First Post-molt T stirmi feeding video !!

[Whitelightning777]

We'll see if the sound track is deleted. If so, that might even be a good thing.

She did ultimately get the second roach, but a bit of time later after the light was off from the camera, totally predictable.

The good news is that she looks great, especially in the close ups. Those hairs are NOTHING to joke about. My outer right thumb for whatever just feels like it got hit with pepper spray, reminds me of recertification, & she didn't even hair me on purpose!!

It's like the hairs are just all in an invisible cloud around her, one of many reasons why these guys and gals are 100% an advanced species. Yes, they're awesome, but I'd strongly recomment having at least one terrestrial new world such as Lasiodora or Pamphobeteus first and at least one terrestrial old world T such as H pulchripes or M balfouri or something with a similar temperment.

The temps, moisture & humidity need to be spot on. These are a large moist area around the hide and to the water dish, moist frog moss & drier areas of the enclosure as well so that the T doesn't have to have wet feet all the time unless it wants to do so. The temps I'm using are within a range, 83 degrees hot side to room temperature or almost room temperature of about 73. The large floor space in this enclosure plus low roofline make this dramatic range possible. The area she stays in is about only 78 degrees. I'm keeping the humidity at around 65 to 70 percent but that varies depending on room conditions and whether or not the AC is running.

The actual physical room where the cage is generally ranges from 67 to 69 degrees with typical household humidity of about 40 to 45 percent, fine for humans especially hysterical room mates with severe fibromyalgia but totally unsuitable for this species. If the conditions are out of whack, molting failures are almost certain to occur. This is yet another reason why these aren't for the faint of heart.

Her temperment overall is stable but much more like an old world then a new one. Hissy fits and threat displays abound unless she can just go into her hide and sulk until you're done doing your thing. She isn't that destructive of cage decor, making some burrow enlargements but not totally blasting the set up to kingdom come. It looks the same basically as the day I set it up.

Again, this is just how I keep mine. If you keep yours just like a rose hair and it's increased in size 5 fold over 5 years, I'd love to hear about it but won't repeat it. You can't just treat these like Pamphobeteus or Lasiodora and be happy. To much control is better then to little. She was rescued from a pet shop that kept her in horrific conditions. The contrast between her appearance when I got her versus now is like night and day.

See for yourself.

I didn't realize she was female at the time I got her obviously.

This does show that rescuing a tarantula is possible and that given half a chance, they can and do recover.

 

[Arachnoclown]

What do you mean by "advanced species"???

 

[Whitelightning777]

I'm not a proponent of the infamous ladder system, but sometimes they do have a point. Why advanced?

-- Huge size requiring a bigger enclosure, plus cost of said enclosure. Especially if you get a sling, multiple rehousings per year even are to be expected.
-- Expensive, captive bred slings for these are selling for $80 to $120, & that's just T stirmi. Adults that are wild caught can be about the same, but the risk with wild caught ones are widely known. Slings are known to be delicate.
-- According to Jon3800, the venom potency is much more then with typical NW spiders, much more like OWs. The fangs are huge and even a dry bite can inflict mechanical damage. If bitten upon the finger, a 1 inch fang can hit the bone. I'd hate to see what happens if it gets stuck in a fingernail!!
-- The urticating hairs are no joke, severe enough to send you to the hospital if they get into your eyes. Even if you don't get haired on purpose, they seem to envelope the tarantula and even one individual one hitting your skin will get your undivided attention. Fortunately, masking tape applied over the area and removed rapidly will get them off.
-- Despite the size, they are on the delicate side but don't look that way.
-- They are way to defensive to be handled, which is a perpetual temptation for new keepers. Flat out being intimidated by someone who has never had one can be a factor & they grow so fast that you don't have as much time to grow with the spider.
-- The higher metabolism and feeding requirements aren't enough by themselves to make them advanced, but someone who feeds it once every month will not have a healthy or fast growing tarantula. There's also a lot of idiots feeding them mice on youtube. A first time keeper might not realize that's a really bad idea.
-- The amount of attention one needs to pay to temps, humidity and moisture aren't very well nailed down. Even by typical standards, care sheets vary wildly. If you get these wrong, problems might not show up immediately but they can just die for "no reason" & have molting related fatalities to a much greater extent than others. The substrate does have to be moist. The tarantula keepers guide calls them swamp dwellers while other people say keep it like a pamphobetous and be happy. Whether or not the three species in the genus need to be kept the same is a contentious matter of debate as well. I've literally seen temp numbers from 68 to 90+ degrees.

(For the record, when I point my infrared digital thermometer at her both the abdomen and carapace are almost exactly 78 degrees. I've done this 3 times)


-- Getting an enclosure to work the way you want it to, especially on shorter notice, might be to much for some to figure out if they don't have a scientific background or understand tarantulas and airflow. Even her hide is positioned for airflow and is roughly parallel with the gradient from hot side to cold side. On the other hand, others say keep it like a rose hair but soggy instead. ???????? They are also vulnerable to falls. This means that at times closing the enclosure is problematic if they are throwing a threat posture that is higher then the roof line.
-- They are not easily intimidated, will stand their ground, will throw hissy fits and are wickedly fast just like my old world Ts. A first time keeper might think that they are slow lumbering brutes. Nope. Mine has reached over the sides with 6 or 7 legs still on the ground but I managed to guide her back to safety.

That's not to say don't get one. Heck, everyone should have one, but in my opinion only after having a large NW T (get used to size) & at least one OW T (get used to speed) as well as learning to use paint brushes tongs big catch cups etc.

I can't think of anyone being more irresponsible to tell someone to get this as your first T. That's pure animal cruelty not to mention the possible harm to a novice owner.

Heck, if you're gonna break the ladder and do a challenging terrestrial, M balfouri or H pulchripes as a 1 to 1.5 inch sling would be more reasonable then getting what I got which is a spider that was over 5 inches in size and now is probably over 6 inches. That's an estimate. I haven't gotten a precise measurement and frankly see no need to do so. She also enlarged the entrance to her burrow under the hide to at least 3 inches in diameter and maybe closer to 4 inches.

That's not to say that they are the most extreme one you can get, just that they are probably best regarded as one's first advanced species.