My Tartar (B. smithi) 's Journal

[RedCapTrio]

Thanks for the response @Chubbs !

 

[RedCapTrio]

@0515H this morning, woke up early to try leave food outside the hide of Tartar. As I approached, the T seemingly materialized outside the hide, just in front of the barricade it erected from previous post. So I went and opened the lid, and the T disappeared again!

I was astonished so I inspected the hide with the red light and there is a small gap in the entrance. Therefore, the T did not erect a wall as I thought but made the entrance smaller. Its legs' tips are somewhat visible.

Then, I placed a mangled sand roach 3inches in front of the hide and planned to make a feeding video. Amazingly, the couple of seconds it took to get my phone, the T has dashed and took the roach back into the hide! I confirmed by using the red light to see inside the hide and saw the T with the roach tucked in its fangs. Man, Tartar can be fast!

 

[Chubbs]

@0515H this morning, woke up early to try leave food outside the hide of Tartar. As I approached, the T seemingly materialized outside the hide, just in front of the barricade it erected from previous post. So I went and opened the lid, and the T disappeared again!

I was astonished so I inspected the hide with the red light and there is a small gap in the entrance. Therefore, the T did not erect a wall as I thought but made the entrance smaller. Its legs' tips are somewhat visible.

Then, I placed a mangled sand roach 3inches in front of the hide and planned to make a feeding video. Amazingly, the couple of seconds it took to get my phone, the T has dashed and took the roach back into the hide! I confirmed by using the red light to see inside the hide and saw the T with the roach tucked in its fangs. Man, Tartar can be fast!

He he a fast B.smithi. That's funny. [emoji14]

They Can attack very quickly just like any tarantula, but Brachypelma are considered slow-moving on the tarantula speed spectrum.

 

[RedCapTrio]

As I was expecting the same @Chubbs that is why I stated that it can be fast. I am honestly terrified imagining if it will want to break out and I am not expecting it.

Good thing, because now I am cautious of that possibility!

 

[RedCapTrio]

May be when it will get older, it will slow down.... hopefully.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Tartar's breakfast this morning that made the mistake of entering its hide...







Fourteen hours later and halfway already.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Done in 24hrs! Maybe its next meal will be in a month after this...

 

[Chubbs]

Make sure you clean that up ASAP. I don't feed vertebrates partially because the bolus smell really bad from them and is a great way for attracting flies and other pests as well as mold.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Checked today to remove the bolus but this is what I have to deal with:





A completely sealed off hide!

 

[RedCapTrio]

It is pretty busy enlarging its burrow, maybe in preparation to molt after that big lizard meal.

Just a glimpse of its butt:


The enlarged burrow:


A T does know not to overfed.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Tartar before molt


Tartar after molt




Found the exuvium at the side of the burrow the other day, just found the time to post this.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Finally! It's "feed me, feed me, feeeeeeeeddd meeee!"





It went out after almost a month in its burrow, attacked whatever comes to the mouth of its cave! Superworm, checked. Grasshopper, checked. Sand roach, checked! One at a time though.



Exuvium still stuck at the deepest part of burrow.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Out and about for two days now...





Captured!



So loving this T right now!

 

[RedCapTrio]

For a new T keeper, I'm amazed that Tartar is mostly out and about ever since it finished its molting stint for almost a month (premolt + postmolt). Now, when I drop a superworm, which is not on top of it but in front, it is like a baseball player catching a fly ball. Tartar is immediately below and I swear the superworm sometimes don't even touch the substrate. Then, it carries the superworm inside its hide before it starts munching.

So lovin' this T right now!

 

[Fuzzball79]

Quite a size difference in her/him already, isn't there?. Beautiful spider!

 

[RedCapTrio]

Thanks @Fuzzball79 !