I just love seeing your rehouse videos. Your technique is incredibly helpful to see. Thanks so much for sharing! Phormictopus Genus is just so beautiful and diverse!
I just love your videos! I've learned everything I know about tarantulas from you and I can't thank you enough! I'm now 5 years into the hobby and with 17 Ts and counting lol keep the videos coming🙌😊
Hah ! Had a good chuckle over that sling that kept going where it wanted instead of its new enclosure ;) About Phormictopus being labeled as defensive, my belief is that most of this is based mainly on old experiences with cancerides. If you think about it, they were widely available as WC during the 70s and 80s. Imagine being plucked from your comfy home in Haiti or Cuba, then tossed into an unfamiliar "burrow" with invisible walls, probably being prodded occasionally by strange giants, you'd be pretty irritated too. I recall reading on the TKG that Stan had said that many P. cancerides were quite defensive upon capture and most remained throughout their captivity. Love the blue sheen on the salinas. Hopefully, that one is female so it can retain those colors. Beautiful Ts, all of them. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
That's an excellent point about Phormictopus, as the cancerides have been in the hobby for decades. I often wonder if this is also the case with OBTs, as those used to be heavily imported as well. I'm REALLY curious to see what the adult salinas look like. That blue is VERY promising! As always, thanks so much, bud!
Wow a light went off in my head when listening to your most recent podcast right now. I just had my first DKS with Hapolopus Columbia my first tarantula I ever got. Saddest thing ever, was for sure DKS. About two weeks ago. The day I fed this pumpkin patch earlier in the day I had sprayed our detached garage and perimeter of our house with spider spray/insect spray on the baseboards and what not as I do every once in a while once all of the parson/jumpers/wolf/harvestman start finding their way in again. Anyways I had fed the spider the same day earlier I used to spray all over the place and for sure some got on my hand. I was with my wife at the time of feeding and the cricket fell as it ripped its own leg off when it’s jumping around in the tongues, and I grabbed it and gave it to the spider. This was hours later and I think I washed my hands by three days later is when I found the presumably happy healthy pumpkin patch dead or at least dying from DKS, a very obvious case. Water on its mouth did not work as it died shortly after finding it. This was the only spider I fed that day and the only explanation I can think of as it’s enclosure was perfectly clean with a water dish etc. definitely going to pay attention to this in the future. I was awestruck as to why it randomly died being so well-established when it did. text to speech, sorry for typos.
Hey, Jake! Yeah, in my case, it took me a while to figure out what had probably caused it. Then, the lightbulb went on and it was very clear. We stopped spraying around the house because I often work outside when I clean enclosures and set them up, and I don't want to take the chance of contaminating anything. Glad that you could figure it out!
@@TomsBigSpiders I’ve seen about 30 people in the SoCal tarantula group through DM‘s in a couple other places mention the new supposed, I found a Aphonopelma sp. Santa Cruz fluffy Which to me totally looks like a hybrid of a curly hair in somebody’s spare aphonopelma male. I see people are buying this for $30 and that it has 30 purchased and being advertised in groups I am in have you heard anything about this? I haven’t heard you talk about it I don’t think or seen it on arachnido. I figure if it was real it would go for a lot more than $30 unless it’s really just a hybrid curly hair. Thanks!
I think I was just venting more than asking a question sorry, ima wait till a real confirmation comes out before grabbing this one even if it then becomes more expensive.
Can't understand why people say these have an attitude I have three different ones And None of them has thrown a threat posture I've even held one Crawled right on my hand When I was putting the water bowl in Love mine This is the reason why I got This species watching your videos Now I have three of them
I've had no issues with any of mine. I've never had one kick a hair, and the only threat postures I've received are when I startled the spider when prey jumped on it. They are amazing spiders.
Nice one buddy, the more I see the phormictopus the more I'm liking them, I might have to bite the bullet and get a few, great video as always, I thought Robbie was more a pokie guy than phormictopus, I'll quiz him next time I see him lol 😆
Quizz away Sean, I'm sure I'll see you at a show soon, I've always said my favourite genius depends on what is in question arboreals are poecilotheria, terrestrial is phormictopus and fossorial would be cyriopagopus or epheobopus (depending if you class them as true fossorial)
Hey, Antonio! I have three female adults P. atrichomatus, and they have been wonderfully laid back. They are literally like pet rocks! Glad to hear that you have a sweatheart as well!
In the name of all Santiagos in this world, I can assure you not all of us are as stubborn as that Phormictopus sp. Santiago sling. She (hopefully) brought dishonour upon our shared name. Lol
They have become my favorite Genus, I have an Auratus, 4 Dominican Purple, 4 Atrichomatus, and a sp. Rose Blue! They are just perfect in every way! Great eaters, great personalities, great colors, fast growing…I just love them.
Hi, Michelle! I LOVE Phormictopus and have fore many years. I agree with you 100%. Best part is, the females KEEP the pretty colors when they mature! :)
I make you right there "bum" is fair 🤣🤣🤣 it's amazing the size of your bayahibe, I got mine before you and mines still 1" at most, shows temperature, feeding schedule and sex do play a huge part in growth. Great video buddy, also as a side note through research I have found the "sp santiago" is in fact phormictopus auratus found in Santiago del Cuba. So that's one species mystery solved
BAHAHAHA That was just my jealousy rearing it's ugly head. Most of these new "species" have been growing quite slowly for me. It's been HOT in that room this summer, and they are still growing slowly. And I read the same about the Santiago, but I was holding out hope that mine would have crazy colors. I think when all is said and done, you and I will realize that we paid top dollar for species that we already had. haha
My reply just disappeared! Anyway...hahaha I was hoping that you would laugh at that. It was just my jealousy rearing it's ugly head. As for the Phormictopus sp. santiago, I heard that as well but I'm holding out hope that they are different than my P. auratus. Those were brown as sling (Cuban species or Phormics usually are), but my Santiago was blue. That would lead me to believe that it's something different than my auratus. Time will tell!
