S. calceatum: vicious arachnid or 8-legged bunny?

Check out the propganda:

Late yesterday afternoon we recieved a shipment from Frank Somma up in New York. As I was busy seperating out slings from an eggsac of Brachypelma sabulosum, which by the way noone has sucessfully bred in years (yeah for us) here in the U.S., John dove into it and began unpacking the afore-mentioned package.
As I was getting close to being finished, having housed exactly 373 slings, I asked John if he needed any help, to which he replies:
"Not really, I got the G. pulchras done, but I saved the S. calceatum for you to unpack."
"Ahh, geez John, thanks."
So, in the midst of getting everything organized, packed, and ready for the Carlsbad trip, I also had that to look forward to in the morning.

(Let it be known that I employ a double edge of sarcasm and self-deprication in my spiels...I love my job and I love tarantulas. I have been bitten a few times, and yeah, it hurts, sometimes much longer than others, but the spiritual pain of doing something else is tantamount to something invented by DeSade, so...)

First thing this morning I decide to just get it out of the way, so I grab the pill bottles containing those notoriously evil little slings and get down to business.
I am not sure how many of you are familar with this particular species, but those of you that are, humor me for a few minutes of patronization.
I have read a few bite reports on the calceatums but my favorite is found in the pages of Exothermae magazine No. 1. It is too bad this magazine isn't around, they only produced 2 issues.
A few qoutes from an article written by Phillip Charpentier after a trip to Africa:
"The man immediately came down the tree, without the spider and was tended to at once with an Aspevenin extractor. Pain spread quickly to his elbow, then to his shoulder and chest area. After 3 1/2 hours, he had heart contractions that were extremely painful adn lasted for a full half hour..." "and after the second day, his hand had swollen to twice it's normal size."
Another: (this one is key, it applies later on}
"Instead of running, the soldier just kept staring and the Stromatopelma landed on the side of his face, darted forward and gave him a nasty bite on the side of the neck." "I am sure that without the immediate intervention of a primed and ready venom extraction kit, this young fellow might well have died. His throat was swollen and the pain radiated to his face, optical nerves, chest with heart contractions starting less than two hours after the bite, with pain spreading downwards to his gonads..." *

So there I am, unpacking 18 of these terrifying, monsterous, venom pregnant tarantulas. I had a few of these guys attempt escapes during the tranfer to their new homes, but nothing too heart-stopping.
Until the last one.
I open the pill bottle, pull out the "pig-in-a-blanket" paper towel packing material and see the T peeking his front legs out of the bottom. I grab my trusty chopstick and attempt to prod him forth into his new digs with a few tender taps on his abdomen.
He quickly darts out, up the chopstick, up my arm, and dissapears from sight.
Ok, no problem, this has happened countless times. Usually they stop on the other side of my shirt, just below my shoulder. I slowly pinch a bit of material from my shirt at the neck line and pull it towards me to see if this is where it got off to.
Wait a sec.
Why does my face tickle?
That is when I realize that this guy is sitting on my cheek, just
below my
left
EYE!

"Extraction kit!"
"Would have died!"
"Gonads!!!"

Ok, so a million thoughts are running through my head.

Would John suck out the poison?
Would I be ok with that?
Would I be too ok with that?
Hey, Pirates of the Carribean made a gazillion dollars so the pirate look is in, right?
I could pull off an eye patch, couldn't I?
What music do I want played at my funeral?
My mom wouldn't override my choices would she?
Would she dress me funny to get the last laugh?
Would all the girls who turned me down in high school be there, crying, "I never got to tell him my true feelings, that so many times I dreamed of pushing him onto Mr. Rhinehearts Lab desk and ravishing him for hours!"
Great! I didn't get to go to Carlsbad last year, two of my friends hauled around a caricature of me drawn on a piece of cardboard with red and black sharpies, and this year I will be a story they tell at Spider Bob's after a few beers.

And while these thoughts were rushing around my head, the calceatum had darted back down my face and was sitting on my chest. I grabbed a deli cup, trapped him under it, and wrangled him into his new home.

The above story has been dramatized and over-sensationalized for entertainment purposes.

Ok, there it is. Another story from the guy who ate a mouse.

*The referenced article goes on to tell how in captivity these T's have never delivered a bite that resulted in any serious conditions. So don't go rushing to buy a suit of armour to have to deal with these guys. Yeah, I could have told you that earlier, but I didn't.

Just always practice caution, and do this with any T, for your sake as well as theirs.

Eric.
www.e-spiderworld.com

Lol, i like you're sense of humor, almost like mine.

Thats fantastic. Thanks for sharing.


...gonads

Yes, great story!

I bought a couple of 1.25" slings 8 months ago, and they're growing very quickly. They're temperament has been without exception (so far) quite timid - no defensive antics whatsoever (again -- so far). But they do spend a great deal of time out of they're hide, checking out the view. They head for the hole when its feeding time until things settle down, unlike some of my pokies that catch crickets in mid-air. In summary, although I give the S calceatum a great deal of respect because of the bite reports, I haven't had any sort of a scare....so far. Great bugs.

