The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide

300 Pages·1998·56.52 MB·English

by  Stanley A. Schultz

The Tarantula
Keeper's Guide
• Comprehensive information on care, housing, and feeding
(cid:127) Classification of tarantulas according to classes, orders,
families, and subfamilies
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Dozens of color photos
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Stanley A Schultz and
.
Marguerite J Schultz
The
Tarantula
Keeper's
-
Guide
With 104 Photographs
.
Illustrations by Stanley A Schultz
PhotoCredits
AllphotosbyStanleyA.SchultzandMarguerite Scnuta
exceptphotoonpage86byDougMaddison.
NoteandWarning —
Thisbookdealswiththecareandhusbandryc Lira Jas
Eventhoughmanyappeartobemerelylarge,gertt spcers
theyarestillvenomousanimals,andenthusiastskee_<meTerr¬
aspetsmust acknowledgethisfact.Evenif the oe-: s <vc
knowntobegentleandharmless,theenthusiastrr < assume
-
thatthepotentialforaseriousreactionalwaysexist; ux: ust
bepreparedtotakeappropriateaction
urticIantinagddoritiirorinta,tminganbyrisotlfesth.Eesveenaifntihmeaplseta’srebrkisntloe;irtiretcn"oav.i-en
toberelativelybenignandinoffensivetheentnisas- -lust
assumethat,uponexposuretothem,thepetentia e*st;‘ora
seriousreaction.Ofparticularlygraveconsequence the’raj-
macausedbythebristlesinthehumaneye.
Inanycase,anyonesufferingareactiontoth;tins’e$ or
-
bittenbyapetisstronglycounseledtoseek mmeca’eredical
©Copyright1998byStanleyA.Schultzand
MargueriteJ.Schultz attentionbyaphysicianoremergencydime TherzsoorsiaMy
forfailuretodosomustbebornetotallybythepersinmvoved.
Allthroughthisbookappearinstructionsandwrrmgs;on-
Allrightsreserved. cemingthecareandhusbandryoftarantulas,theco-idto:and
Nstoat,pamritcorofftihlmis,bxoerookgmraapyhyb,eorreapnryodouthceerdmineaannsy,foorrmin,cboyrppohraotteod¬ abenhisamvsioraonfdthaepiprukreteepnearnsc,eths,eaunsdetohfevarericoouusnstuinbgstoarot-eies,-mioewchl¬-
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250WirelessBoulevard statedrepeatedlythroughoutthebook.Thekeexe- o’apet
Hauppauge,NewYork11788
http://www.barronseduc.com tarantulamustacknowledgethatthesecreatures ares’ wild
animalsandmusttreatthemassuch.Keepingam aima asa
ISBN-13:978-0-7641-0076-5 petrequiresagreatdealofresponsibility.Keeping,ivicartrrai
asapetabsolutelycommandsthatresponsibility.
ISBN-10:0-7641-0076-9 -
If foranyreason,apettarantulacannolonger ne .eat or
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNo.97-36904 adequatelymaintained,thekeeperisstrongtrurget:t>g-e1tc
eitheranothercompetententhusiastoraresponse pe rhop
UNDERNOCIRCUMSTANCESISTHETARANTULATOBE
LibraryofCongressCataloglng-in-PublicationData
TURNEDLOOSEINTOTHEWILD!
Schultz,StanleyA.
.
Thetarantulakeeper'sguide/StanleyA.Schultz
MargueriteJ.Schultz,
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p.274)andindex.
ISBN0-7641-0076-9
1.Tarantulasaspets. 2.Tarantulas.I.Schultz.
MargueriteJ. II.Title.
SF459.T37S38 1998
639’.7—dc21 97-36904
CIP
PrintedinChina
13121110 9
Contents
Prologue vi
Preface vii
Introduction 1
PARTONE:TheScientificTarantula
.
1 ThePhysicalTarantula 11
AnatomyandPhysiology 11
Remarks 51
.
