The Grinch (Brachypelma vagans) Quick stats: Type: Terrestrial/burrower Size (approx): 5" female Feeding: Large crickets, roaches, zoophobas, etc. Enclosure: 5.5 gallon aquarium Substrate: 4" deep bed-a-beast/potting soil Furnishings: Cork bark shelter, water dish Temp/Humidity: 80-84°F, 60-75% humidity Temperment: Usually a fairly docile species, mine is the rather defensive exception Purchased From: Local pet shop on 01/21/2000 The Grinch's photo album

This species is hard to photograph. The pictures don't really represent how they look. They're as velvety black as spiders come, with beautiful long red hairs on their abdomen and a creamy outline of their carapace.

Species Information: Brachypelma vagans is commonly called the "Mexican redrump" or "Mexican black velvet". It is a burrowing species found in Mexico and other parts of Central America. They like higher humidity than B. smithi or B. boehmei, but not horribly high (65-75%?) They're pretty hardy and fairly docile, but can be skittish.

Feeding: She woofed down a couple crickets as soon as I got her and has gotten more voracious with each molt. This species has a very strong appetite. She could crickets much larger than her size would lead one to believe. Her name was derived from the cruelty with which she treats her food. She's grown quickly in my care, and is now accepting the occasional roach and zoophoba in addition to the staple diet of crickets.

Here she is, digesting a cricket treat.

Housing: She's in the 5.5 gallon aquarium that was vacated by Bob when he went off for breeding. A cork shelter and water dish are provided. She hasn't had a chance to burrow much yet, but she has a great deal in the past, so I expect that she may. Between moist substrate, a water dish and occasional misting, her humidity is usually around 65-75% I would say. The room is about 80-84°F.

Temperment: She doesn't generally seem aggressive, but she has this odd threat posture where she raises her rump way up in the air prior to kicking hairs. She's also snapped at me a few times when I pestered her too much to move around. Toward crickets she shows little mercy. She'll kill some instantly, but others she'll simply disable, then tie down inside her burrow with silk allowing them to die slowly as she goes to work on other projects.

She's pretty active when it's dark, but she tends to be a bit camera shy.

Molting:   Date   Old LS   New LS     02/18/2000   2"?   2½"?     04/04/2000   2¾"?   3½"?     05/30/2000   3½"?   4"?      - Notes: Sexed as female.   08/23/2000   4"?   5"?

The Grinch's shed skin, 02/18/2000 molt.

Copyright ©1999-2008 Thomas Schumm