H. pulchripes sling

[octanejunkie]

My first order from PNW and the first item in my cart was a 3/4" H. pulchripes sling!

I had a 4x4x3 Amac cube already drilled so I filled it 2/3 of the way up with a substrate mix: coco fiber, peat moss, shredded sphagnum moss and a dash of play sand. I layered the substrate graduating moisture with the bottom wetter than the top which was barely damp to the touch.

A cork bark chunk, moss and silk leaf topped off the substrate and I made a starter burrow with my finger tip and put in a bottle cap water dish.

A spender sling, it cautiously walked out of the paper towel into it's new enclosure. It walked around the entire perimeter before settling on the cork bark under a leaf.

I can't get a good pic of the sling as it sits now but here are a few pics of the enclosure.

 

[octanejunkie]

Fed Harry the Harpatctira pulchripes sling today, a 3-4mm B. lat nymph that I shook up a bit before placing into the enclosure.

First feeding after it's arrival yesterday and the sling NAILED the stupefied roach as it drunkenly clammored around the cork bark nearing the starter burrow. The T ended up on it's back stuffing the nymph into it's fangs and then carried it's trophy around the enclosure, posing for pictures!

The T is in the bottom left corner of this pic

 

[Jess S]

Nice enclosure. Is that larger vent hole above the water dish plugged up when you're not watering?

 

[octanejunkie]

Nice enclosure. Is that larger vent hole above the water dish plugged up when you're not watering?

No, it's not. You think that sling could fit through it?

 

[Jess S]

No, it's not. You think that sling could fit through it?

It's hard to tell from a picture but yeah that's what I was worried about. If it could get it's carapace through there it could either manage to squeeze out or get stuck and wedged. If the hole is smaller than the carapace it should be ok. You could just plug it up and remove the plug for waterings.

 

[octanejunkie]

@Jess S I'll just leave the pipette in the hole to be safe lol

 

[Arachnoclown]

@Jess S I'll just leave the pipette in the hole to be safe lol

Stick a pencil eraser in it.

 

[octanejunkie]

Stick a pencil eraser in it.

It's maybe a 1.5 mm hole at best. I'd have to whittle the eraser down to 1/4 diameter

Considering spiders are basically escape artists it wasn't imprudent advise. *thumbs up*

 

[Jess S]

A 1.5cm or 1.5 mm hole ?

 

[octanejunkie]

Actually closer to 2 or 2.5 mm

 

[octanejunkie]

H. pulchripes has done quite a bit of webbing so far and instead of burrowing has elected to insert itself in a crevasse between the cork bark and side of the enclosure, rump up.

I'm wondering if there's just too much substrate for both the spider and I to comfortably manage and if I should swap to a taller, domed top sooner rather than later...

 

[octanejunkie]

Tried to feed Harry Harpactira pulchripes tonight and the sling seems more interested in it's burrow than a roach nymph wandering around it's enclosure... will check it later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Not my B.Vagans]

Harry looks cool lol this is my H. Pulchripes

 

[octanejunkie]

Harry looks cool lol this is my H. Pulchripes

Thanks!
How long have you had your Harry? lol

 

[octanejunkie]

Harry skipped last two feedings and is looking mighty shiny, fat-bootied and has been hiding.

I expect a molt soon

 

[octanejunkie]

No molt yet, just a semi reclusive terrestrial ow that has been doing more and more excavation as of late.

After feeding and filling the water dish yesterday I found it half in the water dish this morning. when I dripped a few drops of water, it attached the pipette/water drops. Managed to snap a few pics before it's retreat. Good color at this size.

 

[Casey K.]

Ventrally, it's blurry.....but book lung spacing....your Harry looks like a Henrietta, lol.

 

[octanejunkie]

Second feeding since my last update and today Harry/Henrietta got a small cricket - first ever cricket.

Got a video of the feeding. It's not the best video since there is so much webbing and the cricket basically froze, I had to act like a producer and push my actor to perform, literally. Pardon the paperclip.

Here's a pic after the grab

 

[octanejunkie]

Harry molted sometime in the last 10 days

No exo to be found but I saw the sling this morning, briefly and it is larger than the water dish vs the post above from May 25th when it was sitting on the water dish, barely covering the entire thing

Wish I could get a good pic of the T now

 

[mrsoul1974]

Actually closer to 2 or 2.5 mm

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