BITS
The page view numbers are waning, but I'm still writing. Please share this blog and help me reach a larger audience.
It's interesting to view the stats (page views) for my blog. The most ranty, controversial entries definitely have received the most reads, but then I announced each one of those on the Arachnoboards Faffbook page. I'm not permitted to do that anymore as it breaks the rules. That's what I love about my blog - there are no flippin' rules. But lately the page views have dropped and I am sure some people have tired of me. That's cool. I'm writing this for me and any single person who learns a single thing. I've never tried to be popular. I'm not for everyone. I'm an acquired taste that some people will never stomach.
One very well known dealer has been reading my blog and he messaged me and said he wishes he could get away with saying the things I do. What he meant is that he agrees with some of what I've written, but is dependent on spider sales and, thus, can't risk pissing anybody off himself. I completely understand. Maybe that is why I waited until now to really start calling out the asshats and speaking my mind. I've always been outspoken, but I certainly did rein it in a bit to maintain my image for the spider buying public. Now I am "semi-retired" and sell on my own terms. I am not trying to make a living selling spiders. Over thirty years in the exotic pet industry was enough. Now I am just a breeder who wishes to educate and share my experiences in the wild with the arachnophiles around the world. Lost customers are not my concern.
I am aware that I have a public image to maintain even if I am not focused on spider sales any longer. As an educator, lecturer and author, I do have a certain hard-earned respect that I do not wish to tarnish. I hope people are broad-minded enough to not let profanity or brutal honesty diminish that. This Blog is intended for mature audiences. Also, as North American Coordinator of the British Tarantula Society, I realize I also don't want to alienate potential members or have my personality shine a bad light on them. The Brits are a much more polite people, and I write this more for the American audience that is more rude-tolerant. But I have aimed to offend, so I realize that readership is going to have its ups and downs and I have promised to pull no punches so I hope everyone realizes that the only opinion offered here is my own and only I take responsibility for every word I type.
Steve in Texas sent me a very nice email thanking me for my projects - my book, my YouTube films and this blog especially. That is all I need to keep me going. He ended his letter with a question about photoperiod (light cycle) and I will answer that here along with a few other "bits 'n bobs". That's one of my favorite British phrases, one that my mate Mark uses often. So I added these "bits" of introductions and I'll toss in a few more random "tidbits" (as we would call them) or "bobs" at the end.
Thanks to all who read this. If you are using tablets or smartphones I highly recommend Feedly as a way to stay on top of this Blog. I've installed it and now I'm not just writing. I'm reading too as I have begun to follow a few firearms and photography blogs. But, really, thanks for the support. Please leave comments (please use your name or sign your name) and feel free to also email me at spidershoppe@icloud.com. Cheers.
PHOTOPERIOD
Let me begin my stating that this is three blog entries in a row that were reader submitted topics. Please keep them coming at spidershoppe@icloud.com.
The basic definition of
photoperiod is day length or the period of time each day during which an organism receives illumination. Many people use the term "light cycle" to describe how many hours of light and how many hours of darkness an organism is exposed to.
From a tarantula (or other arachnid) keeper's perspective the question may be as simple as "how much light does my spider need". They may not be referring to the changing photoperiod across the seasons, but rather just whether their tarantulas should have ambient light and, if so, for how many hours each day. Let's call this the keeper's perspective.
A more in depth look at photoperiod would focus on photoperiodism. The definition of photoperiodism is is the physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night. This the tarantula's perspective. But it might also be called the breeder's perspective. Environmental cues such as changes in photoperiod, barometric pressure, humidity and temperature affect breeding. They are stimuli that impact an organism's life cycle. But, although light may be very important for breeding diurnal lizards or such, it is not important for breeding tarantulas.
