couple questions

[Zurchiboy]

So I have owned Our desert blonde tarantula for roughly 5 months now. Was a voracious reader till about 2 months ago. Has only eaten once or twice in that period. It is also becoming quite irratavle. Just opening the lid it's throwing up a threat pose. Was going in to clean it's water dish and it's reared up. Is this possible sign of premolt?

Secondly our fresh mooted b smithi sling is rather leggy been so for past couple molts. This mean it is a possible male? Any thoughts from this picture?

 

[Nicolas C]

You lucky! You have a desert blonde reader!!! Lol!

Jokes asides: could very well be premolt. They are sometimes more jumpy when preparing a molt, specially those who don't hide in a secure burrow. It's probably because they are more vulnerable that they show such threat postures.

Aphonopelma chalcodes are so slow grower that they can fast for months before molting. Nothing to worry about. Mine fasts, then after three months or so takes a cricket for no reason, then fasts again...

About the smithi sling: is it your first picture? Because it doesn't look like a smithi. Are you sure it is this sp.?
To answer your question: at this size, you cannot tell males from females looking at the size of the legs. Almost all are leggy until they eat like pigs and their abdomen's size increases like a balloon!


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk

 

[Zurchiboy]

It better be a smithi. I payee 40 dollars for the sling as a 1/2 inch. So yes it should be a brachypelma smithi

The picture is about 3 hours after it molted

 

[Nicolas C]

Looks like a B albiceps sling to me, but I could be wrong. You'll be fixed after the next few molts anyway.


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk

 

[Zurchiboy]

this is it 4 days before it molted. Maybe the fact that it's carapace is still white since it's still soft makes it look like the albiceps

 

[Nicolas C]

It's also the red hairs on the abdomen and the legs which don't have the smithi's markings. I'm guessing the size according to the waterdish: around 2 inches?


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk

 

[Nicolas C]

But I can be wrong: it's hard to tell until they are big enough.


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk

 

[leaveittoweaver]

Kinda looks like B.Vagans as well.

 

[Zurchiboy]

The water dich is only .75 inch diameter. The spider is only 1.4 inch leg span

 

[Nicolas C]

Post a picture after next molt, maybe it'll be safer to guess!


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk

 

[kormath]

Definitely not a B. smithi. At that size you'd have stripes and some colors on the legs, and they're very visible right after molt.

I'd agree on one of the red rumps, vagans or sabulosum, it looks off for the albiceps to me but that could just be the picture.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Wow. I payee 40 dollars for a sling and they send me a vagans which is 40 dollars for one that is 4 inches big. Arrgh. I am gonna have to see if I still have the receipt somewhere. That if it is a bag and. Probably is cuz they don't sell the Albiceps of you are right kormath

However it is still a beautiful spider.

 

[Phil]

Sorry to say but I must concur with others here. It is not a smithi.
If the carapace stays Golden then likely B. Albiceps
If the carapace turns black then likely B. Vagans.
Sorry!

 

[kormath]

Wow. I payee 40 dollars for a sling and they send me a vagans which is 40 dollars for one that is 4 inches big. Arrgh. I am gonna have to see if I still have the receipt somewhere. That if it is a bag and. Probably is cuz they don't sell the Albiceps of you are right kormath

However it is still a beautiful spider.

I love all the Brachy's they're my favorite Genus. If it's the vagans or albiceps they're great eaters, my albiceps is right up there with the genic and GBB in ferocity at feeding time. I named her Thug before i got him and it fits well

 

[Zurchiboy]

It's confusing. They don't sell albicans. And only med to large vagans. Got it. from backwaterreptiles.com.

 

[Zurchiboy]

this is it compared to my hand and a hardened exoskeleton. Still same veredict?

 

[kormath]

B. vagans almost 100% sure. not albiceps, could possibly be B. sabulosum but hard to tell at that size between it and the vagans.

Here's my 3/4-1" B. smithi for reference. This mix up seems typical with backwater reptiles from the reviews in the review section. They're a middle man, you'd be better off ordering from a reputable breeder like Paul (www.petcenter.info), Tanya (www.fearnottarantulas.com), Ken (www.kenthebugguy.com), Anastasia (www.net-bug.net) or Jamie (www.jaimestarantulas.com)

Camera flash washed out some of the color but you can see the difference easily.

 

[leaveittoweaver]

Highly doubt sabulosum. The are more expensive. If it came from Backwater I can almost guarantee it is a Vagans. They are really not very reputable. On other forums there are constant bad guy reviews for them. I would email them, I'm sure they have a record of your order and if you have to, send them a link to this thread. They should compensate you something for sending the wrong animal entirely.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Thanks guys. We have the transaction on record too show them. I also sent them the same photo. They should realize that it is the wrong species. All I hope to get is the price different in a refund. And probably go out it towards an actual b smithi sling.

 

[Zurchiboy]

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/backwater-reptiles-www-backwaterreptiles-com.235500/

I did quite a bit of research on backwater reptiles and have learned of all their mishaps that happen with this middle man who stocks live animals in California. Turns out a lot of people have had the same results as me luckily mine came in good health unlike a lot of other unfortunate people.

Well I will now avoid bwr since they ship out of Florida and the guy never sees the actual specimen. It is hard to immediately know you received the right tarantula immediately when it's a 1/2 inch. Learned my lesson and time to move on lol. The b vagans was also on my bucket list of Ts to own.

I also read up on lots of reviews stating how ****ty their csr is so not expecting much compensation for sending me the wrong species.