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Blogger Absences!

Sorry guys! I don't know if anyone actually reads my spider blog, but I'm sure if you do you'll have noticed that it's on a temporary hiatus. There are posts queued up, waiting to be edited and finished. I have plenty to write about, including the recent loss of my elderly mantis Catchy, and the rehousing of my Poecilotheria metallica (which was tense). But right now it has to wait, as I am currently juggling my job, my fmaily, and now my new Masters degree in Environmental Management. I will come back and update on all the lovely (and not so lovely) things that my critters have been up to. But for now, I'm afraid it will have to wait. Be safe all, and don't squish that spider!
Recent posts

In Memoriam: Summer edition

Unfortunately, due to the delayed nature of the posting on this blog, the things that I write about in the Summer don't get published until Winter, or vice versa. That's the limitation of a prolific poster writing up a buffer, to be released at regular intervals. It doesn't usually pose a problem, but as I write this post in the middle of Autumn - firstly, it is not going to hit the blog until next year. Secondly, due to the nature of the content here, it may interrupt continuity - I am writing to remember the charming little critters that I lost over this summer. Some of the deaths were expected, there had been plenty of warning. Other deaths were...surprising. But while I mention them here, due to the pre written nature of the content to come, there may be posts further down the line where these names and faces crop up again, almost as though I hadn't lost them. I've been umming and ahhing over the best time to place this post, and to be honest - there's...

Purple Spood has a Name

This new spood finally has a name! It has taken me a while to get around to it, because I was really struggling. I am really hoping that this spider is a male, because the males of this species take on a really vibrant purple colour once they grow on, while the females are a dusty brown. So I wanted a male name, but also something linked to the colour purple, to highlight my hopes for him. All of the purple-themed names I could think of sounded really girly, like "Lavender", or "Heather". But then it occurred to me - Purple Rain. My partner really came up with it, not me. But he's named after a certain purple singer/songwriter - Prince. Yeah, it might be cliche, but I'm really happy with it. So Prince it is!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all from myself and the Spoods! We hope 2025 is a better one all round, for everyone.

Free-roaming Scorplings

Diablo's scorplings are now wandering about! They have been wandering around in the mouth of her burrow, completely free from mum. This means I took the chance to separate them as soon as I could. This is a photo of a scorpling from a few days ago - it is small, and very pale in colour. I'm not sure if it was even meant to be off her back this early, but it was: I waited a few days, and the scorplings started to change colour. They are now a darker brown - still not black like their mum, but darker than the pale cream one. I have counted them out - I now have an extra 15 scorplings - and put them into a communal tank where they can huddle together under some bark. I have fed them a couple of pre-killed locusts which they seemed to enjoy, and I spritz them every day. So far, so good. I still have 15 scorplings...

Ziggy is getting his Colours

It's a feeding day. I know this because Ziggy is out and about. Ziggy is my elusive P. metallica . Like most metallicas, he is very shy, and very bolty - He will bolt back down into his tunnel at the slightest hint of movement from the outside. This is how I know when he is hungry - A hungry Ziggy doesn't bolt as easily. When I was feeding him today, I couldn't help but notice that he is finally coming into his adult colouring. He still has the juvie grey colouration on his carapace and abdomen, but his legs are starting to get the blue and yellow markings of an adult. It's really nice to see because an adult P. metallica is quite a beautiful sight. I'm quite excited to see that I'm getting to see it in my own home.

Merry Christmas

A very quick unscheduled post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays from myself, the Spoods, and all the rest of the critters.