@@TomsBigSpiders it is all one big mystery, I'm happy no matter what they are like you said even if its just various colour forms, I'd still be happy to have them
Hi Tom and Billie, this is becoming a weekly greeting from the UK. I now have P. At, as a sling that I'm raising, and it has put on a bit of size after a recent moult, no idea what it will look like in the end or what gender it is, but it's fun to see what happens, in the words of the great Forest Gump, life is like a box of chocolates, although not planning to eat any T's 😁
Tom I love your videos! I wish you had more vids from the genus Avicularia. Would you be willing to explore this in the future pretty please? You are THE channel for information! Thanks
Thank you so very much; I truly appreciate it! I've had several over the years, but some were changed to Caribena. I definitely need to try out some more species!
Tom, would you consider doing a podcast specifically targeted at people who don't understand why we like and keep spiders? I'm not talking about people who are afraid of them, as I know you've extensively discussed getting into the hobby to get over arachnophobia. I'm talking about people who just don't like spiders and are baffled why anyone would want to give them a second thought, let alone seek them out and spend time with them. For the record, while I still, and probably will always will have a slight fear of them (maybe it's just extensive respect), I find it fascinating that they're so fierce while being so delicate at the same time. Disclaimer: I have a friend who is exactly as described above and I'd love to have her listen to you talking about this. :D
Hey, Brian! I could certainly try, although I've found that folks that just HATE spiders are very difficult and frustrating to reason with. I was always in the camp that found them fascinating, even when I was scared of them. Folks who tend to find them repulsive are the most difficult to "convert". I'll give it some thought and see how I can spin it. Thank you!
"Well behaved" Phormictopus 🤣🖤🖤 I still don't know what my auratus or cancerides are but I'm thrilled the Dominican purple I raised from a sling is a female. 💗
Hey Tom, another great video on one of my favorite genus of tarantula and Auratus is my number one favorite tarantula hands down got to love that gold/bronze color. I actually had a sp. Salinas mature male out he's very stunning and his siter is in premolt I'm curious as to what she will look likewhen she finally molts. I agree that Phormictopus has become the new pampho just way to many uncomfirmed species floating around for my taste.
I absolutely love my P. auratus as well, as that gold is just stunning! What color was your Salinas male? I'm very curious to see what these look like as adults. Thank you!
Hey Tom glad u have done a video on the phomictomus sp,I currently have 2 8n my collection, I know i need to get more.i have a p sp bayahibe I've grown on to a juvi now,a little skittish but over all not to bad,then i have a p sp hispaniola I've grown from a sling who is now 6'and can has shown defensive behaviour but for the most part i dont see her has she stays in her burrow and only comes out at night.i just love the colours she is stunning.
Very nice. I am stunned how many diffrent speicies there are now. When i was active there where just a few, like P cancerides, P atrichomatus, P auratus ans P south hispaniolas
Somewhere along the line, Phormictopus became the new Pamphobeteus and Xenesthis, so now people are out there trying to find different looking "species" in the wild to sell for top dollar. It's kind of sad. Hope all is well, bud!
Love the Phormictopus genus, Tom converted me lol. Currently have Phormictopus cancerides, atrichomatus, hispaniola south, auratus ,and just got a Phormictopus sp blue (azul) 1/2 inch sling that I'm pretty curious about the coloration on
@@TomsBigSpiders My local pet store loves me so much they ordered me one from their breeder so I would stop walking in going "Phormictopus this, Phormictopus that" I'm going to keep an eye it as I'm not to trusting as the Acanthoscurria theriphosidae they sold was a geniculata
Hey Tom! can you do an update on your king baboon? i want to see how shallow the whole set up is for your king baboon. a video would be dope! anyway thanks for all the info! keep being awesome!
Unfortunately, they were males and passed quite a while back. I ended up putting them both in new enclosures with about 6" of substrate. This gave them room to burrow but not so much that they got lost. From that point on, they ate great, grew more quickly, and matured out. Hope that helps!
Hi Tom and Billie. How soon will you guys celebrate your 25th anniversary. I found a sterling silver T. Thought it would be the perfect gift. Ha ha Love your T vids.
@@TomsBigSpiders So how would you and Billie like a sterling silver T. Or would you rather have a wonderful dinner with wine or champagne and the silver would be tiny silver spider pins?
Hi another great video keep up the great work. A couple days ago i unboxed a tliltocatl vagans and a large claw scorpion and a Egyptian green scorpion. Have a great day.
I don't know what the heck happened. It looked like they let me post it before they had finished their checks, and they had put it up in SD with no sound.
Phormictopus buy-ebay hmm. Not a good sign! 😂 Next one's gonna be P. wolmaht. Sorry just makin' fun of you mate lol. You're right about that though... Phormictopus, pamphobeteus, Xenesthis... IMO there's only 2 or 3 subsp. in each genus with different morphs. Maybe arachnologists we'll realise they're just captive-bred hybrids of subsp. or even with other genera. Well if so, just enjoy these beuuties the way they are! Keep.it.up! 🤘
Hahaha Thanks. And I'll be VERY curious to finally find out how many of these are true species...or, like you said, even a different genus. I have 6 of the Xenesthis "species", and they almost all look exactly the same. haha Thanks, bud!
@@TomsBigSpiders what I actually meant: it's probably gonna be Xenesthis as a monotypic genus or even a sp within Pamphobeteus, then Pamphobeteus and Phormictopus with 2-3 sp and a lot of subsp... But it's only my guess. Time - and hopefully DNA - will tell!
It was on my end. Apparently, I posted the video before RUclips had finished it's copyright scanning. UGH. They let me put it up...just with NO sound! Sorry!
