A anax breeding project

[MassExodus]

So, recently my nephew gave me this

adult female Aphonopelma anax. Today when I got to work, a friend gave me a mm he found I can't get a pic because its hidden under my desk, and theres people everywhere (its a hospital), but I'll be powerfeeding both, and attempting to breed them very soon. Pics will follow tomorrow

 

[MassExodus]

Both have mites, btw..so they'll have to be dried out first. Dirty little wild caughts..

 

[MassExodus]

The male, who typically refuses to eat or settle in

 

[MassExodus]

In this pic you can see his spurs and bulbous palps.

 

[MassExodus]

Female is still powerfeeding She destroys dubia rather fast for a smaller spider. Neither are very big, female would barely make 5" and the male is more in the 4" range. The small sizes always surprise me for some reason, like with my marshalli and lividus.

 

[MassExodus]

My original plan was to breed these, and release the adults in my back field. However, the female has suprised me. She comes out from her hide when I open the top, and seems to be waiting for me to drop a roach She eats very well, and seems less then frightened of me. She's out half the time. I like her, I'm keeping her. The mm and most of the babies will be released. These seem to be very adaptable, hardy spiders.

 

[Kymura]

Honestly fast becoming one of my favorite tarantulas. (After my avics) Absolutely adore ours. Our little one has definitely pushed my psalmos back a notch. Not an easy task.
Going to get another soon (as my phobic daughter claims this one.)
What's not to love. i mean seriously, mocha chocolate T's

 

[MassExodus]

Honestly fast becoming one of my favorite tarantulas. (After my avics) Absolutely adore ours. Our little one has definitely pushed my psalmos back a notch. Not an easy task.
Going to get another soon (as my phobic daughter claims this one.)
What's not to love. i mean seriously, mocha chocolate T's

For me it's the light carapace. Any spider with a light carapace has a certain character, I guess because the dark eye cluster really stands out. B boehmei, albiceps, N chromatus...they just look really cool, it looks like one big eye staring at you, from a distance

 

[Kymura]

Yeah they are honestly just a really nice looking T, not in a flashy way, it's more subtle but the longer you look the more you appreciate

 

[MassExodus]

The adults are actually very beautiful after a molt, for awhile. They look similar to albiceps, just not as stocky or vibrantly colored. I'm thinking this male is newly matured, he still has vibrant color to him that my pics didn't seem to capture well. The female looks a little faded, maybe due a molt in the next year. That makes me wonder if she'll accept him, so I'm powerfeeding her as fast as possible. The male is small, and seems very docile, like every mm I've ever seen.

 

[MassExodus]

Ehehe. I just found another A anax female. I don't understand why they're out..usually all you see is mm. It was right in front of me on a sidewalk at work. I'm almost positive it's a mature female. I had to catch her quick, and she haired me when I picked her up. Left wrist is a little itchy. I'm going to take her home and sex her. I may be breeding two females now There's little black boxes all over the grounds to kill bugs and rodents. I don't know what they're called. But she's safer with me.

 

[Kymura]

OK if you get two damn sacks I want a couple babies. I seriously love these spiders. I was feeding tonight and my little one had molted. I picked up the molt and it came running and snatched it back and ran in its hole. And it's a hole not any kind of nice burrow lol

 

[MassExodus]

No problemo senorita. Let me sex this other one and then I'll PM you

 

[Kymura]

Works for me. Half wish I lived in Texas just for the T's lol
How are the mites? Get them cleaned up yet?

 

[MassExodus]

Works for me. Half wish I lived in Texas just for the T's lol
How are the mites? Get them cleaned up yet?

Yeah, they weren't bad. Just had to take the water dishes for awhile, and I have to keep removing the female's leftovers, she eats every day, so far..they're just the commonly occurring mites I get occasionally in my own collection, no biggy

 

[MassExodus]

100% female, just got a good ventral look otw home

 

[VanessaS]

We are seriously ripped off when it comes to available Aphonopelmas in Canada. All that anyone has is the A. seemanni. I love them and the chalcodes is one of my top favourites. It's strange that they are not available, but I guess that is because there isn't a huge demand for them.

 

[VanessaS]

I have a thing for the light carapace as well. Lots of people love the B.vagans, but I find the B. verdezi a lot more attractive with the tan carapace.

 

[MassExodus]

I have a thing for the light carapace as well. Lots of people love the B.vagans, but I find the B. verdezi a lot more attractive with the tan carapace.

I'm a fan of the vagans as well, they're actually much more pretty in person than many of the Brachys. They seem to keep the gorgeous deep blue legs and red butt right up to their molt. They don't seem to fade like most spiders, they get bigger than the others, are more skittish, and look darkly evil, but of course they aren't. I love my female, but she's a pet rock..but still a sub adult, around 5". I'm hoping she stops acting like a statue soon..And its a damned travesty that Canada has sp we never see, and we have local sp that ya'll can't get..freakin bs. I've been back and forth up and down the ALCAN to Alaska, twice. Horse**** little laws shouldn't be interfering in the hobby, not between countries on the same continent.

 

[MassExodus]