P. rufilata update

The P. rufilata (Redslate Ornamental) have started to molt into first instar. What lovely babies!

Keeping Mother Happy (So she doesn't eat her babies)

Keeping Mother Happy 
So she doesn't eat her babies


B. smithi has been showing less and less interest in her eggsac. Considering how she consumed all but a handful of her young last year this concerns me greatly. Yesterday she was away from her burrow so I dropped her a hybrid roach. She took it with much enthusiasm and immediately returned to her eggsac. She enjoyed the roach while guarding her brood.

As long as she has a steady supply of roaches hopefully she won't see her eggsac as a food source.

P. rufilata (Redslate Ornamental)

5/22/2013 8:46PM  I have loved Poecilotheria rufilata for a long time. Although their blue cousin Gooty always seems to steal the spotlight, P. rufilata's shamrock green hue with yellow accents, and fiery hot pink hairs woo me every time I see her. I have tried to breed her for three years now, and she has finally produced her first eggsac. Jon and I opened it the other day after the most difficult and stressful eggsac pull we have ever experienced. "Momma Rufilata" would not let it go! There was one bad egg in the bunch, all the rest look very healthy. If they continue to develop as they have been we'll have babies in about a month :)

 Momma rufilata was on the door of her enclosure and upon opening the door she scurried back into her hide. Sometime soon I'll get a better picture of mother. This one was taken at least a year ago on our old camera and does not do her justice.

Pictured below is a pen-ultimate male. As handsome as this boy is, the male of this species can never compete with the vibrant color, contrast and size of a female specimen. It is rumored a P. rufilata female can reach 10" in length! Although I have never seen one of that size, I can attest that they do indeed achieve a respectable size. I have never gotten a measure on Momma Rufilata. However, my P. ornata residing next to her is 7 1/4." Momma Rufilata is noticeably larger than oranta! If I had to guess, I would say she is near or over 8" That's one big spider!

9:36PM Guess who came out? It has been nearly a year since she last molted, and some of that time was guarding an eggsac. Compared to her "normal self" she is incredibly dull. Even so, this girl still shines! As soon as she molts again I'll get more pictures so you too can enjoy those fiery pink hairs. -Jamie

Togo & King Baboon Pairings

Our bold black and white female H. maculata (Togo Starburst Baboon) mated with our male tonight. He survived the ordeal and will hopefully be bred to our other female in the coming weeks. She is so beautiful I hope she has babies :)

Our King Baboon female bred (after trying for 4 years!) and sadly I was not able to get any pictures. It was easily the most epic pairing I have ever seen. This MASSIVE 8" girl was coaxed out of her burrow by the drumming male. They mated a good 10 to 15 seconds before she killed him and dragged him back into her hole. This is all I could get of her. Look at those legs!

One of our B.smithi laid an eggsac the other night. I love this girl as she has a mellow personality and is not a big flicker. However, she is not a very good mother. Last year after about 45 days of incubation she consumed her eggsac. We were lucky the eggsac tore and about 35 first instar young spilled onto the substrate. Jon and I carefully sifted them out. Each one survived to second instar, a few of which we still have today.

We will be keeping a very, very, very close eye on her. So far she is doing a wonderful job turning and guarding it, BUT I think I will be pulling this eggsac early!