@@TomsBigSpiders Oh no, silly RUclips. The sound started working for me after a minute of watching so no problem at all! ((Glad I can check out your videos of these guys I haven't taken the plunge and gotten any of these supposed newer ones yet. Mine don't have bad tempers either, I've only gotten some kicking during rehouses is all. Great eaters and great fun these guys are. Thanks for the awesome video!))
Hey Tom I have a question for you, I have a GBB who is about 1 1/2 inches but she has closed up the ends of her hide and doesn't come out to eat or anything else, she drank alot of water before she did this but now she's not drinking or anything. Is she going into molt do you think or what do you think is going on ?
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks so much I firgured that was what was going on but being a new dad was nervous and scared I had done something wrong and she is my prize and the center of my collection :) Thanks again you have taken alot of stress off my shoulders :) Your the best :)
Love my 4 Phormictopus specimens! I can't lie though I'm super pumped, got my hands on 2 Ornithoctoninae sp. Vietnam Silver slings for an amazing price that will arrive in 2 weeks, I'm over the moon. Great video as always Tom, cheers!
Tom, I've been working my way through your podcasts. Yep, all of 'em. I like to listen to them in between sessions of screaming at my neighbor(s). Anyway, I just listened to the "Why Is the Tarantula Hobby So Addictive?" episode. In said episode, you mentioned that you were working to put together a website where listeners (like me! :D) could leave comments. Is this still happening? Is it up and I just missed it due to internetical incompetence? Thanks!
Oh man...that was on my to do list for this summer and I COMPLETELY forgot about it! Yes, I still have it and I will be jumping on it today. Thank you for the reminder!!!
This Species screams for Taxonomy. At least You could name one with Phormictopus explorius 😁. They are a bit like Grammostola rosea- at first They look not very spectacular but if You take a closer, longer Look You discover that They're actually very pretty.
Only time the Phormictopus i have had kicked hair was when they where about to moult and kicked off hair for protection i assume. Mine has always bite to defend themself. But they are not that bad that some say
13:18 - you're fine, I think. The bottle and paintbrush is no different from tapping with a hook to let a tree boa or tree python know you intend to transfer them, then you just lift the dowel from the enclosure and move them. You don't ever try to unwrap them by force because youu can break tthe pretensile tail and potentially cause paralysis of the anus. Everyone seems to have stories about being struck at but never happened to me, and I have photos of nose-kissing them (or "Eskimo kissing", pardon the anti-indigenous slur) with no issues. I had more trouble with letting my Olive Pythons know I am not food because everything is food for them. Nice to handle once they realize you're not food, but they don't seem to learn not every enclosure opening = food
I actually got the chance to buy an auratus once but didn't have the money and regretted never buying it been trying to get one here in my country but the phormictopus would be considered rare here
Theirs a place not far from me in indiana called the container store got a pretty wide selection of things u can house ts in from small to xl and price isn't to awful but I'm sure ya get the idea not to great lol but yeah they have the latching ends on the container very nice I've got one here I'll have send ya pic of it its worth using for sure
Oh, great video, looking forward yo seeing your collaboration with Robbie, he has mentioned it before in a WhatsApp chat group we are both in. I can't believe I still haven't got any Phormictopus species, I've had them on my list since October last year, then something else comes along..... I have to push them closer to the top of that list 😁
A mad 8in spider if ya never seen one is pretty scary lol had my big p.rufilata throw a threat pose at me and dam if id just got into ts and never seen a mad 8in spider I'd probably have shit bricks and built a castle that's for sure
Hahaha Exactly! You don't get it until you've seen it. And I'm lucky that my rufies are both very laid back. One is over 9", and I would NOT want a threat pose from her! haha
@@TomsBigSpiders oh I bet lol thays a massive spider 9in it's like wow and the 2 here 1 is chill the other she's mean and she let's ya know it ifk how she makes noises but qhen she's in her log and u mess round in her tank spot cleaning she doesn't tolerate anything she pops out the top n looks dead at ya and is moving her fangs up n down Lolita like ah OK im outta here
Ended up getting the Phormictopus.auratus and once it gets ehhh bout 3in mark ruffly they start changing colors and I like the deep purplish color and gold carapace very pretty and 9nly had 1 issue with her she's had 1 fang that a few molts back was bent to the outside just slowed her down eating but not much following molt the fang was gone from the part that was bent am waiting on this molt to see if she gets it back or if it stays half gone lol but all in all very cool species
I have had lots of them and some of them have been on the defenssive side and some have not. The most defenssive NW speicies i have iwned us E murunus. The once i hsve had have more or less been as defenssive as say an Haplopelma. I have an adult female that really means buissness if you intrude on her territory, with fangs dripping with venom. She is very food agressive too. Eats more than any of my Phormictopus. E murinus is a among favourite speicies of mine. Maybe my favourite speicies of all!?
I'm raising up a few E. murinus right now, so I'll have to see how they are. The male that I raised to maturity a few years ago was fairly shy and calm overall. We'll have to see!
@@TomsBigSpiders Yes temperament always vary. I have had a few including the female i own now. They have overall very defenssive, and it seems to be pretty much the norm. What i like most of them are their apperence and habits. I really like Ornicthoctonea, and their habits seems to be alike.
The one and only Phormictopus I have is the sp. dominican violet and I recieved it as a freebie. Nothing special, my least liked from everything I have 😉
It's not so much they are being sold as the wrong species. They are finding spiders that look different in the wild, and selling them labelled for the region that they are found in. Until the genus Phormictopus has been properly studied, we have no way to know if these are, indeed, new species or color variants of an already described species of Phormictopus.
How is the species a mess? It sounds like people are charging a premium for something sone one may not want and then blaming the "species" for it. If I bought an expensive T it better be what I paid for.
