Hello from Chino Valley, Arizona!
The high country desert here is beautiful. The weather has been crisp in the morning (as low as 15º), but yesterday and today the afternoon high was/will be 65º. I am training at Gunsite Academy, just 10 miles north, and today is the fifth and final day. Tomorrow I will start my journey to HOME, SWEET HOME. Between here and Flagstaff is Sedona, which is certainly one of the most beautiful towns in the U.S. and home to Red Rock State Park and its stunning red sandstone formations. I hope some of you have been following my @exoticfauna Instagram. I have posted loads of pix from this epic road trip, which include visits to Vegas, Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Sedona and much more. This three and a half week road trip is coming to an end and I can't wait to get back to my house and my parrot Jesse. I don't have many spiders left, but the 50 or so that will remain in my private collection are certainly waiting for a feeding and watering.
It is 6 a.m. and as I woke and checked my email I got word from my final customer, who has been waiting patiently for safe shipping weather and me to return home, wants to cancel his order after all. I couldn't be happier. That means that I have no pending orders, will sell nothing else and am FINALLY COMPLETELY, FULLY, ENTIRELY RETIRED!!! Or at least retired from a very long career in pets, exotic pets, herpetoculture and arachnoculture. SPIDERSHOPPE is boarded up. Kaput. Finito.
But as I wrote, I do still have about 50 eight-legged "pets". Some will be given away. Some might be sold to personal friends (not "customers"). Some may even be bred. Any spiderlings from whatever I might breed will be wholesaled in bulk. Entire sac to one person. That's as much spider business as I will conduct. What do I still have? My Harpactira pulchripes. A nice group of Monocentropus balfouri (most of which were part of the order I just refunded, but now will continue living in my office). A large group of Idiothele mira, which are not in my possession but have been given to John Apple on permanent breeding loan. And, of course, some Pokies. Mostly I have my personal favorite tarantula, Poecilotheria subfusca. I'm not ready to not have a few of them living with me. I have retained both "highland" and "lowland" "forms" and also have two female P. rufilata, one giant old P. vittata, and one 10-year old P. metallica. I have a pair of Avicularia sooretama, which may be my final true breeding project, as well as six or so juveniles. I have 3.2 subadult P. langenbucheri and six juveniles, but those will go to Chad Campbell. The other odds and ends that I may bestow on friends are a female A. "metallica" and another big adult female Avic that was traded to me as "metallica", but is ? I have a few "Phormingochilus carpenteri"/"Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi" that also will go to good homes. I think that's it. The downside of these fifty or so "pets" is that it means I still have to order crickets (and get them shipped alive in winter). Oh well, at least my doors are finally closed and I can just consider myself a mostly retired, sometimes traveler and sometimes firearms instructor.
Travel is eternally rewarding. On February 28, my bonus dad Joel and I will leave for Dublin and Bristol, England. I'm not even home yet, but I can't wait to be "on the road again". The best part will be seeing the Pennells and friends. The bonus part will be getting my right sleeve finished and one of my spider tats recolored (fixed) by Mark's apprentice, his daughter Brandon! Another bonus will be the BTS Lectures and seeing all my BTS friends.
But during the month of February I will be focused on my new enterprise, Triggercontrol Tactical, LLC and working around my house. I have a number of projects to occupy my mind and time. The SPIDERSHOPPE era, which also included "Jacobi Herpetoculture", "Chicago Reptile", "The Living Terrarium", "Frog Sanctuary", as well as stints working for Noah's Ark Pet Centers, Strictly Animals and Northwest Zoological Supply, has come to a close. That's me riding off into the sunset. And the sunsets here in the high desert of central Arizona are glorious.
My best wishes to all, Michael
Friday, January 29, 2016
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
#104 - LABELER TAPE & TAXONOMY
I'm sure you've considered it. Are theraphosid taxonomists sponsored by Dymo or Brother? Surely the constant changes to tarantula scientific names fuel a surge in label tape purchases. Maybe your old school and scrawl out barely legible IDs on masking tape. So maybe 3M is part of the big conspiracy.
