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Acanthoscurria:
   Para mongo zebra (A. fracta) x0
   Giant whiteknee (A. geniculata) x6
Avicularia:
   Pinktoe (A. avicularia) x2
   "Goliath pinktoe" (A. "braunshauseni")
   "Big purple pinktoe" (A. "Bolivia #2")
   Ecuadorian wooly (A. huriana)
   Yellow banded pinktoe (A. jurenesis)
   Whitetoe (A. metallica) x4
   Venezuelan redstripe (A. minatrix)
   Ecuadorian purple (A. purpurea) x2
   Peruvian pinktoe (A. urticans)
   Antilles pinktoe (A. versicolor)
Brachypelma:
   Curlyhair (B. albopilosum)x0
   Michoacan orange (B. baumgarteni)
   Mexican fireleg (B. boehmei) x2
   Mexican redknee (B. smithi)
   Mexican redrump (B. vagans)
Ceratogyrus:
   Straighthorned (C. cornuatus)
Chilobrachys:
   "Blue chevron" (C. fimbratus)
Chromatopelma:
   Greenbottle blue (C. cyaneopubescens) x5
Citharischius:
   King Baboon (C. crawshayi)
Cyclosternum:
   Costa Rican tigerrump (C. fasciatum)
Cyriopagopus:
   Malaysian earthtiger (C. thorelli)
Ephebopus:
   "Blue fang" (E. cyanognathus)
Grammostola:
   "Brazilian redrump" (G. actaeon)
   "Brazilian tawnyred" (G. mollicoma) x0
   Brazilian Black (G. pulchra)
   Chilean rose (G. rosea) x0
   "Chaco golden stripe" (Grammostola sp.)
Haplopelma:
   Cobalt blue (H. lividum) x2
Heteroscodra:
   Togo starburst (H. maculata)
Hysterocrates:
   Camaroon red (H. gigas) x2
Megaphobema:
   Columbian giant redleg (M. robustum)
Nhandu:
   Brazilian red (N. carapoensis)
   Brazilian black&white (N. coloratovillosus)
   "Hi-white" morph (N. coloratovillosus?)
Pamphobeteus:
   Brazilian pink (P. sp. "platyomma")
Poecilotheria:
   Sri Lankan ornamental (P. fasciata)
   Salem ornamental (P. formosa)
   Fringed ornamental (P. ornata)
   Indian ornamental (P. regalis)
   Redslate ornamental (P. rufilata) x2
Psalmopoeus:
   Trinidad chevron (P. cambridgei) x0
   Suntiger (P. irminia)
   Panama blond (P. pulcher)
Pterinochilus:
   "Usambara" orange (Pterinochilus sp.) x0
Stromatopelma:
   Featherleg (S. calceatum)
Tapinauchenius:
   "Orange treespider" (T. gigas) x0
Theraphosa:
   Goliath birdeater (T. blondi)

True spiders:
   Bold jumper (Phidippus audax)
   "Tan jumping spider" (Metacyrba undata)
   Wolf spiders (Lycosa sp.?)

Myriopods:
   Florida blue centipede
     (Hemiscolopendra marginata)
   Giant Peruvian centipede
     (Scolopendra sp. "gigantea robusta")
   Red head centipede
     (Scolopendra heros castaneiceps)

Insects:
   Camaroon mantis
     (Sphodromantis sp.)
   Madagascan hissing cockroaches
     (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
   Lobster roaches
     (Naphoeta cinerea)
   House crickets
     (Acheta domesticus)

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September, 2000

Jump to day: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, Most recent entry

September 2, 2000:
The P. rufilata did arrive in good shape! I got a lot of three, one of which is going to a friend. I'm keeping the other two. They actually arrived on Thursday, but I wasn't here to recieve them so the post office held them. I picked them up Friday. They're bigger than the P. fasciata was at the same instar, and they're a greenish gray color with a red patterned abdomen. I'm posting pictures of them today.

No molts for several days now. I think the purpurea are close.

September 4, 2000:
MOLT! I discovered a discarded molt in the C. cornuatus cage, so I assume it molted sometime in the last week or so. It's impossible to tell because I can't ever see the darn thing. I assume since it was well enough to kick out the molt that it made it through without complications.

Also, I moved the C. thorelli into a new cage a couple days ago. I got some pictures while I was at it.

September 5, 2000:
MOLT! One of the A. purpurea molted early this morning. When I first looked at it I thought its abdomen was stuck and panicked, but my fears were unfounded as usual. Next time I turned around it was clearly separated from its old skin and was looking at me like I was crazy.

September 7, 2000:
MOLT! Kuni was on her back this morning when I left for work. I'll be really anxious to see how big she is when she's done.

Also, the cricket shipment arrived yesterday and everybody got an extra big meal. The B. smithi has been refusing to eat ever since it molted, but it looks like it might be coming around.

