Kingsnake.com
Charles "Botar" Black
Inverts
February 25, 2007

PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us at kingsnake.com, I'm very pleased to welcome Charles "Botar" to our Ninth Annual Chat Week. Born and raised in Springfield, MO. Attended the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. He has kept a wide variety of animals and invertebrates since childhood. He Began selling captive bred invertebrates in 2001 and has amassed one of the largest collections in the US producing thousands of captive bred spiderlings per year.

PHFaust: Thank you so much for joining us, Botar, and welcome!

loconorc: Botar, when will you have Antilles pinktoes available and is there any specific care information I should know about them?

Botar: Pink toes in general will pretty much all be kept the same. Just be careful, if you haven't raised them before, with small spiderlings as they can be fragile around .5 to 1 inch in size.

loconorc: And do you only sell spiderlings?

loconorc: Im afraid ill hurt them that small.

Botar: The thing to watch with Avics is good air ventilation and a small enclosure.

loconorc: Are any available right now? I'm planning on getting one from you soon.

Botar: I sell primarily spiderlings. Last year I had them up until about 2" prior to selling out. Yes... I've got them at 1.25" right now.

loconorc: OK! I just gotta convince Mom to allow them and I'm all set lol

Botar: I can't help you there.

Rouen: Do you know how long it takes for drone flies to reproduce?

loconorc: lol

Botar: Sorry, I'm not up on flies at all.

Rouen: okay thanks

pac-man: I had a tarantula (me and things that bite don't really get along lol) and I only kept it for a short while,but every time I fed it,it would flick the hairs off its abdomen at the crickets...why would it do this? It made no sense to me why it would be scared of its own food.

Botar: It most likely (although I can't read their minds) felt you shaking the cage about and then felt something in the cage. It was most likely still threatened by what it thought was something much larger and would kick hairs until it figured out the cricket was in fact, a cricket. My guess anyway.

PAC-man: oh OK lol thank you

Botar: No troubles. They do some strange things that are hard to figure out from time to time.

PHSlick: How long can a tarantula go without food, and what is the best method for finding one that has gotten out? She has been missing for several months now, was just wondering if there would be a chance that she would still be alive somewhere, she was a pink toe. I really miss her.

Botar: They can go for quite some time without food, but not long without water. Being a pink toe, I would look up under things and towards the ceiling. If it establishes a "home" the webbing should give it away.

PHSlick: Thank you, already tried, but who know, maybe I will find her when I move LOL

Botar: Start where it escaped and work your way out. They generally won't go far, but depending upon how long she's been gone, there is no telling.

PHSlick: OK, thank you.

gunny03: Botar, do you ever get in Brazilian wandering spiders? and how potent is the venom from the Egyptian Death Stalker?

Botar: I'm not certain on the venom toxicity, but I've never had them. Generally anything from Brazil would have to be captive bred.

Botar: I've had the Costa Rican's, but not the Brazilians.

gunny03: How much do the Costa Ricans go for?

Botar: Depends on the cost from the breeder/importer. The last couple of times I've had them they've gone for around $30.

gunny03: Thanks. that's all

Draco_: Are mantids that are not native to the USA illegal to keep? If not what is your reason you don't sell them?

Botar: Yes. They always have been, but it was a regulation that was largely ignored. A couple of years ago the Ag Dept started enforcing the ban. Funny thing about it is the reg that lists mantids also lists millipedes, but they are still being ignored.

Botar: I'm not certain as to the reasoning behind it... don't confuse law with logic.

PHWyvern: How difficult is it to breed Brachypelma emilia? is it ideal to put the male in the female's cage or vice versa?

Botar: There are many of species that seem to be easy to breed, but hard to obtain sacs/babies. B. emilia is one of them. I prefer to introduce the male to the females cage. With the Brachy's it may be beneficial to induce a cooling period after breeding for a couple of months and then a wet period after bringing the temps back up to simulate a spring period.

Botar: That should induce sac making behavior.

PHWyvern: how much would you drop the temperature?

Botar: I personally drop them into the low 60's. I have a friend that keeps them in his garage. In the summer it gets really hot and in the winter really cool (50's) and he produces Brachypelma like crazy, but has problems with other species.