Maybe I wasn't clear or misspoke. The genus in terms of taxonomy is a mess, meaning that no one has studied all of these "species" currently being offered to know if they are really new species or just regional variants of the same species. That's why I' warning people that they are taking a chance if they order any of these new "species". They could certainly get a brand new spider, or they could be getting a different color P. cancerides.
My Dominican Purple is a mean tank who will show off her two missiles even if i just fill her water dish without opening, sometimes fire them as well. She love fighting the water or my shadow. She also enjoy torturing her roaches. Mean mean mean tank that for sure is ready for some spider war😅
@@TomsBigSpiders They are pretty as hell. But i dont get why the hell some sellers are putting them under the category as a beginner spider just because they are new world. Yes, they are new world, and yes they are pretty as hell, but they will definitely scare away a beginner to the hobby. But, they are easy to keep, but can be a nightmare to rehouse because of there skittishness. When did you last time put them in one of your videos?
Awesome video, Tom! I've got a question for you, it's actually not about Phormictopus but you made me think of it. I have 2 Phormictopus (auratus and cancerides) and I'm thinking of splurging a little on a Pampho. Not 100% certain yet but it is floating around in my mind. I know you don't have as many Pamphobeteus as Phormictopus, but if you, in your knowledge and experience, could only keep 1 Pampho, which would it be and why? Great work as always!
Wow, the timing on this one is incredible, as I'm loading up a Pampho video as I type this! haha I have three, and it's REALLY difficult for me to chose between them. It might be the P. antinous for me, as it was my first Pamphobeteus species. That said, I love my Pampho sp. duran, and it went through some beautiful color changes. And, I love my Pampho chicken spider as well. UGHHHHH I can't choose! haha
Also have some extra phlogiellus.obscurus if ur in indiana and want a couple for ur collection just know u can hit me up ill try n give ya a pair I've 9 so far they don't get to big and are borrowers but web heavy above ground and make several entrances to burrow and ya play hell getting good molts to sex some chew them then web them up like a food bolus so yeah gotta do the old way belly shot lol but pretty easy they have noticeable male spot on vent
@@TomsBigSpiders long as I have spiders that offer stands Mr Moran maybe then I'll have some different species of pokies and other stuff I like giving slings to some the people I talk to I know they will be well cared for plus makes me happy in a small way and it insures some these slings blood lines stay in the hobby and differ
@@TomsBigSpiders I'm beginning to think that if someone takes the males back from the sacks after they mature and retreads em to the females it causes the future males to be much much smaller each pairing cause I've seen this first hand with some the slings I've gotten from a particular person
I just love seeing your rehouse videos. Your technique is incredibly helpful to see. Thanks so much for sharing! Phormictopus Genus is just so beautiful and diverse!
Thank you so much, Glam Pea! I hope that by putting these rehousing videos out there, people will feel more confident with theirs. :)
I just love your videos! I've learned everything I know about tarantulas from you and I can't thank you enough! I'm now 5 years into the hobby and with 17 Ts and counting lol keep the videos coming🙌😊
Thank you so much...I truly appreciate that!!!
I love when you talk to your spiders like they can understand you 🤣🤣🤣 I’m the exact same way! I do the same with my snakes as well hahaha
Hey, Meagan! Hahaha I just can't help it. You should hear me with my dogs. I make them talk back to me and we sometimes have full conversations. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders 🤣 classic!
17:00 LOL !! Obviously coming up to that awkward rebellious age, Tom...
Hahaha Indeed!
Thanks again Tom ! On my wish list . Good one !
Thank you for watching, Dan!
Hah ! Had a good chuckle over that sling that kept going where it wanted instead of its new enclosure ;) About Phormictopus being labeled as defensive, my belief is that most of this is based mainly on old experiences with cancerides. If you think about it, they were widely available as WC during the 70s and 80s. Imagine being plucked from your comfy home in Haiti or Cuba, then tossed into an unfamiliar "burrow" with invisible walls, probably being prodded occasionally by strange giants, you'd be pretty irritated too.
I recall reading on the TKG that Stan had said that many P. cancerides were quite defensive upon capture and most remained throughout their captivity.
Love the blue sheen on the salinas. Hopefully, that one is female so it can retain those colors. Beautiful Ts, all of them.
Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
That's an excellent point about Phormictopus, as the cancerides have been in the hobby for decades. I often wonder if this is also the case with OBTs, as those used to be heavily imported as well. I'm REALLY curious to see what the adult salinas look like. That blue is VERY promising! As always, thanks so much, bud!
Wow a light went off in my head when listening to your most recent podcast right now. I just had my first DKS with Hapolopus Columbia my first tarantula I ever got. Saddest thing ever, was for sure DKS. About two weeks ago. The day I fed this pumpkin patch earlier in the day I had sprayed our detached garage and perimeter of our house with spider spray/insect spray on the baseboards and what not as I do every once in a while once all of the parson/jumpers/wolf/harvestman start finding their way in again. Anyways I had fed the spider the same day earlier I used to spray all over the place and for sure some got on my hand. I was with my wife at the time of feeding and the cricket fell as it ripped its own leg off when it’s jumping around in the tongues, and I grabbed it and gave it to the spider. This was hours later and I think I washed my hands by three days later is when I found the presumably happy healthy pumpkin patch dead or at least dying from DKS, a very obvious case. Water on its mouth did not work as it died shortly after finding it. This was the only spider I fed that day and the only explanation I can think of as it’s enclosure was perfectly clean with a water dish etc. definitely going to pay attention to this in the future. I was awestruck as to why it randomly died being so well-established when it did. text to speech, sorry for typos.
Hey, Jake! Yeah, in my case, it took me a while to figure out what had probably caused it. Then, the lightbulb went on and it was very clear. We stopped spraying around the house because I often work outside when I clean enclosures and set them up, and I don't want to take the chance of contaminating anything. Glad that you could figure it out!
