Care Sheet: Brachypelma auratum - Mexican Flame Knee

Care Sheet: Brachypelma auratum - Mexican Flame Knee

Before being concerned about specific humidity/temperature gauges, I would highly suggest having a look at this book: http://books.google.com/books?id=rIVAkA3IlHgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
or possibly even purchasing it, as it has tons of information that clear’s up a lot of confusion as to these little creatures. There is a lot of false marketing and false opinions out there and the information represented here is meant as a guideline and not a specific rule that can be applied to all of these types of tarantulas. There are variations even in the same species born in the same egg sac! The goal of the information here is to get an in depth view on the tarantula from an owner/handlers eyes.

Common Name: Mexican Flame Knee

Scientific Name: Brachypelma auratum

Origin: Mexico

Type: New World Terrestrial

Temperature: 20-30 °C (remember this range is a guideline)

Humidity: 50-60% (remember this range is a guideline)

                 

Max Size: approx. 5"-6” (remember this range is a guideline)

Speed: Moderate (remember this is a guideline)

Temperament: Calm can be skittish (remember this is a guideline)

Venom: Mild

Growth Rate: Slow (remember this is a guideline)

Description:

It can take up to 5 years for this species to mature and show the beautiful coloration they are known to have. I must admit compared to my B. vagans and L. parahybana (which both still molt almost monthly at sub-adult size) my B. auratum molts roughly every third month. This species is reputed to be very relaxed when older than sub-adult stage. At the moment mine is just under 3cm and still quite skittish. As you can see in the photos it had just moulted and was quite dark, not yet getting coloration. Midnight is still a bit small to handle and I will upload more pics of her after the next molt occurs and handling begins.

Housing:

B. auratum doesn't move around much, I will notice her in different spots of the tank every now and then, but generally it seems to pick a 'perch' and is more than happy to stay there or return regularly after a short walk.  I have never once seen this species burrow, even as a spiderling. A hide is not a necessity, but is always helpful in reducing any stress the animal ever experiences. The tanks should NOT be more than the tarantulas leg span x 2 (5cm leg span = 10cm max height on the tank) as a fall from this species could cause an injury and death. Also avoid any sharp edged decorations in the tank. Midnight is not as voracious as many of my other T's, most of the time a take will go unnoticed, but this T does have  a steady healthy appetite.

Temperatures should be around 25 °C, with humidity Ok at around 55%. A large water bowl is fine and will be used often. Ensure that the water bowl isn't wider/deeper than 1x your tarantula's leg span.

Feeding:

B. auratum’s eat well. I have fed mine some crickets the same size or larger than the tarantula itself (I definitely do not recommend this or do it as a regular practice, the tarantula could be severely injured if overpowered by its prey) and fortunately there were no issues with this regard. Takes can be anything from a gentle pickup to a charging rushing tackle. I have found that feeding them two crickets twice a week is similar to power feeding, which I will only do until they reach between a quarter and a third of their adult size (this rule can be applied to all T’s) then I will drop down to one cricket twice a week. 

Temperament:

General: If my B. auratum gets a fright, it does bolt to the other side of the enclosure (a 330ml Tupperware container) but then settles down. On opening the container's lid it would get a fright, but then not furthermore upon me dropping in a cricket or water. I will update this section once more after a longer experience and more maturation on the part of the tarantulas growth. 

The urticating bristles these tarantulas flick off are the average in severity and they can leave itching rashes on whichever body parts come into contact with them, which really can hurt sometimes. It is very important to avoid getting them in your airways, or eyes.

Fangs, though rarely threatened, are mechanically dangerous, in that they can be up to half an inch long and would be somewhat comparable to a wasp/bee sting. I have never seen a threat pose or hair flicked from this species.

Before molt: The B. auratum goes pitch black when it starts getting close to molting, you can notice the body of the tarantula underneath the outer exoskeleton as it gets darker and the outer exoskeleton starts becoming transparent. Behavior in this time seems unchanged but it IS a stressful time for them so be cautious and try AT ALL COSTS to avoid handling before a molt. Generally the specimen will go extremely dark brown, will not be shiny and will have a bald patch. Differently to my L. parahybana and B. vagans, the B. auratum I own wills top feeding well in advance of its molt, possibly two weeks to a month before.

After molt: The B. auratum is almost as white as paper and see through like a Perspex sheet for a short while after molting, eventually they become slightly grey and not transparent, then the grey becomes darker and eventually becomes black. Throughout this hardening process the T won’t move much and you MUST NOT move it either. After 3-5 days I put in one small cricket and wait until the B. vagans takes it then I know he is ready to feed again.

Notes:

My B. auratum doesn't move much as yet, but loves a perch up at the top or high on the side of its container.