THE SPINNERETTE
ISSUE 7
K N O! TA SP
IN
ADVICE, AVICULARIA CARE TIPS, METALLICA TAXONOMY 1
it's T time!
Happy New Year, fang gang! I hope you all had a wonderful series of holidays between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years, and I hope that you and your spiders are starting off 2020 with some beautiful enclosures, full abdomens, healthy molts and renewed energy! I myself have made the new
year's resolution to give Spidey a beautiful tank redesign soon, so I'd love for you guys to give me some suggestions!
This issue of The Spinnerette focuses on the Avicularia Metallica tarantula - a
popular starter tarantula and one that is commonly kept by both new T owners
and more seasoned keepers. I hope you find the information in this mag useful and interesting :)
Big thank you to the Tarantula Heaven community for contributing photos
and The Tarantula Collective for sponsoring this issue! If you are interested in submitting feedback, being a part of future issues, or contacting me for advertising, you can do so at theavenmag@gmail.com! Spider hugs,
Patricia, Spidey + Blinky (my tarantula babies)
Tarantulaheaven.com / Tarantula Tuesday Newsletter FOLLOW MY TARANTULA STUFF!
Questions / Comments? Feel free to email me at theavenmag@gmail.com
The cover image is credited to Wikimedia Commons. Copyright Š 2020 Patricia Colli
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Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 10 14 18 26 38 40
Avicularia Metallica, Pink Toe Tarantula By Michael Fantus
Avicularia Metallica Care Tips By Patricia Colli
Avicularia World
An interview with Robbie Mc Strummer of Robbiestalkingts
Avicularia Advice
An interview with Kimberly Gonzalez
Community (tarantula photo submissions) An amazing collection from tarantula lovers like you!
Upcoming Events
Upcoming tarantula conventions and expos around the world
Sources + References
A list of sources and references from articles in this issue
AVICULARIA METALLICA, PINK TOE TARANTULA
By Michael Fantus
Avicularia means “little bird” but the taxon has come under intense scrutiny in recent times and it is probable this terminology will fall out of use as will its erroneous common name of “pink toe”. The proposed (and accepted) revisions to the Taxon, which used to include 47 species, has been collapsed down to 12: Avicularia avicularia Avicularia glauca Avicularia variegata Avicularia minatrix Avicularia taunayi Avicularia juruensis Avicularia rufa Avicularia purpurea Avicularia hirschii Avicularia merianae Avicularia lynnae Avicularia caei
Avicularia metallica did not either get excluded from the Avicularia or get a new name…which means biologists are still trying to figure out what it is. So, for the time being “The Metallic Pink Toe” is still valid and is appropriate for this particular species.
And now includes three new genera and six species: Avicularia rickwesti is now Antillena rickwesti Avicularia laeta is now Caribena laeta Avicularia Versicolor is now Caribena versicolor Avicularia gamba is now Ybyrapora gamba Avicularia diversipes is now Ybyrapora diversipes Avicularia sooretama is now Ybryapora sooretama
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Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit: William Turner 7
Avicularia Metallica, cont’d
Current Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia Division: Metazoan Symmetry: Bilateral Clade: Protostome Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Aranaea Family: Theraphosidae Genus: Avicularia Species: Metallica
a reliable and reputable supplier. Taxonomy is critical in modern times because the planet earth is in a pronounced state of despeciation. We must know at all times the number and population density of the creatures that make up and depend on the web of life in order to gauge the urgency and trajectory of the planet’s climate change crisis.
The best way to translate all of this jargon is to think of tarantulas as organisms with 12 jointed limbs not 8, (there are two feeding limbs and two fangs, also considered limbs), that feed through a mouth that is like a squid or an octopus, that use venom – not poison- and have nerve endings that are like hair on the external carapace. Once these characteristics are defined, individual characteristics are used to name the species and genus.
Habitat/range: This arboreal species is native to Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of South America. Status: Even though this species is one of the most popular tarantulas by hobbyists, they are not endangered and they are not assessed for the IUCN Red List.