My question: I want to move them into their final housing before next molt. I like to use fish tanks turned on end, with a custom lid w/ door I make out of acrylic. (BTW, I've not had any problems with acrylic warping). I cant figure out how big these things are going to get. Some sources say 4.5 - 5". A friend says expect larger, especially since they seem to be doing so well. So, how much space should I give these "eight-legged bunnies" in my house that already has too many spiders?...

temperment all depends on the individual t and it's *mood* that day.. although many people have said something like, "my OBT, King baboon, cobalt blue, etc... isn't aggresive and let's me roam around it's tank without a problem" i still don't think it's fair to say or tell others like newbies that their defensivness is over-rated.. that's just me and my experiences though.. i have an OBT who sometimes won't mind me opening the lid and causing ruckus but other times it goes nuts into threat postures and striking at the ground... just my thoughts though, not too debate with all the people who have nice defensive t's (lucky $@$%#%s) heh..

that said, funny story... lol... i never posted in the feeder one but that was a classic..

DE3 said:

Yes, great story!

I bought a couple of 1.25" slings 8 months ago, and they're growing very quickly. They're temperament has been without exception (so far) quite timid - no defensive antics whatsoever (again -- so far). But they do spend a great deal of time out of they're hide, checking out the view. They head for the hole when its feeding time until things settle down, unlike some of my pokies that catch crickets in mid-air. In summary, although I give the S calceatum a great deal of respect because of the bite reports, I haven't had any sort of a scare....so far. Great bugs.

My question: I want to move them into their final housing before next molt. I like to use fish tanks turned on end, with a custom lid w/ door I make out of acrylic. (BTW, I've not had any problems with acrylic warping). I cant figure out how big these things are going to get. Some sources say 4.5 - 5". A friend says expect larger, especially since they seem to be doing so well. So, how much space should I give these "eight-legged bunnies" in my house that already has too many spiders?...

Click to expand...

A 10 gallon on end would be a sufficiently sized habitat.
As far as the acryilic goes, just keep in mind that S. calceatum lives in a very dry, arid climate, with the exception of a short rainy season, will not benefit from humid conditions. So make sure when building this customized 10 gallon that you don't eliminate to much of the ventilation provided by the screen lid.
I have built like 10's for a few of my T's and I only use a few inches of acrylic to block any substrate from spilling out the bottom, and I use the original screen lid over that.

Eric
www.e-spiderworld.com

zombieagogo said:

"Extraction kit!"
"Would have died!"
"Gonads!!!"

Ok, so a million thoughts are running through my head.

Would John suck out the poison?
Would I be ok with that?
Would I be too ok with that?
Hey, Pirates of the Carribean made a gazillion dollars so the pirate look is in, right?
I could pull off an eye patch, couldn't I?
What music do I want played at my funeral?
My mom wouldn't override my choices would she?
Would she dress me funny to get the last laugh?
Would all the girls who turned me down in high school be there, crying, "I never got to tell him my true feelings, that so many times I dreamed of pushing him onto Mr. Rhinehearts Lab desk and ravishing him for hours!"
Great! I didn't get to go to Carlsbad last year, two of my friends hauled around a caricature of me drawn on a piece of cardboard with red and black sharpies, and this year I will be a story they tell at Spider Bob's after a few beers.


www.e-spiderworld.com

Click to expand...

ROFLMFAO!!!

Hilarious story. I'm glad it can be viewed as such and things didn't turn out on a more serious note.

I purchased my first S. calceatum last year which I figured by it's 3"-at-best legspan was a juvie. 2 weeks later the li'l ba$t@rd molts out male. Anyhow, I had it in this hex tank that had a solid acrylic lid obviously intended for fish...fish lacking venom and attitude. This lid had a quarter sized hole in it over which I placed a baby food jar full of sand. "No way that sucker's gonna be able to lift that!" I said to my wife. Few days later, I'm in the bug room doing the rounds and I get to the S. calceatum tank and realize the baby food jar is just slightly not covering the hole. Out loud and probably somewhat dramatically, "Uh-oh!". I peer down into the enclosure and sure enough, no feather leg. I got a chill down my spine thinking about the fact that it could be or could have been within inches of my hands or with my luck is sitting on my back plotting which major neck-artery will circulate it's venom the quickest. So, I slowly begin to look around and with a huge sigh of relief, I spot it up in a corner of the room.
So, I'm trying to figure out how to corral it because it's position between the wall and ceiling wouldn't allow me to suecurely place a container over it. I was also not very anxious to have to stand beneath it and reach over my head to deal with the bugger. Then I got an idea...I moved all shelves and enclosures from beneath the "danger-drop-zone" and used one of the spray bottles to squirt the wall just in front of the T. I aimed it a little closer and closer still and then it jumped straight outward, legs spread out in all directions. It was pretty cool to see it gently float down but I would never have asked for an in-home demo.
Anyhow, I got it corraled in a hurry, did some serious modifications to the lid of the enclosure and found comfort in knowing that my wife wouldn't discover a huge bolus with a goatee in the corner of the bug room hours later.

