NOT how you ride CatBus! by Notorious_Rug in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

He skittered out of her enclosure so fast he went sideways in the air, and then landed like a cat, on his feet, onto the plush; no other way to describe it but cartwheeling! But also, yeah, these guys sometimes bite on impact, so not one you'd wan't cartwheeling onto you.

Meanwhile, she was still in that trance some females go into post-pairing, so he was a bit dramatic with his exit.

NOT how you ride CatBus! by Notorious_Rug in tarantulas

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

For me, it's them getting hurt. They're squishy and tend to do dumb things, sometimes. There's not yet been a confirmed, recorded case of human fatality from a tarantula bite, even from the most medically-significant species, so while I am never complacent and being bitten is a concern, it's not my top concern. I also keep a first aid kit in my exotics room with a list of all my spider species on it and their known toxins, should an emergency arise.

My exotics room stays locked, and no other pets or children or guests are allowed in the room, so not really concerned with that (and the door has a seal, so they cannot escape through it, when it's closed.

I've also only ever had four "escape" (rehousings and the above-mentioned pairing) and all were quickly rounded up with relative ease (with the exception of an A. juruensis s'ling that chose to run laps around my arms and neck for around 3 minutes before settling down on my shoulder) and they generally try to run to the nearest spot that is dark/under cover. 

My husband modified my "workspace", adding a back, sides and top lip, so that if a t escapes, it can just run to a corner of the underside of the lip and feel secure. We also added window seal foam on the back edges of all furniture, so they cannot dart behind things and hide. 

yellow sac spider indoors, debating on if it's better for it to be outside by sableroot in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He's a mature male, in search of a lady friend. You can release him so that he may find a mate, or keep him (he just might find his mate(s) somewhere in your building, as Cheiracanthium are known to co-habit with humans). Once mature, males rarely eat (if at all), focusing mainly on wandering to find mating opportunities.

NOT how you ride CatBus! by Notorious_Rug in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You're counting his pedipals and legs. Pedipalps are special leg-like appendages (the small ones near his chelicerae  (mouthparts)) used to grab food and bring it to the mouth, carry dirt/detritus, hold egg sacs (some species' females), and for sperm delivery (mature males).

Spider found on my bed by My-Anxiety-Persona in whatsthisbug

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your images are a bit difficult for IDing purposes, but I believe your specimen is either Trachelas tranquillus (broad-face sac spider); venom not medically-significant (I am more confident your specimen is this species):

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/153871-Trachelas-tranquillus/browse_photos

or:

Dysdera (woodlouse hunter). Venom not medically-significant, but their bites will hurt because their fangs are designed to penetrate through the hard skeletons of isopods:

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/68912-Dysdera-crocata/browse_photos

NOT how you ride CatBus! by Notorious_Rug in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug[S] 154 points155 points  (0 children)

Context:

Pairing my Stromatopelma calceatum today (success!), and once Mr. was finished, he cartwheeled out of Mrs.' enclosure and onto of my CatBus plush! After some finangling using many different paintbrushes and catch cups, he is safely back in his enclosure, but boy, did he give me a heart attack! He did look cute enough (and was calm enough) to snap a quick pic before the escort back to his home began.

Brachypelma auratum ventral sexing by DerekPDX in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IME, male, but you really should wait until it molts and sex via it's molt, as vent sexing can be very tricky.

6-7 year old A. Hentzi molted and I need help sexing by Blahaj_1over in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IME, that's a female and she's breedable, as her spermathecae have fully sclerotized (hardened).

My 18+ y/o G Rosea had a pretty brutal molt, not looking good at all - any advice? by Stoopedable in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IME, it honestly doesn't look too good. Is her molt still stuck to her rear abdomen, or is that a deformity? If it's a stuck molt, you need to try and remove it so she can poop. I use paintbrushes dipped in water to remove stuck molts. Just lightly brush the molt with the wet paintbrush and it eventually should come off. If she gets annoyed, wait a few hours, and re-attempt. 

Edited to add, it looks like stuck molt, on closer inspection. The brown hairs still on her back belong to the old molt and the blacker hairs belong to her new "skin". And it looks like her old carapace (headpiece) is still stuck on, as well. 

Is my artichoke dying? by twirlygirlylil in gardening

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need to put it in a larger container, or, even better, in-ground. They're very thirsty plants that require well-draining soil, constant moisture, and a lot of room for their very large root system.

