My Spiderlings
My spiderling collection is quite vast and currently consists of many specimens ranging from tiny 1cm s'lings to 4cms plus. I add to this collection regularly so it is quite hard to include definite numbers.
To date I have:
1 x Giant Pink toe A. sp "Amazonica"
A very small little 1cm spider at the minute that will grow up to be a big avic species with black legs and carapace with a bright red abdomen.
1 x Big Gold Bend Aphonopelma caniceps
This is a nice sized specimen at about 3cm and will grow into a medium sized golden brown spider that is docile and nice natured.
My sling is a good feeder and eats everything it is offered.
1 x Greenbottle Blue Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (pictured on left 2nd from top)
Perhaps one of my favourites the Green Bottle Blue is a really stunning spiderling. At 2cms it has a tiger striped rump, gold highlighted carapace and golden legs with black tips. These colours will change entirely when it grows into a splendid green, blue and gold coloured spider.
My specimen has laid a lot of web and is doing well on small crickets twice weekly.
2 x Usumbara Baboon Pterinochilus murinus
Also known as "Orange Bitey Things" or "Orange Demon Spiders" these spiders have a reputation for being bad tempered and mean.
My two spiderlings are only 2cm and already they are fiesty specimens. They are already a rich orange colour and give me some trouble containing them, a frantic dash to catch an escaped Usumbara Baboon across the carpet is not unheard of.
So in conclusion these are mean, fast, unpredictable spiders, which are not much more controllable as spiderlings.
They prefer a semi arboreal set up and build a spectacular web retreat to live in.
4 x Mexican Red Knee Brachypelma smithi
Like most Brachypelma species these guys are slow growers taking around five years to reach maturity. I have had my four for six months and though they eat well and shed regularly they haven't grown much in the way of leg span.
As yet these 1-2cm creatures are tiny pink, hairless spiders that don't much resemble the beauties they will someday become.
2 x Chaco Golden Knee Grammostola pulcheripes
These spiders as adults have gorgeous golden markings on their knees and legs. My two are both very small at just 1cm. They are pale pink and hairless, and can be fickle feeders. They will only feed if the humidity is optimum for them, and though they are not reportedly a digging species, my two have both been busy digging and constructing deep burrows in their containers.
1 x Horned Baboon Ceratogyrus cornuatus
Like many baboon spiders the horned baboon lays down a lot of web. My small 2cm specimen has webbed all over its container and sits within a series of web tubes inside the general web mess.
The interesting thing about the horned baboon is the horn that the adults have on top of the carapace. No specific use for the horn has ever been decided, however it does make for a cool looking spider.
Update:
This spider is now a beautiful 1 inch specimen and has been put up for sale.
1 x Fort Hall Baboon Pterinochilus lugardi
I can safely say, that even though this spiderling is only 1cm in size, I fear it. It is very fast, and whenever I open its container or pick it up, it zooms around and around very quickly, and I have had to chase it on escape rampages more than once.
Very pale in colour, this little spider will grow to be a little known, pale coloured baboon species with lots of attitude.
1 x Red Slate Ornamental Poecilotheria rufilata
One of the largest of the ornamental species and also one of the prettiest. My specimen is close to becoming a juvenile at 4cm in legspan. It is very fast growing, and has an appetite to boot.
It is also fast moving and very skittish. I use a feeding tube inserted in the top of its jar to insert crickets as this spider would probably be up my arm and down my back in a split second if I opened the jar. Moving this spider to a bigger container in the near future is going to be a challenge.
1 x Brazilian Black Grammostola pulchra
When I first obtained my Brazilian black it was furry and white. It was 2cm then and has grown to be 3cms now. Its colour has darkened and it now has a jet black abdomen. When it is due to moult this spider digs a deep burrow and seals itself in. It can be up to two months before it emerges to take food again.
Adult Brazilian Blacks are very beautiful, velvet black spiders, as docile as tarantulas come. I very much look forward to watching mine grow.
1 x Brazilian Pink Pamphobeteus sp. "platyomma" (pictured on the left 3rd from top)
At 3cm this is one of my biggest terrestrial spiderlings and also one of the most beautiful. It has a very striking abdomen with black triangle stripes in a pink/red background. The legs are purple/blue and the carapace light pink.
Update:
This spider has moulted is now 5cm and has lost its sling colours, very much a juvie now.
It eats up to four crickets a week and is growing very fast into what I believe will be a very big spider.
1 x Giant Ecuador Birdeater Pamphobeteus sp.
This spiderling looks very similar to the Brazilian Pink only it has bright blue legs and is more vivid in colour. It is 4cm in size and very skittish, racing around and around its container when disturbed. It eats 4 crickets a week and is growing very fast for a terrestrial species. I'm looking forward to discovering what it will look like and how big it will grow. This spider is very near a juvie now and has been put up for sale.
1 x Martinique Pink Toe Avicularia versicolor (pictured on the left at the top)
Perhaps the most beautiful of the pink toe spiders, the Martinique Pink toe is a very cute spiderling. Blue green in colour and just 2cm in size, it lives in a arboreal retreat at the top of its jar, taking a good amount of crickets.
When adult it will be an array of metallic pinks and purple, and a very striking specimen.
1 x Curly Hair Brachypelma albopilosum
A fast grower, I've seen my little 1cm specimen grow to be a 3cm beauty. It feeds very well and likes to spend a good amount of time in the open.
