Tarantulas taking root in Florida

[xgrafcorex]

from what i understand the b. vagans here in florida are now protected. i believe that most were found on private property and are therefore off limits to even viewing without permission. i would love to plan a trip even if it is just to spotlight at night and take some field notes.

not that i know of. the state tried to wipe them out. i was at this grove and i was told it has different owners now but its very overgrown and nobody said anything to me while i was there looking around...granted i only saw about 3 or 4 people the whole time.

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

i recently heared a politician tried to ban the tarantula trade in florida because they're a harmful species to people and the enviroment. also as it is A. avi's are illeagle there soo thell be laws that protect them i supose

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

anybudy rememer Pink toes in hawaii ?

 

[6StringSamurai]

anybudy rememer Pink toes in hawaii ?

No, what happened?

 

[John Apple]

not that i know of. the state tried to wipe them out. i was at this grove and i was told it has different owners now but its very overgrown and nobody said anything to me while i was there looking around...granted i only saw about 3 or 4 people the whole time.

I'll second that ...I had no problems collecting there and I did it in the eves and early mornings, was approached by police and land owners over the years and now most know me by face and name...It's kind of funny they are more than happy to see me collecting the big hairy black spiders off thier property.
I usually drive a bit in and if I see someone I approach them and they OK it with no problems.
The red rumps I have been collecting for over 10 years. The murinus was a fluke I hope , but oddly enough they were less than an inch long and I have only seen the two.
Funny someone mentioned pink toes as they are in Naples manor in Naples Florida. Up in the top of the palm fronds in the 'boots'. I cought 4 there two years ago of different sizes.

 

[Mikey_Deadcat]

Ha

I think were going to start seeing some amazing things happening with Florida's enviroment in the next few years. Im actually excited to see what will become of Florida if more species take root. I understand that ohhh its a big travesty if somehow that happens but the thing is were not taking it in that maybe this was predetermined like any other population or extinction of animals. Humans have a funny way of including themselves outside the enviroment and food chain, Last time i checked we were a species too and we had a latin scientific name. If people brought them there then as far as i see it it was completely natural just like a lamprey carried on a fish or a seed carried by a bird to a tropical island either way it happens. We cant forget that were part of the enviroment too.

 

[syndicate]

i like to think of ourselfs in that way aswell.were just animals to.but the thing is some invasive things do serious damage.just look at killer bees,fire ants ect..
if i lived in florida id prob be pretty excited to have wild populations of t's tho haha.any pics of any vagans collected in florida?

 

[Scott C.]

I think were going to start seeing some amazing things happening with Florida's enviroment in the next few years. Im actually excited to see what will become of Florida if more species take root. I understand that ohhh its a big travesty if somehow that happens but the thing is were not taking it in that maybe this was predetermined like any other population or extinction of animals. Humans have a funny way of including themselves outside the enviroment and food chain, Last time i checked we were a species too and we had a latin scientific name. If people brought them there then as far as i see it it was completely natural just like a lamprey carried on a fish or a seed carried by a bird to a tropical island either way it happens. We cant forget that were part of the enviroment too.

There is a big difference between accidently shuffling sp. around the world in your suitcase(natural), and releasing exotic animals into the wild(tinkering with nature). The bird/seed thing is natural, and so are we as just another sp. amongst many, but I am sure you can see the difference........

 

[dtknow]

Why not just catch them all and put them back into the pet trade where they belong?

 

[Talkenlate04]

Why not just catch them all and put them back into the pet trade where they belong?

No offence but that might be the dumbest thing I have ever heard, They dont belong in the pet trade, they belong in the wild envorments they came from. Problem is the natural areas that they live are being distroyed. So the trade is here to keep those species alive and kicking.
If at some point its feasable to release some into the areas they normally live to staple the population that is there then we should.
But the trade is here only because we are trying to undo what we are always going to do and that is distroy natural enviorments for the bennifit of us.

Wow I just sounded like a tree hugger and I'm not.

 

[dtknow]

By "where they belong" I am talking of the B. vagans in the US, NOT there native home.(the ones in the wild are totally unrelated to this conversation) It is a bit of a waste if the tarantulas in FL are killed when people pay decent money for them on the pet trade. Florida could care less how they go, as long as they go.