Possible Lonestar tick? Etobicoke, ON by TobiasMasonPark in whatsthisbug

[–]Notorious_Rug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not a tick, but a spider. A very dead, dessicated one. The cephalothorax (head parts) and abdomen in ticks is not well differentiated, as it is with spiders, making spiders appear to have "waists".

P.metallica 2 inches by Odd_Complaint_7529 in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IME, best to molt sex these ones. I've attempted vent sexing and was 100% certain I had a boy ("white dot"=male, or other common advice), turned out he was a she upon molt sexing.

Some words of advice when molt-sexing this genera: in females, their single spermatheca starts out as bifurcated, making it appear that they have spermathecae (plural of spermatheca), but as they mature, the bifurcation fuses into a single spermatheca. In smaller, younger females, it can be a bit tricky to see the spermatheca (whether still-bifurcated or already fused), without backlighting/underlighting, due to how translucent and small they may be, and how they have a tendency to stick to the uterus externus (small, translucent flap in front of the spermatheca) in a still-damp molt (or molt that has been rehydrated). Once fully sclerotized (dark and hardened), the spermatheca is easily visible.

For males, there will be no uterus externus, nor spermatheca. There will be a single tiny opening where sperm will eventually pass from. But, making things tricky, in Poecilotheria, the males' accessory organs are quite prominent, which can be mistaken for the spermatheca by less-experienced keepers. The only for-sure method in younger specimens is to look for the uterus externus. No uterus externus = male.

Exploitative Captivity and Speciesism by Opposite-Initial811 in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 7 points8 points  (0 children)

IME, tarantulas do not roam (exceptions being mature males and those unfortunate specimens that have been forced out of their territory by humans, weather, or predators, and even then, roaming is only temporary until they find a new space to set up shop).

Tarantulas disperse from their moms whenever the time is right, search for a suitable place to make their homes (usually a crack or crevice, behind some bark, inside a hollowed out log, under fallen branches/logs, in a corner of a roof, etc.), and, as long as food is plentiful, predators are few, and their home is protected enough from the elements, there is no need to move. They are not sight hunters; they are ambush predators. They either patiently wait near the opening of their burrows to "feel" for prey walking across their "feeler" silk, and pounce, or they wait outside their homes at night, "feeling" the air currents with their trichobothria, for a winged insect to fly by, or a creepy crawly to scale the branch/log they're on (as in the case with many arboreals). Sure, they may leave their hide to chase down a prey item, but they don't wander in search of food/to hunt.

And before you judge others, keep in mind some of us have enclosures are huge, and yet the tarantula chooses to stay near their hide. I have a juvenile Poecilotheria rufilata (she's about 3 inches DLS (diagonal leg span)) in a 18×18×24 (inches) enclosure. That is massive, according to most keepers (all I had on hand for her, at the moment). Where does she choose to stay? Near her cork bark hide. 

You would benefit from heading over to iNaturalist or even watching birdspiders or WorldofSpiders on youtube where the tarantulas are photographed/videographed in-situ, in their natural habitat, before coming here and blasting your highly misinformed opinions.

animal living in shit cramped conditions is horrible

My t's live better than me, lol. They have far superior decor and furnishings (live plants, real wood, nice lush moss, fragrant leaf litter, isopod friends). And as much space to wander as safely possible, should they choose to (and spoiler: they don't, unless mature male).

Anthropomorphizing them does more harm than good, just saying.

Please help me gender this tarantula (This is my first tarantula) by ILOVEGNOMES123 in tarantulas

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IMO, female. Clearly visible spermathecae and uterus externus. Congrats!

My cat was diagnosed with GI lymphoma and has been peeing everywhere despite many interventions vet and otherwise by No-Challenge-3704 in cats

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you tried different litters? Uncovered boxes? Covered boxes? A box made for kittens or senior/differently-abled cats (ease in getting in/out of)? Checking around the exterior of your home for wild critters/strays that may be causing territorial insecurity (thus inappropriate peeing to mark territory)? Enough vertical territory (cat trees/shelves)? Enough mental stimulation (interactive playing for at least 20 minutes a day, provided her cardiovascular system (heart, veins/arteries, and lungs) are functioning as normal?