I recently co-authored a paper with Andrew Smith that changed the names of many Ornithoctoninae. Although our work focused on the arboreal tarantulas of places like Malaysia and Borneo, the revision affected terrestrial genera as well. Your Haplopelma became Cyriopagopus. Admittedly, we noted that future works by experts on these spiders (e.g. German Volker Von Wirth) may resurrect Haplopelma and perhaps Melopoeus. More label and masking tape sold. Among our changes your Cyriopagopus schioedtei became Omothymus schioedtei, which means that the still undescribed Cyriopaopus sp. hatihati should be called Omothymus sp. hatihati. Your Lampropelma violaceopes (until ten years ago known as Cyriopagopus sp. Blue) is now Omothymus violaceopes. Phormingochilus gained three new species and one - P. carpenteri - is likely what you've labeled as Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi. Cyriopagopus sp. Sumatra is likely Phormingochilus fuchsi. The changes go on. More Dymo tape is sold.
I just updated my Tarantula Bibliography to include more recent changes to tarantula names. Go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy some more label tape. Holothele incei is now Neoholothele incei. Oligoxystre diamantinensis is now Dolichothele diamantinensis. Who the flock could pronounce "Oligoxystre" anyway?!?!?!
Genera change much more often than species. If you can't afford a $30 a month Dymo tape budget perhaps you should just label your terrariums with the specific epithet. Then again, gender declination must match. If a species is moved from a "feminine" genus to a "masculine" or "neuter" genus the suffix may change. For example, a dymolabelus might become a dymolabela. More revenue for the label companies.
Here's a suggestion. Buy a dry erase marker. It will last a long time. Or buy removable adhesive Avery labels and computer print your ID tags. More money saved means more tarantulas purchased.
All the best, MJ
Saturday, January 9, 2016
#103 - END OF THE LINE
Took me 103 entries to make an Allman Brothers reference ...
Random musings as I prepare to sleep and rise tomorrow to start my 5000 mile 23 night road trip... It's a good time to be heading west. I can hear the guy plowing my drive as I type this. We got hit by some snow tonight and temps are supposed to drop big time over next couple of days. It won't exactly be balmy in CA, AZ and Nevada, but it will be better than here.
The End of the Line refers to the fact that, finally, the SPIDERSHOPPE is closed. I have one pending order that I am waiting for an email reply about. I told the customer I can't ship due to weather and my road trip so he has options of cancelling or waiting. I shipped two orders on Wednesday and those might have been my last ever. While I am away John Apple is going to stop by my house and pick up a bunch of stuff to keep, sell and breed and the 50 or so other spiders I guess are keepers. I definitely won't be advertising ever again. Sales are closed.
I'm really looking forward to getting out of town again. Costa Rica was such much needed relaxation and was a hedonistic whirlwind of luxurious holiday. But I came back to stress as I work hard on transitioning to opening up a new business and some drama with my takeover of the British Tarantula Society Journal. All I can think of right now is that Wednesday I'll be playing poker at the Mirage. I'll have three days to chill in Vegas before I head down to Chino, CA to shoot and then I'll be back in Vegas for four more days for SHOT show. I've got some killer dinner reservations and Cirque du Soleil tickets. I've seen every Cirque show except one (most I've seen twice), but finally will complete the roster by seeing the sensual Zumanity. Then it's down to AZ where I'll have a little free time to do some Grand Canyon photography or something before a week of training. Road trip pix will be on IG @exoticfauna.
I'll be back on the 1st or 2nd of February and then Feb 28 will leave for the UK and the BTS Lectures. The Lectures is a great time to socialize with my European arachnoculture friends as during May's Exhibition everybody is more worried about selling and buying. My mate Andrew Smith just returned from a successful Brazil field trip and is working on a film documentary. He'll be delivering his traditional after dinner talk at the Lectures on the trip. Spoiler alert: they found the Lasiodora, Pachistopelma, Iridopelma, Avicularia, etc. they sought.
Hope you all have a great 2016. I'll try to pop in here now and again. mJ
Friday, January 1, 2016
#102 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! LAST ADVERT EVER!