PHWyvern: cool thanks

RiseAbove: What is the best tarantula as a pet in terms of handling? The kind that is least likely to flick hairs and can tolerate handling maybe twice a week, one that could be used for educational purposes that arachnophobic people could handle. From what I have read, Chilean rose hair seems to be the best, but I'd rather your opinion than a random internet site. Thanks.

Botar: I don't really like the rose for that purpose as they can be psycho at times... apparently they don't read the caresheets. I prefer the curly hair (B. albopilosum) as they seem to be consistently docile, but that is just a matter of my opinion. A pink toe might be a good choice as well. Being arboreal it would be less likely to fall to the floor and splat in front of your audience.

RiseAbove: thanks

PHFaust: Inferno

inferno_nr: how come praying mantises aren't that popular? Are they hard to raise?

Botar: I wouldn't say they are unpopular, but the short lifespan may be a turnoff for many keepers. In order to keep them constantly as a pet, you've pretty much got to breed them.

inferno_nr: What's there average life span

Botar: I'm not a keeper of mantids, but I believe you are looking at an annual turnaround for most species, so generally speaking, 1 year.

jeffb: The USDA also is a big limiter on mantids

sarah_nr: I have a millipede is holding him okay I've always had no problems holding him but I do not want to stress him out they are very nice and feel pretty cool when you handle them is there any other types beside the black milipedes I believe they are west African I'm not totally sure.

Botar: The African's seem to be most readily available, but there are many species in the hobby, including some black/yellow banded ones from the desert southwest that are pretty neat to keep. Holding them is fine... just be sure to wash your hands afterwards as they can secrete an acidic substance as a defense.

sarah_nr: yeah the yellow stuff stains your hands. Thank You

Botar: Don't be overly concerned if you see mites on them as they are typically symbiotic with the pede and keep them clean.

loconorc: How exactly do you ship spiders? Is it anything like shipping herps and does it cost as much?

Botar: It shouldn't cost as much simply due to the weight involved. I would imagine it is somewhat similar to shipping herps, although I've never shipped herps.

loconorc: Do you ship UPS or Delta? If not who do you use?

Botar: I put them into vials lined with paper toweling for padding. The vials are then place in an insulated box with a heatpack (depending upon weather) and packed with styrofoam peanuts. I ship via Fed Ex overnight.

loconorc: How much does shipping cost if I buy from you?

Botar: I'm "certified" with Fed Ex... for whatever that is worth.

Slacker6848: With A. Versicolors I hear if you buy a spiderling chances are majority are males, is this true and if so what is the percentage of males to females in a clutch? also how long does it take for a male to become mature enough to breed? thanks

Botar: It would depend upon your location, but generally runs between $25 and $35... more to the coastal states as they are the furthest. It would also depend upon how far away you are from a major city.

Botar: Males will mature in a couple of years depending upon how much you feed them. As for percentages, I've never kept an entire clutch to determine the ratio, but from the numbers I set aside, it seems like 50/50 to me.

TSUSnakeGuy: My friend has a rose hair that hasn't eaten in about 8-9 months maybe more. Every time a cricket comes by it lifts its leg and lets it go by. Just wondering how often does this type of thing occur and is it common? Also is there any reason to worry?

Slacker6848: OK thanks

Botar: No reason to worry as long as it is not losing weight. Rose hairs can drive you nuts like that. Just continue to offer a cricket every week or two and remove it if it doesn't eat it over night.

PHWyvern: If by some chance I succeed in getting my B. emilia to breed later this year, is it best to leave the egg sac with the female for a few days to let the eggs mix and then put them in an incubator or remove the sac as soon as possible? My female is a bit on the nervous side and I am afraid she might eat the sac.

Botar: That is a judgment call. Most people who pull sacs will do so at 30 days. If you think she's a bit nervous, pull it sooner. The general consensus is it should be left for at least a week to give her time to fully fertilize the sac, but I'm not sure if that is backed by any research or not.

43689_nr: What would you recommend as a cage size for an adult bird eater and would it stress them to start out a baby with this size enclosure?

Botar: I keep my females in sterlite blanket boxes. With a big birdeater, I wouldn't go smaller than 2x the legspan in width and 3x in length. A small spiderling in a large container is pretty much certain death.

