Meet Elmo the B. Albopilosum (Honduran Curly Hair)

[Carl Ash]

Good evening or whenever it may be where you are to everybody on the forums!
I just made an account on here and I was astonished at how many replies some of these posts have!
I just recently got in to the hobby of keeping invertebrates, starting with a small colony of Madagascar Hissers that exploded and has gone from 11 adults to a total of at least a few hundred .
Attached is a photo of one of the juveniles that has done some good growing in the past few months.

The star of the show however is my very first T, Elmo! Being a curly hair, I felt that Elmo was a fitting name for such an adorable little guy. I am wondering how long to wait before pursuing handling, and when I do, how do you ladies and gentlemen recommend I coax Elmo out onto my hand for handling without startling or scaring him/her too much.
Cheers,
Carl

 

[Enn49]

Hi Carl. Welcome to both the hobby and the forum. A B. albopilosum is a great T to start with, they're adorable. As far as handling goes, most of us don't, there is too much risk of a T either jumping or falling off you and seriously injuring themselves. If you really want to handle only do so occasionally as it can stress them and always over something soft, like a bed or sofa. Oh, and I love the name.

 

[VanessaS]

They are such a great choice to start off with! I adore my B. albopilosums and they never disappoint you. They're hardy, active, and rarely turn down a meal... and they are gorgeous. Looks like yours might be one of the extra fluffy ones from Nicaragua.
You'll be so glad that you chose them. Welcome to you and Elmo... and the lovely hissers.

 

[Kymura]

One of my all time favorites welcome to the boards.

 

[Carl Ash]

I am blown away by how kind you all are and how welcome I already feel in such a cool community of individuals that actually appreciates the beauty and fascinating nature of our 8 legged friends.
It's so exciting to hear that Elmo may be the on the fluffier side! Sure seems like a voracious little one, so I reckon I'll be feeding a roach or a few small roaches at least once a week. I totally understand the risks involved with handling, and like any animal, especially one so small, it definitely requires a lot of attention and care. That's why I am curious as to what the best approach would be if I do end up pursuing handling in a week or so once Elmo has really settled in and had a few good home-raised meals. Im thinking using a soft paintbrush or something of the sort to coax Elmo into a deli cup so I can transfer him/her to my bed where I could interact without any chances of Elmo falling any sort of distance onto any hard objects.

 

[VanessaS]

Yes, they are voracious eaters and I love that they devour everything that my others won't eat. No prey goes to waste around here. And it looks as if my B. verdezi is the same.
I would suggest that you visit YouTube and get some ideas over there and come back with any questions on the handling thing. If you really want to handle them, I would leave it longer than a couple of weeks and go over some YouTube videos that show what other people do. Some of them are not good examples, but they do show how to test their mood with a paintbrush and show you how to coax them out.
Like others have mentioned, it is problematic and often results in injury of the tarantula. It wasn't that long ago that a member on another forum split open the abdomen of one of theirs while handling because the spider bolted and they were not prepared.
And then there is the whole bite report thing.

 

[Carl Ash]

Yes, they are voracious eaters and I love that they devour everything that my others won't eat. No prey goes to waste around here. And it looks as if my B. verdezi is the same.
I would suggest that you visit YouTube and get some ideas over there and come back with any questions on the handling thing. If you really want to handle them, I would leave it longer than a couple of weeks and go over some YouTube videos that show what other people do. Some of them are not good examples, but they do show how to test their mood with a paintbrush and show you how to coax them out.
Like others have mentioned, it is problematic and often results in injury of the tarantula. It wasn't that long ago that a member on another forum split open the abdomen of one of theirs while handling because the spider bolted and they were not prepared.
And then there is the whole bite report thing.

Oh my that is tragic :c. I'll go check out some more husbandry videos and things like that about curly hairs and see what I can find and come back with any questions. I really appreciate how responsive you have been Vanessa it's so cool to finally be able to share my passion with other people thanks to the internet! Sure seems that people who appreciate Ts are few and far in between but the community is so cool! Since you seem so knowledgable about Ts, maybe you could help me with maybe picking out a second species to add to the family! I told myself I wouldn't let myself get carried away with the hobby but I knew the moment I picked Elmo out from the reptile store that I may have just started a new addiction . Do you have any experience with these following species and if so which would you recommend(not for handling just viewing, so being extremely docile isn't as important as it was for picking out the first T).
I'm kind of narrowing down whats available at the reptile store I am so loyal to and here is what I have come down to:
Nhandu Chromatus spiderling (1/2-3/4"), an adult A. Avicularia, an adult Grammostola Sp. (rose hair), or a P. Cambridgei spiderling(1-1.5")
Any Ideas??