It's taken a minute to close down SPIDERSHOPPE. I still have some stragglers - spiders I still want to sell before I am down to just some subfusca, rufilata and H. pulchripes. But the weather and my schedule have conspired against me. I've never been much for patience and the winter chill makes waiting for safe shipping windows necessary. I wanted all the spiders gone before my 3 1/2 week road trip as I have no caretakers. Looks like it's on to Plan B.
At the bottom of this blog entry I will post my final list. I hate to advertise here, but I just made my last bump on Arachnoboards and posted my final ad on Fauna Classifieds. I also recently sent the list to my mailing list. I've had a few takers, but mostly have been ignored. So, what's left after this weekend will only be available through local sale. My shipping will cease. If you are patient and willing to wait as long as a safe shipping window takes, you can order off this list with a 15% discount that for being KMBHS readers. How's that?
But it will take patience on both of our parts. I just had one guy ask for a refund on an order for a female Monocentropus balfouri. Turns out he's a kid whose dad put up the money. Pops wants his money back, but was willing to pony up a bit more for my pair of Avicularia sooretama. Instead I sent an immediate refund. I've been in communication with the kid several times about weather and shipping possibilities, but they grew impatient. I'd rather just get their monkey off my back and refund. I have another patient customer waiting on some other female M. balfouri and I'm sure he'd love to take one more!
So, on to HAPPY NEW YEAR! Actually I wished y'all that yesterday, but am glad to be awake in 2016 and able to say it again. My best to you and yours! 2016 is going to be big! I hope you had more fun last night than I did. I had intended to go out and find the equally lonely, but instead did the 51-year old thing and read in bed and fell asleep early. I had one beer in the afternoon. Wheeeeee. Party animal. But at least I was safe and personal safety and responsibility is my mantra.
FOR SALE
***THE STRAGGLERS – ALL THAT IS LEFT – EVERYTHING REDUCED, EVERYTHING MUST GO BY JANUARY 8! REASONABLE OFFERS ACCEPTED. PACKAGE DEALS CONSIDERED. THIS IS THE END.***
*** $100 MINIMUM ORDER, EXCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING CHARGE
*** PLEASE CONTACT BEFORE SENDING MONEY TO CHECK AVAILABILITY! I ONLY ACCEPT CONTACT BY EMAIL TO SPIDERSHOPPE@ICLOUD.COM.
*** PROMPT PayPal payment is required to reserve and schedule shipping, but availability must be checked before sending money. First paid, first reserved. No unpaid holds!
*** ALL packages are shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight to your nearest FedEx Ship Center (aka "hub") as HOLD FOR PICKUP packages. NO DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE. NO EXCEPTIONS! $35 IL and surrounding midwest, $45 most other states, $55 coastal states. Please boycott sellers who break the law and ship spiders by USPS!
UPDATED JANUARY 1, 2016
UNSEXED TARANTULAS
0.0.6 - Avicularia sooretama - 1.5” - $125 ea. RARE! REDUCED AGAIN!
0.0.2 - Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi (now Phormingochilus carpenteri) - 2.5-3” - $45 ea. (REDUCED)
0.0.10 - Iridopelma hirsutum 'Recife' - 0.5” - BRED HERE - $15 ea., 6/$80
0.0.30 - Poecilotheria subfusca - 2nd instar - BRED HERE - $15 ea. (REDUCED)
SUBADULT PAIR
1.1 - Avicularia sooretama - 2.5-3” - $450 PAIR RARE! REDUCED AGAIN!
FEMALE TARANTULAS
0.1.0 - Avicularia sp. “metallica” 4”+ - $75 ea. (REDUCED)
0.1.0 - Avicularia sp. 4-5” - $30 ea. (REDUCED)
0.1.0 - Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi (now Phormingochilus carpenteri) - 4”+ - $100 ea. (REDUCED)
0.2.0 - Harpactira curvipes - subadults - $65 ea. (REDUCED)
0.4.4 - Idiothele mira - one adult female and one unsexed juvie for $175 each.
MATURE MALE TARANTULAS
2.0.0 - Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica – UM 11/20/15 & UM 12/25/15 – FREE FOR SHIPPING CHARGE + $5 S/H.
