Well I have been at work till 10 every night for the past week and a half so this is the first chance I get to write up a little ditty here... so without further delay here we go with this week's posterchild!!!!
Species: Pterinochilus sp. (Some say Pterinochilus Murinus orange phase)
Common names: Usambara Baboon, Orange baboon, Orange Starburst, Orange Bitey Things!
Hails from: Dry regions of East Africa (Usambara region)
General Description:
There really isn't any other way to describe this OW tarantula but PSYCHOPATH!!! This is one species that is perpetually pissed off LOL
They live in the arid regions of eastern Africa, often near or on human buildings. Caring for this species is actually very easy... they are a tough and resiliant species that doesnt need high humidity which is often a challenge in many climates. The only catch is that you REALLY have to keep your wits about you when working around this spider. The real highlight to having this species (beside the strikingly beautiful orange and black colouring and the huge thick webs they make) is the EXTREMELY bad temper they have.
These are affectionaltely referred to by most collectors as "Orange bitey things" and for good reason!! This species with little to no provocation at all will rear up and strike repeatedly and angrily at you while hissing (stridulation is the proper term for tarantula hissing for you science folks) The cool part about these spiders is one of their quirks... picture a 4 year old child having a temper tantrum and throwing themselves on the floor to thrash about... this is what an angry Usambara baboon looks like! They get so beside themselves with anger that they actually fall onto their backs and strike with the fangs over and over again (even when there isnt anything around them anymore) Mine flips out even when I stand near her cage! This can actually be quite comical to see as long as you arent within strike range... which brings me to my next point.
The venom in this species is worth mentioning. This is one of the few species of tarantula with a decent venom potency. It will not kill or "harm" a human, but many people bitten by this species report immense pain and swelling of the limb that was bitten. They have also been reported to make people slightly ill for a day or 2. Please keep in mind though that a tarantula bite has NEVER claimed a person's life to date so this wasnt meant to scare anyone... merely to serve as a warning to save you a bit of pain and suffering.
One other thing to mention with these... they are FAST!! I mean lightning fast. All of these things combined make me label this species as one reserved for advanced keepers.
Housing:
This species is considered semi-arboral. I keep mine on dry bark/large grain sand substrate with some vertical cork bark leaned up in a corner of the cage for a hide. Humidity doesnt have to be higher than 50 to 60% but temperatures should be in the 70 to 80F range. While they don't drink very often, I still recommend to keep a water dish in the cage at all times (I just have more ventilation to keep the humidity from the water dish from being high) Hot and dry is the rule of thumb for these guys.
<edit>I also recommend that you house them in a container with a SMALL trap door style access hatch... these are fast and WILL try to attack you. A smaller access door means less chance for a mishap.<edit>
Feeding:
I feed a large cricket once to twice per week. After a molt I normally toss in a pinky mouse approximately a week later.
Personal Notes:
- This is by far the heaviest webbing species in my collection. The entire cage is covered in thick heavy webbing.
- I came very close to being bitten by my little miss congeniality this past weekend (thats why I decided to profile her this week) When I opened the door to toss in a cricket she came screaming up her web and lunged at me fangs first. I missed being bitten by about 2cm. My streak of never being bitten is still alive but barely
- This is my girlfriend's favorite spider in my collection. I find this amusing enough to tell you about because she is a severe arachnophobe that just happens to love my craziest spider the most. She works with children so she loves the fact that these spiders throw fits like kids do.
As always, please feel free to add any anecdotes or photos of your own to this thread!!
Until next week folks!!!!!!
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