Since he was sent out for breeding shortly after all this, I really hope to bring home at least a couple from Carlsbad this year. Especially since the breeding was apparently not successful...hence the lack of this awesome species in my collection.

Laters.
Atrax

Atrax said:

ROFLMFAO!!!

So, I'm trying to figure out how to corral it because it's position between the wall and ceiling wouldn't allow me to suecurely place a container over it. I was also not very anxious to have to stand beneath it and reach over my head to deal with the bugger. Then I got an idea...I moved all shelves and enclosures from beneath the "danger-drop-zone" and used one of the spray bottles to squirt the wall just in front of the T. I aimed it a little closer and closer still and then it jumped straight outward, legs spread out in all directions. It was pretty cool to see it gently float down but I would never have asked for an in-home demo.


Laters.
Atrax

Click to expand...

Awesome.
I really want to see the whole "gliding" stunt that these guys are capable of. So much in fact that I have caught myself pontificating on how I could set up a controlled situation...
Then I remember that I am an idiot.

We will have some with us in Carlsbad.
I'll be the guy in the hotel room in the hotel behind the E-Spiderworld tables that looks like the guy that looks exactly like the guy I have to look at every morning in the mirror.

Eric
www.e-spiderworld.com

Tears in my eyes! Funny stuff. Wish I was going to Carlsbad this week!

zombieagogo said:

Awesome.
I really want to see the whole "gliding" stunt that these guys are capable of. So much in fact that I have caught myself pontificating on how I could set up a controlled situation...
Then I remember that I am an idiot.

We will have some with us in Carlsbad.
I'll be the guy in the hotel room in the hotel behind the E-Spiderworld tables that looks like the guy that looks exactly like the guy I have to look at every morning in the mirror.

Eric
www.e-spiderworld.com

Click to expand...

LOL! If you decide to go through with the gliding thing (there's a fine line between curiosity and idiocy ) definitely video tape it. I remember wishing I could see it again and again. And, I will certainly be seeing you in Carlsbad. Keep a couple warm for me.

Take care.

Atrax

Great stories! These guys really add to the intensity!

I have a 3 1/2" female (Lady Godiva) who is usually quite timid. During this past winter, she didn't seem to be doing too well and had gotten quite thin. At one point I was so worried I would lose her that I transfered her into an ICU to help her recuperate quicker. That transfer went very well and without a hitch, the fact that she was slow and weak probably helped.

After a couple of weeks in the ICU, she was doing much better having eaten on numerous occasions and plumped up again. So I decide that it's time to go back home.

Like the last time, I was coaxing her out of the ICU into her enclosure with tongs but this time she didn't react the same way. She was very much energized and decided that she didn't want to go back home just yet. Just as she was about to step into her kritter keeper she turned around and made a mad dash.

In a blink of an eye she had climbed out of the ICU container, over my hand, onto my desk and onto the floor and was running for freedom. In a desperate attempt I grabbed the kritter keeper cover and threw it in her direction as she was getting further and further away. This all happening in the matter of maybe 2 seconds!

By total sheer LUCK, the cover landed perfectly over her and stunned her. I scrambled to get a deli cup and put it over her. If she had wanted to, she could have crawled out from underneath the cover as it doesn't lie down flat and there were gaps.

I got her back into her enclosure and then the chest pains hit! I can say with absolute certainty that one does not need to get an actual bite from this species to experience some cardiac distress!!!

I've never ever dealt with anything as fast as this bugger! And I've tightened up my "procedures" to deal with miss Lady Godiva.

Pixie

I have a 3" female that I rehoused a while back. I did the transfer in the kitchen, as it's large, and lots of open space for me to spot a runaway on. Well, being unprepared (as usual) she took off across the floor like a bullet. Having not thought of a utensil or other implement to stop her with, like a dork I used my hand LOL. She climbed onto my hand, and wouldn't come off!
Apparently she felt safe there. In my palm. I tried to nudge her off, but I could feel her little claws digging in. I asked Mark to help me, but he sat on the couch and laughed. I thought I was going to have to walk around with a T stuck to my palm the rest of the day
FINALLY, I got her into her new enclosure after another mad dash for freedom... Wheeeeee! What a rush

There not all that as regards biting until there close to adult, iv found them to be very hardy i once had an escaper run on to a carpet and tried to put a pot over it the little bugger turned and it ended up under the back of my palm not to hard (i think the carpet saved it) it abdomen looked a LOT flatter after, tho best bit it MOULTED just fine the next afternoon ;P there also ******* ungrateful the only time i got bit was saving a male who was being chased my a female he had been living with i saw her before it was to late and got nailed for my trouble i sat with my hand in hot water watching Clockwise took until the film had been over close to 2 hours for the pain to subside tho it only ran as far as my elbow.