But let's start with the keeper's perspective and use my observations of tarantulas in nature. I've studied and photographed tarantulas from the scrub and desert of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to the rain forests of Costa Rica, Suriname, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. I've observed obligate burrowers in vertical burrows with terminal chambers, and I've also observed arboreal tarantulas in tube socks and tree holes. My decades of observation during captive husbandry and propagation also inform my opinions, but captivity is an unnatural phenomenon and the natural habitat and habits of these spiders is what we are striving to simulate.
How much light does an obligate burrower receive? More specifically, how much daylight? Many terrestrial species live under rocks or other cover and those that are obligate burrowers can be several feet beneath the ground. I've dug out Aphonopelma in Texas that were a couple feet beneath the surface and their burrow started vertically but then angled toward a terminal chamber. During the day the burrow mouth is covered by a sheet of silk. This keeps out pests like ants and such, but it also shields them from the light. I expect in many cases they receive only minimal diffuse light from the sun, and, of course, some moon light when they are at the burrow mouth waiting in ambush at night. However, mostly their lives are ones of darkness. Similarly, I have found Avicularia in tube socks with thick silken walls beneath the overhangs of roofs or inside the bark of trees. Arboreal tarantulas may receive a bit more sunlight, but not much. I have found Poecilotheria in dense rainforest where the canopy made light on the ground very dim even on bright sunny days. The Poecilotheria were in holes and slots in tree trunks and, again, only received the bare minimum of diffuse light. Their holes were dark. Tarantulas like dark.
Have I ever seen wild tarantulas out in the daylight? Yes, but as far as I can recall it was only a few Avicularia in Suriname. There were a few instances where I found juveniles at the mouth of their silken tube during the day. They were definitely exposed to the light. Mature wandering males are also occasionally seen by daylight. However, tarantulas are nocturnal and secretive organisms that more often shun the light. However, that doesn't mean that they cannot sense the photoperiod or that it plays no role in their seasonal rhythms.
So what do I recommend? Lighting your terrariums is unnecessary except for the health of live plants. I do have many natural terrariums with live plants and they require light. It is then my job to provide sufficient and proper retreats so that the inhabitant tarantulas can secrete themselves in darkness. Other keepers prefer to use only artificial foliage as lighting a tarantula enclosure does seem counter-intuitive. The ambient light in your room should be sufficient to establish night or day. Of course, at the equator light and dark are equal and your tarantula room's light cycle will be dependent on the latitude at which you live. No matter. Most keepers have a diverse collection of species and they also live at different latitudes in nature. But we aren't talking about nature. You have an artificial situation with, presumably, mostly captive bred tarantulas adjusted to your light cycle. Allow some light to enter the room and all is good. Keep your tarantulas out of direct light unless you require lighting for live plants. Even if you are breeding manipulation of photoperiod isn't important. The environmental cues or triggers that have great affect are dry and wet seasons (especially for tropical species) and seasonal temperature differences (especially for scrub or temperate species). Worry about simulating a warm and wet season that changes to a cool and dry season and back, or pre- or post-mating conditioning with temperatures falling and rising. The light cycle is insignificant against these cues.
My own spider room is on the upper level of my three level home outside of Chicago. Therefore, my first battle is with heat for the sunny and hot months and cold during the frigid winters. The windows of my spider room first had a sun shading film applied to them. This is similar to tinting a car's windows. Then I covered the window opening with 1/2" foam insulation followed by 1" foam insulation. All light (and heat and cold) is kept out. I control temperature by my central air conditioning and a small space heater in the spider room. I run a cool mist humidifier as needed. The light comes from the natural terrariums. I have shelves with four foot strip lights with fluorescent grow bulbs for them. They are on timers to be illuminated 10 hours a day. The rest of the spiders receive diffuse/ambient light from these strips and those on the opposite side of the room receive only dim light. Spiderlings in vials are kept in large flat storage containers and have their ambient light further restricted. Light just isn't vital for raising tarantulas. If light enters the room from outside you're set. If your room does not allow sunlight in I'd suggest a single lamp on a timer to provide light 10-12 hours a day. But your spiders will likely be in the darkness. They don't like light. The fun part is going in the room at night with a headlamp with a red bulb and watching them when they're active.
