Yesterday my wife called me at work to tell me my package had arrived. I was excited like a kid on Christmas morning. I had ordered a new tarantula from dealer in Arizona I'd done business with before. I figured there should be no problems and the 4.5" female was at a really good price. After I came home about four, I grabbed the box cutter and carefully sliced through the tape. Pulled back off layer of styrofoam, peeled back the newspaper and there it was! A 160z plastic tub that you might find at the supermarket full of potato salad, all taped up and nestled in a deep bed of crumpled newspaper. I pulled it out out and pulled off the lid ,removing the cushion of moist paper towels and found.....a tarantula in the classic "death curl", legs all folded and pulled up underneath her. I tried everything but she was a goner. I sent a message to my friend in Phoenix and he is sending me a replacement on Monday for her. He also sent a free P. murinus. These fiesty little burrowing, old world tarantulas are from Africa and Angola and come in several colors, this one a bright orange commonly called OBT, for "orange bitey thing". They can be extremely agressive and defensive and over time will fill their enclosure with clouds of silk. It is only 1 inch in diameter but I dropped him a cricket slightly larger than himself, and he did'nt hesitate to tackle it.
I really hate that the flagstaff did'nt make the trip alive, but sometimes that just happens no matter how cautious you prepare. The murinus will make a great addition and should grow pretty fast. I have a female already that is over 4 inches after last molt. Gorgeous little beasts.
I guess I can wait until next week for my Aphonopelma, I have no choice anyway and just hope the weather warms as its forecast. I am posting up a couple of pics. The one in my hand is the deceased flagstaff and the other is the tiny murinus sling (spiderling). Good thing I just bought more crickets. I housed the little OBT in a small Beta tank with a couple of inches of peat moss and he's already dug in started webbing it up. That puts me at 35 with another 2 coming next week. I also have a velvet black demon from Thailand coming in next week. Haplopelma species, these are even more aggressive that the P. murinus and fast as greased lightning. That should get my heart rate up, transfering it from the shipping box into its new home! I may be blogging about my tarantula attack next week, lol. Back later.
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