Exotic Pets

I said in the General Photos thread, that one of my main loves, is Macro Photography. I enjoy geting up close and personal with the lens into wildlife, in attempt to capture details that would be otherwise unseen to the naked eye.

One of my favourite ways to do this, is with my Tarantulas, as there is just sooo much detail that cannot be discerned with the eyes alone.

Knowing how squeemish some people can be for anything to do with spiders, I thought it best to open a new thread for images of our more exotic pets (and wildlife), so as if anyone here does have such an aversion to spiders and insects, that you don’t accidentally stumble upon your worst nightmare with a casual look through the other photos thread.

This one has clear warnings tagged on it – so you know exactly what you’re going to come into visual contact with in here.

If you do not want to see pictures of large hairy spiders (and other insects, reptiles etc.) – then this topic is likely not for you. You have been suitably warned.

Any of your images of Exotic animals, be they your actual pets or not, as long as the images are yours, will be most welcome in this thread.

Many people I’ve met and spoken to about T’s are under the erroneous impression that they are all boring black, brown or greyish colours – but as you shall discover – this could not be further from the truth. It is one of the many things that make tarantulas such beautiful and fascinating creatures to many – the vast array of amazing colour variations and combinations.

I’ll start things off with a few shots of my most beloved “T” (as we call them in the tarantula keeping ‘hobby’).

She is a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, to give her the proper scientific nomenclature (as is preferred in the hobby, to avoid confusion between the many similar sounding ‘common names’).

Her common name is a Greenbottle Blue – or simply a GBB for short.

She comes from the arid coastal desert scrublands of Los Medanos de Coro, in Falcon State, Venezuela. Although like most t’s in the hobby, she is captive bred, and raised by me from a tiny little spiderling, no bigger than my little fingernail (at the time).

She currently has approximately a seven inch diagonal legspan, though these images are a couple of years old, so she’s more like five inches here.

I hope you enjoyed her beauty as much as I do. I have thousands of images captured over the years, and have documented her growth photographically from spiderling to date, so there will be plenty more shots to come, if you’re interested.

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None of these are any pets I’ve had. The most exotic was probably a stick insect when I was 11! Although I was offered an Ocelot kitten whilst on the back of a truck in Nicaragua.

Unless you count the scorpion in my hostel room in Mexico (I removed it with paper and glass :lou_facepalm_2:)

So some of the shots I have from my travels. I love taking photos of birds and animals but they’re prbably not on a site I can copy the link from.

The day I stood by lots of crocodiles and had one about a foot from me. Gambia

Less exciting crab from same trip

This fella used to hang out at one of the hotels I stayed in on Cancun Lagoon in 2007

Saw his cousin at Tulum

Candeleria, Cuba

Back to Gambia and a monitor

More Gambia

Barbados

Ibiza

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The only erotic pet I have is my one eyed trouser snake, which enjoys being stroked, but you;re not gettng any photos of it :slight_smile:

Oh sorry … Exotic … too much stroking is obviously affecting my eyesight :wink:

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Originally posted by @ericofarabia

The only erotic pet I have is my one eyed trouser snake, which enjoys being stroked, but you;re not gettng any photos of it :slight_smile:

You can’t even begin to imagine my disappointment Eric.

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Back to the t’s then.

Something I really enjoy doing, is creating naturalistic enclosures for my animals myself, rather than buying expensive Exo-Terra’s that personally I feel don’t actually look as nice as what I can produce, given sufficient time, and a suitable container for the species that’ll be living in it.

Here’s how the process goes…

Cutting and securing the background:

Coat with Brown Aquarium Safe Sealant, then cover in Eco Earth:

and allow to dry (for what seems like a few years :lou_eyes_to_sky:)

Then add plants, rocks, and other decorations to taste:

Then fill as appropriate with substrate (Eco Earth), and add a cute tarantula to happily dwell within:

Ahh, those colours. A closer look:

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Great work Jack!

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Time for another T.

This cute little guy is a juvenile Poecilotheria Subfusca (Lowland colour-form). He is an Arboreal species (so needs height more than ground-space in captivity), and comes from a humid mountainous woodland area called Matale, near Kandy in Sri Lanka.

These spiders are so blindingly fast, that we refer to their mode of transport when they want to move quickly, as ‘teleporting’. No exaggeration – if he wants to, he is capable of bursts of speed so unbelievably fast, that it is simply too quick for your eyes to register. One minute he’s there – the next – he’s in China. And you didn’t even see him move.

This is one of the primary reasons that this Genus and species are recommended only for very experienced tarantula keepers. The other – is the excruciatingly painful ‘medically significant’ venom they possess. Seriously, if you’re going to ever get bit by a tarantula – there are probably only two or three species you’d want to be bitten by even less than this one. The neurotoxic venom can lay you out for weeks on end with its systemic effects. One bite victim was in and out of a coma for a couple of weeks, but that is the only record of such a severe envenomation. Nevertheless – not a T to be fucked with, or pissed off. I’ve never been bitten by any of my T’s, as I’m meticulously careful, and give all of them the full respect they are due. Treat him well, leave him alone to enjoy the quiet secretive life he craves, and this little dude at least (each spider is different, and some are more defensive than others), has the sweetest and calmest nature of any spider I’ve ever owned.

Here he is on top of his hide, in his old enclosure:

The new(er) enclosure, ready for inhabitation:

And in he goes… (a little older and larger by now)

A closer look…

Amazingly beautiful spiders, and my favourite species from one of my favourite Genuses. The images don’t fully do the colours justice. Under the right light, the chocolate brown colours on the legs are resplendent in a striking purple sheen.

Look – (a lot, and enjoy a fascinating animal) – but don’t touch.

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ew i just stamped on my ipad

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I’m the owner of a rare snake. Small and hairy, gives off a pungent aroma and lives in my pants.

MY COCK! I’m talking about my cock.

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The intelligence of Bears, eh? That’ll learn ya’!

Let me know when you’ve forked out for a replacement, and I’ll post some more. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Eric’s already risen to the occasion and gagged that one mate. Get your own material. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Eric gagged alright. On my hairy snake (my cock)

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Fuck me it’s Shelob! :lou_surprised:

Where the fuck is need the fat little fucker Gamgee with his elfish sword when you him?

Originally posted by @areloa-grandee

Fuck me it’s Shelob! :lou_surprised:

Shelob was an ugly bitch. My T’s are beautiful. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Originally posted by Gay Abandon

Where the fuck is need the fat little fucker Gamgee with his elfish sword when you him?

Looks suspiciously like a euphemism, but not sure. :lou_wink_2:

And it’s El v ish you Middle-Earthen lexiconically uneducated cunt. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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Eight-Legged Freaks

This might be the thread to introduce the Ayatollah to Sotonians

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