Yes, I'm alive & well....

Damn… it’s been like… 4 or 5 years since I last made a thread here…

If anyone wonders, I’m still well alive…

Some things have changed, some have… not.

I still enjoy video game music for one.

I still work at my local liquor store and paying my student loan.

What has changed ?

Aside the usual game music love… I’ve recently entered a new hobby.

Arachno-culture.

Basically the keeping and care of arachnids.

For 8 months, I’ve successfully cared for a Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea). It’s well alive even now and happy now.

Pretty easy to care for… 3~4 inches of substrate (prefferably coco-fiber), a hide (say a half-log it can hide under) and a water dish. Throw in a cricket or two weekly, remove remains after 24 to 48 hours… easy.

As of last week… I’ve acquired my first scorpion… the ever popular Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator).

Not quite as basic as G. rosea. For one, it is a rain forest species. Therefore the tank must be kept both warm and humid. So what do I do ? I dump a full glass of tap water at least once a week. I give it a cricket or two a week.

Both are VERY fascinating creatures.

Now, I realise arachno-culture isin’t for everyone. But these are very undemanding pets.

So many advantages

No need to walk it

They don’t require much space (both are content in a 5 gallon tank)

They don’t stink

They don’t whine

Disadvantages if any…

You should NOT handle them… it causes stress and can shorten their lifespan.

They won’t do tricks for you.

Some are more dangerous. African/Asian tarantulas pack more potent venom then their North American/South American cousins. Scorpions ranging from North Africa and the Middle East tend to have more potent venom (Androctonus/Parabuthus/Leiurus species).

Aside from that, they make great pets if you have realistic expectations out of them.

Most can live comfortably in a 5 gallon tank and at room temperature.

Yeah…

If you require further help… I’ll be more than happy to share what knowledge I’ve acquired so far.

Nice to hear from you again, DG, and to know you’re doing OK. :slight_smile:

Arachno-culture? That’s a fascinating hobby… to hear other people talk about. :stuck_out_tongue: But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Hope to see you hang around here more often.

Make them fight, that is the only real advantage.

That is one reason why some people (like you) shouldn’t own inverts.

They aren’t for a bug vs bug tournament.

You appreciate each other’s life style.

About time you came back around, DG.

Hello, DG. :ulty: Did you give them names? What are the most delicious parts of a cricket according to your tarantula (based on the remains it leaves behind)? You should post pictures, if you can.

I’m not sure… since it puts the remains in a webbed ball… it’s impossible to tell what is left uneaten.

Edit: For names… the tarantula is called “Fluffy”. The scorpion is called “Mocha”.

I own crickets and I don’t appreciate you feeding them to your monsters. :b

But on a more serious note: What are they for if you aren’t supposed to make them fight? I guess you could make poison darts with their venom, but there isn’t much use for those anymore.

One of my friends and I had a pet scorpion, no idea what kind. He got into our tent and we didn’t have the heart to kill him, so we took him home in a shoebox. I think he eats vegan protein, since the kid who takes care of him now is a vegan.

As for what they’re for, same thing any pet is. Fun, companionship, and the feeling of helping something grow. I feel pets are more enjoyable if you don’t think of them as a possession with a purpose, but as a friend it’s fun to spend time with.

DUDE !

You treat them like aquarium fish. You look, but don’t touch.

Some tarantulas and scorpions are remarquably colorful !

DUDE !

I understand now. They are for watching, but not touching.

I found a video of some remarquably intelligent mice !

Forget mice… look at the incredible Cobalt Blue tarantula here.

Beautiful coloration… it just has a nasty attitude.

Edit: And as far as colorful scorpions go… look at the Rusty Thick Tailed Bark scorpion (Babycurus jacksoni). Isin’t it jaw-droppingly beautiful ?

Forget tarantulas… look at the incredible Red scorpion here

Beautiful coloration… he just has a nasty attitude.

Edit: And as far as colorful mice go… look at the multi color mouse!. Isin’t it jaw-droppingly beautiful ?

There is just one way to clear this…

Gooty Sapphire Ornamental (Poecilotheria metallica)

Green Bottle Blue (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) (This one’s a bitch to type out >_< )

As for colorful scorpions…

Olive Keeled Flat Rock Scorpion

Emperor Scorpion

Um… yeah.

Did you even follow my links?

Edit: Those scorpions are not colourful.

Dude, jet black is beautiful.

And H. paucidens is really lovely. Love thove olive bands on its back.

But did you follow my links? And they can be beautiful without being colourful.

DG, it’s good to have you around again. :slight_smile:

That being said, I have to abandon this thread. :smiley: There are pictures of spiders in it, and pictures of spiders give me the willies! I just can’t look…

Er… yeah, very nice to see you again, but please no more pictures of furry spiders if you don’t mind. O_O

I took one look at your post, and saw no avatar, so I skipped it.