. I was hoping to have taken it out by now but as long as he's happy, I guess!

The last batch of crickets I bought are crap. Most are already dead. Grrr! It's a pain to get those things.

That's all for now!

SMITHY MOLTED + Mustapha has a new home!

YAY! I was getting worried there, as usual. Last night against my instinct, I started to panic and gave Smithy a cricket because it has been nearly 3 weeks since she has had a bite to eat. She wasn't impressed and ran to the top of her container and clung there, right above her water dish. I was so scared for her, but by this morning she was on the substrate again, so I got that bug outta there in a hurry.

Around 1pm I went to check in on her and she was half on the side of her hide molting! I saw it happen throughout the next hour or so. I can't believe I finally witnessed a molt! I wonder if she always molts on her side?! Even right now she is not completely finished. She still has to stretch her legs but she's already looking bigger and better than ever. I LOVE her colours. She's a real jewel :D

Now Mustapha had himself transferred in to a new home yesterday. He LOVES to burrow and he outgrew his original vial so I bought him a bigger Tupperware that has the same floor space as Smithy's house, but much deeper. Fortunately his original vial fits in the new home so it was a very stress free move. I placed the vial on its side, in the new house and within an hour he was poking his head out of the old burrow. I started a new burrow for him outside of the old container, and by this morning he was poking his head out from it! Lol. The new burrow looks more developed then what I started him out with so I guess he was very busy throughout the night digging. In a couple of days I'm going to take away the old home. I want to give him a chance to adjust to his new place, and be able to escape back to the old home, if something scares him.

My crickets have grown too quickly again. I'm picking up little ones tomorrow.

Little Update. Worried as Usual.

I have gathered the courage. I'm going to buy a container for Mustapha today and give him a new home.

He's been on the surface a lot. I think he outgrew his burrow. He's a little monster. My crickets are getting big again (a few lucky ones will get released soon) and he can really take them down. He destroyed one at least his size. I know they would prefer to eat smaller prey but once in a while I think they could use the exercise and excitement. Maybe I'll buy smaller ones tomorrow though!

I'm getting worried about Smithy, She hasn't eaten in over 2 weeks. She really looks like she's going to molt so I hope it happens soon. She's all dark and crusty looking. I'm also worried about her new home. It's not nearly as humid as the glass one was. This container was a former cricket keeper with little screen holes on the lid. I have it half covered with saran wrap to reduce the air flow. I just hope it's going to be okay for the molt.

Mustapha has eaten twice since his molt. I think it's about time to move him to a new house. I'm kinda scared! He's very timid. You just look at him and he jumps in to his burrow! How the hell am I going to do this? Lol.

Smithy hasn't eaten since I put her in to her new house. I'm glad I decided to not move her until she had a lot to eat. Now I don't know if she's not eating because she's going to molt (she's about due, I think!) or if it's because the move upset her.

I'm glad she's been using her hide and liking it. Her last home was too small for one and she doesn't like to burrow. Everybody in the forums was telling me this was normal, but I donno, I think she wanted one.

I've been having A LOT of spider dreams lately. The most amusing one was that I went to check on Smithy and she had grown so large that she completely filled her new container. I wish!

Well, I think that's it for now!

Loads of News!

Wow, figures when a whole bunch of REALLY cool stuff happens, I'm swamped with writing deadlines, work and extracurriculars. Boourns!

First of all, Mustapha molted. He definitely has his little routines. He started refusing food a little over a week ago. Last weekend he retreated in to his burrow, and by about Tuesday, he surfaced to sport his new suit. Although his body is still quite a bit smaller than Smithy, his legs are about the same size. He's going to outgrow her in no time!

Secondly, I HANDLED SMITHY! This is the biggest news of all. Frankly, her house was getting gross. Given her species, I'm sure she wasn't appreciating the moldy, stagnant conditions. She has also started refusing food and by my calculations, she should molt too within the next few weeks. So I rehoused her in to a bigger container, complete with a little pop bottle water dish, and a hide.

I figured this was as good a time than any to try putting her on my hand, since I had to get her from one house to the other. At first, it was really hard to get her out of the container because its so small. Chris suggested we "spoon her out." It worked like a charm. She ran up my hand and arm. We were surprised by how heavy she is for such a little thing. She's also fleshy and sticky. Not hard and scratchy like we would have guessed!

The only problem was afterward, my arm burned! I think I'm going to be sensitive to all of their poisons. Lame! I guess I'll just have to be extra cautious and wash really well.

It was so much fun though that it's hard to articulate. She's just so easy going and cute! I'm super happy about this. Right now she's stuck to underside of her new hide. Rehousing is stressful for them, and I feel bad:( No more playing with her until she has adjusted and eats.

Mustapha has to move into a new house as well. He's so skittish and anti social that I think I'll use the spoon method on him, but not handle him. With Smithy, I've been watching her movements for nearly three months and at this point, she's predictable. Mustapha is not. Maybe I'll try when he's bigger. I'm going to make the transfer once he's eaten. It's been a while due to the molt, and I doubt he'll want to eat anything for a while, after making the move.