SALES TERMS
[*]CONTACT BY EMAIL (spidershoppe@icloud.com) BEFORE SENDING MONEY TO CHECK AVAILABILITY
[*]CONTACT ONLY BY EMAIL!
[*]ABSOLUTELY NO TRADES. TRADE INQUIRIES IGNORED.
[*]FIRST PAID, FIRST RESERVED PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL TO SPIDERSHOPPE@ICLOUD.COM
[*]THE MINIMUM ORDER IS $100 EXCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING CHARGE [*]YOU RECEIVE FREE FEDEX PRIORITY OVERNIGHT SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF $500+
TERMS OF SERVICE
PAYPAL PAYMENTS to spidershoppe@icloud.com ONLY!
USA SALES ONLY!
Michael Jacobi (dba Michael Jacobi's SPIDERSHOPPE) sells only quality animals using professional business practices and has over three decades of experience safely shipping animals nationwide year-round. I do not illegally ship via the postal service and charge $40-50 for overnight shipping via approved FedEx shipping through Superior Shipping Supplies.
Please boycott sellers who break the law and ship spiders via USPS!
ORDERS OF $500+ SHIP FREE!
[NOTE: COLD or HOT WEATHER SHIPPING IS HOLD FOR PICKUP AT YOUR FEDEX HUB ONLY] with live arrival guaranteed. Freight fee may be higher due to larger orders. I only ship with LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEED (LAG) and generally only ship when your overnight temperature is above 40F and below 90F.
Any claims of DOA must be substantiated with photographic proof or return of deceased specimen at my discretion and I must be notified immediately (within two hours of delivery). Live arrival guarantee is only valid if you personally accept the package on the first delivery attempt or have it held for pick up at a local facility. I am not responsible for specimens injured during unpacking or for carrier error or packages left outside exposed to the elements. There are no refunds. LAG covers replacement of specimen(s) or credit for future order, and does not include any freight charges. PayPal is the only accepted form of payment, and I only ship to confirmed PayPal addresses.
At the bottom of this blog entry I will post my final list. I hate to advertise here, but I just made my last bump on Arachnoboards and posted my final ad on Fauna Classifieds. I also recently sent the list to my mailing list. I've had a few takers, but mostly have been ignored. So, what's left after this weekend will only be available through local sale. My shipping will cease. If you are patient and willing to wait as long as a safe shipping window takes, you can order off this list with a 15% discount that for being KMBHS readers. How's that?
But it will take patience on both of our parts. I just had one guy ask for a refund on an order for a female Monocentropus balfouri. Turns out he's a kid whose dad put up the money. Pops wants his money back, but was willing to pony up a bit more for my pair of Avicularia sooretama. Instead I sent an immediate refund. I've been in communication with the kid several times about weather and shipping possibilities, but they grew impatient. I'd rather just get their monkey off my back and refund. I have another patient customer waiting on some other female M. balfouri and I'm sure he'd love to take one more!
So, on to HAPPY NEW YEAR! Actually I wished y'all that yesterday, but am glad to be awake in 2016 and able to say it again. My best to you and yours! 2016 is going to be big! I hope you had more fun last night than I did. I had intended to go out and find the equally lonely, but instead did the 51-year old thing and read in bed and fell asleep early. I had one beer in the afternoon. Wheeeeee. Party animal. But at least I was safe and personal safety and responsibility is my mantra.
*** OFF TOPIC AND GUN RELATED ALERT! ***
P.S. Tor those into firearms or 2nd amendment rights who are not yet members you can use this link to Join the NRA. You save 10 bucks and I get credit.
I'M AN NRA RECRUITER
*** BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG IN PROGRESS! ***
FOR SALE
***THE STRAGGLERS – ALL THAT IS LEFT – EVERYTHING REDUCED, EVERYTHING MUST GO BY JANUARY 8! REASONABLE OFFERS ACCEPTED. PACKAGE DEALS CONSIDERED. THIS IS THE END.***
*** $100 MINIMUM ORDER, EXCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING CHARGE
*** PLEASE CONTACT BEFORE SENDING MONEY TO CHECK AVAILABILITY! I ONLY ACCEPT CONTACT BY EMAIL TO SPIDERSHOPPE@ICLOUD.COM.
