Showing posts sorted by relevance for query **poecilotheria**. [Sort by date](https://kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com/search?q=poecilotheria&max-results=20&by-date=true) [Show all posts](https://kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com/) Showing posts sorted by relevance for query **poecilotheria**. [Sort by date](https://kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com/search?q=poecilotheria&max-results=20&by-date=true) [Show all posts](https://kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com/) This entry will cover a formula for increased success with breeding *Poecilotheria*. Nobody is 100% successful and the spiders have their own ideas. Although we talk about breeding, we really mean mating (or "pairing) and also doing the best we can both beforehand and afterward to encourage the female to produce a fertile eggsac. This "beforehand" and "afterward" is what I will refer to as "pre-conditioning" and "post-conditioning". It may be a pedantic semantic argument, but when you say "I bred my  *Poecilotheria metallica* " you actually mean that you paired a male and a female and they mated. I presume you didn't actually breed with a spider. And while I am being pedantic, you're spider is not "gravid" even if it has an enlarged abdomen that is not due to feeding and is likely to produce an eggsac. "Gravid" means containing fertilized eggs and your spider will (hopefully) be fertilizing them as they are laid. Since we are discussing definitions let us begin with the aforementioned "pre-conditioning" and "post-conditioning". "Pre" is anything you do prior to mating to prepare your female for mating and the production of a fertile eggsac. "Post" is anything you do after mating to maximize the possibility of a fertile eggsac being produced and encourage the female to lay her sac. Both are important, but our "formula" for Pokies is going to focus on post-conditioning. But first let's talk about the best case scenario for getting both male and female ready for mating (pre-conditioning). However, before I begin elaborating on my method for optimal success I need to interject something. This blog is about *maximizing*  success. It does not detail the only method of  *having* success. In fact, many people do nothing special and successfully breed Pokies. It is not unusual for experienced breeders to have poor results with a tarantula species and beginners to hatch the same species. Tarantulas often thrive with what has been called "benign neglect". And I know keepers who hatch Pokies without any pre- or post-condition of either sex. But the "formula" described herein is based on data from the hundreds of Pokie eggsacs that myself and my former Tarantulas.com colleague Alex Orleans have hatched. We have combined to produce as many Pokie offspring as anyone, and our best success has been using the methods, especially with regards to post-conditioning females, that I will disclose in this blog. In fact, I must credit him as co-author of this blog as the detailed records I inherited at Tarantulas.com and discussions with Alex over the years have resulted in my Pokie success method. To maximize success we follow a formula for post-conditioning females that results in the most fertile eggsacs. **Pre-conditioning Males** Timing is everything when it comes to tarantula breeding. You want a male to mature and have some time to have a couple post-molt meals and produce a sperm web (or multiple sperm webs) at the same time your female is at the right point of her molt cycle (covered below). Of course, this assumes you have both male and female of the species. Often this is not the case, and that is why the breeding loan has become such an integral part of tarantula breeding. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we will say that you are breeding *Poecilotheria* *regalis* (the "classic" Pokie) and you have at least one male and female. Hopefully you have multiple females as timing really is everything. We'll come back to that soon, but first let's finish discussing timing as it applies to males and how to prepare them for mating. As a tarantula breeder (pretending that you have all of your own needed males) you will usually find yourself either wanting to slow down or hold off maturity in males or the opposite. It will become important to positively determine sex early on so that you can adjust feeding frequency and meal size to grow your females "quickly" and either retard or accelerate the growth rate of your males. I have tubs of male Pokies in 32 oz. deli cups that I don't need yet and they only get fed once every few weeks. I try to check on them and "water" as necessary each week, but they aren't fed once a week like most females. If I do need a male, or I have a surplus of males and want some to mature for potential breeding loans, then they are removed from the tubs and placed on the shelves beside females. They are then fed and watered on the same schedule as the female so that they mature as soon as possible. **Pre-conditioning Females** Although environmental manipulation can be a big part of post-conditioning females (see below), the pre-conditioning in *Poecilotheria* is simply a matter of keeping the females well-fed on healthy prey and ensuring that the spiders receive optimal care. "Healthy prey" means feeder insects that have been gut-loaded and well-hydrated with "cricket quencher" and/or greens or fruits. I don't do anything special for females before mating other than pamper them as much as possible. If a female is approaching a molt (based on previous records (i.e., date of last molt) or behavior/appearance I may feed and water her as often as possible to try to get her to molt as soon as possible. Again, this is based on timing and when I will have a male ready. **Post-conditioning Males** There isn't much to post-conditioning males except for getting a few meals into them and watching for sperm web production. Some males have good appetites while others may seem disinterested. It may take some persistence and offering smaller prey than usual to get males to eat. If a male does have a good feeding response I usually will feed him one cricket every day until he refuses. He may lose interest in food once he starts being introduced to one or more females and I want him in good shape. Sperm webs may be destroyed after they are used so if you are not inspecting the male's enclosure often you may miss knowing whether one has been built. I often like the male to be matured for 30 days before I try to use him. In this time it is likely that he will build a sperm web. If the first time I pair him he seems disinterested in mating, I may return him to a gallon jar or similar container for another couple weeks. A piece of cork bark or cut piece of cork tile angled in the jar may help him to construct his sperm web. **Pairing** I am assuming that anyone reading this first read Blog #37 - Casa de Tarantula #2 where I describe an ideal enclosure (modified cereal container) for *Poecilotheria* breeding and end with a photograph that shows a male and female's container side by side in a "breeding arena". If you haven't please go read that blog entry and then return to this spot. *Poecilotheria*  females are normally not aggressive to males. The exceptions are  *P. fasciata*, *P. ornata*  and, to a lesser extent, *P. rufilata*  and  *P. striata*. Not surprisingly, these are the four Pokie species that are the most defensive in general. More often than not, a mature male and female  *Poecilotheria* will cohabitate indefinitely if left to do so. If you are using a larger enclosure such as a vertically-oriented 10 gallon aquarium or an ExoTerra mini terrarium you may "shark tank" a male that is housed in a 32 oz. deli cup by placing the cup in the female's enclosure for a few nights. "Shark tank" refers to keeping the male protected from the female, but putting the pair in each other's presence so that pheromones are sensed and courtship behavior like tapping can occur. After a few nights the lid can be removed from the cup and the pair introduced to each other. Many keepers will observe and confirm mating with "good insertions" takes place and then separate the pair. To be honest, I normally just leave the male for a week. However, I suggest using the cereal container enclosures and "breeding arena tub" detailed in Blog #37 to pair Pokies. This set-up allows the male plenty of space to escape the female if she is unreceptive or is aggressive after she has been receptive. You may pair repeatedly or offer multiple males. Any subsequent matings can only increase the chances of a fertile sac. However, eventually the male is best removed so that the female is undisturbed and you can concentrate on feeding her well and beginning the post-conditioning described below. **Post-conditioning Females** This is the "formula". I prefer to pair *Poecilotheria* females that are 30-90 days from their last molt with 45-60 days being ideal. I want her to be freshly molted so there is no worry about molting herself "sterile" before eggsac production, but I also want time for her to "recover" from molting and feed heavily for four or five weeks. At 75-90 days I cool the female for 30-45 days and keep her dry. I am not talking about a drastic reduction in temperature. My spider rooms have normally been in the upper 70s with occasional temps as high as 82-83ºF. I tend to mist the enclosures and/or rehydrate the substrate once a week and 78ºF is the usual temperature. A couple weeks before I begin cooling I stop misting to dry the cage a bit and then place the enclosure in an area where the temperature is maintained at about 68ºF and continue to abstain from watering. At tarantulas.com we had a small room that was air-conditioned to maintain