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In the case of the Metallic Pink Toe, scientists are still at odds with one another how to classify the species accurately enough to be accepted 100% by the scientific community. Elements as granular as 4 vs. 5 hairs per cubic millimeter can be used to separate one species from another, but a critical mass of data across a wide range of geography and sampling of specimens has to be completed in order for what is called “description” to be accepted. Fortunately, hobbyists are less demanding and you can still ask for, and obtain an Avicularia metallica and get what you are expecting from
8 Photo credit: William Turner
ABOUT MICHAEL Michael Fantus’ day job is marketing in a Washington DC Association. His hobbies include fiction writing, music composition, French horn playing, redwood bonsai, and tarantulizing. He is the author of a novel, the Rage of Ganymede and the Lightning Manifesto. (Never ask a girl her age, and I have a partner named Stefen Styrsky who works in legal services, is a published fiction and technical writer, as well as a film critic. He avoids the tarantulas).
Flip to the back to see references for this article!
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons9
Avicularia metallica
CARE TIPS BASIC INFO Common name: Metallic pinktoe, Antilles pinktoe
Scientific name: Avicularia metallica
Type: New World, arboreal
Origin: Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea.
Growth rate: Medium
Size: 5� +
Experience level: Beginner Life span: Males live for 3-4 years. Females could live 12+ years.
APPEARANCE The Avicularia metallica is fuzzy with iridescent shades of blues and greens over its entire body. They get their nickname "pinktoe" from the pink coloration that exists at the ends of each leg. BEHAVIOR Attitude: Avicularia metallica tarantulas are generally docile however they are easily startled and have been known to bolt or jump particularly when they are younger. Bite danger: The venom of the metallic pinktoe tarantula is not very potent. However, as with any tarantula, caution should still be taken.
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Defensive behavior: Avicularia metallica are known to run and bolt quickly when startled or threatened. Most notably, the pinktoe has a unique defense mechanism by which they will shoot feces when they feel threatened. It can go as far as 2 or 3 feet. This species also has urticating hairs. Handling: Due to their speed and ability to jump, handling this species is not recommended.
DIET + NUTRITION Avicularia metallica tarantulas can eat insects such as crickets, mealworms, superworms, houseflies and other small insects.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
HOUSING Substrate: Slings will be ok with 1" of substrate, adults can have two. Substrate can be a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, coconut fiber and dirt. Substrate can be dry. Decor: An Avicularia metallica will appreciate cork bark and a variety of plants and branches with anchor points for webbing. Ventilation: Cross ventilation is key for metallica pinktoes.
Enclosure: This tarantula should have a tall enclosure that includes substrate, a water dish, and decor to assist in climbing. Humidity: You can mist the enclosure about once per week to supply a little humidity to the enclosure however you must have cross ventilation to avoid too much humidity or mold growth.
Water: A decently sized water dish must always be present. Temperature: This species can be comfortably kept between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Collection notes: This species is an amazing display tarantula.
FUN FACTS
When an Avicularia metallica tarantula molts, they usually do so in a web nest high up in the enclosure - which is very different from the ground-dwelling molts we usually see! 11
The genus Avicularia is one of the most common and beloved in the tarantula community. The caribena versicolor (formerly known as avicularia versicolor and pictured to the right) is particularly cherished in the hobby for its bright coloring and docile nature.
Photo credit: Monika Reniero
Photo credit: Monika Reniero
AVICULARIA WORLD An interview with Robbie Mc Strummer
Robbie is a tarantula keeper from England who shares his journey in tarantula keeping on his YouTube channel Robbiestalkingts. He has owned a variety of Avicularia genus over time and was kind enough to share his expertise with us!
How long have you been keeping tarantulas? What does your collection look like right now? I have been keeping tarantulas for a year now, and I'm up to over 100 in my collection.
How did you get into the tarantula hobby? I've had a fascination with tarantulas ever since I saw the brachypelma hamorii in India Jones and the temple of doom, then years later I saw The Dark Den on YouTube and figured I can do that too, so I purchased a brachypelma hamorri as that's where my first interest came from as well as being a great beginner species. And the rest is history. What inspired you to get an Avicularia metallica? If you have other Avicularias, do you notice a difference in care between species? I don't have an Avicularia metallica but I do have Avicularia avicularia, Avicularia purperea and 2 Carabena versicolors. I do think they are a good beginner species but temperament does vary from specimen to specimen.
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Tell us about yourself! My names is Robbie, I'm 35 from London, England and I'm a musician and youtuber. My hobbies are music, movies and video games.
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And they can be tricky to keep as most people believe they need high humidity, which I have found tends to be the biggest cause of death in avics.