@@TomsBigSpiders I’ve seen about 30 people in the SoCal tarantula group through DM‘s in a couple other places mention the new supposed, I found a Aphonopelma sp. Santa Cruz fluffy
Which to me totally looks like a hybrid of a curly hair in somebody’s spare aphonopelma male. I see people are buying this for $30 and that it has 30 purchased and being advertised in groups I am in have you heard anything about this? I haven’t heard you talk about it I don’t think or seen it on arachnido. I figure if it was real it would go for a lot more than $30 unless it’s really just a hybrid curly hair. Thanks!
I think I was just venting more than asking a question sorry, ima wait till a real confirmation comes out before grabbing this one even if it then becomes more expensive.
Bringing out the big boys about time baby let's go
Hahaha. Well, getting big big boys in this case. haha
Can't understand why people say these have an attitude I have three different ones And None of them has thrown a threat posture I've even held one Crawled right on my hand When I was putting the water bowl in Love mine This is the reason why I got This species watching your videos Now I have three of them
I've had no issues with any of mine. I've never had one kick a hair, and the only threat postures I've received are when I startled the spider when prey jumped on it. They are amazing spiders.
Hello great video information and rehouseing Tom
Thanks so much, Moon!
Nice one buddy, the more I see the phormictopus the more I'm liking them, I might have to bite the bullet and get a few, great video as always, I thought Robbie was more a pokie guy than phormictopus, I'll quiz him next time I see him lol 😆
Quizz away Sean, I'm sure I'll see you at a show soon, I've always said my favourite genius depends on what is in question arboreals are poecilotheria, terrestrial is phormictopus and fossorial would be cyriopagopus or epheobopus (depending if you class them as true fossorial)
I think Robbie and I are a lot alike in that we are BOTH Pokie AND Phormictopus guys. Those are my two favorite genera of tarantulas. Thanks, Sean!
Just rehoused my gorgeous female P. Atrichomatus today a she was a total sweetheart and looks amazing in her new display tank
Hey, Antonio! I have three female adults P. atrichomatus, and they have been wonderfully laid back. They are literally like pet rocks! Glad to hear that you have a sweatheart as well!
Awesomeness as usual Tom! 🕷❤❤🕷
Thanks so much, Lisa!
In the name of all Santiagos in this world, I can assure you not all of us are as stubborn as that Phormictopus sp. Santiago sling. She (hopefully) brought dishonour upon our shared name. Lol
BAHAHAHAHA Thanks for clarifying that, Santiago!
They have become my favorite Genus, I have an Auratus, 4 Dominican Purple, 4 Atrichomatus, and a sp. Rose Blue! They are just perfect in every way! Great eaters, great personalities, great colors, fast growing…I just love them.
Hi, Michelle! I LOVE Phormictopus and have fore many years. I agree with you 100%. Best part is, the females KEEP the pretty colors when they mature! :)
Thank you for the video.
You're very welcome!
I make you right there "bum" is fair 🤣🤣🤣 it's amazing the size of your bayahibe, I got mine before you and mines still 1" at most, shows temperature, feeding schedule and sex do play a huge part in growth. Great video buddy, also as a side note through research I have found the "sp santiago" is in fact phormictopus auratus found in Santiago del Cuba. So that's one species mystery solved
BAHAHAHA That was just my jealousy rearing it's ugly head. Most of these new "species" have been growing quite slowly for me. It's been HOT in that room this summer, and they are still growing slowly. And I read the same about the Santiago, but I was holding out hope that mine would have crazy colors. I think when all is said and done, you and I will realize that we paid top dollar for species that we already had. haha
My reply just disappeared! Anyway...hahaha I was hoping that you would laugh at that. It was just my jealousy rearing it's ugly head. As for the Phormictopus sp. santiago, I heard that as well but I'm holding out hope that they are different than my P. auratus. Those were brown as sling (Cuban species or Phormics usually are), but my Santiago was blue. That would lead me to believe that it's something different than my auratus. Time will tell!
@@TomsBigSpiders it is all one big mystery, I'm happy no matter what they are like you said even if its just various colour forms, I'd still be happy to have them
Hi Tom and Billie, this is becoming a weekly greeting from the UK. I now have P. At, as a sling that I'm raising, and it has put on a bit of size after a recent moult, no idea what it will look like in the end or what gender it is, but it's fun to see what happens, in the words of the great Forest Gump, life is like a box of chocolates, although not planning to eat any T's 😁
Hello from the US, Gary! Hahaha And great analogy (glad to hear that you're NOT eating them, though. haha). Thanks so much!
Awesome video as always dude! 🤘🤘🤘 clearly the best genus haha
Hey, Dan! hahaha Damn right it is. haha
Tom I love your videos!
I wish you had more vids from the genus Avicularia.
Would you be willing to explore this in the future pretty please?
You are THE channel for information!
Thanks
Thank you so very much; I truly appreciate it! I've had several over the years, but some were changed to Caribena. I definitely need to try out some more species!
Excited to watch!
Thank you!
Ah brilliant video Tom,really enjoyed that one Tom, that's a stunning species of spider 🕷, brilliant advice as always Tom.
Thanks so much, George!
Tom, would you consider doing a podcast specifically targeted at people who don't understand why we like and keep spiders? I'm not talking about people who are afraid of them, as I know you've extensively discussed getting into the hobby to get over arachnophobia. I'm talking about people who just don't like spiders and are baffled why anyone would want to give them a second thought, let alone seek them out and spend time with them. For the record, while I still, and probably will always will have a slight fear of them (maybe it's just extensive respect), I find it fascinating that they're so fierce while being so delicate at the same time.