this temperature. It was kept dark and dry. All that was kept in it was female Pokies that had been mated. We would move their enclosures from the warm and humid breeding room to the air-conditioned cooling room and leave them for 30-45 days or so. Then we would return them to the breeding room and its daily temperatures of 75-82ºF and begin to mist/spray their enclosures often. In my new home my spider room is 76-80ºF and I can move spiders to my basement in order to cool them for four to six weeks to simulate a cool and dry period prior to the warmth and moisture of my simulated monsoon. This post-conditioning is simulating the monsoon weather that is found in India and Sri Lanka. *Poecilotheria*  are found solely in these two countries and they lie north of the equator. Sri Lanka is only 6-7º north of the equator and could be considered equatorial, but India ranges from 8º to 37º north. So there is some seasonal difference in temperature, especially to the north of the genus' range in India. However, it is the wet and dry seasons influenced by monsoons that affect these "tiger spiders" the most. Moving mated  *Poecilotheria*  females from a warm area with humidity in the range of 60-70% to a cooler and drier area for even 30 days gives them the environmental cue or trigger that contributes to *maximized* breeding success. Once gradually returned to warmth and "rained on" a few times a week to bring humidity to 75-85%, while at the same time being offered frequent meals, the female is stimulated to produce her eggsac. If she has a dark retreat such as described in Blog #37 and is left undisturbed the sac is likely to hatch. The sac can be pulled at 30-40 days when development will have reached the postembryo stage or perhaps 1st instar and incubated outside of the cage. I like to leave my sacs with the females until they hatch, but this does result in the very labor intensive task of finding all the spiderlings in the cage and potential escapees. Therefore, most people will pull their eggsacs and 30 days after the sac is produced is a good time. **Incubation** Near the end of my [Tarantulas in the Terrarium](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXvOoBeVArc)  film I show how I make an incubator cup for  *Poecilotheria*. It is much easier explained with video than here and I suggest you click  [here](https://youtu.be/RXvOoBeVArc) to go to the 1:16:26 mark to begin viewing. **Conclusion** Following the above formula for pairing and then cooling/drying the female and warming her back up while supplying elevated humidity will increase your success with *Poecilotheria*. Using the cereal container enclosures described in Blog #37 will often lead to greater success especially for less experienced keepers. It is much easier to keep an eye on your Pokies in these containers and the spider will feel more secure and have a dark retreat that is more like the tree hole it would use in nature. Finally, I should note for those who are unaware that most  *Poecilotheria*  become "spiderlings" at 2nd instar like the majority of other tarantulas. However, *P. metallica*, *P. tigrinawesseli*, *P. miranda*  and  *P. formosa* have an additional development stage and are not "spiderlings" until 3rd instar. That is, they require one more molt before they are fully colored, independent tarantulas that will begin feeding. And  *Poecilotheria formosa* has been known to require yet one more molt before spiderling. Good luck breeding! MJ My last installment in the ongoing Tales from the Field series detailed day one of our search for *Poecilotheria ornata* in the lowland rainforest outside of Kitulgala, Sri Lanka. Despite a bit of a delay finding the foot bridge across the Kelani river and then finding the correct path into the Makandawa Reserve, we had been successful and located a beautiful young adult specimen. However, she only had seven legs. We were unable to find any additional specimens and the late afternoon rains eventually sent us back to our hotel for an early dinner and beer. As we hiked back towards the bridge the rain steadily increased and we were quite soaked when we made it back to our waiting driver Aruna. We had hired a driver with a large mini van for the entire trip and he would drop us where we wanted and return at a prearranged time. He was waiting and whisked us back to our accommodations outside of Kitulgala. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ733ViJn5RdSAvX7eHj7BPhpUWcEecmZwO65Y8olzC5dOI9Z8lmYiTsU8afNtyb7QC__QJDkB1aqqGE7H_fgSGaA4dn3Kklh4lf2O5QEh0q-ms6wRUCtBkryVqaw09gLeEKBXet0qL6dl/s1600/Aruna.jpg) | | --- | | Our driver Aruna at the start of the bridge across Kelani Ganga with Mark Carpenter behind him | We were very fortunate to find our seven-legged *P. ornata* and were determined to return the following day and hunt for more. However, day two would have our team become a threesome. As I mentioned in earlier TFTF posts, Mark Carpenter is not a spider hunter, but rather enjoys world travel and spending time with his brother Paul. He began to tire of one aspect of the Sri Lankan jungles - the leech. Leeches are common in Asian rainforests and they were abundant in Sri Lanka. As our trip progressed he became increasingly bothered by them. Unlike tiger leeches commonly encountered in places like Borneo, the Sri Lankan leeches did not have a painful bite. They don't transmit disease and really are more of a nuisance than a threat. I became accustomed to having my clothes become bloody and it seemed like the leeches were quite fond of my fat American blood. In fact, at one point Guy Tansley had a bit of a competition to see whose leech would become more engorged. In other words, would a leech become fatter on the large American or on the slight Geordie. I won. After about 70 minutes a leech I allowed to remain attached to my wrist and become as big around as my little finger and finally dropped off. Once they are completely full of blood they drop off and, at least as far as I was concerned, no harm, no foul. The only after effects were bloody clothing as they have an anticoagulant and the wound doesn't clot readily. The following photos show they way my socks would look at the end of the day and a very fat leech dining on me. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT6tuMuSTZjjjYd5kxA8I1TalYzwcU1KdDmxzsjujc2c3GzjrSk2zs2fmpgLqSjB-20D5ifzdn1ya8vpQdNY1je_ggu2B_gR07nIyeYU6WIQl5G5yS6iq68ZagNfHjuWCyn31S4wp05pi/s1600/leech1.jpg) [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVxoUF7uJsBZUbjvEKQlCS9XnCjffHDusi37ANATjY2rdCoABD3I3lycxyddya9hp8w6U2bBmJxAiSkXl93jiYQmr235yJ4a7t6TbiqwSLjai3FqW32IV0LXERHmzt5sjRrxzbXcxizjk/s1600/IMG_1490.JPG) Well, Mark had had enough of these blood suckers. On day two of our *P. ornata* hunt he decided to linger back with our driver and take it easy. The lowland rainforest at Makandawa was particularly wet and leech-infested and the previous afternoon and evening's rains would only make it worse. Paul, Guy and I, being spider-crazed jungle trekkers, weren't bothered at all. We only had *P. ornata* on our mind. Spoiler alert... we would have a very successful day two as a trio, and the photo below shows three tired and sweaty and leech-sucked spider hunters that couldn't have been happier! | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6nAL6S4mSrv50X5-9wIpQX_e1Ehcup2PFZYKDTaMBkfL0joH5UMwC_XdAUE2K-LkJLiOtQrQFceukXgqzyGtfDqANSHDWNOr28ljMxXzxanAmhXw1NGLOiaZ-Cz4F45HP1TWDEsaAhis/s1600/Makandawa_Trio.jpg) | | --- | | Michael Jacobi, Guy Tansley & Paul Carpenter in the lowland rainforest of Makandawa | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElyLS37ojQRUEgUl2qG-1tHe_FkMg4mNwRM9RycOjQC9f4ds4UYSyRFSGQ1bmaKH4KORDue49Ef8qhreQtkATVDh7syXNL_IS_mbnLAYyj3FPRXLjV8C90UdnhvbtkIxEPWjQzVDVbTSp/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG) We hiked the few miles into the rain forest toward the spot where we found the seven-legged spider the day before. Kangaroo lizards continued to scurry and hop throughout the undergrowth. The jungle was wet and humid and we paused at a few stream crossings to look for frogs and snakes. Through Paul's "Life in the Rainforest" and Guy's "Bugsnstuff"my mates put on education programs for children and many images were captured for their upcoming presentations. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bIhRRSFBjal0d0MBRIAf8LNu-RMYyMIQUrP0eqDzlhRWa3RWSg7Ha3nslw-mmg8y0_fKUI1fJKi7L84WneMa9y7tYPHBaQXftMLM2pgPRi1GqqVkqPmpXYhXsSDR3JfzeJKrruWSr54Y/s1600/guy_makandawa_stream.jpg) | | --- | | Guy Tansley in one of the many streams along our path to Poecilotheria *ornata.* | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUCsHZJ7OH7NQZgzXg1xRg5drxCjSwVIcJRjDiqm_g-gz5x7GwXoq9acYavwGuwyH3l9p34fNgLUlJQjN0Mn8b-WiSAp9Q4SL9hzZ4UXPNhe-ifVEtkTqMMQLh7uRbtSbNA6xwXYfLZ56/s1600/P_ornata_juvenile.jpg) We marched on to one wide stream that had giant boulders spanning its width. I went out upon the rocks to take some photographs. Before long I heard the guys call out that a spider had been found. We gathered at the tree hole and shined our flashlights on a beautiful *Poecilotheria ornata*. It wouldn't be easy to tickle this one out so we decided to fan out and search the surrounding trees for more. In one tree Guy had located a subadult perhaps four inches in leg span. It was "tickled" out of its hole and photographed. We were noticing that none of these retreats looked permanent. They weren't shrouded by any silk and we discussed whether the spiders were moving about the area and simply taking up a suitable retreat during the daytime before moving again at night to wherever they would ambush their prey. As we continued to shine our "torches" into each crevice and hole we would find other critters, especially amblypygids or "whip spiders". [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8V9WevYjJd1vtyyZ7CnEcP_Bpm3PcN4nEBAQ_Z6L72MAPpZ_P_C-FWj8NtpIVWLEHyHHV9SGb3ym0PxRYTFP5XPozJkP4K-U_kK_h3lW7eRnEyuimT1HC1W_JJrM3iv8_af1-aqgaf4u/s1600/ambly_makandawa.jpg) I can tell you that any leeches that were sucking our blood went unnoticed. Despite wearing gaiters and being covered in Deet, the leeches were unavoidable and it wouldn't be until we pulled off our dank and sweat-soaked clothing later that we would notice blood stains. We were in *P. ornata* country and it was proving to me an amazing day. It would only become even more so when Paul found a tree trunk with a deep slot and discovered that there were two spiders inside. I ran over and used my height to get a better look. There were indeed two *Poecilotheria ornata* in the slotted trunk and one was a mature male. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcHjIaUo9Yiw8UKJcIopw6t-wi2nOrSH3uOmlZQ7axBi9YM8hmB0qw3KT9AaOjnvwW35n2ox3gwvkVi_t7pWOpzvG_B3XOf5c-XMHby0B67cL4R1GffYBhrTl4OZ9dMWA6AxJI0kdJKfw/s1600/ornatasidebyside.jpg) | | --- | | Tree slot that contained an adult pair of *P. ornata* with images cropped side by side | Picture three grown men jumping up and down in a soggy jungle. High fives. Stinky, sweaty embraces. We had now located four more *P. ornata* to go with the one from the previous day. This day's spiders were all found in the same area beside a wide stream with huge boulders. I cannot sufficiently describe to you how difficult it is to find *Poecilotheria* in nature. Finding five in two days is hard work well done. So many trees, so many holes. The proverbial needle in a haystack. All the while working in sweltering humidity among biting insects and sucking leeches. We managed to get the pair out of the hole for a hard earned photo session. I'll let the pictures and their captions speak for themselves. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iOUHV6FN94I6Kz1dhPVz7KA7Oz0PMIgroDPkYnabAwDEDS0ENtH16Nl8Tv-zIB9YQKB7fkhB999IhXrh2l4cUasVglYMFUtPMhERvPVTsUZhwBBHXeYRs1GeYK97aA0a4_-9pevg0lHD/s1600/IMG_0670+2.JPG) | | --- | | Adult female *Poecilotheria ornata*, Makandawa rainforest near Kitulgala, Sri Lanka © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LcIeal_E_tjkx40UvwjzBjDa1mi8lKq3Wptab_0ruGNK7VU0yyiEDBU35fCurpuh3VkmK96ap1guX7NvTRarBa8Ai2K7XyCfDixkiEASl0JFO3M2t9lnm2QfI5yQeceT3XuSUEWJ2US1/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG) | | --- | | Adult female *Poecilotheria ornata*, Makandawa rainforest near Kitulgala, Sri Lanka © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt4hYJsV7Kvs4DWRIKw4YKo7Az3OMVNe3w7TD9uDhPFgSQsv5qsrB_7KsYYSqVqgnkF-55jPGPUlApxyabE9Syi3lQJIZhFv6Kp7jkPNtIxo4sPLCZMSSCba6HzPwxWAaNoCA8A3OhXef/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG) | | --- | | Female and HUGE adult male posed on the ground near the stream. We tried unsuccessfully to get the pair side by side on the tree trunk. The male had a hard time gripping the slimy, mossy surface of the trees. He was almost ten inches in legspan. *Poecilotheria ornata*, Makandawa rainforest near Kitulgala, Sri Lanka © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy7G1KDk8Ul2Vledtz3_-MWYkYZZINnr1x7DqAkpMgeOUkDQep_j_tjgE3vI0ASrgENa-LNktE8XQRHIJcNTTJtEUUGo3D5-K1NDvljhrxGDXQ9u08gemU3ZybOlSc-3V7P1mGSpVrtZx/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG) | | --- | | Adult male *Poecilotheria ornata*, Makandawa rainforest near Kitulgala, Sri Lanka © Michael Jacobi | Needless to say, quite a few celebratory Lion lagers were consumed after a long hot shower back at our hotel. The hardest thing was going back to the van where Aruna and Mark were waiting and trying to tell Mark about our great success without giving away too much to Aruna. As I mentioned before, Sri Lanka wildlife officials are on the lookout for spider, insect and reptile hunters. Although all we were taking were photographs, we did not want anyone to even know that. We had told Aruna the truth, albeit only the partial truth. Paul and Guy teach children about the rainforest and I am a photographer and author. Both of these are true, but we didn't say what we were specifically looking for to be on the safe side. I had been warned by one person who has hunted *Poecilotheria* in Sri Lanka that his driver had extorted money from him at the airport in order to keep his silence about what he had been searching for. All they would have found on us would be photographs, and we made sure we photographed putting every spider back into its tree hole. Of course, we wanted these film clips for ourselves, but they would also be handy in case we were accused of collecting. Still, even disturbing the spiders by "tickling" them out of their retreats could be considered a wildlife violation. We worked very secretively in Sri Lanka, which was odd after the way we had worked in other countries. I remember Andrew running around Costa Rica with a big rubber spider to try to communicate with farmers or other people we found in the rural areas we searched. We always solicited the help of the locals in our travels. But, in Sri Lanka, we were looking over our shoulders and when anyone saw us I would point my camera to the sky and just photograph a bird or a tree. We did our best to look like regular tourists, and since I had been told that Sri Lanka frowns upon tattoos as they are thought to only be worn by criminals, I was covered up and nobody ever saw the ornamental tarantulas tattooed on my legs. Until our next journey into the field... MJ This is going to be a very short entry. I requested topic suggestions and I got a number of them from Chad Campbell. *Poecilotheria* and the ESA was his second request. Last night #88 tackled his first suggestion (handling), which was seconded by Kiffnie, especially comments on *Poecilotheria*. Actually, although I did mention Poecs, I didn't focus on them specifically. It is believed by many that Poecs have the strongest venom based strictly on anecdotal reports not science. I assume that was why Kiffnie emphasized that genus. All I'll say is that since there have been reports of "coma" or "coma-like" (whatever that means) effects from Poec bites I certainly would least like to be bit by any member of the genus. My worst bite was from *Haplopelma lividum* and the resulting four days and nights of muscle cramps particularly in the hamstring and calf were bad enough for me. But here I am asked to comment on *Poecilotheria* and the ESA (Endangered Species Act). The truth is that Chad probably knows more about this issue than I. There was a Faffbook group created on the topic by Christian Elowsky who would be a better author of this blog entry as well. I hated Faffbook groups and people adding me to them long before I hated Faffbook in general and left this group after a short time. *This is all I have to say:* European collectors have smuggled Poecs out of India and Sri Lanka. That is why almost every species in the genus is well established in the hobby. This has not gone unnoticed by wildlife officials in the countries where Poecs are found or our own USFW knuckleheads. Long before the mention that Poecs might become CITES listed there was the IUCN red listing of the genus. My knowledge of the inner workings of these threatened and endangered species list inclusions is limited. What escapes wildlife officials is the fact that our hobby Poecs are all captive bred in numbers AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY GENERATIONS and their value has mostly become laughable. Many species can barely be given away. Even "newer" species like *P. hanumavilasumica* are difficult to sell. I just wholesaled my recent hatch of P. smithi, which by all reports is the least abundant (most threatened) Poec in the wild for 10 bucks apiece. There is no incentive for anyone to collect *Poecilotheria* for the pet trade. But wildlife officials get paid to officiate. They don't always base rules on science. Look at our own USFW ridiculous actions related to pythons. They don't even have to pass legislation. They can just whip up arbitrary rules. There is a yet undescribed species of *Poecilotheria*. I know exactly where it can be found in Sri Lanka. Am I spending thousands of dollars to return to Sri Lanka to collect it for the pet trade to "get rich"? Did I seek it when I was there one year ago? No! Even if I was a collector it would hold no money making possibility. One guy in a room somewhere half way around the world looks at a web page and sees an adult female P. metallica that is third generation captive bred offered for $400 and his little automaton peabrain leaps to the conclusion that there are collectors scouring the Indian forests. He is ignorant to the fact that perhaps 100-200 total Poecs have ever left India and Sri Lanka bound for German and Dutch breeder's terrariums. I'm guessing, but the point is that they aren't Chilean rose hairs. They haven't been raped for profit by the pet trade. I believe the whole point of the aforementioned Faffbook group was to get breeders to send data to USFW in support of what I've presented above. I didn't. I've bred as many Poecs as anyone outside of Henrik Wessel Frank or Thorsten Kroes, but I had no inclination to try to enlighten the moronic USFW. Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed man. If Chad or Christian want to blog themselves on the topic they are welcome to. My breeding of Poecs is at its end and my interest is the discussion is nil. I've wrote all I have to honor Chad's prompting. I can't imagine I'll have more to say on "stamp collecting", but that will be next. ask and ye shall receive. mj **TALES FROM THE FIELD #11 - IN SEARCH OF MY FAVORITE SPIDER** Let's leave Suriname for now and return to Sri Lanka. When Andrew Smith and I became friends I asked him about all of his travel. I have travelled the world since then, but at the time I had only seen 48 of the 50 United States, much of Canada and various locations in Mexico. I only dreamed of venturing beyond North America. Andrew, of course, had been to countless countries in pursuit of theraphosid spiders. My first trip with him would be to Costa Rica in 2006, but even before that amazing journey I asked him which of the countries he had visited and he quickly responded "Sri Lanka". For a tarantula lover whose favorite genus was, and is, *Poecilotheria*  that answer was very encouraging. I had already become known for my extensive "Pokie" breeding projects and my early American success with my favorite tarantula, *Poecilotheria subfusca*. But Andy wasn't just talking about the spiders. He told me of a gorgeous land with lovely people and great food. In fact, he called it the most beautiful country he had visited. Sri Lanka became my bucket list destination. Oddly enough, my trip to Sri Lanka would not include Andrew. Our team had taken the year 2013 off due to financial considerations and when planning for 2014 came around we learned that Andrew would be having surgery on his eyes and that his elderly mother was nearing her end. 2014 wouldn't be possible for Andrew. So Paul Carpenter, Guy Tansley and I started discussing planning our own trip. Madagascar was suggested first. I had dreamed of going there since I was a child, and as a gecko and chameleon lover this would seem to be paradise. However, Madagascar has sadly become a decimated country with little rainforest left, crime, corruption, poverty and squalid conditions. I had a contact in Madagascar in Olaf Pronk and wrote him, but my research told me that our viewing of lemurs, chameleons, day geckos, leaf-tailed geckos and other creatures I had long fantasized about seeing in nature would be limited to a few preserves. The tarantula fauna of Madagascar is largely unknown, but it was likely to just be some "brown jobs", including " *Monocentropus lambertoni* ". I put this species in quotes because the about to go to print BTS Journal 30(2) contains two articles penned by me including one that gives an overview of the hobby's "M. lambertoni" and raises the question of whether this identification is correct. Regardless, I saw Madagascar as depressing, unsafe and filthy and voiced my concerns. I was quite surprised when Paul mentioned that he would be willing to return to Sri Lanka. I had assumed that repeat visits wouldn't be considered and we would have to go somewhere Paul had never been. Paul has been Andy's traveling companion for something like 25 years so he has been to just about every exotic locale you can name. It would be tough to find somewhere he hadn't been, especially since I already knew that he wasn't enamored with travel to the New World. I leaped at the chance to go to Sri Lanka and the team knew full well that seeing *Poecilotheria subfusca* in its natural habitat would be one of my life's greatest experiences. Spoiler alert: it was. When I first bred *Poecilotheria subfusca*  a dozen years ago there was no talk of "highland" and "lowland". This was long before mention of a lowland form existed. This was long before people improperly began using the old specific epithet "bara". We just had "subfusca" and you can read about my early experiences with this species in captivity in the following articles. These articles were published in my old magazine  *ARACHNOCULTURE*; in issues 1(1) and 2(1), respectively. - [EXPERIMENTAL HOUSING FOR MONTANE *POECILOTHERIA*](http://exoticfauna.com/arachnoculture/1/AC-i1a2-p1.html) - [THE FIRST US BREEDINGS OF *POECILOTHERIA SUBFUSCA*](http://exoticfauna.com/arachnoculture/5/AC-i5a2-p1.html) | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c3bYOkH_v9vNOQRpP8OSWyybjncrP6t38Pxgj7UWitiOQMRyDo3EyjIZjlwMpdErcTicKuZNi04c4bZMypxtDf_K_EpPTO0QR2CVjO-BoZnQcHbYHVMxlsC8rCWPWxjwdDNNC61DGyaG/s1600/sri-lanka-map.jpg) | | --- | | **Map © 2007 Geology.com** | At the time people who used common or popular names sometimes referred to *P. subfusca* as the Ivory Ornamental, a reference to its white chelicerae, but it was also called the Kandy Ornamental and later the Kandy Highland Ornamental. I admit I was occasionally guilty of using the latter name, which you learn is actually oxymoronic. (And all common names could be argued to be "moronic"). But "Kandy Highland" is actually a contradiction of terms and I'll expand on that below. Kandy is a city that people have associated with *P. subfusca*, but I knew from my talks with Andrew, many of which occurred with fine whiskey and finer cigars, that he had found *P. subfusca* near Nuwara Eliya. This city is actually at high elevation and Andy spoke of seeing his breath in the morning and cold nights below the blankets. Nuwara Eliya is loosely pronounced *noor-AY-lee-uh*, spoken as one smooth word, not two. I'm not going to drag out my explanation of "lowland" and "highland" here. Those of you who saw my lecture "Sri Lanka: Land of Leopard Spiders" at the BTS Lectures in February 2015 or my ArachnoGathering #2 in March 2015 got the full explanation. I still intend to make a YouTube film presentation of this material so the rest of you will have to wait. This is the incredibly concise version: I used to HATE hearing people talk about "lowland" *subfusca*. I was skeptical. I didn't want to believe that my favorite spider would be subjected to controversy and hobby arguments and nomenclatural gibberish. I still HATE when people use the term "bara", which is taxonomically incorrect. However, as those who heard my lectures learned, I fully agree now that there are two forms of "subfusca" and I believe that they should be considered two different species. Without getting into nomenclatural semantics and ICZN rules and such I will say that I believe that "bara" is no longer an available name. I will also say that I disagree that the "lowland form" is deserving of a new species name. I would argue that the "lowland form" is *P. subfusca* and the "highland form" is the spider that should receive the new name. Fortunately, I know from personal communication that Ranil Nanayakkara - a Sri Lankan who is active in native tarantula descriptions and taxonomy - agrees with me. The short story is that years ago Andrew Smith told me that the preserved "bara" type specimen is the largest *Poecilotheria* he has ever seen, live or in spirit. Many of you should know that the lowland is a larger and lighter colored spider and the highland is a much darker and smaller spider. This only makes sense. It is true throughout the animal kingdom that, in races or populations or divergent species or whatever taxa you look at, high elevation organisms tend to be dark to absorb heat quicker and tend to be smaller. Getting back to the cities of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. They are two different worlds and I'm not talking about the cities' topography, people, culture, etc., which are indeed very different. I am talking about climate. Kandy is hot and humid, but seasonally dry. It lies at an altitude of about 500 meters (just under 1700 feet). Nuwara Eliya sits at an altitude of just under 1900 meters or 6200 feet. Obviously, this is higher than our "mile high city" of Denver, Colorado. It is cold. It is damp. It almost never gets above 70ºF. You *can* see your breath at times. We froze at night. We had no hot water to shower with. As we walked the streets vendors were peddling down jackets and wool blankets. This is like no other place in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, (spoiler alert again) we were lucky enough to find "lowland subfusca" near Kandy and "highland subfusca" near Nuwara Eliya and they are two very different spiders. Even in my lightweight jungle trekking gear I was sweating bullets in the seasonally dry lowland rainforest where we found our Kandy spiders. We found our highland beauties in cold fog. I was wearing a fleece and rain jacket. Two worlds indeed. The cities are only 100 km apart, but their climate couldn't be much more different. Kandy is part of Sri Lanka's central "Hill Country", but temperatures reach 90ºF and it is very tropical. Nuwara Eliya is a cool, misty, magical place. Since almost all of you are hobbyists, not taxonomists, I will add one more thought. It is important to remember that without accurate and honest locality data you have no idea what your captive hobby specimens are. I'm not just talking about the two forms of "subfusca". I am talking about any of your tarantulas. My photos show *in situ* spiders. I know exactly where each was found. What you have labeled in your terrariums does not have any accuracy attached to it except belief, faith and word of mouth. Apples and oranges. Don't compare hobby tarantulas, especially those that have been bred for years and may have "been mixed", to tarantulas in nature. Keep your "lowland" and "highland" separate and don't ever try to breed them to each other. (My friend Thorsten Kroes, who has studied Poecilotheria in both India and Sri Lanka and is a very successful captive breeder of the genus tells me that he hasn't had success intentionally trying to get them to breed, which is another argument for their speciation). There ends the lesson. Now let's look at some photos and have them tell the stories. I'll let their captions provide additional details. As always, thanks for reading. MJ **Most photos © Michael Jacobi. All photos joint copyright held by © Michael Jacobi, Guy Tansley and Paul Carpenter, 2014 except where noted.** | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zJ8xGF_N4DMd6KIEmP6vvGk5lCnGDjrVIV6hgIRt7mCL3wAR-nosMDfvCIxGnwcDFnyUiPbX4bXDO9kjhDY4GMWooYaAI93w3bLmm12xuab9YjbQfF7M3UTK7J_zfwyldR2GB0BVHN4J/s1600/Kandy_lake.jpg) | | --- | | View of Kandy and Kandy Lake © [Bernard Gagnon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bgag) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the [GNU Free Documentation License](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:GNU_Free_Documentation_License) | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUWc_pWMXtxqkzbW8PbRZTSOs0uL5IyWMNWlB4rKEFRvpThgszncEltfnXBhnTCDQipfynKn_F_Z2LcjutBSfcJcyVvBAQCS-u9vvU_LqdFGxJzWH5VrRr1Rlz2JhMVw6ACCYwhr2M48U/s1600/bara_habitat_2.jpg) | | --- | | Mark Carpenter stands on a path into lowland rainforest near Kandy where we found our "lowland subfusca" © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZwzxQihEJ4iumEhyYEB5R5Fb8r9Snm6XJ6YnSsYzyyIL9LUwbGoWJ1RfclGuWzqW7SBbgBD1hlXLQz8bJwuxkozq8o7O8msGXYx6NNzBxzedcpy8x0n9jdlQmcCLuCnnvyaTtOaQ2-da/s1600/Toque_Pair-2.jpg) | | --- | | A pair of Toque Macaques or *Rilewa* that lived in the forest among "lowland subfusca" © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYkzgSAsqwPH3_chBHpIpgkHuvVGA4hwaiM2Tfvmt5CPaKicslvNtlF6r_7Nwsm6UuPW8By6JYTfSdU5YKxGCfW4KC8SbVr5ObdzAz7vF8jaZbOXsrPQF8wu8ZVXeJbDGWgJ7DfYABota/s1600/bara_habitat_3.jpg) | | --- | | Guy shines his "torch" into tree crevices and holes searching for "subfusca" © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Tx8DonrU6M5bpY0ApuWVetk8_TcUZvKhb7XMCj5J7CAObhtEM2RktafaOJl5_3okOXl1KiL_vpkUyVMJ24PwkBOkCN2M-Ffw4KY0xo2KOb3MsuD0OSE4nSYfLnWC6av73PQUw9VPtbhm/s1600/Guy_Uda_Tree.jpg) | | --- | | Guy works at tickling out one of the "lowland subfusca" we found © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj803L5uNdCF_K7KeBB0gzGRcm1vM2RSC70uC68JCTifr2r-8oXHX7pVG1cQ5DsWxaviNyKsSqrqANLab_-usxiWcOOPan7Sx5TirZJjuIYKjdbXZzNZxk7g5Wwf1p5RNeRpNwTlnfCk-QD/s1600/Paul_Guy_bara.jpg) | | --- | | Paul Carpenter and Guy Tansley pose behind the "lowland subfusca" resting on the buttress © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxKT-6dYJxrYDUcFmorWf3AvIoJyile-2Phgtjq_GuPFQwUsfVdAHd0DyHgepUgJuLBhxClhQPq-Qg3m5AVzC5xAtvte8Yu1n5x-bU3CgAMZKbCjaSkSXkYDTjAKlCdfh-p_a5kVVQAxs/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG) | | --- | | Your very happy author poses with a beautiful "lowland" beastie! © Guy Tansley | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoe4Z_sFr67sKw-Jmecq-I9FAs4uDCqnMsYyu-nZx29WXXa_Ft1vPCO2vFaQY1GOvbm2y-ZPoqpZN8pJ9qebL5IsgC5hIsPzHlkMk1Gr-Oq5UatLr3tQnjqierD5oFGYI9p56Y5f1hn-qx/s1600/Bara_Portrait_2.jpg) | | --- | | Portrait of the spider I had traveled 9000 miles to find! © Michael Jacobi You won't find many this pale! | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgMjVl8owkPMfvzxDgYAHqhEQ-Yf7sd0ecwcJTIIdhJGuXEl15rylXUPoI09WxNgFMG330kiRVZOOwY32sYBuvFduN9vu2LbYPd9pAoFJKsj1tLs97ztLCr5QpWItY6VB2fd4iQmXUzuc/s1600/Bara_Portrait.jpg) | | --- | | *in situ* under natural light © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0GIOuBq_8UIEzbcDOXMpGfcIPS0uQeLg4b7W32xb5prTrMizzu96zCuopk2hgBJIpef5xFsNaCkr0-zne-bkKPnbBZJ8VT8RDlrP_aQz2-ikdstpxs_ZAJ20lXMWFtpZnYz2EdPoA_2S/s1600/Foto.JPG) | | --- | | Just so you don't think all of Kandy's *P. subfusca* are as pale as the one above, here is an image of one found by Thorsten Kroes on an earlier trip. This one looks like my captive "lowland subfusca". © Thorsten Kroes | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm-tM2fHlwM42LTVdhqxyr3JXDi7JznVP7hU2rGbxcon7QsMgAoA2hFIkwH3NZ_b_dCKIcU3BjcDF0yUHflR4zgw_IYfMsgSs11PZNGj-nICNpJJAIcNlQsLBvT_I-9GP9WMYUNIxIvav/s1600/PC_GT_Beer_Kandy.jpg) | | --- | | Paul and Guy as our foursome enjoys some cold Lion Lager after a hard day in the jungle. Kandy is populous and is Sri Lanka's fastest growing city. It has plenty of restaurants and pubs. © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWuj4S1tjT9FetF7HHyJbJWpHriWg5WbYyWxQD_dYIxXepuNyf01DN9SmHxHn8hTN3DQx3CUFUUDYmxADgQriuogmdr799qaQYEsSILwUAWPNv-5-CoLi-mknC9cVDBUiye0m2z7NIzzy/s1600/camera_drop_me.JPG) | | --- | | A different world. Note my thermal long-sleeve shirt over my t-shirt and the rain jacket. Also note the mud on my camera and jacket. This is above our lodging in Nuwara Eliya after I fell down a steep trail and my macro rig plunged about twenty feet to the forest floor. Still a smile, though... © Guy Tansley | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmtlyA7guFbWSFZ1c2chz28w3IfAn1vYMBnHj9KBgeDZh1uR0izwnvJmYMewnSKiolntmsWFLF3NZyAlglO2ID9_rxIF_x8A4pkQYGRK9jHSzVvoZE3_wbgh8OtYGGmpw562h11rl__EK/s1600/IMG_0521.JPG) | | --- | | The slide down the hillside was worth it! Among my bucket list Sri Lankan reptiles was this montane lizard. It is known as the rhino-horned lizard or kagamuva angkatussa (*Ceratophora stoddartii*). It is endemic to Sri Lanka. © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2Th9MyXu8_FYRXPIEnYlb7IZ76BgswrdakHYY__Jv-30Kvr-tedT5mODJou6umvcn0VVocvG1AyoWRDyMtqjPYgg0wGWhQQhSSdo-ETO4OFovwQaYNrbb4vKcLcm4qj1ydM9SSCZzVMc/s1600/Rhino.jpg) | | --- | | Portrait of *Ceratophora stoddartii* © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXwHYlaE_x7h-s9xHOlkAMKRf0cbyEcb3VovXZrWVeaLFlbpQd3L_UOFSSjdfuR0ZgeEzE_bV_Ojs-VxHfWeP7Nd8RzC1kb6qs5YPWJLK03SIJZCDfsRbr-k42lYygolmzV1E4DSfriDJ/s1600/nuwara_countryside.JPG) | | --- | | A view of the hillsides around our lodging in Nuwara Eliya. About 1000 feet more than a mile above sea level, this is a cool and damp region. It is the home of the hobby's original *P. subfusca,* which I believe is deserving of another name. © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TfcMs2fmoZhrXDYwA-ooJh1_CE25qeQ3cN_7MVX5XGE15hXk7VJFJu63d96qHd3XEnC1DDxGinlBJbHfY_-yQ1f6qrLJoBvShfeBfmTMvfPoWnO6idWolx_edozOnaYZn3KHH0m9I2vp/s1600/subfusca_habitat.jpg) | | --- | | The habitat of "subfusca" near Nuwara Eliya. The misty evergreen forest reminded me of my years in Seattle. © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-adqtPV3ypCJ0DT7dhNrGmhi_Unl9W03LTnY4BIA_RjFTryYNzliSYPSCZZ_RfC0YGi8HEjUq1AO9g4zGBuqs021-HryfSaSQRFjgwnRwBOfDJDjoRo1PRz2A8gZeGQwFqsayINMkaQm/s1600/highland_habitat.jpg) | | --- | | Foggy scene reminiscent of a spooky film. This is where we found our "highland beauties" © Team Sri Lanka 2014 | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRUMS-skLzbbrw29QItjWu0MQT52jSzFJWTy9rDH9Q9n0tJpI7cBOoAb2_U1qif4ySqBlxenWaJjjQtplJ1yKXxDaXQtlUyYkLroZ62vpbuY42YCYdw3tO-GfQjxsi9306FKU_4kcslom/s1600/subfusca2.jpg) | | --- | | **Words could never describe my feeling when I set my eyes on this spider. I will never experience a greater thrill from another spider. 18,000 miles round trip, several thousand dollars and almost four amazing weeks led up to seeing my favorite tarantula in its natural habitat. This beauty made Sri Lanka 2014 the trip of a lifetime!** © Michael Jacobi | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYDJ55P7DjCIajq4Fkr8ohTfnUfDzdIP1gDBlpDGqAIhJqWi-_Jup5yWs-sMcEocRXaNgzuDtcfnr8WUK29DbyUXqkOpuUJ_I1e5nv8z7uEpZya54AB6Xkiissvpy8XNaMBZrw2oou3Y2/s1600/Smiley-Face-7.jpg) I have kept and bred *Poecilotheria* for as long as they've been in the hobby. I can't even guess how many sacs I have produced over the years. If you've watched my [Tarantulas in the Terrarium](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXvOoBeVArc) instructional film you have seen my old Nashville Spider Shoppe and the custom 10 gallon aquarium on end enclosures I used to make for Pokies with step-by-step instructions. You also saw that as soon as the ExoTerra Natural Terrarium (12x12x18 "Mini Tall" size) hit the market I began using them as well. (*Please check out the video to learn more about my use of these*). However, my results have been as good, if not better, using a cereal container type of enclosure that was popularized by Ray Gabriel in a number of BTS Journal articles over the years. I have developed my own version of this enclosure and still use it today. *Poecilotheria* are tree hole inhabitants and they do well in housing that provides them with a secure and dark retreat. They don't require as much space as a vertically-oriented ten gallon aquarium or 12x12x18" ExoTerra affords them. Don't get me wrong, I still use both of these types of enclosure as well, but if you are new to *Poecilotheria* breeding or have limited space (or money to spend on housing) I believe you will have better results using the simple cereal container enclosure I will describe in this installment of Casa de Tarantula. I prefer the largest cereal container I can find and use the Mainstays brand sold at Wal-Mart. In these photos you will notice the white lid (with pour spout) and handle. I took the series of step-by-step photos I will use in this blog entry some time ago when this was the best container Wal-Mart offered. However, Mainstays has since changed the design to one with a blue hinged lid without the pour spout that no longer has a handle. This model is even better! I will close with a photo of the superior model in use. You will notice that with the older version I would just pull out the pour spout and cover that opening with aluminum insect screening affixed from the inside with hot glue. With the newer model with the blue top I use my 2" hole saw to cut an opening in the hinged lid and cover the hole the same way. Another thing that is important to note with the step-by-step series of images is that in order to illustrate the design better I covered the rear that creates the *simulated dark tree hole retreat*  last. This was so you could see the cork tile retreat and how, after cutting it so it fits snugly, I use the adhesive backed squares that come with the four-pack of cork tiles to prevent the cut cork tile from sliding to the front or rear. You can buy these four-packs of 12x12" cork tiles at Wal-Mart or Target. They are also available at office supply stores, but are much more expensive there. When I actually build these containers I darken the rear of the container with the 2" black Duck brand tape first, before I put in the cork tile, and definitely before I put in the substrate (EcoEarth coconut coir) and sprig of silk plant (bought at Michael's). You could also use the less expensive ExoTerra plants sold at pet stores and very cheap from [Pet Solutions](http://www.petsolutions.com/). | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlAkCBO-ec9iVW89e1Impkh-GdrFQsW9pYtYY54npg33B6suKqmRb26VID37wDnjbyH0h4ln56SySomjcC21aXVjsucljC4RSRPqNvdLcU4SQ1di9CHG8-Qbrq3QrAzRbXm-OOQVAaOyB/s1600/PC1.jpg) | | --- | | Showing screen covering removed pour spout | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3xsHBhGm6udKSHCEqKHWF9rxIYKsHnGAjExP_lpby0dnqBkN0sZF_hNnT-nx3cGdeE1T3wkELY71PbIeLaeIP6kaksV0y8Pd9Oml1wP77WN1BW0k98DZjQIFxJidtrQ6Pz6Hg_sDYVFE/s1600/PC2.jpg) | | --- | | Showing lid from other side and cork tile cut to fit snugly in the rear third of container | Note how the tile is cut. Since the container is taller than the 12" square tile there is a gap between the tile and the lid of the cereal container. This is good. However, I still cut the half circle "notch" in the center that is the entrance to the faux "tree hole. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1HmJRliAFwPQRSnrooVxH-62fCuwPBInc_x1wh-QRzIZ92dRIrNMkpV1hoyUAtm0dczHOCsqQeE4yMe1K2E2fKA41x6YhjVVGUSDaGIj4Lf4BntBpamqJhMxtkax-rXZD1ZQt9avv4B3/s1600/PC3.jpg) | | --- | | | This image shows the cork tile piece set in place. You may prefer your own modification for creating a channel for the cork to slide into that will keep it from moving backward or forward. However, the package of cork tiles comes with these little double-adhesive squares. I keep the paper covering on one side of the square and peel off the other adhesive side and place these as shown. If you cut the cork tile well so that it follows the taper of the container it will be snug and tight against the inside. These squares are then sufficient to keep the piece in place vertically, and you can actually pull the cork tile out and later slide it back in as if the squares were a channel. A fancier design might actually use a piece of plastic channel, but I haven't found it necessary. Once the substrate is added it will also help to secure the vertical cork tile piece in place. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tK8_MD9OVCNIky0fsGIHLtz4G8wCX14v93qaZUDgIjIzNkY6btMo4-Br1z2puS-qFavtSBz6y7l9yaxERoiLn9H3Qiyoyvi4CmLLj9VtxuFZHUjs7Tit8SpWzOQuXusG171tNUPT-cqa/s1600/PC4.jpg) Again, I actually put the tape on the container as the FIRST STEP. These photos are out of build sequence for illustrative purposes. However, it does help to know exactly where the cork tile is going to be so you might want to install it first and make the taping the second step. In the above photo you can see that the first piece of tape is added so that the cork tile is in its middle. I then proceed to tape all of the back. I cut small pieces as needed to try to keep all light out of the back of the container. In a later photo you will even see that I put two pieces of tape on the inside of the container to cover where the handle attaches on the outside to further block light from coming in. With the newer model of Mainstays cereal container that doesn't have a handle this is much easier. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhi2ZPMhwh44CdbBptfra14ypVMLSd3lj24Ts9Ejv-tkLWWNy_5xXZWM-6To3LRDoEPkWKEPz7JWFNFwdcT5x_hu0NeNwNKbqHqZjw3KQaa5Absy1nPleh-BjqardQW50J-oNb8pGtNDJR/s1600/PC5.jpg) | | --- | | The handle is a pain. Little strips of tape need to be cut to cover entire back and block out light. The newer version without a handle eliminates this problem | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61sq-g3seNegLSDV7mNm7fSytMtNcTE-5ANs0e53Re-gMJgRFrItBCsIXIrzjscoJQJa1uEOCebsbd1BTMpgkNbrLu5T4fTR9wsCY0trqs6jC8k1V-VmoHOldTzidFt3eCDXpxrSyZ24L/s1600/PC6.jpg) | | --- | | Finished taping. In the next photos you will see a couple of pieces of tape on the inside. These block the light from where the translucent handle attaches to the container. | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_pgN8HJ9Jn8PJm1gSi0BApLI4z2jpnOdZmTKkKG5YJMMvooRiAuM0CRmUvB-P1gO1XZiB4OlpEaLKj5vrXs__sB654wHe_xAA2M7hkKoqozCAmsj7a3063kpNx21Brj7AQT_VhObgh1s/s1600/PC7.jpg) | | --- | | This top view shows finished container with coco substrate covered by some green moss and a sprig of silk (or plastic) plant. It also shows the two inside pieces of black vinyl (Duck, duct) tape. | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZR3IvnsZMRV65NZhcWVJ7UYbASgi_b5YdU54PUP-mq1mdDSb5BBlmIcrhj_sf_ziRFUEN5lBKr3KYnqbNtHAOzVj-6TY1Zgs9pF9GDSCGny2bUPSdch1iktlhzFKxxGTBfYT-Rab-YSQ/s1600/PC8.jpg) | | --- | | Finished container | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPAduXVHLybr_BiZ5lmukyWcE8ePXm4QDtdrz4ZftdbbCQMAFuLtGLeUZlw4nRodIUSz5XZ6kxsOfp5K-3aYiE68KFjil_iuuOsuzUawlK1EV8kbhvpitlUS6MUF2s9b5bDktM62-rv2g/s1600/PC9.jpg) The above photo shows how I breed *Poecilotheria* using these containers. Ray Gabriel used to use actual cabinets with clear fronts, but I use a large clear tub with a small vent cut in the lid that is covered from the inside with aluminum insect screening affixed by hot glue. Both the male and female containers are placed inside the enclosure to create a "breeding arena". I usually leave them side by side for a few days and then remove the male's lid. After he has the chance to explore the "breeding arena" for a few nights I then will remove the female's lid and leave both like this for a couple weeks. Depending on whether I need the male for another female or not, I either remove both in their own containers or, if the male is not needed elsewhere, I will sometimes put both male and female in the female's container and put them back on the spider room shelf. In general, Poecilotheria males and females will cohabitate. I have some males right now that have been living with a female for over a year. *Poecilotheria fasciata* and *P. ornata* are the most likely to attack the male (and sometimes *P. rufilata*), but the other species are generally fine. That's all I'll say about breeding for now as I will soon start a third ongoing series that will get into breeding in depth and it will begin with a formula for Pokie breeding success. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-TFbBsAfZT8qGN2PXjev2M72p-lnQjPnzB9-HQiueX9e7uKET7KcTyPYDlFoS2thBzwmzBVAjnwIQsZ6jsjBGb4aztJ9afe0SLrC2XkXDzaNmOU_9x7GH1-fHq8WCDEK3S-l2IOHF2zY/s1600/IMG_2147.JPG) This final image shows the new version of Mainstays cereal container. Without the handle putting the black tape on the rear half or third is so much easier. Note how I use a hole saw to cut a hole to provide the only ventilation. You will also notice that in this particular enclosure I used a piece of cork bark instead of the cork tile. I actually prefer the less expensive cork tiles, which are easy to cut to span the entire width. It also provides a darker rear. Anyway, that's it for Casa de Tarantula #2. As I wrote, I will start a breeding series soon that will first return to these containers and the formula for *Poecilotheria* breeding success. Tuesday night's Blog #18 was a list of "pet" peeves. Of that list common names and incorrectly written scientific names certainly rank high among my irritants. In the third issue of ***ARACHNOCULTURE*** magazine my "Back Page" article was titled "Dead Languages and Dumb Names". I thought I'd revisit that here with a few revisions and additions to bring it up to date and hopefully drive the points home. **DEAD LANGUAGES & DUMB NAMES** Common means a lot of things. Shared. Abundant. Generic. Frequent. Usual. When I lived in the US south, "common" is often used to describe someone without tact or manners of any kind, like your neighbor who urinates outdoors behind his shed when he's out mowing the lawn. Most people don't want to be common. When it comes to naming creatures, authors have to be different. That is, they not only have to use a unique name, but they have to follow rules. And they can't create a name that is shared, abundant, generic, frequent or usual. There is only one *Homo sapiens*. Well, actually there's about 6 billion of the buggers, but that's a whole different story. The point is that there is only one organism that the name Homo sapiens refers to, even though you may call that organism "human", "man", "person", "cretin" or "mother". Arachnids are also given unique names. My favorite arachnid is called *Poecilotheria subfusca*. No matter what language a person speaks and what word that person's language uses for tarantula, *Poecilotheria subfusca* is understood to be a distinct theraphosid spider. Everywhere. Anywhere. But leave it to us Americans to throw a wrench in it all; muck it up as the Brits would say. We're allergic to systems that make sense. Remember that metric thing?... We use "common" names, even though there is nothing common about them. In the rest of the world, hobbyists embrace the universal language of binomial nomenclature - the ***scientific name***. No, and allow me to stress this part, ***it's not a "Latin" name***. Many are "Latinized", but scientific names are also often derived from Greek and other languages, names of people, geographical areas and a bunch of other words. Latin names are probably what ancient Catholic priests called one another or the boys they buggered. So why do many hobbyists, particularly in the United States, have such an aversion to the scientific name? My experience has shown that it comes down to wrongly believing they are complex and confusing, and an apprehension to pronouncing them. Well, let's dispense with the latter swiftly; say the names phonetically and most everyone will know what you mean. In other words, don't worry about it. If you're a Canadian speaking to a Romanian you're going to pronounce everything differently. As long as you can utter the