14 Photo credit: Wikimedia Robbie Mc Commons Strummer
Photo credit: Robbie Mc Strummer
Photo credit: Robbie Mc Strummer
Photo credit: Robbie Mc Strummer 15
ROBBIESTALKINGTS: ESCAPED POECILOTHERIA REGALIS REHOUSING
Have you ever been bitten by one of these spiders? Or have they ever escaped/bolted? If so how did you deal with this? No I've never been bitten but have had several bolt on me, if you watch my YouTube videos (above) there's one that specifically shows how I dealt with a Poecilotheria regalis that escaped during a rehouse.
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What’s your favorite thing about them?
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My favorite thing about avicularias and all tarantulas in general is how easy to keep they are, and how no two tarantulas are the same. They all have their own personalities.
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Photo credit: Robbie Mc Strummer
Avicularia World, cont'd What’s the most important thing you’d like to tell someone who is thinking about getting into Avicularia metallicas? Anyone thinking about getting into avicularia as a pet, the most important thing to do before you get one is do as much research as you can on their requirements. What's your favorite thing about the tarantula community? My favorite thing about the tarantula community is how friendly and helpful people are especially providing information about different species. I'm also lucky to have amazing YouTube subscribers that like to gift me species I don't have or would love to see on the channel.
ROBBIESTALKINGTS: MY COLLECTION PART 1
Do you have a YouTube channel? When and how did you start it? As I said I do have a YouTube channel Robbiestalkingts, and much the same way I got into the hobby really. I saw Petko's videos (The Dark Den) and as I'm a very creative person, I thought I'd give it a try. And I've been lucky enough to make friends with all the members of the tarantula YouTuber community. They are all amazing. ABOUT ROBBIE Robbie is a tarantula YouTuber and a musician living in London. If you'd like to see more from him, feel free to check out his YouTube channel or Instagram, Robbiestalkingts!
AVICULARIA ADVICE
An interview with Kimberly Gonzalez
Kimberly is a tarantula keeper and employee at an exotics/reptile shop called Miami Reptile Company. She has been keeping Avicularias for years, so we are excited to share her knowledge! Tell us about yourself! Well, to start off, my name is Kimberly Gonzalez and I’m 18 years old. As my last name suggests, my entire family is from Cuba, many of them are actually still living there. When it comes to hobbies I like to draw and of course spend time with all of my pets. Aside from that I ride horses competitively in the show jumping ring. I consider that more as my lifestyle than a hobby because I do train almost every day and compete very often.
tegus, two bearded dragons, two leopard geckos, and a sand boa. How did you get into the tarantula hobby? Honestly, I’m pretty sure it was because I ran into a video on YouTube, by Jon3800 feeding his collection! I used to be terrified of spiders in general, but after
How long have you been keeping tarantulas? What does your collection look like? I have been keeping Ts for around 6 years now, currently I have a G. Pulchra (MM), A. Metallica, P. Irminia, A. Chalcodes, and a P. Murinus. In the past I have kept red knees (hamorii), A. hentzi, and A. Versicolor. Another arachnid in my collection is my emperor scorpion. Aside from the inverts I also have two
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Photo credit: Kimberly Gonzalez
researching and watching other people interact with these animals, I was dying to have one. I feel like education on arachnids and insects is the most important thing in helping people get over the fear of these animals. I was always really into animals, even as a little girl, but I never thought I’d be
Photo credit: Kimberly Gonzalez 19
Avicularia Advice, cont’d owning tarantulas! It has been one of the best things in my life so far haha. How do you like working at a reptile/exotics store? What is that experience like and what is your role there? I absolutely LOVE working at the shop! I actually became a customer of Miami Reptile Company when I got my first T (B. Hamorii) years ago. I always wanted to work there and finally at 18 I was able to get a job with them and it’s so great. During the course of the day, I clean enclosures, feed animals, and help customers. The constant interaction with the huge variety of animals and the opportunity to share knowledge about them to other people makes it so much fun. Another thing that I love about the store is
Photo credit: Kimberly Gonzalez
how much every animal is cared for. Cleaning cages and feeding/giving fresh water to EVERYTHING in the store is done daily. It’s the one thing that gets done no matter what. My favorite part is of course the interactions I get to have with these animals. I can go from working with boas to working with leopard geckos, and of course, my favorite, working with the inverts. Do you feel pet stores do enough to educate their employees and customers on proper invert care? What are some things you try to communicate when working with customers you know will be first time T owners? In all honesty I don’t believe that many pet stores do well in informing people on many animals they sell. Fortunately at the shop,
even before I worked there, there was always someone that knew about inverts. Now I also work there haha.