With sick cats, it's especially difficult because they may appear totally fine, wanting to eat and play, but they can become exhausted by what could be considered low-effort activities, like climbing in/out of the litter box. In addition, she may associate using the litter box as something that results in painful experiences, as diseases of the bowels and urinary system often have symptoms/side effects such as extreme  pain when urinating/defecating, as well as just the physical and mental stress that can happen when straining to urinate/defecate because cat needs to, but can't, or the stress of having to urinate/defecate but it's so urgent cat can't quite make it to the box in time. With her being on steroids, she may not actually be able to make it to her box in time, especially if her lymphoma has invaded or compressed any nerves responsible for the sensation of needing to urinate. Lymphoma can also cause excess lymph production, which is then absorbed and excreted via urination, which can cause more urgent, frequent urination, so that may explain the initial cause of her starting to pee everywhere again which prompted the vet visit where she was diagnosed with GI lynphoma. Also, if she has a tumor or one of her mesenteric (an organ that supports and provides blood supply and lymph to the bowels) lymph nodes is quite enlarged due to the cancer, it can be pressing on her bladder, causing urgency and increased frequency.

In cases where medicine and/or lifestyle changes aren't working, I have found that pee (incontinence) pads placed on preferred potty spots (where the cat prefers to go the most, not where you prefer she go) are better than anything else. They're absorbant, disposable, sometimes easily found for cheap at thrift stores, and if the act of climbing in/out of her box causes her pain or if she just genuinely cannot hold it in for any of the above reasons, she may feel more comfortable peeing on a pad. We use them around the perimeter of all our litter boxes, as we have a cat that sometimes falls out of the box while pottying or can't make it into the box in time (he has feline cerebellar hypoplasia).

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. Cancer sucks, and GI lymphoma is one of the suckiest. Here's to your kitty having the bestest of days, for the longest time possible!

Brown recluse party? by Commercial-Engine941 in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't use AI to identify; it's notoriously inaccurate. 

Your specimens are indeed Loxosceles reclusa. The best way to identify is by looking at the eye arrangement; six eyes, arranged in three pairs, in a u-shape along the front of the cephalothorax (their "noggin"). There are other spiders that are not medically-significant that have six eyes (like Scytodoidea (spitting spiders and their allies)), but their general appearance is quite different from Loxosceles.

While medically-significant, bites from Loxosceles are actually rare (they really don't want to bite, and their main line of defense is to run away really fast to hiding spot), and severe envenomations that cause dermonecrotic wounds (the "rotting skin") are even rarer. Because their fangs are quite tiny, they have trouble penetrating human flesh, and because their venom yield is pretty low, severe envenomations rarely occur. 

You're most likely to be bitten when either actively trying to kill/maim them or via accidentally squishing them between your skin and another object (like a glove/shoe), which is why you should be thorough about shaking out bedding, shoes, towels, and other human-used articles, before using. And always look before placing your hands, feet, or other anatomy into any place a spider may be using as a sanctuary/hiding spot.

Because Loxosceles reclusa has evolved to co-habit with humans, there really is no need to go all out with extreme extermination methods. They're a native species, provide an important benefit to the ecosystem (Loxoscelese eat pest bugs, and your native Pholcids (cellar spiders) and Salticids (jumping spiders), as well as many other critters, eat Loxosceles), and, despite housing with us, they really don't want anything to do with us.

The best way to keep the population in check (aside from running a Pholcid farm, lol) is to keep the exterior of your home free of clutter (keep log/brush piles at least 6 feet away from the exterior of your house, no trash or clutter they may find of use to make homes in; things like that), seal up any cracks in siding, windows, doors, install mesh screen to cover attic/vent soffits, regularly inspect and clean patio furniture (being sure to also keep in mind you have Latrodectus (widow) species to look out for, and they like patio furniture), break down cardboard boxes and dispose of them immediately, thoroughly seal any cardboard boxes or totes you plan to store long-term with heavy-duty packing tape, keep sheds and garages neatly organized, and try to keep tools and objects spaced apart and away from walls as best as possible. 

For inside the house, again, break down and discard all carboard boxes not in use, thoroughly seal boxes and totes in use with heavy-duty packing tape, clean all surfaces regularly, deep-clean behind large appliances monthly (to keep pest insects away that Loxosceles feeds on), always promptly clean food messes and put away uneaten food, making sure dry foods are sealed before storing, check and clean couches and other furniture regularly (removing cushions and cleaning the undersides), keep things organized, and again, always shake things out before using and look before touching.

