I'm getting a Nhandu Chromatus

[Shelby]

I don't know if any of you other T keepers have one of these, but this will be my first aggressive T.

How do you deal with the little beasties without getting bit/haired?

[tigerlily]

Oh sure, make me go google. Looks like a cool species, congrats yet again. Where are you getting him from?

[Schlyne]

I don't know how much you know, so some of this might be useless to you.

Tip 1: Get some surgical style gloves like from walgreens or whatever. Wear at least one when you're working with T's. Urticating hair reactions tend to worsen as you keep getting exposed to them over and over again. If you get haired very badly, sometimes it's better to just take a shower. If you're going to do major rehousing, I recommend you wear a long sleeved shirt as well.

Tip 2: This is NOT a handling tarantula. N. Chromatus (while beauthiful) is quick and not too docile (more than many OW' species but it's not a brachy in terms of temperament).

Btw, how big is it?

Tip3: A long handled paintbrush, an extra deli cup and forceps are your friends. Paintbrushes can be employed to gently "push" T's, although the N. chromatus may not react very well. Forceps are essential for picking out remains, tossing in food, moving waterdishes, etc. Extra deli cups are great for being able to "capture" a T if it's running away from you.

I have a pair of N. chromatus. I haven't had to rehouse either one of them, but if they were given enough substrate to make a small burrow in, or the right kind of hides, I think they'd be a bit calmer. The batheroom (and the tub is usually the best place in the bathroom) is prety much the best place to rehouse T's in, as long as you don't have a lot of cracks and stuff in the walls. Cover all your drains, including the tub facuet and check for big gaps in batheroom cabinets when you go to rehousing.

LOL. I'd post pictures, but I haven't taken any good ones of my pair.

[Shelby]

Thanks.

I'm getting it from a lady at work that has 70 some Ts.

It's more than an inch across.

Do you have any pics of your setup?

[Schlyne]

At the moment both N. chromatus are living in either a deli cup or the larger diameter version that you sometimes see younger ball pythons for sale in.

It's just peat moss in a cup (unforunately). They really should have a water dish, and a hide or a burrow of some sort. My guys are a bit more nervous becuase of this. I haven't had a chance to rehouse them. Hides can be clay pots (put in sideways) the cocanut hide things, deli cups, PVC tubes..etc.

Due to a large number of slings and the fact that my arboreals would web up water dishes instead, I mist most of my guys every other day. The few I don't mist have water dishes.

My N Chromatus usually try to hide immediately, so it's usually not a big deal. I dont' like the larger deli cup things since it's so hard to crack the lid open without distrubting the T.


That's just a quick run through. I have to get back to work on a Pamphobetus sp. "Ecuador" that has a molt stuck to it's abdomen

[Shelby]

Do you think a paper towel tube cut down would be a good hide? Is it necessary for them to be able to burrow? And.. should I mist even if they have a water dish?

[Schlyne]

You won't need to mist it if it has a water dish.

A paper towel tube would probably be okay for a while, if the T is small enough. Just becareful that it doesn't mold.

N. chromatus isn't considered an obligate burrower (like say a cobalt blue) so they'd probably be find with a simple hide.

[Shelby]

Ok, thanks for your help.

[Schlyne]

No problem. I don't think there are very many other active people on the site other than Smulkin, Beardo, BrianS, and myself who keep large amounts of T's.