I haven’t posted one for a while and re-homed this one yesterday so took a couple of photos.
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens(unfortunate latin name)is commonly known as a Green Bottle Blue (GBB) tarantula. They are known for their striking colours and are quite popular with spider freaks. They are from Venezuela and grow to an about 15cm leg span, or so. They like very arid conditions, are not too shy and quite gentle spiders.
As they mature their colourations change. This little sling is under a year old.

Adult markings are beginning to come through as they reach juvenile stages.

The legs have adult colouration but the opisthosoma (abdomen or bum) is still changing.

GBB’s are fantastic webbers and will cover their entire enclosure with thick white webbing.They webb is quite strong and sticky. They can be seen webbing daily.

This is an adult female C.cyaneopubescens

Nice pics! Never seen those colours before.

Just to be clear, is this a thread about quick spiders (eeww skin crawling time) or a quick thread about spiders?? lol. Lovely pics btw!

Nice pics Pete – did you get your balfouri by the way? My bohemi moulted and it’s a girl – the guy sold her to me as a boy so I’m well pleased now 😀

That last pic is stunning Roper – beautiful creature. I know little about spiders* but i’m guessing it’s natural habitat is a rainbow. Or it doesn’t give a **** about camo.

* Just last night I discovered just how flammable spider webs are. And how much burnt web smells.

Hello Hadge,

The first balfouri sling was doa but the breeder sent another which is fine. Good news about your bohemi, here is my female

and my young smithi too, sho moulted last week.

also my OBT moulted recently too, and has been quite active

v8ninety, OBT’s are quite a fast spider 🙂

Euro I’ve no idea about webs burning but I would imagine GBB webs would go up very fast.
This cloth was made by spider silk

More info here
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/%5D

SpiderTrackWorld.

As usual = Awesome.

Great girlies you have Pete. My smithi is just an eating machine, she attacks anything I put in her home. Even when I use a syringe to fill her water bowl up she attacks the water as it’s going in – guess I won’t be handling her for a while lol. Here she is munching on a big locust

Anything new on it’s way and also how is the darlingi? I’m contemplating a colony of balfouri’s if I can get a good price on them – as they’re £65 a pop it’s going be expenise grrr. Here’s my lady who’s growing well

I love a spider thread. Are those ‘natural’ colours? ie. are those varieties as bright in the wild or have they been selectively bred for colour (or size, docility etc) by breeders? Indeed, can that be done with small creatures like spiders?

Yes they are natural colours – here’s my P metallica who is very blue but more so with flash

Hello Paul your balfouri is coming along well. If you fancy getting a few it might be worth talking to some German dealers, if you haven’t already. I can give you contact details from a chap in Spain too, he speaks pretty good English and has been succesful in breeding some. he is a nice guy too.
I am on the look out for any CB Liphistiidae or Cyclocosmia
trapdoors, if you hear of any. They are not very popular so there doesn’t seem to be many breeders. I have heard about a Macrothele gigas too but I will have to see about that. Their venom has a bit of a kick so it can’t be taken lightly.

My T.apophysis is turning into a monster. It is only about 6 months old and is 10cm to 12cm leg span. Huge appetite too.

My darligis are ready to be introduced. Once I think they have been at it a couple of times my male will be available if you still fancy giving yours a go?
I suspect this one might be gravid too.

Bump for the morning arachnophobes