Help w/ Catching Vagans in Florida

boonbear · Mar 2, 2010

I am going to the Orlando area in a month, and was wanting to get a few vagans. Could anyone help me with finding some good locations? I don't mind driving some, but I have no idea where to start looking.
Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

Also, I've done a search on previous threads.

GiantVinegaroon · Mar 2, 2010

Didn't all this ridiculous cold get most of them?

boonbear · Mar 2, 2010

I wouldn't think so, but then again, I'm not a spider in Florida.

xhexdx · Mar 2, 2010

Sorry I never responded to your PMs. This should cover it though:

xhexdx said:
All I am willing to say is that there are Brachypelma vagans in Florida, which you already knew.

There are several threads on this forum that detail why revealing population locations isn't recommended. Too many people collecting them = decreased wild populations.

People have mixed feelings as to whether these guys should be collected in large quantities or not. Personally, I don't see a problem with occasional collecting, but the last time I was there I found evidence of larger quantities being collected.

So again, all I can confirm for you is that B. vagans are established in Florida. I have heard of A. avicularia as well but have never looked for or found any.

--Joe

Sorry.

esotericman · Mar 2, 2010

There are no logical nor supportable reasons to not collect these to extinction in Florida.

None.

Wait... well, I suppose if you're destroying habitat, even disturbed habitat, then maybe, or illegally trespassing. But ecologically, biologically and for the protection of our hobby (ala all the current laws aimed at exotics), please do what you can to get them out of there. They were purposefully introduced by a horrid person, and population members have been found miles from the original local, so the chance of removing them is zero. But I can hope.

I will say that with the cold weather they're probably going to be very difficult to locate and good luck to you. If you find some please share pictures of burrows and surrounding micro-habitat.

Rowdy Hotel · Mar 2, 2010

I'm surprised anyone would have a problem with the collecting of vagans as long as the habitat isn't destroyed. A. they're not native and b. it's bad PR for tarantula keepers. If a news station came out with a story about exotic tarantulas found in the wild then the fit may hit the shan and we'll be dealing with the same legislative scrutiny that the snake hobbyists are dealing with (Burms in the everglades). Wanting to have exotic, wild populations of Tarantulas just so they may be collected or just have them there in the wild (the only logical reasons for doing so I can think of) is dangerous and selfish. Warranted or not, the general public is scared of tarantulas, much like they're afraid of big snakes.

elportoed · Mar 2, 2010

May be you could contact the state of FL. Since it is considered an exotic specie, they probably don't mind people collecting them out from the state.

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/entcirc/ent394.pdf

And this will give you the places where they have orange orchards in different area, you might want to call a few and ask around.

http://www.pickyourown.org/FLeastcentral.htm

Obelisk · Mar 2, 2010

I can understand the issue with collecting them if they were native, but they're in fact an introduced species. As long as you aren't affecting native flora and fauna while collecting them, I see no issue with the Florida vagans being collected (even if it's in mass quantities).

esotericman · Mar 2, 2010

Wayne Wehling from the USDA, was at the ATS conference in 2009, basically said do whatever you want with them. G.B Edwards who's with the state of Florida acting as an entomologist said the same thing in 2008. He was one of the authors on the topic.

http://www.fsca-dpi.org/entomologists/edwards.htm#top

Go get 'em!

xhexdx · Mar 2, 2010

esotericman said:
...and for the protection of our hobby (ala all the current laws aimed at exotics), please do what you can to get them out of there.

Can you please be more specific re: protection of our hobby?

esotericman · Mar 2, 2010

Read the other posts, it's already been discussed. Introduced and naturalized "pets" are being used as the main fuel for anti-exotics laws. Surely this is not news?!

azgbb · Mar 2, 2010

Rowdy Hotel said:
b. it's bad PR for tarantula keepers. If a news station came out with a story about exotic tarantulas found in the wild then the fit may hit the shan and we'll be dealing with the same legislative scrutiny that the snake hobbyists are dealing with (Burms in the everglades).

It has already happened. I've seen a couple different shows on t.v. about the vagans there.

The state wants them gone. Saying they destroy habitats, are killing too many local species of animals, etc. The typical stuff you would expect them to say.

xhexdx · Mar 2, 2010

esotericman said:
Read the other posts, it's already been discussed. Introduced and naturalized "pets" are being used as the main fuel for anti-exotics laws. Surely this is not news?!

So removing all the vagans would fix this issue?

Didn't think so.

The vagans themselves are nearly off the radar when it comes to exotics in Florida.

Ammo87 · Mar 2, 2010

Mine as well collect them all before they get sprayed this summer and trust me they know where they are, they are just as high if not higher than all the pythons lose in the everglades, except the spider tend to stay in one location and pythons move. And some of the sprays they will use will kill everything else to boot.

syndicate · Mar 2, 2010

I highly doubt any spraying will kill these off.from what I gather these have been there for 20+ years now.

Sadistic Haplo · Mar 2, 2010

Anyone interested in this topic, check this link out.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/spiders/M_redrump.htm

Exo · Mar 2, 2010

I have read that they can be found about 30 miles west of Fort Pierce, hope this helps.

elportoed · Mar 2, 2010

According to the publication, St Lucie county, west of Ft Pierce, FL.

Field trip!

boonbear · Mar 7, 2010

Thanks for the spots to look. Do I need to find an orange grove and get permission from the owner, of are there better spots to look?

thevez2 · Mar 8, 2010

Yeah, find a grove and contact the farmer. I'm sure they would be happy to have you remove some of their "pests". They might even show you where they are.

Help w/ Catching Vagans in Florida

Arachnosquire

Arachnoprince

Arachnosquire

ArachnoGod

Arachnoknight

Arachnosquire

Arachnobaron

Arachnobaron

Arachnoknight

ArachnoGod

Arachnoknight

Arachnopeon

ArachnoGod

Arachnopeon

Arachnoemperor

Arachnosquire

Arachnoprince

Arachnobaron

Arachnosquire

Arachnosquire