# Mexican Red-Knee



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

Im thinking of getting one of these beautiful Ts. and was wondering if these guys eat more then my chilean rose hair has. its been a year now and he(or so i think) has eaten 3 times. And i was curious about that types of decor the fellow T keepers use for their family members(the Ts)


----------



## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Your G. Rosea has only eaten 3 times in a year? He/she should be eating much more often than that. 
My adult red-knee (Brachypelma Smithi) will eat about 2-3 crickets per week to every other week. She will eat as often as I offer but I try not to overfeed. Remove uneaten live food after an hour has gone by. 
Your Rose hair, and the Mexicaan Red-Knee are from two different regions. Although rosies will tolerate a wide variety of conditions, they prefer things different than the MRK. 
Rosies prefer a slightly more moist, rain forest type environment. The MRK prefers it's tank more dry. I keep mine on a bedding of bone dry spaghnum moss...good for their tootsies! 
MRK's will tolerate a wide temperature range but, they prefer being kept warmer than the rosie. 70-85 degrees will do. 
As far as temperament and handleability, MRK's are very docile except for their tendancy to kick urticating hairs! This is their main drawback. I don't handle mine because of that. Some can be acclimated to handling and don't kick. Mine won't, she's a kicker!


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

thanks for the info. i have uped the temp. so i guess his metabolism when up he is eating more regulary now. and i dont know if i can ask this but im looking for a reputable arachnid dealer i can get an MRK from because i can not find them in my area


----------



## LRM (Mar 15, 2007)

Serrapygo said:


> Rosies prefer a slightly more moist, rain forest type environment. The MRK prefers it's tank more dry. I keep mine on a bedding of bone dry spaghnum moss...good for their tootsies!


_Grammastola rosea_ is not, I repeat not a rainforest species. It should be kept with low humidity with a water dish and even the water dish is not necessary more than monthly. The area of Chile where this species comes from is not rainforest and keeping it as a rainforest species is not a good idea. I say this having 5 years of experience keeping and breeding tarantulas and being an avid tarantula enthusiast. If you need links for this I can give a direct one to the leading forum on theraphosid husbandry online with a thread directly related to rosie care. 
Okay, enough of that, I just cannot let misinformation like that slide. So your question is about _Brachypelma smithi_. There is a load of information on this species online as it is a very commonly kept spider. They can be little pigs that is for certain. About 4-5 inches of cocoa fiber bedding seems to work fairly well for them as adults. Provided that they have a hide, that is, something to burrow under, the spider should be fairly happy. Decorations are up to you, the spider won't care as long as its basic needs are tended to.
Back to the Rosies, they are notorious for being oddballs. Oftentimes they will hole themselves up for months at a time, never coming out for a drink or for food. Other times they will be completely ravenous. All you can do is make sure their basic needs are tended to (temp, hide, suitable substrate, etc) and let them do their thing.
There are lots of reputable dealers out there, both private and commercial. Check out www.swiftinverts.com or www.botarby8s.com or www.krazy8sinvertebrates.com just for starters. But I'd also check the for sale/trade section at www.arachnoboards.com for better deals.


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

wow thank you very much.


----------



## LRM (Mar 15, 2007)

Anytime. By the way, what kind of ultimate male is that in your avatar, rosie?


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

yes that is my rosie. Scott P Tetterman ( the kid who ate his parents on southpark) that is him on top of his cage climbing the screen lid. what do u mean ultimate male?


----------



## LRM (Mar 15, 2007)

LoveSalesman said:


> yes that is my rosie. Scott P Tetterman ( the kid who ate his parents on southpark) that is him on top of his cage climbing the screen lid. what do u mean ultimate male?


Ultimate male is the term used to describe a male tarantula who is on the last leg of his life cycle. You'll notice his pedipalps have changed into stubby boxing glove things and that his front two legs have developed tibial spurs. You may have even seen some sperm webs (triangular web structures used to load the pedipalps with sperm) and if he is indeed an ultimate male I bet he wanders around a lot more. The purpose of an ultimate male is to go seek out females, breed as much as he can and die. Very rarely do they make it through their next molt and any that do die soon after. I shipped mine off to a friend who had a female ready to go and got about 130 slings out of the deal after a successful hatch out.

Here is what mine looked like when he molted into an ultimate male









And here is one of the resulting offspring


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

yea he is fairly active and at night he is wandering around. I knew i wouldnt have him too much longer after his molt but hes still my buddy. I wish i knew of someone with a female so he could at least once get to do what he was intended to do.


----------



## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Yeah...I agree. Wich is why I siad "slightly". 
But, I disagree on the water dish issue. I think water should be readily available at all times.


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

i do have a water dish and always have had since i got him so he is chill water and food whenevr he wants


----------



## LRM (Mar 15, 2007)

The only problem that having water constantly is that it raises the relative humidity in the cage. In a cage with little ventilation this can mean a spike in humidity that can be deleterious to the health of arid species. It raises the potential for mycosis as well as increasing the likelihood of the cage becoming a breeding site for parasitic mites. I've also had spiders who routinely "bulldozed" their water dishes causing the substrate to become too wet. Really though you just need to pay close attention and make adjustments as you need to. Every spider is a bit different from the next.


----------



## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

LRM said:


> The only problem that having water constantly is that it raises the relative humidity in the cage. In a cage with little ventilation this can mean a spike in humidity that can be deleterious to the health of arid species. It raises the potential for mycosis as well as increasing the likelihood of the cage becoming a breeding site for parasitic mites. I've also had spiders who routinely "bulldozed" their water dishes causing the substrate to become too wet. Really though you just need to pay close attention and make adjustments as you need to. Every spider is a bit different from the next.


In the case of G. Rosea, any humidity elavation won't matter much as long as their is plenty of ventilation...and their should be with this species. A small water dish at all times will be insignificant in a well ventilated cage. They should be able to drink when they want to. G. Rosea isn't exactly an "arid" species. 
"Bulldozing" their water bowls is something, as a keeper, you need to keep an eye on. It's your duty. In the case of Rosea, I don't see it as being a major problem. In the case of Smithi, it might be, so I watch for that. Smithi's must be kept very dry. However, I give mine a squirt from the atomizer bottle once a month. She's thriving right now, so I won't be changing anything I currently do.


----------



## hitler (Jun 4, 2006)

what is the life span on those bad boys? I have always wanted a pet like that.. My wife would kill me and probaly the spider to... Nice picts tho!!!


----------



## skool_uo (Jul 28, 2006)

males dont live much longer after their final molt so a make might have 2 to 3 years i believe and females well they r very long lived so 20 years i have heard in some species


----------