2 TheNameoftheTarantula 53
TheBigPicture 53
TaxonomyandClassification 57
Identification 66
Named,Renamed,Re-renamed,andConfused 66
Remarks 68
.
3 NaturalHistory 69
Distribution 69
Lifestyle 70
DiurnalCycles 77
AnnualCycles 78
LifeCycle 79
Behavior 90
Remarks 92
PARTTWO:TarantulasandUs
.
4 TheUsefulTarantula 95
Food 95
Cosmetics 95
MythologyandReligion 95
ArtsandEntertainment 96
Commerce 96
Research 97
WitlessPranks 97
Remarks 97
ThePetTarantula 98
Rationale 98
EthicalConsiderations 98
DoYourHomework! 98
Pickin'andChoosin’ 99
Maintenance 108
Cagemates 135
Handling 136
Problems 142
Pesticides 146
MedicalProblems 147
MakingaBreakforIt 170
Remarks 172
CatchingYourOwn 173
GearandTrappings 173
WheretoCollect 174
WhentoCollect 175
HowManytoCollect 175
Techniques 175
TransitoryLodging 179
Hazards 180
PersonalSafety 182
EcologicalEtiquette 184
MuseumSpecimens 185
PreparationandSubmission 187
ShippingLongDistances 190
Remarks 191
TheWell-BredTarantula 193
ADifficultProject 193
SuccessatLast 193
NotAnotherGet-Rich-QuickScheme! 194
BreedingStock 194
CareandMaintenance 196
PedigreesandInbreeding 204
Nuptials 205
MaternityandPrenatalCare 210
TheBlessedEvent 211
Life’sLittleNecessities 213
ThePathstoNirvana 214
PerinatalCare 217
TheGrandDebut 219
TheScourge 229
Remarks 230
PARTTHREE:TheCause
8. RavagingthePlanet 235
TheirPeril 235
SeriousAttitudeProblem 235
Beware,CivilizationAhead 236
Exploitation 237
AnAdmissionofAbjectIgnorance 240
ConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies 240
Remarks 244
9. TheEnthusiastConspiracy 245
TheNecessity 245
TheLocalGang 245
BigBrother 247
Wired,Netted,andWebbed 249
APleaforHelp 250
Remarks 251
10. Publish!Publish!Publish! 252
ThePhotographicTarantula 252
TheWrittenWord 253
Remarks 256
Epilogue 257
PARTFOUR:Appendices
AppendixA:TarantulaSpeciesasPets 261
TheVernacularTarantula 261
Systematics 262
TwoCasesofWhiplash 263
TheHitList 263
AppendixB:Bibliography 274
Index 281
Prologue
Prepare Yourself
\Iouareabout toembarkuponalongandwind-
¥ ingjourney.Youwillgotoplacesthatyoucan¬
not now even imagine. You will become familiar
with a group of creaturesmorealien than any you
can imagine, and you will come to know them
almost as wellas you know the family dog.In the
process of learning about these creatures,you will
come to learn an immense amount about yourself
aswell.
Best of all, this is real, not a figment of some¬
one’s overactive imagination. You will return from
this journey a much wiser person. You will never
lookattheworldthesamewayagain.
vi
Preface
hat the reader now holds is an advancedinformationsuchas details
VV
interimreport ofthestateoftheart of tarantula biology and information
of keeping tarantulas as pets. Surely aboutbreedingthem.
.
someone, probably one of this book’s 5 This book is intended to beget more
readers, will write another book extend of thosemad spider people, for they
¬
ing and elaborating on the knowledge are the best hope for the survival of
andtechniquesdescribedhere. thesespiders.