 

[Nicolas C]

Hi Carl.

About the handling subject, may I advise you to check on this page, which is one of the best and well balanced introduction I've read (one member here, Tomoran, wrote it):
https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/tarantula-controversies-2-handling-tarantulas/

The four spp. you are talking about are all great and beautiful Ts.

In summary:
Nhandu chromatus: rather hardy but secretive for a terrestrial T. My adult female is spending lots of time inside her burrow. She isn't very defensive, but is more nervous than Brachypelma, Grammostola, etc. She needs a little (little!) more moisture than the desert spp. and grows to a very decent size. Beautiful colors too.

Avicularia avicularia: arboreal (enclosure has to offer that), most of the time very peaceful and not defensive at all (there are some exceptions). The slings need lots of cross ventilation and some more moisture than desert spp. Some people had problems with the spiderlings, with lots of "sudden avic death syndrom" (!), but I've never had issues myself. One of the best contender as a first arboreal T.

Grammostola porteri / rosea (= rose hair): one very good beginner T, rather peaceful (but some individuals are psychos!), beautiful even if common in the hobby, very hardy, husbandry very simple (adults: dry substrate with a waterdish). They are known for very long fasts, and grow rather slowly.

Psalmopoeus cambridgei: arboreal, very fast moving and can be quite defensive. They are considered as a "second step" in the arboreal world (after Avicularia), but it all depends on the keeper. They have beautiful colors (including green shades), are fluffy, and have a typical arboreal shape. Hardy, need some moisture but not too much, grow fast. But you need to be careful because boy they are fast (they even can jump!).

This is what comes in mind about the four spp. you are talking about.

 

[Carl Ash]

Hi Carl.

About the handling subject, may I advise you to check on this page, which is one of the best and well balanced introduction I've read (one member here, Tomoran, wrote it):
https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/tarantula-controversies-2-handling-tarantulas/

The four spp. you are talking about are all great and beautiful Ts.

In summary:
Nhandu chromatus: rather hardy but secretive for a terrestrial T. My adult female is spending lots of time inside her burrow. She isn't very defensive, but is more nervous than Brachypelma, Grammostola, etc. She needs a little (little!) more moisture than the desert spp. and grows to a very decent size. Beautiful colors too.

Avicularia avicularia: arboreal (enclosure has to offer that), most of the time very peaceful and not defensive at all (there are some exceptions). The slings need lots of cross ventilation and some more moisture than desert spp. Some people had problems with the spiderlings, with lots of "sudden avic death syndrom" (!), but I've never had issues myself. One of the best contender as a first arboreal T.

Grammostola porteri / rosea (= rose hair): one very good beginner T, rather peaceful (but some individuals are psychos!), beautiful even if common in the hobby, very hardy, husbandry very simple (adults: dry substrate with a waterdish). They are known for very long fasts, and grow rather slowly.

Psalmopoeus cambridgei: arboreal, very fast moving and can be quite defensive. They are considered as a "second step" in the arboreal world (after Avicularia), but it all depends on the keeper. They have beautiful colors (including green shades), are fluffy, and have a typical arboreal shape. Hardy, need some moisture but not too much, grow fast. But you need to be careful because boy they are fast (they even can jump!).

This is what comes in mind about the four spp. you are talking about.

Nicolas, thank you so much for such an in depth response! Continually amazed by the willingness to help a newcomer to the hobby that everybody on the forums seems to have. From what you have told me, and what I have heard about rose hairs and the sometimes crazy personalities they can have, I think I have narrowed myself down to either the Nhandu Chromatus(I absolutely love the coloring of the adults), and the Guyana Pink-Toe(A. Avicularia). I love the idea of an arboreal being part of the family, and even am considering a GBB if I can find one for sale locally as their coloring fascinates me to no end. Then again, if it was all about coloring, I would easily go grab one of the more expensive but gorgeous Cobalt Blue females at the reptile store the very next day haha.

In all, I am thinking raising the N. Chromatus from a sling would be a very rewarding experience considering how large they can get after years of growth.
I actually housed and somewhat raised a C. Inclusum (yellow sac mother) and her brood of probably 30-40 slings for a month or so until releasing them due to difficulty of containment with all the slings in the makeshift housing I had set up, and I found that raising young spiders was really entertaining.

