Strike a Pose!

So, I'd been going on about how the little girl is growing and getting a nice figure on her and I decided I should have another go at photographing her so you can have a look for yourself.

Photographing spiders is tricky. They don't like light, as slings they are pretty much the same colour as the substrate and are really difficult to get a good auto focus on. Still, here is my best effort:

You can see the legs and pedipalps (leg like appendages at the front) quite clearly and also make out the eyes. The abdomen is now quite large and getting a bit darker. Notice the black spot on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, this spot was the total size of the abdomen when Red arrived!

Last night I added a tiny piece of cork bark in to the spiderling pot and created a small depression underneath it to act as a hide. I'm hoping Red will want to investigate this. Even if she doesn't go under it she may like to sit on it for a different texture and elevation to experience.

Anyone for Cricket?

Red is turning out to be a master hunter. Last night I caught her a small cricket, which was about twice the size of a micro cricket, and popped it into a feeding vial. To avoid disturbing her, and as I thought these crickets would have a bit more jump in them, I left the lid on the sling pot and tipped it down the feeding vial access that is fitted into the lid.

True to form as soon as the cricket hit the ground Red was on it in a flash, but in a manner reminiscent of the first encounter with the bean weevil she jumped off again!

The cricket hopped to the opposite side of the spiderling pot. I wondered what Red would do, and if I would have to remove the cricket.

A minute or so later the cricket started to walk around the perimeter of the pot, towards Red. This was make-or-break I thought, how would Red react? Last time she did this with the weevil she didn't want any part of it. Not this time!

Learning from her previous life experience she pounced on the cricket for a second time and this time hung on! She dragged it over her burrow entrance and finished the job.

I think I'll leave it until Sunday night to feed her again, I don't want to over do it. I feed her every other day and only one prey item, that's no where near over-feeding her but I don't want to take the risk. Really over-feeding can shorten their lives, I have read.

For the time being, I'm just glad she's showing healthy natural instincts and is eating well.

Go sling! Go!

I was very proud of my girl last night.

I was out of micro crickets and only have bean weevils for her, and I was certain she needed feeding. I decided to try another weevil despite the aborted attempt last time out.

I took the entire spiderling pot out of the terrarium and removed the lid, this way I could drop the weevil right next to her rather than down the feeding vial.

It worked a treat!

The second the weevil landed on the substrate, about an inch away from the spiderling she shot on to it and grabbed it with her jaws. The weevil was fighting back and scrabbling it legs about. The spiderling readjusted her position and tried to hitch her legs up, resting some of them on the sling pot walls to keep them out of the way, all the time attacking the potential prey.

I really didn't think such a battle would ensue and I was poised to intervene should the spiderling look in trouble. I need not have worried, in an example of ringmanship that any fighter would have been proud of the tiny tarantula held on to her prey and used the edges of the pot to her advantage and to keep her limbs out of the action. She was also elevating her position to stop the kicking weevil from using the ground to get purchase.

She then showed what an intelligent hunter she is. She carried the scrapping bean weevil over to her burrow hole and suspended her body and the prey over the drop into the hole. This meant that she could keep herself safe and give no advantage to the weevil until she was victorious.

Eventually she was, and she took her prey onto the flat surface of the substrate to slowly consume it, which she did over the course of an hour.

She has a fat little tummy now, sorry - I meant a full abdomen! I doubt she will want to feed again for a couple of days so I'll leave her be.

I've ordered some more micro crickets to keep her diet varied, but its good to know she can take a weevil. Someone on the Arachnophiles forum suggested that her reaction to the previous weevil might have been because it fought back at her, it looks like she has learnt from this and over come it. Good girl! :)

What's in a Name?

I'm really not sure on a name for the baby B.Boehmei but I have been giving it some thought. I wanted it to be unisex as I have no idea of the gender of the spiderling yet, and won't do for some time. After the killer instinct it showed the other day I came up with calling him/her: Asesino. It's Spanish for "Killer!"

It sounds pretty cool and reflects the spiders Mexican heritage. What do you think? My girlfriend suggested trying the name out and see if it fits, so I think I'll do that. Any alternative suggestions can be posted in the comments section! Sorry Iain, "Polly Jean" just didn't seem to suit her!

Back to the spider itself, last night I thought I'd feed her again. I dropped a cricket in and was a little disappointed that she didn't react straight away again. Maybe she wasn't that hungry. I watched for a while but the cricket wisely kept out of her way. I went to have my dinner, which didn't contain crickets, and on my return little Asesino had fed!

On returning the spiderling pot to the terrarium (I had taken it out too add the cricket) I accidentally jolted the pot a little and the sling bolted to her burrow. I was upset that I'd disturber her, but also quite happy that she new where "home" was and associated it with safety. This is a very natural reaction and I wish to look after her in a way that preserves her natural instincts.

On inspecting the burrow I observed that she had widened it a little, putting her own personal stamp on it. No doubt she will continue to do this as she gets bigger and stronger.