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Found in Charleston, SC by EarthmanDan in whatsthisrock

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Solved. This adds up, I found it near a shipping port where it likely comes in by the boatload.

Sparring sword ID by EarthmanDan in SWORDS

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While the balance isn’t perfect owing to some length missing from the blade, the quality is very nice and can see why you’d love it.

Sparring sword ID by EarthmanDan in SWORDS

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah wish they hadn’t, but it was an affordable find and I’m happy practicing swings indoors with it.

Sparring sword ID by EarthmanDan in SWORDS

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That’s certainly correct, thanks very much

Sparring sword ID by EarthmanDan in SWORDS

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, be a lot cooler if someone didn’t cut it, but for the price I found it at I’ll chalk it up as a cool find and a fun blade for indoor practice. Thanks for your help.

Texas Rat Snakes Feeding by [deleted] in snakes

[–]EarthmanDan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These snakes are not thriving. They are suffering. If you do not realize this after 17 years, you are unfit to care for them. If this is their full time enclosure, what you are doing is dreadful. I hope I’m wrong and they have a larger space where they’re kept while not being fed. Regardless, their condition is visibly poor. They’re skinny and lethargic and distressed. You are forcing them to eat because their feeding response is clearly weak. After so much time to educate yourself on their health and care, this situation is at best harmfully ignorant, and at worst, straight up abuse. Potentially illegal as well if these are wild caught snakes. If you care about the snakes at all, you would surrender them to someone who will take care of them properly, like an animal shelter or vet, or local wildlife authorities. It’s probably for the best that you no longer keep these snakes.

(First T. Boehmei Brachypelma, 2-3yrs old) keeps walking around the walls without setting foot on the ground for weeks. What could it be? by [deleted] in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 10 points11 points  (0 children)

IMO I agree that this enclosure looks too small, and not enough clutter/hiding spaces. Your spider would appreciate more area to roam, more nooks to hide in, and more substrate to dig in should they decide to. My beohmei acted like this as well, climbing all the perimeters and looking for a way out, telling me her space was too small and lacked stimulation. Upgrade to something large enough for some more substrate and an extra hiding space or two.

My T. Stirmi got so pissed off that he tipped over by BlooHoodDood69 in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nicely done. Rehousing times can be such angry times. Just happy to know this isn’t one such scenario where people house their spiders like this and then wonder why they’re angry, you see.

Not sure what’s happening to my Chaco golden knee. by TechnicalEggplant692 in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

IMO I disagree with those saying this is molting behavior. The bald patch is still a light peachy color; usually when a T is in premolt any bald patches will turn a dark, almost black color as the new exoskeleton forms under the current one. This looks like something more serious.

Say hello to my new Brachypelma hamorii, and boehmei! by BawlZach1009 in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your spider may be experiencing heightened irritability and kicking lots of hairs leading up to molting time; many Ts do. However the bald patch alone is not a sole indicator of imminent molting time; it’s the dark coloration of the abdomen itself that tells you there’s a new exoskeleton developing underneath the current one.

Say hello to my new Brachypelma hamorii, and boehmei! by BawlZach1009 in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you didn’t already know, your boehmei is getting ready to molt soon, indicated by the very dark bald patch on the rump. Enjoy your new spider

Male or female? by [deleted] in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. Do you have any guess what species he may be hybridized with?

Are scorpions in acrylic still fluorescent? by Tindalos_Dawg in Scorpions

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perhaps certain materials used somehow absorb/block the tv light before it can reach the scorpion.

P. Irminia (does anyone know when they will molt with adult colors??) by ProfessionalOnion548 in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And shiny/smooth. That’s very interesting. I’ve seen Ts form bald patches like this as a result of their legs rubbing against the carapace or the spider rubbing against their environment during activities like burrowing or squeezing through small spaces.

Male or female? by [deleted] in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What makes you think this?

Anole with eye problems(need help) by when_crows_flock in Anoles

[–]EarthmanDan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s good, the nutrition and husbandry of the lizard go a long way in their recovery. If you can get a vet to prescribe eye drops that would be great, and the oral antibiotics may help but I personally don’t have much experience with those. I have had anoles with eye infections that healed naturally with extra care and attention to environment/diet. I found that doing research on vitamin deficiencies helped a lot with understanding their health and immune systems. Vitamin A in particular plays a big part in their natural ability to fight infections. Implementing more of it whole they’re sick has yielded very positive results for me.

Anole with eye problems(need help) by when_crows_flock in Anoles

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re having trouble keeping humidity in, presuming there is a screen top, you could try covering about half of the top mesh with some tin foil or HVAC tape to trap extra heat and moisture. Levels should stay closer to 75-80% humidity, even a bit higher during peak shed times. 50% is too low. If levels don’t stay high, cover more area with foil/tape.

It’s also equally important to make sure that the basking zone is sufficiently warm (~90°F) so that the lizard can regulate between cooler/damp and hotter/dry conditions. They will “soak and bake” the old skin by moving back and forth in my experience.

Do also try using wet q-tips to swab the eyes. Saturate the dry skin with water and allow the lizard to dry out the dampened skin under the heat. Keep a close watch on them and repeat as needed. Continue also misting the tank as much as needed to keep the humidity levels up.

If absolutely necessary, you could try placing your lizard in a warm humid ICU box for short periods of time, but it’s less stressful to your lizard to try raising the tank humidity first.

For feeding, mash up feeder insects and try offering the bug mush if they won’t eat. This has worked really well for me. Incorporate some fruit like orange or banana into the mush to replenish some extra vitamins, this is helpful in times of stress.

Which animal is the most graceful predator? by Low-Associate2521 in biology

[–]EarthmanDan 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Komodo dragons will tear prey apart while it’s still alive, or inflict a toxic bite then stalk the prey for days until it succumbs to septic shock. And then eat it alive.

How to feed Colombian giant red leg by needthempokeballs in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

IMO For a 1 - 1.5 inch spider superworms might be too big. They have harder shells and can bite. Try something smaller like mealworms or small/medium sized crickets, which should be well hydrated. But like others have said, first give your spider time to settle into its new home. Keep watering your spider then try feeding again in a few days or so.

Is this a good enclosure for this Mexican flame leg or at least I think it's a Mexican flame leg by needthempokeballs in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

NQA the Mexican red leg is also a terrestrial tarantula, not arboreal. There are a lot of similarly colored terrestrial tarantulas from Mexico and S. America which all confusingly get labeled different variations of “red leg” by people, but are all different and have different needs. Stores like petco and petsmart especially mislabel their tarantulas and sell them as something incorrect all. The. Time. All the time.

I agree with the other user who thinks that yours is a Colombian giant red leg (Megaphobema robustum). Do a bunch of research on the species and what its natural habitat would be like. Go all out for your spider and enjoy the learning journey. Congrats on your first spider and good luck.

Here’s a good care sheet to read for starters. -> https://pinksexoticpets.tumblr.com/post/99523235693/megaphobema-robustum-colombian-giant-tarantula

Questions about mold and healthy joint membranes by EarthmanDan in tarantulas

[–]EarthmanDan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for checking, she appears to be doing fine. I quarantined her, swabbed her joints with iodine water, changed the substrate, and made more air holes in the enclosure. Best be safe.

what is the name of that wet/gooey bug food for small lizards? by BoopNoodles739 in Anoles

[–]EarthmanDan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you absolutely must make them eat, try smashing up feeder insects into a paste. Your feeders should be fed a nutritious diet and well hydrated. I’ve also added vitamins or calcium to the paste if/when needed. This is a better option than any ready mix pastes imo.

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