If you don't think that it would be too difficult, I reckon that the Chromatus would be a fun match for a second T.
What do y'all think

 

[MassExodus]

Nicolas, thank you so much for such an in depth response! Continually amazed by the willingness to help a newcomer to the hobby that everybody on the forums seems to have. From what you have told me, and what I have heard about rose hairs and the sometimes crazy personalities they can have, I think I have narrowed myself down to either the Nhandu Chromatus(I absolutely love the coloring of the adults), and the Guyana Pink-Toe(A. Avicularia). I love the idea of an arboreal being part of the family, and even am considering a GBB if I can find one for sale locally as their coloring fascinates me to no end. Then again, if it was all about coloring, I would easily go grab one of the more expensive but gorgeous Cobalt Blue females at the reptile store the very next day haha.

In all, I am thinking raising the N. Chromatus from a sling would be a very rewarding experience considering how large they can get after years of growth.
I actually housed and somewhat raised a C. Inclusum (yellow sac mother) and her brood of probably 30-40 slings for a month or so until releasing them due to difficulty of containment with all the slings in the makeshift housing I had set up, and I found that raising young spiders was really entertaining.

If you don't think that it would be too difficult, I reckon that the Chromatus would be a fun match for a second T.
What do y'all think

N chromatus is gorgeous, get it And a scorpion. Just sayin.

 

[Carl Ash]

N chromatus is gorgeous, get it And a scorpion. Just sayin.

I think I'll go for it soon! I'll definitely come back to post photos when I do
As far as an enclosure, I tend to feel better about myself with housing pets in enclosures that are a little larger than required, as I like to know that the little guys have some wiggle room to stretch out. For a sling, however, is there any issues the arise with a tank with the dimensions of, lets say, 24" x 12" x 9"? I know its not a good idea to have a MASSIVE enclosure for such a small guy just so its easier to keep an eye on him, but I don't know how I feel about having the sling feel so confined by putting it in a deli cup. What dimensions do you think sound the best for a glass enclosure that would last the sling for a year or so of growth?

 

[VanessaS]

Spiderlings have to be kept in very small enclosures so it is easy for them to find their food and easier for you to control the humidity. An enclosure of that size will kill them and you would never find them in it. Keep them in the vial that the breeder sends them in and don't rehouse them until they have very obviously grown too big for the vial. Their rehousing should be done in increments according to their size. They won't be in the enclosure you detail above for a very long time.
While juveniles can be housed in a bit larger than average enclosure - spiderlings never can.
I'm sure that many of the members here have examples of the different sizes, and I have a couple myself, that can be posted on this thread to give you an idea.

 

[Enn49]

I totally agree with what @VanessaS says. I keep the tiny ones in a 1" vial until they reach around 0.5" or more when I move them into a 3" cube.

 

[Carl Ash]

Ahhh okay! I totally get that! Could you send a few photos of the vials you use for slings? At the store they're all in shallow-ish deli cups that I wouldn't want to keep them in for very long as they are not too well ventilated and would be hard to open and close often for feeding and humidity control etc

 

[Enn49]

I use these, 1" vials


Then into 3" cubes

 

[VanessaS]

The size of the spider inside is what is written on the white paper at the front...

 

[Kymura]

I use condiment cups personally. As I had a ton of them ^^
Easy to vent with a needle all the way round and mine are super clear to see them in. I keep a piece of Moss in there to moisten till they are in an enclosure that supports a water dish.

Makes me feel like they have a bit more room to stretch but still small enough to feed and maintain easily. Yes even my smallest baby's get a teeny tiny hide and a leaf to curl under if they prefer it. :/ I love my little eight leggers.
Now, if anyone wants to send me a few old vials I won't object

 

[VanessaS]

Seriously awesome stuff there, @Kymura! I love the hide and the leaf (even more that a bum is sticking out of it) - you're a way better spider mum than me!

 

[Kymura]

Seriously awesome stuff there, @Kymura! I love the hide and the leaf (even more that a bum is sticking out of it) - you're a way better spider mum than me!

Enlarge the other one, my teeny nhandu is getting into hunt position. ;p swear that thing was to small to ship. Molted three times and not a half inch yet

 

[Carl Ash]

Thank you all for the detailed answers and photos!!! This is all so helpful as the answers you usually find online to these kind of things tend to be vague and not nearly as fun to read! I am loving the idea of the condiment cups as they are clear and seem relatively easy to ventilate and keep track of. I attached a photo of these ones I found on amazon and they look perfect, just making sure that 2oz cups are small enough for a 1/2"-3/4" sling.