So those feral tarantulas do belong back in the pet trade...where they came from, and where they should stay. The pet trade, btw, isn't here for conservation(but perhaps it could turn around and be used for conservation by some hobbyists)...its all supply and demand of hobbyists and sellers that runs it. If you're talking conservation, personally I think that our dreams to reintroduce species after the habitat has been restored are just that...dreams. That being said their are a few cases of hobbyist animals directly being reintroduced to the wild by credible programs...look up the Cheer pheasant. Brachypelma vagans don't exactly seem in danger now though.

Dunno about a treehugger, but I'm all for conservation and sustainable use.

Unless I am totally misguided I don't see what I said as a dumb thing, rather the most sensible thing to do.

 

[Meaningless End]

it might not be a T but im definalty going to put herping for nile monitors in florda on my list of things to do.

 

[John Apple]

Sooo that makes 4 species of tarantula that I have cought down there [seemani is another]
Just look at the anoles, there is only ONE native and it is the green anole.
There is cybotes,equestrus,garmani,brown anole,Jamacian white lipped, bark anole and the Crested in Oak park in Miami. Two others I could ID. Monitors on Marco and Sanabel, green iguanas and the rough tails. And can we say geckos-TOO many to list
Snakes...lessee here Ball pythons, retics, boas [B.C.I.] and the Burmese.
It's a melting pot down there and in advertantly we are the cause. The only place that you can not collect non-natives that I know of is in the gardens in Miami. The locals complained and they turned the neighborhood in a bird sanctuary, because of a friend that is long passed away infuriating the locals by being drunk and collecting garmani.

 

[krtrman]

who said A. avic is illegal in Florida?

i apologize. i know that there was legislation in the works to try and protect the B. vagans here in Florida...silly me for thinking it would have been passed by now. I believe that UF was doing some sort of research on them. If anyone has details of possible collecting sites please PM me.

 

[krtrman]

there is no such thing as sustainable use. it is a nice idea, but human nature dictates that anything in use will soon be used up. because demand does not equal supply some push supply onto those who are not looking.

 

[Scott C.]

No offence but that might be the dumbest thing I have ever heard, They dont belong in the pet trade, they belong in the wild envorments they came from. Problem is the natural areas that they live are being distroyed. So the trade is here to keep those species alive and kicking.
If at some point its feasable to release some into the areas they normally live to staple the population that is there then we should.
But the trade is here only because we are trying to undo what we are always going to do and that is distroy natural enviorments for the bennifit of us.

Wow I just sounded like a tree hugger and I'm not.

That's <EDIT>. The trade is here for people to play god, and keep exotic animals locked up for their enjoyment...... Just because there happens to be those among us that really do care for the animals means nothing. The trade isn't supported by the few who care. It is supported by the many who want an abnormal pet. No offense, but it's a bit naive to think the pet trade is here to save the animals.
@dtknow- easier said than done i'd assume.......

 

[John Apple]

who said A. avic is illegal in Florida?

i apologize. i know that there was legislation in the works to try and protect the B. vagans here in Florida...silly me for thinking it would have been passed by now. I believe that UF was doing some sort of research on them. If anyone has details of possible collecting sites please PM me.

Look at one of my past posts in this thread, the exact location of vagans is there. I have noticed that the 'Florida' vagans seem more robust and thicker than a lot of the 'pet trade' vagans. I wonder if this is from breeding with curly hairs or the colder weather causes this.:?

 

[pitbulllady]

Look at one of my past posts in this thread, the exact location of vagans is there. I have noticed that the 'Florida' vagans seem more robust and thicker than a lot of the 'pet trade' vagans. I wonder if this is from breeding with curly hairs or the colder weather causes this.:?

I have a Florida-collected female B. vagans, and she does appear to be "chunkier" than many I've seen in photos around the 'net. She is also a very nervous spider, but has the most ravenous appetite of any of my T's, except for maybe my GBB. I'll see about posting a pic of her when I get home, if anyone wants to do a comparison.

pitbulllady

 

[gumby]

that would be awesome pitbulllady Ive been looking all day for pics of the FL B. vagans.
thank you!
scott

 

[Dewaine]

i'm really confused as to why "entomologists" are making comments about spiders...

i'm also confused as to why the FDACS is walking all over USFW's juridiction and why USFW isn't taking issue.


here's an ATS article (read: op-ed) that pertains to this http://atshq.org/articles/tbbspeaks.html for anyone that's interested.

I think entomologists are interested because tarantulas are predators to some of the populations they study as entomologists. Maybe.

As far as jurisdiction: who really owns the environment?? (No one has natural jurisdiction.) But that is just my observation with no knowledge of those involved..