Isn't he cute?

I just have him on calcium sand. They can't ingest it like a snake can, can they? I would never use the stuff for a snake, but he seems fine on it. It's cool to watch the bugger eat.

An 8' boa for $100? I could not resist that.. but again it would be illegal here in stupid Illinois.

I'm pretty sure Emperors are from forested areas, as their humidity needs are pretty high (60-70%). He seems to be doing great on the potting soil, loves to dig in it and make a mess :) We just have a heating pad on medium so it keeps the warm side around 82-85 and the cool side is room temp about 70 or so.

I am thinking about getting one of these:
https://ball-pythons.net/modules/cop...al_Cobalt1.jpg

Or one of these:
https://ball-pythons.net/modules/cop...mal_Chaco7.jpg

www.swiftinverts.com is where I plan on buying one of those 2

Far as I know SwiftInverts seems good.

Be aware that cobalt blues are NASTY. Beautiful, but NASTY. Plus that, they're so secrative you hardly get to see them.

Even so. I want one. Plus that I want a green bottle blue, a mexican fireleg, a costa rican tiger rump, and a brazilian red and white. There are some truly gorgeous T's out there.

Cobalt blue's are very quick, and are one of the more commion "pet holes". If you start a burrow for them next to the "glass" of the container, they will usually use that and then you can acutally see them.

Swift is very good. But sometime's airbone shipping lefts something to be desired. I've read of several occasions where they left the package and didn't ring or knock. If you order, be prepared to house 1 more T than what you ordered. Kelly always sends a freebie with what you order. A small supply of pinhead circkets or mealies is also often included when you order slings.

I won't be getting into Haplopelma or Poecilotheria for a while, even though they are some of the best looking species. Both are Old worlders, fast, mean, and the bite is much worse.

What exactly is that bottom T you posted Becky? I have no idea if that's a Chaco Golden Knee, an A. seemati or something else off the top of my head (I think that's a Chaco Golden Knee). Either one of those two I mentioned are pretty good for beginner's, althogh Avic's tend to be quick and not very handleable.

I just acquired a green bottle blue and a costa rican tiger rump :) Both are slings (and be warned, the GBB sling looks very different from the adult...very pretty either way). I will post pictures of all when the camera arrives.

What's a sling?

Only thing (other than money.. lol) stopping my from buying from Swift right now is the spiderlings are soooo small. I can raise pinhead crickets, I don't think that'd be a problem, but what can you keep those little guys (the T's) in that they won't get out of, or get lost in?

Starting a burrow by the glass is a good idea.. if I get one of those buggers, I want to SEE it once in awhile!

(oh on a side note, when we were at the pet store, they had a goliath bird eater. It was BIG and I thought really cool, but my mom was with me and I told her she probably wouldn't like it and to not look, but she said she wanted to see it and she looked! It didn't even bother her! I'm so proud of her.) :)

Ok anyway.. I'm also worried when you get those spiderlings.. what if they're all (or mostly) males? Males are typically much more drab in coloration, no? I know they don't attain the same size or lifespan of the female.

SpiderLING = sling

I feed my slings the .25 inch crickets available at the pet store. As long as trhe cricket isnt bigger than the sling they can take them. A lot of dealers low ball the size a bit so no one gets it and feels cheated. Watch a dealers page for a month or two. Usually the slings grow faster than they update the site so that .5" sling listed 2 months ago may be a 1" by now.

Starting a burrow next to the glass works for a while, but eventually they line burrow tunnel with enough silk that you cannot see in.

Males do tend to be less desireable, but there is usually someone out there looking for a breeding loan, so a male can turn into a 50/50 eggsac split. Currently my Eupalaestrus campestratus that matured Thanksgiving is looking for a date, anyone?

One Hap species worth checking out is the Haplopelma schmidti. I do not like keeping haps as much as other species because of their reclusiveness, but somehow ended up with 3 different species making it the most represented genus in my collection.

Green Bottle Blues, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens are facinating to watch grow. They go through several color variations on their way to adulthood and are not hard to keep. They are skittish, however, so don't plan on holding them much.

Lasiodora parahybana are probably the fastest growing of all the Ts and can pack on 6 inches in one year. They get about as big as a Goliath Birdeater (T. blondi) but have a much heavier body. They also are pretty showy because they like to stay out in the open.

Pokies (various members of the Poecilotheria genus) are all fast moving but they are arboreal so they are very visible. A pretty advanced genus to be keeping, but they are amazing to watch and some people specialize in them. One of them, the P. metallica, can run a couple hundred a sling butis bright blue all over.

Avicularia ia another genus that is easier to keep but very colorful and arboreal. They can be fast movers, but they are much calmer than Pokies and their venom packs less of a punch.

Grammastola, Brachypelma, and Aphonopelma geni are lots of fun and pretty easy to keep with a lot of variety. Also they are generally fairly cheap but some can be slow growing. Brachys and Grammastola are the second must represented in my collection.

I could go on all day like this. If you want to see a lot of pretty spider pics you can check out www.birdspiders.com and if you want to buy some www.swiftinverts.com and www.e-spiderworld.com are two great dealers but by no means are they the only ones.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shelby

What's a sling?

Only thing (other than money.. lol) stopping my from buying from Swift right now is the spiderlings are soooo small. I can raise pinhead crickets, I don't think that'd be a problem, but what can you keep those little guys (the T's) in that they won't get out of, or get lost in?

Starting a burrow by the glass is a good idea.. if I get one of those buggers, I want to SEE it once in awhile!

...

Ok anyway.. I'm also worried when you get those spiderlings.. what if they're all (or mostly) males? Males are typically much more drab in coloration, no? I know they don't attain the same size or lifespan of the female.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Hey Shelby, what do you keep him on? We are keeping ours on organic potting soil mixed with peat moss. He seems to be doing pretty well. Loves the waxworms. We got him at the Arlington show on the 4th.

At the show, there was this adorable baby female boa that I just wanted to make off with. The vendor didn't seem to care about selling anything, just about talking to his friends in the next booth... Poor little girl was so cold. There was also an 8ft female boa who was around 6-7 years old, and the vendor was only selling her for $100... I was tempted, let me tell ya...

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I was at that show. Which dealer had the 8 ft for sale? We hit that show every time it is in town which will be march next year. A friend may have a spider table there then and I am considering helping out.

I'm more of a casual T enthusiast, so I don't know any of the latin names. At least not yet.

Yeah, I've heard of breeding loans. How on earth would you ship a tarantula out to someone? Wouldn't most of the shipping companies have a fit? And don't T's usually have a LOT of babies? I can't imagine caring for 50 or more tiny spiders.

I got 4 slings from Swift a few months ago. I was really nervous on first encounter for exactly that reason - they were so unbeleivably small!! But Swift had included appropriate sized microcrix in a vial and when those ran out I bumped up to cricket legs. He also threw in a free Chaco Golden Knee! That was mighty sweet.

Managed to get an in-focus shot of the A.versicolor sling not too long ago - gorgeous little things. Will post some pics when I get home ;)

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Originally Posted by Smulkin

I bumped up to cricket legs.

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? You mean you fed them cricket legs?