Hi everyone...

I thought it was about time that we had another update, and as Binky was looking so photogenic this morning, as she furiously attacked the tweezers that were trying to change her water bowl, I was spurred into action...

And binky is indeed the star of today's photos... in 'Binky says hi', we are treated to a rare view of her underside (sorry about the not great photo) - this was where she ended up after realising that neither the water, the water bowl, or the tongs were fighting back, and therefore there was no need to get cross.

Immediately afterwards, she draped herself all over the waterbowl, and drank for about half an hour...

Unlike Fluffy, who isn't drinking, or really doing anything. Still a very small, inexperienced, and unconfident baby spider at 1cm across, she is embarking on the steep learning curve of life. It took her 30 attempts to get hold of the tiny pinhead cricket that went for a dinner date with her yesterday, and then she only ate half of it. She seems to do everything very slowly and deliberately, and is the total opposite of Binky, who does everything immediately and furiously.

Also attached for your viewing pleasure is a 'crickets-eye view' of Binky after her drinking escapades. The webbing she is sitting on is the feeding mat she popped down yesterday, but hasn't got round to rolling up yet.

The silk has been laid down in a fine mat over pretty much the whole floor of the tank, and then trip wires have been connected to other mats on different areas of the tank like her burrow, and the cork bark, so that she can detect any movement in the cage from wherever she happens to be. All very endearing and clever. It is interesting to note that the webbing isn't sticky - its main purpose does seem to be to relay vibration, but I notice that also it prevents burrowing insects doing just that to escape (not looking good for the Giant Madagascan burrowing cockroach that is to be her Sunday lunch - assuming it eats its damn carrots first !), traps water, and also provides the spider with a chemical map of the tank, which she uses to navigate around it as opposed to using her eyes, as we might think. It also tangles up crickets legs, and makes it very difficult for them to to heroic leaps of escape - its hard sometimes not to feel sorry for them as they try anyway...

Meanwhile, Ginny has stopped the monthly escape missions (which at one point involved her overturning her water dish, pushing it 12 cm across the other side of the tank, and then using it as a footstool to give her access to hitherto untested bits of lid), and has been sitting proudly at the entrance of her burrow, eating well, and looking happy.

Zebs also has been in perfect 'display spider' mode, and hardly ever feels the need to go in her burrow, preferring to stay basking on the cork bark...

I shall next update you when Fluffy, our newest addition decides its time to moult...

Until then, from me and the girls, farewell...

J, G, B, Z & F