Recent content by Golden State Vivs

Pros and cons depend on your style of husbandry really. New world tarantulas tend to be friendlier to handling, if that's your thing.  Urticating hairs are a nuisance but weak venom is a plus. Old world species can have nasty venom, not deadly, but some are medically significant.  The ability...

My base substrate blend for most all of my animalsis is coco fiber, coco husk, play sand and peat. for isopods I add dried crushed live oak leaf litter, live oak twigs and organic garden soil (which is just composted shredded wood).  I thoroughly dampened the substrate to start and mist once a...

Im in the Inland Empire, in Lake Elsinore.  I'd love to meet other keepers and possibly trade!

Would like someone local in So Cal, but will take shipping as well.  Looking for 1 ooth or a handful of nymphs. Grazie!

Or having to explain an ooth stain to a significant other or guests...

Wow, was she ever gravid! Great looking mantid btw (the second pic that is).

Phyllocrania paradoxa, hands down. I am fascinated by the variation of patterns and colors (everything from green to brown, grey, yellow, and black). The body shape and patterning is also amazing. Stunning mantids.

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be reduced to vivarium safe levels by rinsing very well, and rinsing the soil from the roots and re-potting in organic soil. I use live plants in all of my frog, T, mantid, and other invert vivs. I am a bit anal about my vivs, and so develop them as...

I like sphagnum moss. I seed the sphagnum with springtails and dwarf white isopods, for fungus and frass removal and an added food source. If the cup gets dirty, I pull the clump of moss and rinse the cup with hot water, drop the moss back in, and viola, a clean cup.

LOL hibiscus, don't feel stupid. Those aren't even sinder151's original words, that was ripped from the US National Library of Medicine...literally, copy + pasted. You should probably cite your reference material sinder. Also, mantids don't "catch honeybees for the honey." Honeybees gather...

I have a lonely adult female that needs an adult male! Primarily interested in So Cal local first, as shipping temps are a bit high here. PM me with details and pricing. Thanks! -Justin

Congrats!

Isopods are high in calcium, and make an excellent feeder.

I've been working on On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Also just started Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places, a Christmas gift and fantastic read btw.

We really need a full village of participants, we had several no-shows this time.