Newbie In Over My Head

[Shiznat007]

Hello!

I am brand new to the hobby, but I have always wanted to keep tarantulas. I recently went to an exotics expo with the intent of purchasing a T and found one I thought was gorgeous and went home. Immediately started doing research on the T I got so I could do everything I could for it, and quickly found out this T is rare as hell and has minimal information about it ANYWHERE on the internet. What I have was labeled as a Pamphobeteus Insignis, and while I don't really have any way to confirm that it is, it looks identical to any pictures I can find.

Despite the struggle of minimal information, it has been doing fairly well and is still alive a couple months later, so I must not be terribly off.

I also have two new tarantulas on the way, both Caribena Versicolor spiderlings. I am very excited for them and am grateful to have the time to research as well as lots of resources available to learn from, but I still want a place to ask questions and help me move forward with all three of my tarantulas.

If there is anybody else here who has P. Insignis or C. Versicolors in their collection, any advice or ideas is more than welcome.

Excited to be on this ride!

 

[m0lsx]

I assume your P insignis is a Pamphobetus insignus? If so it's a Pamphobetus sp. insignus. Sp means sort of, supposed, similar to a Phamphobetus & the probability is, some hobby importer, choose to call it Pamphobetus insignus. It is a not uncommon practice in the hobby.

There are two versions of Pamphobetus insignus. These come from different countries. I believe, the hobby form is from Ecuador & the real insignus, which I do not think is available in the hobby, is from Columbia. But that is from memory. So I may be wrong.

The common name for insignus is Ecuador purple bloom. But a purple bloom is a sp machala. So life can get confusing & that is why we often use both the scientific name & the common name for a species.

Care wise, they are reasonably robust. So a good beginner's species. They like their substrate gently moist, across a small area. So gently overflow the water bowl once a week & then move the water bowl every week or two to let that area of substrate dry out totally. To prevent mold.

Ignore Hygrometers for measuring humidity. The ones designed for the hobby are far from accurate, the same applies to thermometers. If a room is warm enough for you in a t shirt. Then your T will be happy. Misting an enclosure in general is pointless, although some of my T's web so heavily, it is the only moisture they get other than water dropped in via a syringe & food. And it is food which provides most of a T's water intake.

I never mist T's unless they are heavy webbers or small slings. And with slings I only mist a small area of the vial side. With heavy webbers, I try to replicate mist or morning dew. Which is where I assume in the wild, they would get most of their water from. And I gently mist once or twice a week & keep the substrate dryer, if I cannot get to it & see it properly. As it is easy to over water substrate & water cannot be removed, but it can be added.

 

[m0lsx]

The C versicolor is said to be harder to care for. They need lots of cross ventilation. I keep mine in an arboreal enclosure, that is, I use a taller enclosure with a slightly smaller floor space. I keep the substrate largely dry. I mist the webbing on mine weekly & twice monthly I very gently overflow the water bowl. As I cannot get to the water bowl other than via a long syringe, to top it up & it wicks water due to the webbing. So rather than get the substrate too wet, I keep my enclosure dryer & do not keep the water bowl topped up.

I have never found them to be a problem to keep despite what some say. I keep the substrate largely dry & I always add plenty of side & top ventilation to all of my arboreal enclosures. It is why I am not keen on glass arboreal enclosures. I cannot add ventilation to a glass enclosure. I use taller kitchen storage containers & melt air holes in those, or acrylic commercial enclosures & add extra side ventilation holes to those. Cross ventilation to help keep the air fresh is important, for all arboreals, but especially so for versicolors.

I find versicolors to be fast & skittish. If any species is going to make a panicked run, as you mist or if you move too fast as you are feeding. It's going to be a versicolor. I also find them to be the hardest to get back, as they constantly move on your hand & are harder to encourage in a direction.

Be aware. Versicolors can & will jump. This makes them unpredicable to handle & very vulnerable to damage from falls, when on your hand. If any T is going to end up in the middle of your back as you are feeding, it's a versicolor.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and Welcome!

 

[Lawrence b]

Welcome to the forum .

 

[Shiznat007]

I assume your P insignis is a Pamphobetus insignus? If so it's a Pamphobetus sp. insignus. Sp means sort of, supposed, similar to a Phamphobetus & the probability is, some hobby importer, choose to call it Pamphobetus insignus. It is a not uncommon practice in the hobby.

There are two versions of Pamphobetus insignus. These come from different countries. I believe, the hobby form is from Ecuador & the real insignus, which I do not think is available in the hobby, is from Columbia. But that is from memory. So I may be wrong.

The common name for insignus is Ecuador purple bloom. But a purple bloom is a sp machala. So life can get confusing & that is why we often use both the scientific name & the common name for a species.

Care wise, they are reasonably robust. So a good beginner's species. They like their substrate gently moist, across a small area. So gently overflow the water bowl once a week & then move the water bowl every week or two to let that area of substrate dry out totally. To prevent mold.

Ignore Hygrometers for measuring humidity. The ones designed for the hobby are far from accurate, the same applies to thermometers. If a room is warm enough for you in a t shirt. Then your T will be happy. Misting an enclosure in general is pointless, although some of my T's web so heavily, it is the only moisture they get other than water dropped in via a syringe & food. And it is food which provides most of a T's water intake.

I never mist T's unless they are heavy webbers or small slings. And with slings I only mist a small area of the vial side. With heavy webbers, I try to replicate mist or morning dew. Which is where I assume in the wild, they would get most of their water from. And I gently mist once or twice a week & keep the substrate dryer, if I cannot get to it & see it properly. As it is easy to over water substrate & water cannot be removed, but it can be added.

Yeah, I've tried to do some research to determine if she is a true Columbia or an Sp. Unfortunately, the limited information makes it seriously difficult. I was able to find a handful of pictures of true P. Insignis Columbia and she does look right to my eye, but the differences are subtle in adulthood from what I can gather. The only way I've heard to reliably tell the difference is as a sling, a true Insignis Columbia does not have the "Christmas tree" pattern on its abdomen, whereas the Sp. will. Unfortunately, while she is not fully grown, she is definitely not a sling anymore. I was able to contact the breeder, who gave me the most vague answer I think I've ever gotten to a question in my life.

From what I can gather the Columbia can be purchased, but is EXTREMELY expensive relative to any other T's I've seen, and has very limited availability from any major breeders. It's been a process, and learning about how complicated the Pamphos can be to identify from one another has been really eye-opening. You haven't lived until you've read Pocock 1903 all the way through trying to find a way to identify without a microscope.

Either way, she's gorgeous and the care requirements are fairly close to the same for most Pamphos, so I'm sure she will be fine.

Thank you for all this info!