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Poecilotheria
Poecilotheria picture thread
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<blockquote data-quote="Chubbs" data-source="post: 70717" data-attributes="member: 1084"><p>It's rather hard to tell as of right now given the size of it. How big would you estimate it to be? At that size both H.maculata and S.calceatum look pretty identical to most people. Once it gets a bit larger it'll be easier to tell. Female H.macs are unmistakable though once they get their adult coloration (about 2 or so inches usually). Both are considered by many (myself included) to be two of the most challenging species to deal with, especially when it comes to rehousing. They both are among the fastest-moving tarantulas around (I'd argue even faster than pokies but at least on par) as well as some of the most unpredictable. The unpredictability of these two species is what makes them so much more of a handful than most Poecilotheria. Not only are they extremely easy to spook, but they are much more erratic in their movements and are more prone to spazzing out at the slightest disturbances. In my experience, both species are prone to jumping to escape a threat, should there be no other exit for them. Both are extremely sensitive to lights being shined on them. H.maculata is far less defensive than S.calceatum, and is much more likely to retreat when scared but isn't that far behind it on the venom potency, and many consider them to be the 2nd most venomous of all tarantulas , being just as potent (perhaps even stronger) that Pokie venom. So of course, S.calceatum has H.maculata beat in the venom department. Venom from Australian tarantulas may be worse, but so little research has been done on those (even on a basic level) plus they're extremely scarce in the hobby. Obviously, opinions and experiences will vary, but as it stands, most hobbyists seem to agree that S.calceatum tends to be # 1 (tied with a few others obviously) on the scale when it comes to attitude. Species like P.murinus, H.lividum, P.irminia I would definitely label as being "highly defensive." The same would still apply to S.calceatum, given that their aggression is still motivated by fear, however it does seem like they ARE almost borderline aggressive at times. It amazes me how little it takes before they go into a threat pose and immediately start striking at the air (I've witnessed venom dripping off of the fangs of mine when it does this). One time mine did this when all I did was simply shine a flashlight beam on it for a few seconds <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick Out Tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> OBT's are usually at least courteous enough to go into a threat pose before they bite, S.cals don't even do that a lot of times it seems. Best advice I can give is that the terrarium both species are kept in should be built around these traits. You'll want an enclosure that is designed in a way that you don't have to remove the lid completely every time you feed or give them water, and you can simply open and close it without much trouble. I prefer to give fast-moving species like this slightly more space inside of the terrarium in case they decide to bolt (less furnishings/decor or just a slightly larger terrarium). When rehousing, always do so in a room with lots of open space, and always keep a catch cup nearby should you need it. Try researching certain "hands-off" methods for rehousing OW's, such as the bag method or the bottle method. I almost always use methods like this when rehousing these types of tarantulas. It's just too risky using a pair of tongs or a paintbrush and attempting to guide the spider into the new enclosure. Slings of both species are a breeze for the most part and very rarely react defensively, so with younger ones it's mostly just the speed to worry about. I prefer to house them as I would a typical arboreal species, with plenty of good cross-ventilation, and with a slab of cork bark to web against. Much like Psalmopoeus and Lampropelma species they often create hides on or close to ground-level, but they still like to climb sometimes, so they'll appreciate the extra height. S.calceatum tends to be a pretty heavy-webber throughout its life. H.maculata will sometimes web a decent bit when younger (although ime they often seem to prefer burrowing), but much like a pokie, will spin less extensively as they get larger. I give them about 2-3 inches of substrate, but you can definitely give them more. These (especially H.maculata) are definitely semi-arboreal species. They should be kept a bit more moist than some baboons ( unlike arid species including Ceratogyrus, Pterinochilus, or Augacephalus to name a few), but you definitely don't wanna overdo it either. Both are really fun species to keep (albeit very shy and reclusive at times), and are always a treat to see out and about at night. As far as I know, both of these baboons are the only two African arboreals that are regularly available in the pet trade.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Chubbs, post: 70717, member: 1084"] It's rather hard to tell as of right now given the size of it. How big would you estimate it to be? At that size both H.maculata and S.calceatum look pretty identical to most people. Once it gets a bit larger it'll be easier to tell. Female H.macs are unmistakable though once they get their adult coloration (about 2 or so inches usually). Both are considered by many (myself included) to be two of the most challenging species to deal with, especially when it comes to rehousing. They both are among the fastest-moving tarantulas around (I'd argue even faster than pokies but at least on par) as well as some of the most unpredictable. The unpredictability of these two species is what makes them so much more of a handful than most Poecilotheria. Not only are they extremely easy to spook, but they are much more erratic in their movements and are more prone to spazzing out at the slightest disturbances. In my experience, both species are prone to jumping to escape a threat, should there be no other exit for them. Both are extremely sensitive to lights being shined on them. H.maculata is far less defensive than S.calceatum, and is much more likely to retreat when scared but isn't that far behind it on the venom potency, and many consider them to be the 2nd most venomous of all tarantulas , being just as potent (perhaps even stronger) that Pokie venom. So of course, S.calceatum has H.maculata beat in the venom department. Venom from Australian tarantulas may be worse, but so little research has been done on those (even on a basic level) plus they're extremely scarce in the hobby. Obviously, opinions and experiences will vary, but as it stands, most hobbyists seem to agree that S.calceatum tends to be # 1 (tied with a few others obviously) on the scale when it comes to attitude. Species like P.murinus, H.lividum, P.irminia I would definitely label as being "highly defensive." The same would still apply to S.calceatum, given that their aggression is still motivated by fear, however it does seem like they ARE almost borderline aggressive at times. It amazes me how little it takes before they go into a threat pose and immediately start striking at the air (I've witnessed venom dripping off of the fangs of mine when it does this). One time mine did this when all I did was simply shine a flashlight beam on it for a few seconds :P OBT's are usually at least courteous enough to go into a threat pose before they bite, S.cals don't even do that a lot of times it seems. Best advice I can give is that the terrarium both species are kept in should be built around these traits. You'll want an enclosure that is designed in a way that you don't have to remove the lid completely every time you feed or give them water, and you can simply open and close it without much trouble. I prefer to give fast-moving species like this slightly more space inside of the terrarium in case they decide to bolt (less furnishings/decor or just a slightly larger terrarium). When rehousing, always do so in a room with lots of open space, and always keep a catch cup nearby should you need it. Try researching certain "hands-off" methods for rehousing OW's, such as the bag method or the bottle method. I almost always use methods like this when rehousing these types of tarantulas. It's just too risky using a pair of tongs or a paintbrush and attempting to guide the spider into the new enclosure. Slings of both species are a breeze for the most part and very rarely react defensively, so with younger ones it's mostly just the speed to worry about. I prefer to house them as I would a typical arboreal species, with plenty of good cross-ventilation, and with a slab of cork bark to web against. Much like Psalmopoeus and Lampropelma species they often create hides on or close to ground-level, but they still like to climb sometimes, so they'll appreciate the extra height. S.calceatum tends to be a pretty heavy-webber throughout its life. H.maculata will sometimes web a decent bit when younger (although ime they often seem to prefer burrowing), but much like a pokie, will spin less extensively as they get larger. I give them about 2-3 inches of substrate, but you can definitely give them more. These (especially H.maculata) are definitely semi-arboreal species. They should be kept a bit more moist than some baboons ( unlike arid species including Ceratogyrus, Pterinochilus, or Augacephalus to name a few), but you definitely don't wanna overdo it either. Both are really fun species to keep (albeit very shy and reclusive at times), and are always a treat to see out and about at night. As far as I know, both of these baboons are the only two African arboreals that are regularly available in the pet trade. [/QUOTE]
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