They're Settled In!

Since my last post I have seen plenty of tarantula sightings. The two little darlings have been out and about. Smithy has been back to her usual self, clinging onto the side of the terrarium and Mustapha likes to sit outside his hide and then scurry back in as soon as he sees me come near:P

This evening after work it will be spider feeding and maintenance day. I have to pick through their leftovers, fill the water dishes and offer some bugs.

Chris and I are hoping that Smithy will be out, and that we'll be able to handle her. I'm not one for picking their hide up to get to them. If they don't feel safe in their homes, where will they?

My brother gave me a coffee grinder. I don't grind coffee so I'm using it to grind up cat food for the crickets. This will be the spider's first feed with the healthier crickets.

On Sunday we fed the Ts and Mustapha, who never wastes any time, tackled a rather large bug and they wrestled around the terrarium. Unfortunately, I missed that one but Chris said that their brawl actually made noise as they tumbled into the sides of the container.

Bottom line of this post, tarantulas are awesome. I'm still in love!

Come out and Play with Me.

Ever since the terrarium change + new hides, I haven't seen the little guys! I guess I knew this day would come. I had heard that once tarantulas were given nice hides they tend to prefer them over sitting out in the open. I miss my spiders!

Now I'll throw a bug in and they just disappear. No more seeing them hunt, eat and spin. Waaah.

I'm hopeful that they will come out and explore their homes soon and maybe even chill out on the side, or on the substrate once in a while. *crosses fingers*

Another Molt and ReHoming

Mustapha molted a few days later, on the 1st of January. So much for clockwork. I didn't think he'd be due for 2 weeks to a month later. Actually, he ate about 3 days before!

I *thought* Smithy had finally gained some growth ground on him after her last suit change but man oh man, he's huge! Considering he's nearly a year younger than her, he's definitely living up to fast growing reputation of the Brazilian Black and White.

So, I had to set them up with new houses, for the third time in six months. They're in (basically) Critter Keepers now. The next step will be a 5 gallon tank, so I hope they can at least have the new house for 4 to 6 months or so.

I'm currently using coconut husk bedding, slightly moistened. Smithy has a coconut shell hide and a pop bottle cap water dish. Mustapha has a split (half) log and a piece of cork bark on the other end of his home for decor. Also, a pop cap dish.

I want to add a piece of bark to Smithy's habitat but the coconut shell takes up a lot of room. I don't want to crowd her.

Getting Smithy into her new crib was easy and fun. We simply picked her up, played for a few minutes and stuck her in. Mustapha, being the shy guy that he is, hid in his container and I had to use a paintbrush to slowly scoop old (nasty) substrate out until he just went for it and run out.

Tarantulas are so counter intuitive. Most creatures run AWAY when they're scared. T's run toward you! So when he started running at me, needless to say, I turned into Flinchy McFlincherson.

I'll get used to their antics one day...Maybe:P

Smithy is Molting...Right Now!

Woke up a little while ago to Smithy on her back. I don't see any skin peeling away yet and she's fully on her back this time, oppose to her side.

I meant to mist her container last night because I'm convinced that it's not humid enough in there. D'oh. So I did that as soon as I saw what's going on.

Oh this is always so scary! I hope she pulls through alright! If I didn't know better I'd think she's dead. I hate the way they look when they molt!

This T is like clockwork! Every 2 months almost on the dot since August.

PIX and Updates

We handled Smithy again and took a great picture! I love it! I wish Mustapha could he held but he runs away over the slightest vibration. :( Booo. I'm hoping he'll be less timid as he grows. I'd be scared too if I were so little! It's just that if he doesn't shake the fear soon I'm going to lose my nerve. I can't exactly start handling him when he reaches an 8 inch leg span!

Mustapha is an amazing spider. He's so active and interesting. When I rehoused him I simply put his baby vile into the new terrarium, hoping he would burrow in the new substrate but alas, he made the vile his hide. I should have known. The other day he was making it bigger for his ever growing body and dug and dragged the dirt out. It was really cool to watch. Now if you look behind the vile you can always see him camped out back there.

Smithy started refusing food on Monday. Over the weekend we picked up a new bookshelf and put them on it, complete with some Mexican art I brought back from vacation last year for Chris as their background, plus a houseplant. Yup, they get a whole shelf to themselves. We were even thinking that eventually, that shelf could be the right spot for one of their permanent homes.

Anyway, I don't know if she's not eating because the move scared her, or if she's going to molt again. On the 27th of December it will be 2 months since her last suit change. She's been molting pretty steady every two months since July but I know at some point, that's going to change and the gap will widen. She also seems to fast for about 2 weeks before the molt so I have to wonder if it's almost time? Lol, in this picture you can see Mustapha. He's on the right.

I gave Smithy's rejected cricket to Mustapha and I'm sure he was glad for it because it sure didn't last long in there!

I have to buy bugs tomorrow or Friday. They ran out again. Hungry little monsters they are!

New Smithy Picture

The spiders have been eating regularly, are more active than usual.

Not much more to report other than that. So I'll leave you with a recent picture of Smithy. It's too bad these little guys are so unphotogenic...Well at least to my abilities.

It's been nearly 5 months of being a spider Mom. I'm still fascinated. Will the novelty ever wear off? I hope not!

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.