Whitetoe (Boots) (Aviculara metallica) Quick stats: Type: Arboreal Size (approx): 5" Male?, 3 @ ½ unsexed Feeding: Large crickets Enclosure: 2.5 gallon aquarium Substrate: 1½" deep bed-a-beast Furnishings: Water dish, cork bark for climbing. Temp/Humidity: 80-84°F, 70-75% Humidity Temperment: Very docile, but speedy and sometimes jumpy Recieved From: Pet Center USA on 10/20/1999, Realm of Inverts on 01/10/2001. The A. metallica's photo album

She's getting prettier!

Species Information: I purchased this spider at the same time as Tick. The common names for this species include iridescent pinktoe, metallic pinktoe, and whitetoe. Confusing names like that are why we have latin names! I named her (well, I can hope it's a she) Boots for her funny black (now pink) feet. I was going to name her Lars, but just about every single A. metallica I've seen on the web has been named Lars, Kirk or James, and Jason wouldn't be interesting at all. I could have said Nancy, but that's just silly. Avicularia metallica is native to Columbia. They are among the largest and most docile of the Avicularia.

Feeding: She started on small crickets, but she's graduated up to larger ones and is getting an occasional zoophoba and roach now (she's hesitant to eat the zoophobas though). Her appetite has improved since she was small, but it's not anything to write home about.

Housing: The enclosure is a 2.5 gallon aquarium on end. The front is 3 pieces of plexiglass, 2" to hold in the substrate, 2" for a door, and then the rest. There are ventilation holes in the door and at the top of the main piece. She's got the standard water dish and cork bark slab for climbing. I keep her cage in the 70-75% humidity range with the water dish, moist substrate and occasional mistings. I think that most people overestimate the humidity required for Avicularia. She does tend to like it a bit more humid than Tick, but if it gets up towards 80%, she seems to pout. Ventilation is key. As with all the other spiders, she's kept in the spider room which is usually 80-84°F. She's constructed a pretty massive web retreat encompasing much of the upper part of the cage.

Temperment: She's generally calm and docile. She's mostly like Tick, but not quite as fast. She sometimes jumps an dashes a bit though when excited. I've handled her a couple times, and though she's totally non-agressive, she does tend to run about and jump (with surprising accuracy). I have to be careful that she doesn't get herself into trouble when handling her, but other than that, she seems to deal with it pretty well.

She's soft to the touch.

Molting: Boots:   Date   Old LS   New LS     11/14/1999   ¾"?   1¼"?     01/11/2000   1¼"?   1¾"?     02/19/2000   1¾"?   2¼"?      - Notes: Big color change.   04/01/2000   2¼"?   2¾"?      - Notes: Abdomen chevrons basically gone.   05/16/2000   2¾"?   3¼"?     07/05/2000   3¼"?   3¾"     08/29/2000   3¾"   4½"     11/13/2000   4½"?   5"?   Note: I missed some molts for the three below between 04/19/2001 and 05/10/2001. #2   Date   Old LS   New LS     02/02/2001   ½"?   ¾"?      - Notes: Lost legs III and IV on the left side.   03/17/2001   ¾"?   7/8"?      - Notes: Both legs have regenerated, but are quite small yet functional.   #3   Date   Old LS   New LS     02/10/2001   ½"?   ¾"?     03/26/2001   ¾"?   1"?     #4   Date   Old LS   New LS     03/08/2001   ½"?   ¾"?     04/21/2001   &frac43;"?   1"?      - Notes: Not sure of exact date..

A really fantastic picture of a nickel with a couple shots of Boots's shed skin for scale. (11/14/1999 molt)

Copyright ©1999-2010 Thomas Schumm