43689_nr: is this because of stress

Botar: IMO, it is due to the fact that they cannot find food/water. A small spiderling is on the menu and will not traverse open areas in search of food/water. If you keep it in a 4" deli, it will have immediate access.

43689_nr: oh I see thank you very much for your time

loconorc: Whats the deal with the horned baboons? why do they have that and what is it made of?

Botar: LOL... I'm not sure. There are many theories, but I don't think anyone has it figured out yet. As for what it is made of, it is just a part of the exoskeleton.

loconorc: do they use it for sparring or anything? fighting?

Botar: Some think it will be larger if fed more... so the horn could be somewhat like a camel's hump.

Botar: No... not that I've seen.

Draco_: do you know what the rules are on shipping black widows and other deadly inverts?

Botar: Pretty much "don't" from what I understand. I would assume you'd have to go through the same process as venomous snakes and I believe that is AirCargo only... Delta Dash I think. Shipping via a private carrier might be against their policies, but shipping via USPS would be against the law.

loconorc: What is the most popular tarantula as far as how many are bought from you?

Botar: A. versicolor and B. smithi.

loconorc: Are the red knees are really that popular anymore? I thought they kinda fell back.

Botar: Yes... still a big seller.

loconorc: I haven't seen one in ages

medicineman: what would you suggest as the best action immediately upon envenomation by a highly toxic species?

Botar: Highly toxic as in Poecilotheria or as in L. quinquestriatus. If you are talking about a tarantula, strap on and enjoy the ride... it's going to hurt. If you are talking about a deadly scorpion, get to the ER.

PHAlex: how did you come up with the name botar?

Botar: LOL... college nickname. From southern MO and went to New England for college. They thought we were all banjo playing rednecks, so "Botar" was the most backwards thing they could come up with.

Botar: Androctonus... ER.

PHFaust: Loco

Botar: And now if you've been stung.

PHAlex: LOL thanks

loconorc: Whats the most venomous tarantula? I heard its the ornamental, just don't know what kind

Botar: Most likely you've heard the H. maculata. There are none that are considered medically significant, but the degree of pain can vary drastically from species to species. Since the tarantulas actually control how much they pump into you, bite reports will vary widely.

loconorc: which is maculata?

Botar: Ornamental baboon... Heteroscodra maculata.

PHFaust: My turn and then we will finish up with Wyvern... A few years ago I had the pleasure of having a scorpion that was later identified as a death stalker. I was told how lucky I was that I was not tagged. This animal came from a raid, and in my rescue work, well inverts tend to rarely come my way. How serious was the gentleman that told me that? Would that have been an ER species?

Botar: Very much so... the is the L. quinquestriatus I was speaking of. In regards to the LD50 table, they are the most toxic..

medicineman: stromatopelma calceatum...also highly venomous or just bad word of mouth info.

Botar: Highly venomous as in most likely very painful... not considered medically significant to the best of my knowledge.

medicineman: similar to poecilotheria and such?

Botar: Med- yes.

BrandonReise: botar my h. maculata just molted last night and is now about 2 1/2 inches how long until I can expect for the white to start coming through

Botar: Brandon... I would expect to see the white with the next molt. The females will show more white, but I believe they'll look the same until the males mature.

PHWyvern: Back to pinktoes. They seem popular. I have 4 spiderlings of A. geroldi right now that I hope are not all the same sex (still too small to sex). If the odds work in my favor and I get the proper ratio and a successful breeding/babies how does one determine a fair market price on the offspring? I haven't seen the geroldi much for sale so do not know how common/rare they are.

Botar: The best way would be to check the dealer's listings to see what they have them for, if they have them. If not, name your price and see if they go. With A. geroldi, I'd start them at $25 to $30 retail and go up with size.

PHWyvern: thanks

Botar: That is a good price that isn't taking advantage of the customers.

PHFaust: On behalf of kingsnake.com, Jeff B and myself, We would like to thank Botar for stopping by tonight to chat Inverts! Thanks Botar!

PHFaust: Botar, can you shoot out your website address for everyone who may be interested?

Botar: LOL... thanks guys. You made losing my chat virginity an easy experience.

Botar: www.botarby8s.com and www.arachnodermy.com

jeffb: Thank you very much for coming.