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Brachypelma Boehmei Sling

Fuzzball79

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Look, what the postman delivered today:
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A tiny little Mexican Fireleg. Here it is in its new home
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It has since moved off the tissue paper, sitting half underneath. I can't wait to see it grow into a beautiful adult.
 

Josh

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Congrats on the new addition! Fantastic photos - what'd you take them with?
Be sure to keep us updated on her growth!
 

Fuzzball79

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Thanks.
I use my trusty Canon EOS 1100D with my 18-200mm lens. It's my first (and so far only) DSLR and I'm trying to get into photography (mainly nature and (military) aircrafts). I've only got 3 lenses, including 1 Tamron Macro, but I mainly use the 18-200, because it's sharper and faster.
 

Fuzzball79

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Feeling like a proud Mum, lol:
The little one has eaten its first mini mealworm (crushed head) tonight. It sat there watching it for ages and then pounced on it. It seems more settled now crawling around its tub occasionally. Not as much as my Rosea, but she's an attention seeker anyway...
 

Fuzzball79

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The spiderling is channeling its inner JCB today. It's been very busy digging a tunnel all the way to the bottom of its home. It's so cute to watch it carry bits of soil bigger than it's abdomen up the shaft.
Could it be making a cave in preparation of molting?
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LauraMI

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Possibly, but my understanding is most terrestrial slings burrow. My B. vagans went into pre-molt the day I got it & didn't burrow, just hid under the cork. As soon as it molted however, it dug a 4" burrow (as deep as it could) in a night.
 

Prudance

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So cute! Watching the babies grow is so fun. Congrats!

As for the digging most of our terrestrial T's did this when little. They are most vulnerable to predators at this stage so they hide in their holes. At least that's my theory.
 

Fuzzball79

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I'm just after some reassurance, lol:
My BB sling has been in it's cave for about 2 1/2 weeks now which as I understand is pretty normal. The thing is that the shaft has filled with substrate and the little one has not been up for all that time at all. Any prey left up there is untouched.
Is it just going through premolt at the moment?
I don't want to disturb it now it's hiding, so don't know if it's appearance changed, but I can see it changing position during the day. It did have what looked like a mirror patch when I got it and after it had fed twice it looked rather chubby.

From your experience, it would be able to dig itself out, wouldn't it?
 

Fuzzball79

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I woke up this morning to find my BB sling had finally molted :T:! It must have just happened as it was still very white. It's slowly regaining colour now.
It had "only" kept me waiting for about a months of being in its cave.
I'll now give it about a week before offering food again, is that correct?
 

hellknite

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Congrats on your new molt! I offer food to newly molted slings about 5 to 7 days after a molt. I had no problems with it so i think it woyld be fine.
 

Fuzzball79

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It's baaack! Very hungry, too and I can see the B. Boehmei it wants to be when grown up now. Tonight was its first live feed (before that pre-killed mini mealworms and then it dug in for over a month) and it caught the cricket in mid air.
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8leggedfreaks84

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when ever your t burrows and closes the entrance it going to molt. i stop feeding and just make sure the substrate is moist. beautiful little one
 

Fuzzball79

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Well, the little cherub has surely become a great feeder. It comes out of its hide as soon as something moves near it's deli cup and ferociously attacks its prey, sometimes "midflight" when the baby cricket jumps by it.
It also seems a lot more confident in general since its last molt and regularly comes out to the front of its enclosure. Hopefully it won't make me wait as long as last time when it molts again (about 1 month), lol.
 

Gavin van den Berg

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When they're tiny they do tend to molt more often. However, when they reach about 3", like mine is now, they can make you wait a very long time to molt, depending on how often they are fed. My B.Boehmei hasn't molted in about 8.5 months.

That being said, it's a beautiful T to have and definitely one for any collection.
Your little one looks very good and hopefully it will bring you lots of joy.
 

Fuzzball79

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How often do you feed your little boehmei?

I feed it twice a week, either a cricket (I think they're 1st instar, bigger than pinheads but smaller than the sling's body) or a mini mealworm (though I've not been able to get a hold of mini ones since its last molt).
 

crow44

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My b.boehmei molted 5 x already and now its 11mos old is this male or female coz l did not able to examine its molted skin clearly.
 

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