"Docile" Old Worlds

[Roo]

Well I was checking up on my Cobalt Blue's as I'm swapping one for a Salmon Pink (basically I have three H. Lividums now when I was expecting to have 1).

She (I think it's a she) has got to be the most docile Old World T I've seen. Slow, patient and never threatens. Just starting a conversation really, do you have any stories about usually aggressive T's that weren't with you?

 

[RedCapTrio]

I am just going to start on my journey with OW. I am lucky enough to be getting a C. darlingi as a freebie so I welcomed the chance. I do hope someone will share something on baboons in this "conversation"

 

[Roo]

I am just going to start on my journey with OW. I am lucky enough to be getting a C. darlingi as a freebie so I welcomed the chance. I do hope someone will share something on baboons in this "conversation"

Baboons are evil!

 

[RedCapTrio]

O... M... G...

 

[RedCapTrio]

I figured that a half inch specimen won't be much of a threat...

 

[Roo]

I figured that a half inch specimen won't be much of a threat...

I have yet to meet a baboon that wasn't the spawn of Satan. However they are a nice "Looking at" animal.

 

[RedCapTrio]

I have yet to meet a baboon that wasn't the spawn of Satan. However they are a nice "Looking at" animal.

LOL!

 

[micheldied]

From what I've heard; M. balfouri are extremely docile for an African species. I have two, but they're still slings so I can't say yet.
All my other OWs were pretty much how I expected them to be. Pokies never threw a threat display, but they've always been known to be fast rather than defensive.
I also had a P. cambridgei that was the nicest T I ever had. Extremely gentle, even when feeding. From what I've heard, they're usually pretty fast and defensive.

I had quite the opposite experience, really. I had a G. rosea that gave me more threat displays than most of my OWs.

 

[Tomoran]

My M. balfouris were quite docile up until recently. If I caught them out in the open, they would usually just scramble back to their dens. After her latest molt, my little female has developed quite the attitude now, and I get threat display quite a bit. I think she fashions herself an OBT. My H. pulchripes is also quite chill. When I open up her enclosure, she will either just sit there calmly or do that little defensive move where she completely flattens herself out (it's pretty cool to see). Other than that, she has been quite the polite little lady.

 

[Roo]

My M. balfouris were quite docile up until recently. If I caught them out in the open, they would usually just scramble back to their dens. After her latest molt, my little female has developed quite the attitude now, and I get threat display quite a bit. I think she fashions herself an OBT. My H. pulchripes is also quite chill. When I open up her enclosure, she will either just sit there calmly or do that little defensive move where she completely flattens herself out (it's pretty cool to see). Other than that, she has been quite the polite little lady.

Ah, one of my H. Lividum ran over my hand, sat there then moved on. Wasn't an intentional handling, just sorta happened

 

[RedCapTrio]

Shouldn't that be a C. lividus already?

 

[Roo]

Shouldn't that be a C. lividus already?

The species changed when I wasn't looking?

 

[RedCapTrio]

The species changed when I wasn't looking?

I was referring to this:

Just thought I'd share this here since no seems to have already.

"Smith, A.M. & M.A. Jacobi. 2015. Revision of the genus Phormingochilus (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Ornithoctoninae) with the description of three new species from Sulawesi and Sarawak and notes on the placement of the genera Cyriopagopus, Lampropelma and Omothymus. Journal of the British Tarantula Society 30(3): 26-51.
Abstract
Three new arboreal theraphosid spiders of the genus Phormingochilus Po****, 1895 are here described from Sulawesi and Sarawak, Borneo: Phormingochilus carpenteri sp. nov., P. kirki sp. nov., and P. pennelhewletti sp. nov. The genus has been revised and historical species redescribed. The authors have also discussed the placement of the Ornithoctoninae genera Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887, Lampropelma Simon, 1892 and Omothymus Thorell, 1891 and, after an examination of the type material, concluded that Cyriopagopus is a senior synonym of the genus Haplopelma Simon, 1892 and that the genus Omothymus needs to be restored to house the arboreal Malaysian mainland species schioedtei (Thorell, 1891) and thorelli (Simon, 1901), which were formerly asssigned to the genus Cyriopagopus but have now been restored to their original placement. We have also concluded, on examination of the type material that the female of Lampropelma violaceopes Abraham, 1924 from Southern Malaysia should be removed from the genus Lampropelma (whose distibution at present, we believe to be limited to Lampropelma nigerrimum from Sangihe (Sangir) Island) and placed in the genus Omothymus, whereas the male, from Penang, is deemed to be a misidentified specimen of Cyriopagopus (Omothymus) schioedtei."
TL;DR VERSION:
Omothymus schioedtei, Omothymus violaceopes, and all Haplopelma are Cyriopagopus....."

 

[MassExodus]

A friend of mine had a female obt for 15 years, he used to handle her before she passed on. I've seen video of it but she died before I met him. He has a big picture of her in his living room. He's a crazy bastard though, so..yeah..don't do it.

 

[Chubbs]

What makes me nervous about some old world species is just how damn unpredictable they can be. They can very easily fool you into being complacent around them.

 

[micheldied]

What makes me nervous about some old world species is just how damn unpredictable they can be. They can very easily fool you into being complacent around them.

They're not too unpredictable. It may surprise people when they seem to suddenly bolt, but really there are some telltale indications that they're going to. IMO growing them from slings is the best way to learn to read their behavior.

 

[Thistles]

Eucratoscelus pachypus is relatively calm for an OW. I agree that Monocentropus balfouri aren't that bad either, particularly when they're young, but my adult females will slap and stridulate like kings.

I had a huge old Poecilotheria rufilata, known for being among the naughtiest of pokies, who was completely calm. Rehousing her was difficult not because of aggression or flightiness but because she just wouldn't move her butt! I ended up having to buy a long-handled spoon to sort of scoop her into new enclosures.

 

[Chubbs]

I find Pokies for the most part to be more predictable and easier to deal with. Certain other species like H.lividum, P,murinus, H.maculata, and S.calceatum are ones I am much more careful around and I find them a bit more unpredictable.

 

[MassExodus]

I have a Cyriopagopus lividus (Lol) that will remain perfectly still, and be gently prodded a few times and suddenly turn into a running, jumping speed demon. Completely unpredictable, and my most fun spider to transfer

 

[Thistles]

I have a Cyriopagopus lividus (Lol) that will remain perfectly still, and be gently prodded a few times and suddenly turn into a running, jumping speed demon. Completely unpredictable, and my most fun spider to transfer

"fun" lol