*** PROMPT PayPal payment is required to reserve and schedule shipping, but availability must be checked before sending money. First paid, first reserved. No unpaid holds!
*** ALL packages are shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight to your nearest FedEx Ship Center (aka "hub") as HOLD FOR PICKUP packages. NO DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE. NO EXCEPTIONS! $35 IL and surrounding midwest, $45 most other states, $55 coastal states. Please boycott sellers who break the law and ship spiders by USPS!
UPDATED JANUARY 1, 2016
UNSEXED TARANTULAS
0.0.6 - Avicularia sooretama - 1.5” - $125 ea. RARE! REDUCED AGAIN!
0.0.2 - Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi (now Phormingochilus carpenteri) - 2.5-3” - $45 ea. (REDUCED)
0.0.10 - Iridopelma hirsutum 'Recife' - 0.5” - BRED HERE - $15 ea., 6/$80
0.0.30 - Poecilotheria subfusca - 2nd instar - BRED HERE - $15 ea. (REDUCED)
SUBADULT PAIR
1.1 - Avicularia sooretama - 2.5-3” - $450 PAIR RARE! REDUCED AGAIN!
FEMALE TARANTULAS
0.1.0 - Avicularia sp. “metallica” 4”+ - $75 ea. (REDUCED)
0.1.0 - Avicularia sp. 4-5” - $30 ea. (REDUCED)
0.1.0 - Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi (now Phormingochilus carpenteri) - 4”+ - $100 ea. (REDUCED)
0.2.0 - Harpactira curvipes - subadults - $65 ea. (REDUCED)
0.4.4 - Idiothele mira - one adult female and one unsexed juvie for $175 each.
MATURE MALE TARANTULAS
2.0.0 - Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica – UM 11/20/15 & UM 12/25/15 – FREE FOR SHIPPING CHARGE + $5 S/H.
SALES TERMS
[*]CONTACT BY EMAIL (spidershoppe@icloud.com) BEFORE SENDING MONEY TO CHECK AVAILABILITY
[*]CONTACT ONLY BY EMAIL!
[*]ABSOLUTELY NO TRADES. TRADE INQUIRIES IGNORED.
[*]FIRST PAID, FIRST RESERVED PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL TO SPIDERSHOPPE@ICLOUD.COM
[*]THE MINIMUM ORDER IS $100 EXCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING CHARGE [*]YOU RECEIVE FREE FEDEX PRIORITY OVERNIGHT SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF $500+
TERMS OF SERVICE
PAYPAL PAYMENTS to spidershoppe@icloud.com ONLY!
USA SALES ONLY!
Michael Jacobi (dba Michael Jacobi's SPIDERSHOPPE) sells only quality animals using professional business practices and has over three decades of experience safely shipping animals nationwide year-round. I do not illegally ship via the postal service and charge $40-50 for overnight shipping via approved FedEx shipping through Superior Shipping Supplies.
Please boycott sellers who break the law and ship spiders via USPS!
ORDERS OF $500+ SHIP FREE!
[NOTE: COLD or HOT WEATHER SHIPPING IS HOLD FOR PICKUP AT YOUR FEDEX HUB ONLY] with live arrival guaranteed. Freight fee may be higher due to larger orders. I only ship with LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEED (LAG) and generally only ship when your overnight temperature is above 40F and below 90F.
Any claims of DOA must be substantiated with photographic proof or return of deceased specimen at my discretion and I must be notified immediately (within two hours of delivery). Live arrival guarantee is only valid if you personally accept the package on the first delivery attempt or have it held for pick up at a local facility. I am not responsible for specimens injured during unpacking or for carrier error or packages left outside exposed to the elements. There are no refunds. LAG covers replacement of specimen(s) or credit for future order, and does not include any freight charges. PayPal is the only accepted form of payment, and I only ship to confirmed PayPal addresses.
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