Antilles pinktoe (Avicularia versicolor)

Quick stats:
Type: Arboreal
Size (approx): 4½", 1½"? legspan
Feeding: Appropriately size crickets, roaches
Enclosure: 2.5 gallon aquarium, Vial
Substrate: 1-2" deep potting soil
Furnishings: Cork bark for climbing
Temp/Humidity: 80-84°F, 70-80% humidity
Temperment: Quite flightly and jumpy, but fairly docile
Recieved on: 10/20/1999, 10/26/2000

A. versicolor photo album

  A. versicolor
Still just a blue baby.

Species Information:
I've have/had two tarantulas of this species - Tick, who matured into a male on 07/09/2000, and a spiderling (#2) who I purchased on 10/26/2000 as a replacement for Tick who was sent of for breeding.

Avicularia versicolor is native to the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. They are a VERY attractive arboreal species and are like other members of their genus in most respects. From what I've read they tend to be somewhat hardier than other Avicularia and will thrive in slightly lower humidity (75%?). They are considered non-aggressive, but they are quite fast.

Feeding:
The spiderling is still getting small crickets. Tick had worked his way up to large crickets, zoophobas and MHCs by the time he was full grown. 		 Crickets! Mmmmm, tasty!
Still eating little ones.

Housing:
The spiderling lives in a large vial that was used to ship something else. The substrate is about an inch of potting soil. There's a piece of cork bark for climbing.

Tick lived in a container, like the P. irminia's. It was a 2.5 gallon aquarium set up on end. The bottom two inches of the opening are covered with plexiglass to hold in the substrate. The next two inches are a door with ventilation holes. The rest is a big door that stays in place most of the time with ventilation holes at the top. There is a terra cotta water dish and a cork bark slab for climbing. He's built a web between the cork bark and the top of the cage.

I try to keep the humidity around 70-75%. It's usually about 80-84°F in my spider room, where they are kept. Because they're still really too small for a water dish, humidity is maintained by misting and moist substrate (Tick, of course, had a water dish).

Both spiders constructed nice webs in their cages.

Temperment:
This species is gentle, yet flighty. Tick lived up to that reputation, as should the new 'ling. 		  The versicolor crawling across my watchband.
It likes to run everywhere.

Molting:
Tick
 Date  Old LS  New LS 
 11/22/1999  1¾"?  2¼"? 
 01/22/2000  2¼"?  2¾"? 
 03/01/2000  2¾"?  3½"? 
  - Notes: Large color change compared to previous molts.
 04/22/2000  3½"?  4"? 
 07/09/2000  4"?  4½" 
  - Notes: Mature male!
  #2
 Date  Old LS  New LS 
 11/15/2000  ¾"?  1"? 
 12/19/2000  1"?  1¼"? 
 01/24/2001  1¼"?  1½"? 
 03/13/2001  1½"?  2"? 

Copyright ©1999-2008 Thomas Schumm