I have an adult one of these and it is stunning, so I am looking forward to watching this baby one progress.
1 x Bolivian Long Hair Plesiopelma sp. "Bolivia"
This little s'ling has proven to be a deep burrower and a fast grower. It has moulted approx once a month and continues to do so. Crickets simply don't last long in its environment.
It's an unusal species and I am really looking forward to seeing it flourish into adulthood.
1 x Costa Rican Tiger Rump Cyclosternum fasciatum
A very small specimen at the moment, possibly the smallest of my entire collection. However these spiders are fast growers and my little spider has already moulted once under my care.
This dwarf species is a particularly beautiful spider with an orange carapace and a tiger striped rump. My little spider has just moulted again, and although it is just 2cm in size now, it has the first little tiger stripes beginning to show.
3 x Indian Ornamental Poecilotheria regalis (pictured on the left 2nd from bottom)
I am very proud of my community of Indian ornamentals. At the moment it consists of three specimens with a 5cm leg span. They have built an extensive web which they live in together and they even assist each other in taking down bigger pray items.
It is my hope to add to this community and in time develope a growing thriving, breeding community.
7 x Trinidad Chevron Psalmopoeus cambridgei (pictured on the left at the bottom)
Like the Venezualan Sun Tiger this arboreal spider is a fast growing species and the two look very similar as spiderlings. Unlike the Sun Tiger this spider is not as stikingly marked and is slightly more chunky.
A very good looking species non the less and a nice addition to my collection.
My biggest specimen is about 4cm and not far off being a juvie, the other 6 are little 1cm jobs.
1 x Venezualan Sun Tiger Psalmopoeus irminia (pictured 3rd from bottom on the left)
In my view this is one of the most beautiful spiderlings available. From an early age it has a tiger striped rump, brown carapace and boldly marked gold and black legs.
My specimen is particurly dear to me as it was in fact the first spiderling I ever acquired. It is growing very fast and is now much bigger than it is pictured here. I am planning to move it into juvenile accommodation in less than a month, and am expecting it to make maturity in about a year's time.
Update:
My spider is about 6cm now and more a juvie then a sling.
1 x Panama Blonde Psalmopoeus pulcher (pictured 4th from bottom on left)
Another beautiful arboreal species. The panama blonde is covered with golden hair and makes a great display spider. My specimen is currently 3cm, and already a very pretty spider. It is said these tarantulas are less aggressive than other members of this family, so time will tell if mine will live up to this.
Update:
This spider is now 5cm and about to have a tank upgrade, also more of a juvie than a sling now.
1 x Violet Earth Tiger Chilbrachys fimbriatus
This is a little known, somewhat rare species, and my specimen has grown quite quickly from a 1cm to a 2cm fat and healthy s'ling. It has laid a lot of web and filled up its container. At the moment it is jet black and I'm intrigued to discover how its colouration will progress.
1 x Red Rump Tree Spider Thrixopelma ockerti
A very, very pretty semi arboreal tarantula, which looks very impressive as an adult. It is blue-black in colour with a bright red-orange abdomen. My specimen is growing fast and eating well. It is a valuable addition to my collection. My specimen is currently about 2.5cm and with the next moult I suspect some of the colours will begin to show.
10 x Salmon Pink Lasiodora parahybana
These tarantulas are reputed to be the third biggest of them all. Fast growing and a great display species, I found it a must have and so consequently have two in my collection. One is currently at 3cm and growing well, and the other one came to me at a tiny 0.5cm and in less than a month has doubled to be 1cm.
I have added some more of these to my collection. they are eating everything and growing very well indeed.
1 x Chilean Rose Grammostola rosea RCF
A classic pet spider species that almost every tarantula keeper has. Despite them being common and cheap I actually think the humble chile rose is a very remarkable spider and in my view they make some of the best display spiders and serve as the tarantula "hook" when attracting people to the hobby.
My specimen is 2cm and eating well.
4 x Chilean Rose Grammostola rosea NCF
I have four of these little guys and they are only 1cm at the moment. They came to me in poor condition so I am hoping they will start picking up and making progress.
They are the same as the RCF but have the original brownish colouration instead of the red.
1 x Mexican Red Rump Brachypelma vagans
These are slow growers much like the Mexican red knee, however like many of the Mexican spiders they are very beautiful and as adults make superb, hardy display species.
Black in colour with red rumps (as suggested by the name) they are a very pretty tarantula
My specimen is currently 3cm and has the first bit of colour showing.
1 x White Striped Bird eater Nhandu chromatus
One of my favourites, as adults these have black and white striped legs, a red abdomen and black carapace. my specimen is just 2cm and spends a lot of time in its deep burrow. It is however making excellent progress, and with its latest moult a very faint hint of the coming colours has begun to show.
This spider has moulted into a 3cm specimen and now sports the first of its adult colouration quite prominently.
1 x kilimanjaro Mustard Baboon Pterinochilus chordatus
A nice baboon species, that like all baboon spiders is aggressive in temperament and a heavy webber. My specimen is 2cm in leg span and has filled its container with web. It moults often and eats well, and is growing at a good speed.
This spider is now a beautiful 1 inch specimen and I have popped it up for sale.
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So there you have my current spiderling collection.
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