correct scientific name in any manner, chances are you'll be understood. Some names are "Latinized" and Latin is a dead language. Even scholars don't agree on pronunciation. Sound it out, listen to how others pronounce them and, when in doubt, accent the second to last syllable. That's it. (***Well, and don't forget when writing that genus names are capitalized and species names begin with a lower case letter***). **This last point is crucial. Specific epithets (species names) are all lower case. Why is this so difficult for people to learn? *Poecilotheria subfusca* or *P. subfusca*, but NEVER *P. Subfusca*. Since I wrote the original version of this rant we've all had smartphones glued into our hands. We focus on little else. But these phones aren't as smart as Apple and Samsung would have us believe. They don't know when you are writing a scientific name. If you type a period (i.e., dot) the keyboard will automatically switch to uppercase thinking you are starting a new sentence. You must take the two seconds to backspace, delete, and turn off the upper case before preceding. Don't be lazy. Typing on your phone is all you do. What's a few more keystrokes? Want to know a shortcut? Train yourself to leave off the period after the abbreviated genus. Just type P subfusca. That's why I often do. Clever, huh? Why is it that the majority of people you see posting on Faffbook and even dealers who type up sloppy lists still capitalize species names? What's even more aggravating is that some dealer lists have a mix of properly written and improperly capitalized species names, not to mention plenty of misspellings. Sloppy work disgusts me. Laziness is atrocious. These dealers are representing themselves to potential clientele. If they can't be bothered to spend time reviewing and editing don't bother them with your sales!** And what about this supposed complexity and confusion? Which is more complex: the "giant Cameroon reddish-brown baboon spider" or *Hysterocrates gigas*? Especially since *Hysterocrates gigas* is *Hysterocrates gigas* in English, French, German, and Dalek (whether it is actually that species or not, which is a whole other can of worms). "Giant Cameroon reddish-brown baboon spider" could also be *araignée brune rougeâtre géante de babouin du Cameroun*, or *riesige Kamerun rötliche braune Pavianspinne*. (Oddly, the online translators don't have Dalek!) For some reason there is a thing called "Common Names of Arachnids by the American Arachnological Society Committee on Common Names of Arachnids." As impressive as that redundant title might appear, it makes one wonder why an American group seems to be the only creator of such a list and why only the American Tarantula Society seems to print a list derived from it. I'll let you infer my disdain. This "official" common names list gives us "Cameroon red tarantula" for *Hysterocrates gigas*. Simpler yes, yet still meaningless. What is it about Americans that requires the use of "common" names? Are we just "common" like the uncouth neighbor mentioned at the beginning of this diatribe? Well, some are; some aren't. Just like everywhere in the world"even in the land of Dr. Who's Daleks. But I think it is about time American hobbyists ignored common name lists and elimated the confusion of "black bird-eater". In conclusion, here is the concise version of this topical rant from Blog #18 so you don't have to look back: **Taken from Blog #18 - 20 "PET" PEEVES** 2\. Common Names. Speak or write an intelligent and international language. Don't be a simpleton. 3\. Scientific Names written incorrectly. I don't care how you pronounce a scientific name. As long as the person you are speaking to understands what you are referring to it's all good. And you're speaking an intelligent and international language. But don't write them like an ignoramus. Let's use *Poecilotheria subfusca* as our example. You can write out in full like I just did. Notice the italics that should be used if you can. You can even get fancy and write it with the species author as in *Poecilotheria subfusca* Pocock, 1895. Once the genus has been mentioned you can then abbreviate it as *P. subfusca*. But the genus always begins with an uppercase letter (i.e., capital) and the species name always is completely lower case. P. Subfusca is wrong and it drives me nucking futs. Even worse, I've seen some write as p. Subfusca. Must be some stylistic bullshit kinda like e.e. cummings using all lower case letters to write crap poetry. I see these errors every day and they are like nails scratched on a blackboard and send me into a rage. I know, my problem. I'm medicated. I'm trying. But it is flabbergasting how many knuckleheads haven't learned this simple protocol. I realize that "smart" phones switch to uppercase when you type a period. But you know that too. Take a second to make the correction or do what I do and just leave out the period for speed's sake. But don't capitalize the beginning of a species name (specific epithet). *Before I begin today's fifth installment in my Tales from the Field series I'd like to request your help in increasing my readership. First, I hope all of you that use Facebook have liked the [Kiss My Big Hairy Spider](https://www.facebook.com/kissmybighairyspider) page. That is where I will be immediately announcing each post by sharing a direct link to the most recent blog entry. If you are following that page I ask that you share one or two to your own Facebook page or groups. As I mentioned earlier, because of the profanity contained in my "rants" I violated the rules of some groups and this has limited my ability to promote the blog. So don't share to Arachnoboards or ATS or something. It's kind of sad because America is so prude. Violence is celebrated in film and music, but "cuss words" and sex and graphic nudity are taboo. People shouldn't give a fuck about me using the word "fuck" in 2015. Anyway, I imagine those of you who use social media have many friends that are also into arachnoculture so if you can share one of my blog announcements to your personal page it would help. I am going to inquire about whether I would be able to banner advertise on Arachnoboards as an educational site. I'll offer to put a profanity warning on the banner. If you don't use social media, first, congratulations for being smarter than the rest of us! Second, please use email or word of mouth or smoke signals to tell your arachnofriends about KMBHS.* *Also, as you can see I am quick to respond to reader questions and suggestions. I want you all to be part of the KMBHS team. I received a very nice email from one reader (William) who asked about me writing a review on the new* Tarantulas of the World *book written by France's François Teyssié. I bought a signed copy of the book from François at the BTS Exhibition in May and as soon as I get a chance to look at it closer I certainly will post a review. You ask and I very likely will accommodate your request. Thanks all.* So, in TFTF #4 we started the journey into Sri Lanka. I promised the next entry in the series would focus on spider hunting and here we will visit the Makandawa rainforest outside of Kitulgala, Sri Lanka in search of *Poecilotheria ornata*. Kitulgala is best known for two things. First, it is where the movie  *The* *Bridge On The River Kwai*, which won the 1957 Academy Award for Best Film, was shot. The movie was based on the 1952 French war novel *The Bridge Over the River Kwai*. Kitulgala is where they built the bridge over the river Kelani, which was later demolished after the movie was completed. The entire film was shot in Sri Lanka despite being set in Thailand. Kitulgala is also known as the white water rafting capital of Sri Lanka. The Kelani River has significant rapids and the town has a number of raft adventure outfitters. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MvcAihONdeg1eO4XSggjdNLrnHhoERZdvw2uy6NP_vsjcI6pFl639L3YyRy19M0PW0OyplGnNwdZlYuQ59_LTdRT3fJAETyFq5u9F0pPrHTOBe9bNszgPchHbcBUhZLBcz6a1LvtLh4M/s1600/Kelani_Bridge.jpg) We arrived in the afternoon and found a nice hotel overlooking the river and marveled at the dense jungle on the other side of the Kelani as we had a round of cold beers. The following morning between a few of the rafting outfitters a couple miles from the hotel we found our own foot bridge across Kelani Ganga or the Kelani River. As you can see from the photograph, it was a narrow and wobbly bridge and a sign at each end warned that only three people could be on the bridge at a time. I figured three Sri Lankans meant only one of me and tried to cross on my own. In my lectures on this field trip I showed video of me crossing and at the midpoint I realized that a small elderly woman was coming towards me and my weight was making her bounce up and down. I can only imagine what the huge white man looked like to her. I stood still and allowed her to pass. Once we reached the other side we saw that there was a small village with little houses on each side of a dirt path. We saw huge webs holding Nephila pilipes and stopped to photograph them. "Tourists" who cross the bridge generally are looking for the remnants of the film's bridge and we did our best to ask the villagers which way to go. However, we never found the correct site, but did find the path to take us on to the official entrance of the Makandawa rainforest. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePhKhv6VOxRxiNeaVrc5RFO59kRgFTAHWsjhk_MJzXH-6BGos0TGoe3yt1xrqfyfwddi2pc7Xl_Eul7riDXdVfAWFKH_nE-U4-Ku9UBie3bWrd5GSkePFOWNkN5N2lo15lshsZz88zPWK/s1600/IMG_0706.JPG) | | --- | | *Nephila pilipes* female & male © Michael Jacobi | The path winds past little homes for some time before disappearing into the rainforest. This is lowland "jungle" and it was warm and humid. We marched on marveling at the huge *Nephila* webs. At one point we all stopped to photograph a big female with a legspan of six inches or so, and noticed that there was a tiny orange-red male mating with her. Known as "the large wood spider", *Nephila pilipes* can have a body length of two inches and a legspan approaching eight. The male has a body length of only about one quarter of an inch. These beautiful *Nephila* were common in this lowland rainforest and there was another half-grown female in a web right behind this big female. Their golden orb web is irregular, not symmetrical as in may orb weavers, and the "hub" is often near the top. As we all took our turns to capture photographs such as the one at the right, Mark made an even more exciting discovery. Apparently as our eyes were upon the trees in search of our primary quarry - *Poecilotheria ornata* - and we kept looking at orb weavers we had missed something perfectly camouflaged on our path. This would embarrass a veteran snake hunter like myself as he pointed down to a two-foot long viper. I warned him that it was venomous and the snake cooperatively stayed still to allow another photo session. It was a beautiful hump-nosed viper, *Hypnale hypnale*, and I was glad that none of us had stepped on it. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWHBhdAmZbUeSov0TKPy2r4VzRBskXPpSWLAFpMqQghv7fiOdLuTUq_Jsj2dhk-YScG4aE82WQATooj_uSNPqk1MkckX_33XZCYOd0BGOFuNLz6-WA9NqdZ_VaYmkOuaEhKuFJoqYfox9/s1600/Hypnale.jpg) | | --- | | *Hypnale hypnale* © Michael Jacobi | This 20 foot stretch of path would hold one more wonder, something that Guy was particularly excited to see. As we had spent about ten minutes in this location to photograph both the spider and snake in turn, he had looked about in the adjacent bushes and found an Atlas moth caterpillar. Paul and Guy know much more about insects than I do, and Guy's brother works with butterflies and moths. This was the first Atlas caterpillar Guy had seen and it was huge! | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp_q2gE3ZgOyvMPdnIIPOqZ4H9YFeQLmfHRV2hqwCy48yrd3ZT5Myal5p39_fbFicZt3cIU8waXT1jsVNnQc4WR0o98elJEFnEmGB2m8Zjwokc8niin3_HFGOqT9Num4XDL2HJO-N3al4/s1600/Atlas_Pupae.jpg) | | --- | | *Attacus atlas* caterpillar © Michael Jacobi | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNCPu1dAu9LhXu3rnaQnQlPqGKKAs7PiMr66guYUPLSgdyrBAoJp9OfAv_hbl8ceqBityRrpTISlCQpbkDdGKGU9o2a-53YdZ3a-NrwWpvYbPwB18DTFn32BNfepDYYkhsBsOcFdA0qS1/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG) The most common lizard in this forest was the Sri Lankan or Brown-patched Kangaroo lizard (*Otocryptis wiegmanni*). It is a ground dweller that gets its name from the way it hops about in the leaf litter and low brush. The first image is of a male and the second is a female with mud on her face, presumably for digging for insect larvae that makes up a big part of their diet. As we forged on deeper away from the homes and into the Makandawa rainforest we would see these small lizards hopping about in the wet undergrowth. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXuTYCkvwg5BZ5Ih9P8bFqiYlKHA9XjpUHkfiow3kwIiWv6bMPIIwnNzgywUWh7N9U1WwJfQxmOHSKswdVAGGVfsQGKO9HWvwfPorz1lX3lrmVEvUMhJB7LvCqLkToRXINrU9YzDjVEDC/s1600/Kangaroo_MudFace.jpg) Eventually we reached a little station where we would have to pay a fee and a get a ticket to enter the official boundary of Makandawa. It had been quite a hike to get this far and I wondered how many people actually arrived here each day. I expect the man selling the tickets spent most days napping. We would later see some locals passing from village to village, but we certainly were the only "tourists" that day. The entrance was actually pretty nice and the hut had a pool in front that displayed and identified the local fishes. This was wet "jungle" and we would cross many clear streams with various fishes many of which I recognized from the aquarium hobby. With all the camera gear I carry we look like photographers and our story is always mostly true. That is, that Paul and Guy are both educators who teach children about the rainforest and its inhabitants and I am an author and photographer. We make sure we never mention that we are looking for any specific animals or reveal that our target is theraphosid spiders. The majority of foreign visitors to the Makandawa reserve are looking to see its astonishing diversity of birds and whenever possible I would make a big show of photographing a bird to avoid any suspicion. Even though we don't collect, wildlife officials are on the lookout for people who show a special interest in reptiles, spiders or insects and I would snap scenic images, buildings, whatever whenever I was in sight of any locals. We had a little rest at the ticket shack and read the signs and looked at the displayed fishes. Then we pushed on deeper and deeper into the rainforest. The following image shows one of the streams that we would cross while doing our best to keep our boots dry. Nothing else on me was dry as the heat and humidity already had me a sweaty mess. [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JUfrOKLXdTCf-Fq25xN0ehtbijUDXhRgXLZ0z1gOA8C8_0yWwkLsbNLeLLQtAQgRFfVhYG8qe0_8IsYkzbgQBJ232Kt0WoxPpenToWT-deKY0Nj-bvW58MIWiqcOfmUTOvnyHZXB3DHJ/s1600/guy_makandawa_stream.jpg) Here is Guy deep in the wet rainforest. These streams contained all of the fishes we had seen displayed at the forest entrance as well as fishing spiders and aquatic insects. They were shallow and we were able to cross them by stepping from rock to rock, some obviously placed as a path by the villagers who often moved through this forest. We pressed on looking for the sort of trees we expected would hold P. ornata. We were sure this spider would be found here as years earlier Andrew Smith had found one near the site of the *River Kwai* bridge site. The lowland rainforest seemed ideal for this large and beautiful "tiger" or "leopard" or "parachute" or "ornamental" tarantula. The photo below shows a very happy Paul Carpenter who located the tree hole holding our first *Poecilotheria ornata* of the trip and the only one that we would find on this first trek into Makandawa. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_j6kVh7eeCQmxdlTMp6Zd-sltf8p3Ut6sCeksv8IyJ_k9ZU7POMnOk3AzPRECy_v42xyfNOyARQBCOuUqY3yv27KNLrjZevvmf2vx7-ZQ47FlSitoYRBU7cV_mhlH0fE34Qhg7gYlHAK/s1600/Paul_7_ornata_find.jpg) | | --- | | Paul Carpenter points to the tree hole where he located our first *Poecilotheria ornata* © Michael Jacobi | We set up our gear including a camera on a tripod for shooting video. I also was using my iPhone to shoot HD video throughout the trip. In my February BTS lecture and March ArachnoGathering lecture (both titled "Sri Lanka: In Search of Leopard Spiders") I showed video clips of our field work. These will eventually be made into a film that will be available on my [Exotic Fauna YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/ExoticFauna/videos). [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxqlfOk2-Qo7y7YbNY69uhfGg77hS6ZuGc7Z2viYbwNl0tm4YMEzYnfbThCGR8b89JCNVHCJktb65OyYQadoCyDU0LsgIhPIWXlUqFgv8Iqri7LCs8zlqtEFDsOSPA8jC3zoTQ0l4HZP4/s1600/7_ornata_tickle_tree.jpg) Paul "tickled the girl out of her hole and we discovered that she only had seven legs. We weren't disappointed though... we were ecstatic. My favorite tarantula is *Poecilotheria subfusca* and my second is *P. ornata.* This was my first *in situ* *P. ornata* and I was overjoyed. I filmed Paul working her out of the hole with a stick, and once she was completely out and the hole was blocked we did our best to pose her for the photo shoot that would follow. Some images were taken quickly, but as we set up to get the best shots we briefly took our eyes off our seven-legged girl and she decided to ascend the tree. The chaos that ensued is best shown by video, but we worked as a team to take on roles to retrieve the spider that was now a good twenty feet above the ground. Paul and I looked for tall saplings that could be used as brooms to sweep her back down the tree trunk. We were very successful and, as I like to say, this wasn't our first rodeo. Paul, especially, has been chasing tarantulas for over 20 years all around the world. We found some long branches and directed her back down to pose her for our final photo shoot before we would eventually direct her right back into the hole where we found her. We always return the spiders to the retreat they occupied when we discovered them. | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PEu7c4KWsjDzDLLy9u8fHGNkeKziAxwKqj2idp44dZlYg4a4JZwnV8peTpWIuusNH4DJRNwhB7TuOtZW1L3yKgybEMOLDAmH90b_iKipsqoJcZRsPRy98OoRfw5vBDAcJH3G53OLKG29/s1600/7_ornata_up_tree.jpg) | | --- | | I shot this image with a 200 mm lens as the spider was at least 25 feet above the ground. © Michael Jacobi | | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wlrv5Z1RV_swETYL2yNIQQyyIgupOqKKYaWGGdKc77lL3OWS_Hq6i6Zv3eYjQnA-jJGTDs4AesG_u9-HanAuZvGjXM9MQMWTL90XKYnsxHMEqHuQSR-4eMqckjzXOoMLPB3lezIV3J5-/s1600/Ornata_7.jpg) | | --- | | Portrait of a seven-legged *Poecilotheria ornata* female © Michael Jacobi | This was the only *Poecilotheria* we would find on our first day. We packed up for the long hike back out and hit the trail thinking about how good that first cold Lion Lager was going to taste after one of many amazing and successful days in the field. We would return to Makandawa to search for more *P. ornata* the following morning and that is where we will pick up the story with TFTF #6. Thanks for reading, MJ | [](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7we6OztdUd7OhyffIeSNsaJm0ViohrLYbfVo7kAmG_rtx_E7eVMmhb9asXqOIqahFUqxksZeTOR_vrPq3QPQ3qpBZi0qbyqq5bWwnWTODp6IYYXO7u0dM8vexuAlldsiXV84uGvbz1gE/s1600/camera_river_2.JPG) | | --- | | My cameras pose in the Makandawa Reserve © Michael Jacobi |