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My favorite child is growing! Spider content.

So my favorite pet tarantula, Ultra-5, a Salmon Pink Birdeater, molted a few days ago. When I got it a couple of years ago, it was no bigger across than a dime. It's not full grown yet, but when it is it will be anywhere from 8-12 inches across. I know the pics are a little blurry but I snapped them at 5:30am and I was a bit groggy - I was just really excited to see it out and wandering around. In another week or so, I'll upgrade him to bigger food, probably a juvenile mouse (it's been eating superworms and baby mice for the past couple months). I love this spider! To give you an idea, in the top pic, the distance from tip to tip of the longest splayed-out legs is about 7.5 inches. Its fangs are over 1cm long.

Vadim050.jpg


Vadim051.jpg
 
How do you know it won't bite you?

-Mike

Ha! I know for a fact it WILL, so I never give it the chance. Actually, this guy is my most docile of the three. And by docile, I mean, if I drop a drop of water on the ground next to it, he will attack, thinking the vibrations mean food. I would never attempt to handle it.

My other two (an Indian Violet and Togo Starburst) are smaller, but way faster and more venemous. The Indian Violet is actually venemous enough that getting bit would mean major agony. Probably a swollen arm for a day or two. The Togo, I hear, is pretty close to that also.
 
Superworms are Leopard Gecko food.

That's kewl to see. I can identify with your excitement. Got any "Ultra 5 Growing Up" pictures?

We have an emperor scorpion named Ben, after the Bebop Cola episode of Sealab 2021. He is only in his third instar (time between molting). It was cool when he molted. He basically went from a turd with legs, claws and a stinger to the archetypal scorpion body shape (only little) We kept the exo-skeleton.

We are proud parents. It's been a while since he has shed though....we'll have to do some checking around.

Before Molting
ben3.jpg


After Molting
ben5.jpg
 
Did him "leaving this world" have anything to do with you biting him back? Maybe a little too hard?

On the other hand, how do they taste?

He bit me really hard that one,last time.I lost my temper and...thats the reason I turned vegan,everything tastes like him since the incident.:(

:p

Man I miss that kid...

You had a bird? Did you vaccuum it?

hahaha:p
 
I owned a Mexican red Legged Tarantula for about 7 years, gave it away to a nature center years ago.

Red Legged ones were very tame. You worry more about hurting the spider that yourself. I was allergic to the hairs. It would make my arms break out in a rash when I handled her. Funny how they always want to climb toward your head when you hold them.

Mine escaped several times, But I found her. I got tired more of the live food issue. Crickets are disgusting to keep.

Like Tropical fish it became just another chore I had to do and grew tired of it.