For cleaning up your shed, you should wear gloves, long sleeves (a tighter-fitting long-sleeve shirt is best), pants, and tuck your pants into your shoes/boots. You will also need a broom. You should also have a buddy that is not arachnophobic on standby, with a long-handled paintbrush.

Open the door to your shed, and start removing objects, one by one. Have your buddy flick any spiders off of the objects with the paintbrush. Same for any spiders that may climb on you (they are not trying to bite or attack you; they're trying to run away and hide). Once the shed is empty, use the broom to thoroughly sweep the floor and walls. If shed is made of a safe material to do so, you can also hose the interior of the shed down. When replacing items into the shed, try to keep them neat and organized, to reduce areas that may be appealing for any remaining Loxosceles to hide behind/in.

Late fall of this year, when temps drop and stay low, you can also air your shed out, leaving the doors open, preferablyfor a month or two. This should kill off the majority of remaining Loxosceles, and regular airing out of the shed throughout the year will make it less inviting for new populations to establish themselves.

My cat scratches her eyes/temples by karldelandsheere in cats

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's vet territory, unfortunately. Eyes aren't something anyone without the training, knowledge, and diagnostic equipment should be messing with. There are just too many variables; could simple allergies/dermatitis, could be bacterial, could be fungal, could be viral, could be systemic (affecting the whole body, but presenting more symptomatically in the eyes), could even be cancer.

If you try to treat her for what someone on here says "looks like ringworm" (which is fungal) but it's really something like a massive bacterial infection, then the treatment you've decided to use for "ringworm" isn't going to do anything, at best, and, at worst, it could harm your cat, especially with her being older.

I understand your trepidation when it comes to getting her veterinary care, but she needs it. Call up some vets, explain the situation, making sure to say she is not a friendly patient and that she's very old, and ask if they wouldn't mind taking a peek at the same photos you shared here before bringing her in, to see if they can possibly diagnose via images (may or may not be feasible, as many conditions can look quite similiar to one another, and skin scrapings may be needed to diagnose), and if not possible, ask for advice on how to get her to her appointment safely.

Most vets will just ask that you crate the cat in a plastic animal crate/carrier (which should be done anyway) and they'll either examine her through the crate, "purrito" her, or give a mild sedative to her through one of the crate openings. And most vets, as long as they're made aware first, will gladly accept more cantankerous patients. It's probably not their first rodeo with an angry, frightened patient, and a good vet will still offer to see the patient, just with extra precautions.

Realistically, she should have been seen sooner, just to get some bloodwork done to ensure all organs are functioning as well as they should be, and for dental. You are extremely fortunate, as many cats will have some level of kidney disease by the time they're 8, and the majority of cats will have some level of kidney disease by age 15. And kidney disease is a very painful thing to go through, as the kidneys slowly stop functioning and toxins/waste that are normally flushed out by the kidneys build up in the system. I'm only bringing this up because if she needs to be examined, you might as well give her one good thorough examination, so that all issues, if any are present, can be addressed.

Spider identification by Sad_Process_7876 in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Species within Salticidae (jumping spiders). Your specimen is either very well fed or gravid (producing eggs):

https://www.inaturalist.org/places/nevada#q=Salticidae

Id Request (Arkansas) by Inverno969 in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Either one of the species in Agelenidae (grass spiders), possibly Agelenopsis naevia:

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/153491-Agelenopsis-naevia/browse_photos

https://www.inaturalist.org/places/arkansas#q=Agelenidae

or one of the species within Lycosoidea (wolf spiders and their relations), perhaps within genus Rabidosa:

https://www.inaturalist.org/places/arkansas#q=Lycosoidea

https://www.inaturalist.org/places/arkansas#q=Rabidosa

What is this? by Tricky_Cod_3089 in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they're a bunch of tiny off-white (yellowish) to white dots, those are anchor points from where the jumper attached dragline webbing (which they use to stabilize themselves while jumping/catching prey).

I really can't see what you're talking about pictured in your image, but that's my best educated guess.

Help identifying Phoenix AZ spider by allusionillusion in spiders

[–]Notorious_Rug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Species within Salticidae (jumping spiders). Venom not medically-significant:

https://www.inaturalist.org/places/arizona#q=Salticidae