Disclaimer: I have a friend who is exactly as described above and I'd love to have her listen to you talking about this. :D
Hey, Brian! I could certainly try, although I've found that folks that just HATE spiders are very difficult and frustrating to reason with. I was always in the camp that found them fascinating, even when I was scared of them. Folks who tend to find them repulsive are the most difficult to "convert". I'll give it some thought and see how I can spin it. Thank you!
"Well behaved" Phormictopus 🤣🖤🖤
I still don't know what my auratus or cancerides are but I'm thrilled the Dominican purple I raised from a sling is a female. 💗
I don't know what you're insinuating with the quotes, Rosalinda, but my Phormics are all teddy bears.
hahahaha ;)
Congrats on getting a lady!
You have much more species than here :).
I just picked up a Phormictopus sp. Blue Azul sling. It's my 5th Phormictopus :).
Hey, Marc! I think that I have 15 now. haha I NEED one of the Blue Azuls!
Hi Tom it's all in how you treat your spiders if you're calm your spiders will be calm.
Thanks, Starla!
Hey Tom, another great video on one of my favorite genus of tarantula and Auratus is my number one favorite tarantula hands down got to love that gold/bronze color. I actually had a sp. Salinas mature male out he's very stunning and his siter is in premolt I'm curious as to what she will look likewhen she finally molts. I agree that Phormictopus has become the new pampho just way to many uncomfirmed species floating around for my taste.
I absolutely love my P. auratus as well, as that gold is just stunning! What color was your Salinas male? I'm very curious to see what these look like as adults. Thank you!
@@TomsBigSpiders To my surprise, he's a very stunning emerald green with a lot of iridescent.
Hey Tom glad u have done a video on the phomictomus sp,I currently have 2 8n my collection, I know i need to get more.i have a p sp bayahibe I've grown on to a juvi now,a little skittish but over all not to bad,then i have a p sp hispaniola I've grown from a sling who is now 6'and can has shown defensive behaviour but for the most part i dont see her has she stays in her burrow and only comes out at night.i just love the colours she is stunning.
Thanks, James! Yeah, I'm glad to finally see Phormictopus getting the respect that they deserve!
AWESOME video Tom I have a Cancerides juvie female they are STUNNING
Thank you, Michael! I love them as well.
@@TomsBigSpiders Your welcome Tom
Very nice. I am stunned how many diffrent speicies there are now. When i was active there where just a few, like P cancerides, P atrichomatus, P auratus ans P south hispaniolas
Somewhere along the line, Phormictopus became the new Pamphobeteus and Xenesthis, so now people are out there trying to find different looking "species" in the wild to sell for top dollar. It's kind of sad. Hope all is well, bud!
@@TomsBigSpiders Yes i agree. Yes i am fine!
Love the Phormictopus genus, Tom converted me lol. Currently have Phormictopus cancerides, atrichomatus, hispaniola south, auratus ,and just got a Phormictopus sp blue (azul) 1/2 inch sling that I'm pretty curious about the coloration on
Should I say "you're welcome" or "sorry", Bill? haha Man, I NEED one of the true blues. Where did you get it from? Thanks, Bill!
@@TomsBigSpiders My local pet store loves me so much they ordered me one from their breeder so I would stop walking in going "Phormictopus this, Phormictopus that" I'm going to keep an eye it as I'm not to trusting as the Acanthoscurria theriphosidae they sold was a geniculata
Hey Tom! can you do an update on your king baboon? i want to see how shallow the whole set up is for your king baboon. a video would be dope! anyway thanks for all the info! keep being awesome!
Unfortunately, they were males and passed quite a while back. I ended up putting them both in new enclosures with about 6" of substrate. This gave them room to burrow but not so much that they got lost. From that point on, they ate great, grew more quickly, and matured out. Hope that helps!
@@TomsBigSpiders thanks a lot!
10:32 Now that is a smooth rehouse.
16:50 That is not a smooth rehouse.
The one at 16:50 was just for you, Brian.
@@TomsBigSpiders Hooray! My very own rehouse. I've dreamed of this day! 😀
Hi Tom and Billie. How soon will you guys celebrate your 25th anniversary. I found a sterling silver T. Thought it would be the perfect gift. Ha ha Love your T vids.
Hi, Joyce! Awwwww...thank you for the kind words! Our 25th is next August 1st. We just had our 24th!
@@TomsBigSpiders So how would you and Billie like a sterling silver T. Or would you rather have a wonderful dinner with wine or champagne and the silver would be tiny silver spider pins?
Hi another great video keep up the great work. A couple days ago i unboxed a tliltocatl vagans and a large claw scorpion and a Egyptian green scorpion. Have a great day.
Thank you! And congrats on your new acquisitions!
Thanks
Great video
Thank you, Chantal!
Been looking at phormictopus a lot lately just havent done it yet lol, just ordered a D pentaloris and chilobrachys fimbriatus will be here next week!
Hey, Josh! Well, maybe you'll give one a shot someday. And congrats on your new acquisitions!
I was watching when it went live and I had sound. Then the video went private and I got kicked out! 😅
I don't know what the heck happened. It looked like they let me post it before they had finished their checks, and they had put it up in SD with no sound.
17:49 made me laugh too hard
Hahaha I almost slipped there!
Phormictopus buy-ebay hmm. Not a good sign! 😂 Next one's gonna be P. wolmaht. Sorry just makin' fun of you mate lol.
You're right about that though... Phormictopus, pamphobeteus, Xenesthis... IMO there's only 2 or 3 subsp. in each genus with different morphs. Maybe arachnologists we'll realise they're just captive-bred hybrids of subsp. or even with other genera. Well if so, just enjoy these beuuties the way they are!
Keep.it.up! 🤘
Hahaha Thanks.
And I'll be VERY curious to finally find out how many of these are true species...or, like you said, even a different genus. I have 6 of the Xenesthis "species", and they almost all look exactly the same. haha Thanks, bud!