I really want to get some pictures and video happening on here. I'm pretty lazy about it for one thing. The other is that as a newish T keeper, I feel like it's challenging enough to say, handle the spider safely without trying to do multiple things at once. I really do want the best for the little guys. I'm not treating them like some kind of novelty to parade around the internet, you know? However, I want pics to remember them by once they're all grown up so I'll get on that soon enough!

I'm also birdsitting "Belle," the budgie, for the next 12 days. It's a zoo in here right now! I'm housing five animals in one room alone. Then there are the cats roaming around too. Lol.

Spiders are BORING! J/k!

It's been about ten days since my last update. I've been a tarantula keeper for almost three months now, and the spiders are very much in to their routines. Aside from a molt (which hasn't happened in a while) or something new, like the death dance, there isn't much to post about. However, I'm sure the next molt will mean re homing for both Ts.

Mustapha is fasting again, so I bet he'll have his soon. Smithy is eating like a little piggy, and she only got her new suit a month ago, so still more time on the clock for her.

I DO need to clean out some mold in both containers, and re dig a burrow for Smithy, because hers somehow disappeared. Who knows, maybe she's like, "Look Mom, I don't want or need of these so bugger off." Still, I'll keep trying, just in case.

I keep feeding the Ts larvae. I'm hoping they have growth hormones in them:P Plus, they're only eating those and crickets, and I like to keep the diet varied. I gave one of the larva to Smithy last night, and it walked right in to her. She didn't even have to move to eat. I thought it was pretty hilarious. On the other hand, when she eats crickets, she's super fast! She's so quick, it really makes me worry about handling her! I've never seen anything move like that! She's from one end of the container to the other, in a blink of the eye. Pretty crazy stuff!

I was introduced to a tarantula called the Hysterocrates giga, or H.giga, and I think I'm in love:P They swim, and appear to change colour, in between molt cycles. Holy WOW! Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait on that. I only wanted one T originally. At only two and a half months in, I don't even know if I'm going to make a good spider keeper. If in the future I do decide to take the plunge again, I'm going for the H. Giga.

Well anyway, I have a wicked cold, and it's time to cover the 'tiels for the night.

I love my little zoo!

Death Dance!!

I saw Smithy's "death dance" for the first time on Tuesday. Well that's what I like to call it anyway:P She looked sooo cool spinning up her food. Check out This YouTube video I was watching. It's of a Black Horn Baboon T dancing.

It's feeding day again today. I picked up new crickets last week because the original bunch of them grew too big. They grew their way to freedom. Chris let them out in to the garden.

The new ones had a nice ride home on my bicycle. Then one of the cats knocked the container off the kitchen counter:/ Poor bugs.

Both of the spiders are out and about today. I wonder if that means they are hungry.

I'll find out in a few hours!

OM NOM NOM

It was feeding day yesterday.

Mustapha's cricket jumped right in to his burrow. Oops! Chris said he saw a brief struggle, but ultimately Mustapha came out on top..Of his burrow that is. He has a routine! He catches his prey, ties it up or whatever these BDSM-vampire-like pets do. Then he goes for a little stroll around his container. Eventually, he drags the bug to the opening of his home, and sucks out its insides. He'll take breaks, and go for walks. This continues for 12-24 hours until he's all done. Next, he drags the remains to the opposite end of his container. I guess that's for me to clean up:/ At least he's tidy!

Smithy on the other hand, gobbles the whole thing down, rather quickly! She's usually finished within a few hours.

Last night was funny because we saw that Mustapha caught his bug right away, but Smithy seemed a little scared of her dinner again. We turned out the lights and left the "bird room" (yes, my birds have their very own room, but now they have to share with the Tarantulas, until the T's are big enough for their permanent homes) but when I checked on the spiders a few hours later (I'm a good spider Mom like that!) I discovered they were both out on the substrate eating. Synchronized dinner party!

The remaining 3-4 crickets, from a container of 100 pinheads 6-7 weeks ago, are too big for the tarantulas now. I have to pick up some smaller ones before the next feeding and I guess, the crickets will have their freedom.

Sometimes I feel bad feeding the spiders. It doesn't make it any easier that I think the crickets are wicked cute, and I call them "Jiminy."

All is Well

I checked in on Smithy yesterday evening, and she was happily feasting away on her cricket. Finally! I didn't take the bug out, when she didn't eat right away on Wednesday. I know I shouldn't do that. She was clinging to the top of the container, and I figured it would have been more risky to open the jar, and fish the cricket out. She could have escaped, or fallen. In my defense, I was constantly checking in on her.

Mustapha is out of his burrow again. He's looking well! I did notice some mold in his house yesterday, so I'm going to pick it out today, and hopefully, I won't collapse the burrow on him again:/

Life with spiders is a lot of fun!