Savage Species Weekly #2
It's tarantula time!
Welcome to issue 2 of Savage Species Weekly!
Species Highlight: Hapolopus sp. Columbia
Common Name: Pumpkin Patch Tarantula
Pictorial Illustration:
A Little Bit About This Species…
The Hapolopus tarantulas are dwarfs, meaning they don’t get quite as large as other species. But the term “dwarf tarantula” is disappointingly subjective, since some designated dwarf species can reach a 4” diagonal leg span or more - that’s not exactly small for a spider, but OK.
My Pumpkin Patch is the Groot type, meaning he will reach a decent ~3”+ when fully grown. The other type is Klein, and they are legitimately tiny, reaching maybe 2.5” in adulthood.
I feel sorry for my dude. He was on sale for 50% off at a local pet shop because he matured out as a male. For the non-tarantula-nerds, when a male tarantula reaches sexual maturity, he pretty much just wants to make some babies then die. That’s why the shop wanted to get rid of him - he’s not going to live a long life and probably won’t eat many more meals.
I’ve been searching high and low for a mature female Hapolopus babe so Scamper can finally have a family, but no luck so far. If anyone has a lead, kindly send it my way!
Helpful Tarantula Resources
Tom's Big Spiders - This guy is legit. He’s been in the hobby for years and generously shares as much care information as he can. He also has a fantastic podcast.
YouTube - The Tarantula Collective is almost unbelievably cinematic, informative, and hilarious. Just go watch a video and you’ll see what I mean.
Jamie's Tarantulas - This tarantula vendor is near and dear to my heart. My very first T, a Green Bottle Blue, came from these guys. They worked with me on a shipping date because I had to leave town for an emergency the day they were supposed to mail the little spiderling out - anyway, their selection, prices, and customer service are top-notch.
THE END
Thank you for reading! Why don’t you hit “reply” and ask me a question about tarantulas?