Update: Oh man! Kuni is AWESOME. She was none too happy when I went to take her molt, but she did pose for a few pictures. She's mostly stayed scrunched up though. The molt is in the most awesome possible condition. Even most of the leg joints can be freely articulated (it's like a poseable doll or something). The abdomen was easy to unfold, and I think I'll take some pictures for a quick reference on how to sex a T by exuva. The shed skin shows that she was a solid 4¾ before, so she might be 6" now if she streches out.

I threw some crickets in the cage of the C. cornuatus since it disappeared the ones I offered yesterday. One of them found a dead roach in there that I had missed and was dragging it around and eating it (even though it was twice its size). Of course, it dragged it right over near the burrow where some hairy legs were sticking out. Well, the inevitable happened, and the top of the food chain got the cricket and the dead roach in one bolous. It actually came out of its burrow (which is the first I've seen of it in a long time) and posed for the camera as it digested its meal. It made for some lovely pictures.

The "Usambara" has been moving out lots of dirt lately... I wonder what it's up to...

September 9, 2000:
MOLT! The other A. purpurea (we'll call it #2) decided to molt today. #1 accepted food just yesterday. #2 actually looks like it might have grown a slightly more even than #1.

I got a good measurement and it looks like Kuni would really have to stretch to be 6", but could be called a solid 5¾". Boots has been out and about quite a bit lately, and was easy to measure. She's a solid 4" in her normal relaxed pose.

Had a very scary moment today. I was feeding everybody when I noticed something odd. The centipede was sitting ON TOP of its cage. Fortunately, it was afraid to get off of it and get somewhere bad. Catching it was a pretty tense situation as it seemed to want to bite me badly. I put it in a larger pet pal (it appears I underestimated its growth from its molt as it seems to be able to reach the top of the smaller sized cages). I'm going to need to get something that is either completely escape proof or entirely too tall for it to scale. Of all the creatures in my closet, it is the one I would least like to find in my bed one night.

I got a batch of pinheads hatching out in the cornuatus cage. Of all the cages, that was one of the ones I would not have expected. It's relatively clean and I don't ever remember putting any adult female crickets in there.

Also, Bob waited until today to resume eating. He and Sparky should both be leaving this week.

September 11, 2000:
Sparky will be shipped out in the morning finally. Packing him was a bear as he wanted no part in it. I really had to molest him to get him in the plastic jar I was using to pack him. I was surprised he never tried to bite (he's struck the paintbrush in the past).

It seems that the P. rufilata are beginning to fast. Should be quite exciting when they molt as they are nice and plump. Several others are fasting as well. Raul is still eating with vigor; I expected her to be fasting by now.

The T. blondi isn't gaining as much weight as it should be with the amount its being fed, but it is gaining some.

September 12, 2000:
MOLT! Curly #2 molted today and will need a bigger cage.

I moved the v. platyomma and p. cambridgei to larger quarters today. The p. cambridgei was a bit of an adventure. Once coaxed out of its old cage, it ran up my arm, over my shoulder and on to my back before I even knew what was happening. It ran under my pony tail, but fortunately, I was able to move that without it getting entangled. As I was pondering how exactly to get a nervous spider off my back, it ran around my other side and on to my stomach where it investigated my navel. From there I was able to coax it on to a piece of cork bark (where I took some pictures), then into its new cage. It's not quite the adrenaline rush it used to be.

September 13, 2000:
MOLT! Speck molted today. Looks like the abdomen stripes are pretty well gone. He should be nearly full grown now, they don't get too big. A couple more molts I would guess. The molt seemed to be pretty dry and stiff, so it's possible the molt was yesterday, but I think I would have noticed. Also, speck appears to be a male from my examination of the molt.

I'm going to be gone until Sunday, so I may miss a few molts, but the closet should persist without my care.

September 19, 2000:
MOLT! I got back from my trip yesterday to find that two spiders had molted in my absence, the g. actaeon and the a. minatrix. Based on their current appearance and their appearance prior to leaving, I'm guessing that they molted on the 16th and 15th respectively. I have no way of knowing for sure though.

I fed those that looked hungry last night. Today I'll probably do a more complete feed.

Update: MOLTx2! The P. fasciata and A. avic both molted today while I was at work. The avic seemed to get quite dark and the fasciata has some yellow and grew a whole lot. I expect the rufilata to go any time now also. The other pokes also all appear to be in premolt (not sure on all of them though).

A friend at work got a Vietnamiese centipede, an M. robustum and a flower mantis. The centipede is ten times meaner than mine and was a total fright to unpack (we unpacked it at my place so I could get some pictures); it was about 10". I had it in a large round pet pal, and was trying to take pictures, but it suddenly got up over the edge going straight for my nads. It spilled on to the floor and started zooming (FAST) along. Fortunately I had a plastic cup handy and scooped it up, threw it back in and contained it with a the lid. If it was on carpet instead of linoleum it would have been able to get better traction and would be under an appliance giving me nightmares.