In summary, I wouldn't advise keeping your tarantulas in a pitch black closet, but I don't know that that would be detrimental either. Any room that allows even minimal ambient light is fine. If you have a dark room such as in the basement where windows don't allow light just have a single floor lamp on a timer so there is an artificial "day time". If you normally only have time to service your tarantulas at night you could even reverse it so the "day time" is during your night. Myself, I like to be in there when it's dark. My headlamp allows a choice of LED light or red light. If I am working I'll have the LED lights on so I can see, but if I want to observe their behavior I'll poke around with only the red light on, enjoying my voyeuristic probe into the lives of my spiders.
BOBS
1. I mentioned in the previous blog entry the time waster and self-proclaimed authority on everything eight-legged who has 2000 posts in a year or two of Arachnoboards forum membership. By contrast I joined AB on March 17, 2003 - over 12 years ago - and have 775 posts. That is an average of 0.17 posts per day or a post every 5-6 days. (Note: Classifieds ad posts do not count towards this total). At least 90% of my posts were between my join date and 2006 or 2007 when I moved from Nashville to Seattle. 2003-2006 were what I'd consider the glory years of Arachnoboards where people were interested in being educated, polite and we all made some great cyber friends. That period even resulted in a couple of marriages. But now all I post are occasional advertisements and announcements of updates to my Tarantula Bibliography. All I post on the AB Faffbook page is photographs. As North American Coordinator of the British Tarantula Society and Admin of their FB group, FB page and website, I prefer to spend more of my time in the Internet minefield on BTS pages. I have nothing, whatsoever, to do with the ATS. I lectured for them at their conference last summer and that was my last hurrah.
2.
THE BTS - I encourage you to become a member of the world's oldest ongoing tarantula society and receive its fine full color
Journal three times a year. I appreciate that the costs for an American receiving the print journal by mail are high (about $53) per year, but you may also consider a digital only membership where you get to download the same color
Journal as a PDF for about $23/year. You will also be supporting a great organization that is celebrating its 30th birthday and contributes money to research projects and conservation. It also is at the forefront of tarantula education worldwide. The BTS is a truly international organization and a group that every tarantula and other arachnid enthusiast should consider supporting. The membership year runs June 1 to May 31 so now is the perfect time to become a BTS member and be part of the world's elite arachnocumtural organization. Click
here to join.
3. Other places you'll find me - Hopefully you all are aware that my primary website is at exoticfauna.com. From there you can reach my other websites like The Tarantula Bibliography and Michael Jacobi's SPIDERSHOPPE, plus my SmugMug photo galleries and even this blog. You can also access much of what was published in
ARACHNOCULTURE. I reluctantly use Faffbook, but minimize its use as much as possible. It truly is a necessary evil. I have to use it to stay in touch and promote my projects, but I have utter contempt for it as well. I am a big fan of Instagram and Twitter and my "handle" on both is @ExoticFauna, which is also the name of my YouTube channel where among other videos you will find my 95-minute instructional film "Tarantulas in the Terrarium". There are videos from my Suriname field trip as well, and
eventually I'll include clips from Sri Lanka. If you're interested in my
one hour video chronicling my 2006 Costa Rica field trip you'll have to pay three quid (about $5) to download it from Andrew Smith's lovetarantulas.com. I get half the proceeds so you'll be helping the author of KMBHS as well. Thanks ;) I encourage you to check out what is available at
Love Tarantulas. There's the care video made by the late Bryant Capiz, a digital revision of British tarantula breeding pioneer Ron Baxter's book, the great American arachnology book
The Tarantula by William Baerg and two of Andrew's long out of print books and Keegan's
Scorpions of Medical Importance plus Andrew's own documentaries, lectures and more. I highly recommend setting aside $20 or so in your budget and going on a downloading spree. What a bargain for the content you can acquire!
Thanks again for reading. Y'all are the best, MJ