@@TomsBigSpiders what I actually meant: it's probably gonna be Xenesthis as a monotypic genus or even a sp within Pamphobeteus, then Pamphobeteus and Phormictopus with 2-3 sp and a lot of subsp... But it's only my guess. Time - and hopefully DNA - will tell!
Never had mine throw threat pose usually runs n hides or attacks the water when I go to fill the dish or ground lol other then that lil lady is grand
Is there no sound or is my phone being whack? Excited to see some Phormictopus's either way! ♡
It was on my end. Apparently, I posted the video before RUclips had finished it's copyright scanning. UGH. They let me put it up...just with NO sound! Sorry!
@@TomsBigSpiders Oh no, silly RUclips. The sound started working for me after a minute of watching so no problem at all!
((Glad I can check out your videos of these guys I haven't taken the plunge and gotten any of these supposed newer ones yet.
Mine don't have bad tempers either, I've only gotten some kicking during rehouses is all. Great eaters and great fun these guys are. Thanks for the awesome video!))
Hey Tom I have a question for you, I have a GBB who is about 1 1/2 inches but she has closed up the ends of her hide and doesn't come out to eat or anything else, she drank alot of water before she did this but now she's not drinking or anything. Is she going into molt do you think or what do you think is going on ?
Sounds like GBB premolt behavior to me! I'm guessing that she's getting ready for a molt. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks so much I firgured that was what was going on but being a new dad was nervous and scared I had done something wrong and she is my prize and the center of my collection :) Thanks again you have taken alot of stress off my shoulders :) Your the best :)
Love my 4 Phormictopus specimens! I can't lie though I'm super pumped, got my hands on 2 Ornithoctoninae sp. Vietnam Silver slings for an amazing price that will arrive in 2 weeks, I'm over the moon. Great video as always Tom, cheers!
Congrats on your Ornithoctoninae sp. Vietnam Silver slings, George!
I’d take any species of phormictopus, if it didn’t hurt my wallet so much. 😅
Yeah, unfortunately with their newfound popularity came quite the price hikes.
Tom, I've been working my way through your podcasts. Yep, all of 'em. I like to listen to them in between sessions of screaming at my neighbor(s). Anyway, I just listened to the "Why Is the Tarantula Hobby So Addictive?" episode. In said episode, you mentioned that you were working to put together a website where listeners (like me! :D) could leave comments. Is this still happening? Is it up and I just missed it due to internetical incompetence? Thanks!
Oh man...that was on my to do list for this summer and I COMPLETELY forgot about it! Yes, I still have it and I will be jumping on it today. Thank you for the reminder!!!
This Species screams for Taxonomy. At least You could name one with Phormictopus explorius 😁. They are a bit like Grammostola rosea- at first They look not very spectacular but if You take a closer, longer Look You discover that They're actually very pretty.
I agree completely, Mike...hopefully, someone tackles the genus soon. Hahaha And that is so true.
Only time the Phormictopus i have had kicked hair was when they where about to moult and kicked off hair for protection i assume. Mine has always bite to defend themself. But they are not that bad that some say
Yeah, they just aren't kickers, which I'm TOTALLY okay with!
13:18 - you're fine, I think. The bottle and paintbrush is no different from tapping with a hook to let a tree boa or tree python know you intend to transfer them, then you just lift the dowel from the enclosure and move them. You don't ever try to unwrap them by force because youu can break tthe pretensile tail and potentially cause paralysis of the anus. Everyone seems to have stories about being struck at but never happened to me, and I have photos of nose-kissing them (or "Eskimo kissing", pardon the anti-indigenous slur) with no issues.
I had more trouble with letting my Olive Pythons know I am not food because everything is food for them. Nice to handle once they realize you're not food, but they don't seem to learn not every enclosure opening = food
Very well put, Zarya! I kept snakes for years, and used to drive me nuts when people would aggressively unwrap them. :)
I actually got the chance to buy an auratus once but didn't have the money and regretted never buying it been trying to get one here in my country but the phormictopus would be considered rare here
Hopefully, you're able to eventually find one.
💗💗💗
Thank you!
Theirs a place not far from me in indiana called the container store got a pretty wide selection of things u can house ts in from small to xl and price isn't to awful but I'm sure ya get the idea not to great lol but yeah they have the latching ends on the container very nice I've got one here I'll have send ya pic of it its worth using for sure
Tom, are you in need of a MM p. Rufilata?
Not sure if it's my phone or not, but no volume here 🤔
I think that it should be good now. Sorry, Vanessa!
@@TomsBigSpiders Hey, no worries, it happens 🙃
Oh, great video, looking forward yo seeing your collaboration with Robbie, he has mentioned it before in a WhatsApp chat group we are both in.
I can't believe I still haven't got any Phormictopus species, I've had them on my list since October last year, then something else comes along..... I have to push them closer to the top of that list 😁
A mad 8in spider if ya never seen one is pretty scary lol had my big p.rufilata throw a threat pose at me and dam if id just got into ts and never seen a mad 8in spider I'd probably have shit bricks and built a castle that's for sure
Hahaha Exactly! You don't get it until you've seen it. And I'm lucky that my rufies are both very laid back. One is over 9", and I would NOT want a threat pose from her! haha
@@TomsBigSpiders oh I bet lol thays a massive spider 9in it's like wow and the 2 here 1 is chill the other she's mean and she let's ya know it ifk how she makes noises but qhen she's in her log and u mess round in her tank spot cleaning she doesn't tolerate anything she pops out the top n looks dead at ya and is moving her fangs up n down Lolita like ah OK im outta here
Aww, no Phormictopus sp. furry?
Not yet, Melody. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders I'm waiting for you to accidentally call the M. balfourii the M. balfurry on a video LoL 😂😆
@@RealMelodyBlue Bahahaha I'm sure it will happen at some point.