This is good. Although these huge Because of all these,the book tends
spiders are known from only a few fos to be rather more intense than most
¬
sils just a few tens of millions of years people would want. Fear not. The end
old,it isprobablethat theyhaveexisted result of more than a third of a billion
far longer than that. Their precursors years of evolution can’t be expected to
predate the dinosaurs by many million besimple.Theseareamazinglycomplex
years and were among the first animals creatures,and,therefore,anymeaningful
to venture onto the land. They deserve treatment of them is also bound to be
thatattentionandcredit. complex. For the novice, being able to
This edition is dedicated to these quote all this information from rote isn’t
giants of the spider world and to the necessary to be able to take good care
people who have worked long and hard of apet.But ifit isneeded, theinforma¬
tolearnmoreaboutthem. tionishere,ready whenever thecoveris
This book is written for several rea¬ opened.
sons. The more advanced, technical infor
¬
1. The first edition contained several mationpresentedhereisastartingpoint
fundamental errors that could not be for the experienced aficionado. These
corrected before going topress.This people are encouraged to follow the
second edition is written in an gospelfornow,thenelaborateorexperi
¬
attempttosetthoseerrorsstraight. ment when a need or potential benefit
2. Much new and useful information is arises.Thus,progressismadeinunder
¬
nowavailable,andispresentedhere. standing and caring for these enigmatic
3. This book is intended as a guide for creatures.
thefirst-timetarantulakeeper,tosup¬ The original edition of this guide had
ply all important basics of caring for a soleauthor.This editionnow has two.
thenewfoundpet. Stan has now officially been joined as
4. This book is intended to also meet coauthor by his wife, Marguerite. Thus,
the demands of the veteran, and, she will now receive the credit that is
therefore, it must hold much due her for all the years that she has
vii
labored in the pursuit of knowledge ChristianStraus
aboutthesecreatures. BarneyTomberiin
The authors would like to acknowl¬ AndrewVanVelzen
edge the help and support of everyone JimWilliams
whocontributedtothisbook.Alas,there RogerWilliams
isnotenoughspace,for theyarelegion! ByronWise
Afewofthosepeopleare: Thereareafew whosehelp was cru
¬
ShaneBerger cial to completion and success )f this
GioBianchini book. We list them here for sntc a
BarbaraandKarenBigley recognition.
FrancaBonari Dr. Robert Gale Breene III. :f the
GregBracken American Tarantula Society, must be
JasonBrooks given special thanks for critiquing tne
BryantCapiz manuscript.Withouthisreview this book
SteveChandler would have been just another mediocre
IanDunn book on tarantulas instead cf the refer
¬
Mr.andMrs.WillieEdwards encethatitis.
MargaretandKevinElsdon Dr. Wei Xiang Dong is to be ngt y
WendyFolk commended forhispatience and ?>per
MikeandColleenFostaty tise in the preparation and photo<rap~y
MarthaGonzales-Cardona of the scanning electron microg apf s.
.
MarkandRhondaHart Without his uncanny ability to mar ip.-
RalphHenning late and cajole the often recalcitrant
BonnieandToddHlady machines, these remarkable pho¬
WesandCoryHunt tographscouldnothavebeenmace
.
TakuyaInoue Rob Kerr Jr., hashelped immeasur¬
CarieKerr ably with the care and maintenance of
K.DavidandCathyKerr thespidersintheauthors'collection Fo'
RobertKerr,Sr. that,hedeservesaspecialthanks
SandrineLaunois Miep O'Brien deserves specia men¬
DonandNancyLounds tionforherhelpwiththedictionaries
BenLuyendyk Rick C. West must be gra‘e‘u v
DougMaddison thanked for his help with many o- t~e
PierrinoMascarino technicaldetailsof thisedition.
LauraNeilsen Last,butbyfarnottheleast,w5 must
TomNelson recognizeDr.JohnE.Remmersfcallre
-
JeffNewbury hasdone,directlyandindirectlytc na.e
MargaretOlive thisbooktheverybestpossible.
StevenF.Perry The authors appreciate comments
ErnestoRodriguez and questions by readers. Any readers
MartySchafer who wish to communicate are encour¬
MichaelSchafer aged to contact us through eitfe' the
. CrystalandGregSchoeler publisher or the American Tarantula
DevonSeitz Society(seepage248).
.
ScottShore Calgary Alberta,Canada
- -
CalvinSlimmon July 1S97
viii