I will always give people information on the proper way to set up an enclosure depending on the species, and will also tell them how to keep the humidity for the T they choose. We always have red knees available as that is what I recommend most beginner keepers. I let them know that even though they are not very inclined to bite, they might still kick hairs and a bite may occur. I make sure they know what they’re getting into before hand. This is the reason why I research many species, including Ts I don’t keep and even true spiders, plus other arachnids like scorpions, centipedes, amblypigids, and solifugae. What inspired you to get an Avicularia metallica? Did you raise it from a sling? Like mentioned above I used to have an A. Versicolor, Blaise, that I raised from a sling smaller than my finger nail! He ended up maturing into a male, and lived his full life expectancy of three years. About a year after his passing I felt like I needed another Avicularia species as my experience with him was so wonderful. To me, even my Ts feel like such a big part of my life, so it was
actually really hard losing him, especially since he was my second tarantula ever. So, when I saw that the shop got in some A. metallica slings, I knew it was time to give his old home to a new baby. The one I have currently is still maturing. The name is Orion for the time being. Are there differences in behavior and care that you notice between Avicularia species? For this, I have noticed quite a few differences between the A. versicolor and the A. metallica. I feel like my Versicolor was a lot more skittish than my current Metallica. I also think that the Versicolor moves a lot quicker when they bolt. When it comes to care, I don’t think much changes, although the Metallica species does get bigger than the Versicolors, so enclosure sizing might be a good thing to keep in mind if someone plans on getting one. Have you ever been bitten by one of these spiders? Or have they ever escaped/bolted? If so how did you deal with this? I have been bitten by a T before, but not an Avicularia. It was actually an Aphonopelma seemanni who mistook my finger for a cricket. Honestly it was not the tarantula's fault, I should have been more aware. At the end of the day, I had no reaction to it, although the initial fang action did hurt a bit haha. My Avicularias have never threatened to bite nor have they ever escaped. However, when it comes to bolting, both species have done it. I feel like the most important thing to do when they bolt, especially if they bolt when they are on your person, is to stay calm and be aware of where they are going. Tarantulas are very sensitive, so you don’t want to freak out and risk dropping them by accident. If I were to give advice on them escaping, I would say to remember they are going to want
Photo credit: Kimberly Gonzalez
Avicularia Advice, cont’d to be high up, being an arboreal species, so somewhere near the ceiling might be your best bet to find them! What’s your favorite thing about them? My favorite thing about the A. metallica species is that they still get all the striking coloration of most arboreal tarantulas, but tend to ditch the aggression typically seen in Poecilotherias, for example. They’re also on the larger side, so it’s quite an impressive T that can still be handled fairly easily if one wished. It’s also pretty cool to show off too, not many people expect a blue tarantula! Do you think they are as beginner friendly as their reputation portrays? I honestly think they are! If threatened they tend to just point their butt at you and wiggle it haha. Even the ones that have been brought into the shop tend to be friendly even as new arrivals! Their care is pretty basic, the only thing that makes them a little more high maintenance is the humidity, but that can be easily accomplished by a good misting every other day depending on the enclosure.
Do you have a favorite tarantula (and why is it your favorite)? Although I love ALL of my Ts, I do have a favorite, and that is my G. pulchra, Sirius. I feel it’s because I saved him after a faulty molt with a tarantula ICU (basically a heated, high humidity container). He also matured about three years ago and is STILL going strong! His personality is also amazing. Looks wise, my favorite would definitely be my P. irminia, she’s absolutely gorgeous and her appetite never fails. A dream species to own is a P. rufilata, though. Either way, I adore every species and love all of my Ts, past and present, so much.
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What’s the most important thing you’d like to tell someone who is thinking about getting into A. metallicas?
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I feel like the most important thing I would say is to make sure you’re comfortable with Ts first. As I said before, these guys can bolt, and to a first time owner, it might be a little intimidating. Other than that, they make amazing pets that come with a wonderful personality and look!
Photo credit: Kimberly Gonzalez
What's your favorite thing about the tarantula community? My favorite thing about the tarantula community is the amount of knowledge that can be shared from one keeper to another. I feel like anyone who owns a T is always so willing and excited to share info and experience with anyone who asks!