Matter of fact I have one that's doesn't even have a bald spot because it doesn't kick hairs doesn't kick any hairs at me since I've had it
I currently keep 16 "species" or color variants, and not one has kicked hair at me.
Ended up getting the Phormictopus.auratus and once it gets ehhh bout 3in mark ruffly they start changing colors and I like the deep purplish color and gold carapace very pretty and 9nly had 1 issue with her she's had 1 fang that a few molts back was bent to the outside just slowed her down eating but not much following molt the fang was gone from the part that was bent am waiting on this molt to see if she gets it back or if it stays half gone lol but all in all very cool species
Love that species. When they turn gold, it is just amazing. One of the most striking spiders that I have. Hopefully, she replaces that fang soon.
I have had lots of them and some of them have been on the defenssive side and some have not. The most defenssive NW speicies i have iwned us E murunus. The once i hsve had have more or less been as defenssive as say an Haplopelma. I have an adult female that really means buissness if you intrude on her territory, with fangs dripping with venom. She is very food agressive too. Eats more than any of my Phormictopus. E murinus is a among favourite speicies of mine. Maybe my favourite speicies of all!?
I'm raising up a few E. murinus right now, so I'll have to see how they are. The male that I raised to maturity a few years ago was fairly shy and calm overall. We'll have to see!
@@TomsBigSpiders Yes temperament always vary. I have had a few including the female i own now. They have overall very defenssive, and it seems to be pretty much the norm. What i like most of them are their apperence and habits. I really like Ornicthoctonea, and their habits seems to be alike.
Do most of them burrow as slings?
Mine all did, yes. They usually outgrow it, though.
OMG I want one now :)
Thanks, Apex!
Is it just me or is there no sound
Hey, Waffles! Ummmmm..that's weird. It's working for me right now. Let me see if I can figure it out.
I love the Phormictopus species and it is down to you! Have several in my collection and hope to get some more 😊
That's awesome, Danielle! I'm glad that I could spread the love!
Hi tom!
Hey, Ryan!
🕷👍
Thanks, Tom!
Is the males grow faster than the females?
My males grow at about the same rate, but they mature out a little sooner than the females do.
The one and only Phormictopus I have is the sp. dominican violet and I recieved it as a freebie. Nothing special, my least liked from everything I have 😉
I know, right? Giant purple spiders are SOOOO boring. hahaha
@@TomsBigSpiders to be fair mine is still a small blue spider lol so yeah so boring hahahaha
Its sad to mix them up, altleast sell them as such.
It's not so much they are being sold as the wrong species. They are finding spiders that look different in the wild, and selling them labelled for the region that they are found in. Until the genus Phormictopus has been properly studied, we have no way to know if these are, indeed, new species or color variants of an already described species of Phormictopus.
Oh thats a whole other story & even worse, hoping for the best and that blue tone on the legs are gorgeous no matter what 🙏
How is the species a mess? It sounds like people are charging a premium for something sone one may not want and then blaming the "species" for it.
If I bought an expensive T it better be what I paid for.
Maybe I wasn't clear or misspoke. The genus in terms of taxonomy is a mess, meaning that no one has studied all of these "species" currently being offered to know if they are really new species or just regional variants of the same species. That's why I' warning people that they are taking a chance if they order any of these new "species". They could certainly get a brand new spider, or they could be getting a different color P. cancerides.
My Dominican Purple is a mean tank who will show off her two missiles even if i just fill her water dish without opening, sometimes fire them as well. She love fighting the water or my shadow.
She also enjoy torturing her roaches.
Mean mean mean tank that for sure is ready for some spider war😅
I have two, and they are both super skittish and will throw up a threat posture if cornered. They are so darned pretty though. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders They are pretty as hell. But i dont get why the hell some sellers are putting them under the category as a beginner spider just because they are new world. Yes, they are new world, and yes they are pretty as hell, but they will definitely scare away a beginner to the hobby. But, they are easy to keep, but can be a nightmare to rehouse because of there skittishness. When did you last time put them in one of your videos?
Awesome video, Tom! I've got a question for you, it's actually not about Phormictopus but you made me think of it. I have 2 Phormictopus (auratus and cancerides) and I'm thinking of splurging a little on a Pampho. Not 100% certain yet but it is floating around in my mind. I know you don't have as many Pamphobeteus as Phormictopus, but if you, in your knowledge and experience, could only keep 1 Pampho, which would it be and why? Great work as always!
Wow, the timing on this one is incredible, as I'm loading up a Pampho video as I type this! haha I have three, and it's REALLY difficult for me to chose between them. It might be the P. antinous for me, as it was my first Pamphobeteus species. That said, I love my Pampho sp. duran, and it went through some beautiful color changes. And, I love my Pampho chicken spider as well. UGHHHHH I can't choose! haha
Also have some extra phlogiellus.obscurus if ur in indiana and want a couple for ur collection just know u can hit me up ill try n give ya a pair I've 9 so far they don't get to big and are borrowers but web heavy above ground and make several entrances to burrow and ya play hell getting good molts to sex some chew them then web them up like a food bolus so yeah gotta do the old way belly shot lol but pretty easy they have noticeable male spot on vent
Thanks so much, Eric! I truly appreciate that. Perhaps we'll get out your way someday!
@@TomsBigSpiders long as I have spiders that offer stands Mr Moran maybe then I'll have some different species of pokies and other stuff I like giving slings to some the people I talk to I know they will be well cared for plus makes me happy in a small way and it insures some these slings blood lines stay in the hobby and differ
@@TomsBigSpiders I'm beginning to think that if someone takes the males back from the sacks after they mature and retreads em to the females it causes the future males to be much much smaller each pairing cause I've seen this first hand with some the slings I've gotten from a particular person