The mantis was really cool; it would a cricket right out of your hands, and was incredibly fascinating to watch. The centipede ate in such a way as to make one feel sorry for the roach it had in its clutches. Totally brutal. Mine is tame by comparison.

September 21, 2000:
Just about everybody got fed last night (those that are eating anyhow). The P. pulcher is VERY premolt now, quite dark and shiny. I think the Usamabara might be molting, as it is really holed itself in. The C. thorelli is probably premolt, as are all the pokes (except for the recently molted fasciata). Raul is still eating, somewhat surprisingly. The braunshauseni should be premolt, though I haven't tested its appetite, it is really fat and shiny. The smithi either has a wuss appetite or it's premolt again already. The cambridgei is still eating, but could go into premolt soon.

Update: MOLT! P. rufilata #1 molted today, and #2 is ready to go any minute, literally (it seems to be in its molting position right at this moment, just after midnight). They're already getting pretty dramatic; I don't know if I'll be able to stand it when they get big!

September 22, 2000:
P. rufilata #2 didn't molt during the night and was moving around again this morning. Also, I forgot to mention it last night, but Bob made a sperm web yesterday. He'll be shipping out monday.

September 23, 2000:
MOLTx3! P. rufilata #2, the P. regalis and the P. pulcher all molted this morning before I woke up. The rufilata appears to have grown slightly more than #1, the regalis may need to be moved, as might the pulcher. The T. gigas seems to have entered pre-molt in ernest as its legs are getting darker. Likewise, the C. thorelli could molt any time now.

Update: MOLT! The C. thorelli molted later in the day. The regalis looks like it's an easy 4".

September 24, 2000:
P. rufilata #1 posed against the side of its cage today, and it was just a hair shy of 1¾". I think #2 is slighly larger and may actually saftely be called 1¾, but I'll have to wait for it to pose against the side to be able to see for sure.

Update: Wow, #2 is easily 1¾, it's nearly 2 when it's in its stretched out pose. It doesn't seem that big because it's so leggy and skinny, but the ruler doesn't lie!

September 25, 2000:
MOLT! I awoke this morning to discover that my A. braunshauseni and T. gigas molted during the night. The braunshauseni looks really cool from what I can see of it in its web.

Also, Bob shipped out this morning. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Update: MOLT! The P. ornata molted while I was at work. It's gotta be pretty big, so I'm definately going to move it into a aquarium of some sort, possibly the 2.5 gallon vacated by Tick. I may even go to something big enough for a permanent home. I think a 5.5 gallon (roughly 8"x10"x16") is probably big enough as that would give an 8" spider plenty of room to stretch out on any side.

September 28, 2000:
MOLT! The P. formosa just finished molting before I got home from work. The rash of molts should be over for a while now, except for a few here and there. I shouldn't be getting multiple molts every other day for a while.

I got a shipment of crickets yesterday. My supply of large crickets was still OK, but most of my small crickets had grown into medium sized ones or had been eaten. It was getting tricky sorting out the smallest ones for the smallest spiders. That shouldn't be a problem now. (-:

Update: I was able to retrieve the formosa's skin, and the abdomen unfolded without too much trouble. As near as I can tell, it's male. It seems to be growing faster than the regalis and ornata right now (it's almost caught up to the regalis in size with this molt), so perhaps they're female. I also retrieved their molts, but they were too far gone to sex.

Also, just as I thought the molts were over for a spell, I notice that several spiders are premolt or nearly. The B. smithi is quite shiny (but not yet dark), and hasn't eaten much for a while, the V. platyomma has stopped eating, the P. cambridgei is very premolt, the T. blondi is hesitant to eat (seems to be struggling with catching the crickets also), the Usambara hasn't been out in a long time and the C. cornuatus has thrown up a silk veil on both tunnel entrances (though they may be temporary).

I also moved a couple spiders. Curly #2 got moved to a small round pet-pal, and the A. avic got moved to a medium sized pet-pal tipped on end (like those for the formos and regalis).

September 29, 2000:
MOLT! The P. cambridgei molted. I retrived the skin, but it was too small or too mangled to sex.

September 30, 2000:
I moved the P. ornata today, and it measured in at almost exactly 5" in the standard poke pose. These pokes grow FAST! I moved it into a 5.5 gallon aquarium and got some good pictures in the process. This should hopefully last through adulthood. I also moved the A. braunshauseni into a medium pet pal (like the regalis, formosa, etc.) It's starting to look pretty darn good and could be measured at a solid 3". I have lots of pictures of lots of spiders to upload, so there may be a big update later tonight.