ABOUT KIMBERLY Kimberly is originally from Cuba! When she is not working at Miami Reptile Company, she is a competitive horseback rider and artist. To see more from Kimberly and her spiders/pets, you can follow her Instagram page @kimbo0417!
Humidity has long been considered a major threat to the Avicularia genus. There is a condition known as Sudden Avic Death Syndrome (SADS), thought to be the cause of many unexpected avic deaths. We are still learning much about this, but keepers stress the importance of good cross ventilation to prevent issues with humidity.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
In this section we highlight tarantula owners from around the world and share their experiences. To make a submission, email theavenmag@gmail.com!
tarantula
COMMU 26
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
a
UNITY 27
At the end of 2019, I held an enclosure design contest in my Tarantula Heaven Facebook group to find a winner for a spider bag. Lots of tarantula owners participated, and the winner, Jonathan Roark, was announced. Here are all of the inspiring entries! 28
"The Dutchess: Photo credit: Jonathan Roark "Zeva" Photo credit: Jonathan Roark
Photo credit: Ashley T.
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Photo credit: Rob K.
Photo credit: BillieJo C.
Photo credit: Steven T.
Photo credit: Kat K.
Photo credit: Tamara C.
Photo credit: Rob R.
Photo credit: Amy F.
Photo credit: Sarah H.
Photo credit: Edward V.
Photo credit: Yichen G.
The winner of the tarantula enclosure contest won a spider bag from Gremlin Design! You can still get a spider bag if you like - visit her store and use discount code SPIDEY15 for 15% off everything!
SHOP PET MERCH!
Davus Pentaloris Photo credit: Zak Agar Instagram: @thetarantulad
Photo credit: Monika Reniero
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UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING 2020 GLOBAL EXPOS WITH TARANTULAS EUROPE DATE
May 17 2020
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons 38
EVENT
35th British Tarantula Society Exhibition
LOCATION
Warwick, United Kingdom
UNITED STATES DATE
EVENT
LOCATION
February 1-2
Repticon Columbia
Columbia, SC
February 22-23
Reptilian National Expo
Denver, CO
March 7-8
Reptilian National Expo
San Diego, CA
March 28-29
Reptilian National Expo
Ontario, CA
April 5
New England Reptile Expo
Manchester, USA
May 30-31
Reptilian National Expo
Las Vegas, NV
June 20-21
Reptilian National Expo
Long Beach, CA
August 22-23
31st National Reptile Breeders' Expo
Daytona Beach, FL
39 Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
REFERENCES AVICULARIA METALLICA, PINK TOE TARANTULA Author: Michael Fantus Avicularia metallica. (2018, September 17). Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Avicularia_metallica. Cancerides, /. (2017, July 14). Avicularia Genus Revision – A Quick Breakdown. Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://tomsbigspiders.com/2017/03/20/avicualaria-genus-revision/.Cancerides, /. (2017, July 14). Avicularia Genus Revision – A Quick Breakdown. Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://tomsbigspiders. com/2017/03/20/avicualaria-genus-revision/.Cancerides, /. (2017, July 14). Avicularia Genus Revision – A Quick Breakdown. Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://tomsbigspiders.com/2017/03/20/avicualaria-genusrevision/. Dallas World Aquarium. (n.d.). Antilles pink-toed tarantula. Retrieved from https://dwazoo.com/animal/antillespink-toed-tarantula/. Hughes. (2003). Understanding Adaptations of Biodiversity to Climate Change using Taxonomy. Retrieved January 9, 2020, from Understanding Adaptations of Biodiversity to Climate Change using Taxonomy. University of Michigan. (n.d.). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved January 9, 2020, from https://animaldiversity. org/accounts/Avicularia_metallica/classification/.
Photo 40 credit: Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit: William Turner 41
til next time!
Thank you for supporting The Spinnerette and its 7th issue! A big thank you to The Tarantula Collective for sponsoring this magazine and for doing amazing work to make the tarantula keeping community an informed and positive space. If you have any feedback about how this magazine could be improved or things you’d like to see this magazine cover, please feel free to email me at theavenmag@gmail.com. You can also email me if you’d like to submit something to the magazine or pitch an idea for a future issue! As always, you can find me on Facebook in my tarantula group, or subscribe to my Patreon to see more behind the scenes content about this magazine and my life with my tarantulas.
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