So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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Tarantulas don't read books about themselves - you may end up with an evil ball of hellfire Chile Rose, or a Baboon spider that would rather spend an afternoon mincing about daintily instead of hissing and attacking everything that moves.
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I totally agree with Lopéz. I have had two or three of the same breed (Chile Rose), and they were different in their demeanour, two out of the three didn’t seem to mid being picked up, but the third, flicked hairs every time you went near it. I ma not sure if it had anything to do with their early conditioning. I think the third was a lot older and wild caught, and so was not used to being held or approached. I have read articles on the subject of conditioning, but most of it is unsubstantiated. An American author of a very good book on Tarantulas (the name escapes me at the moment) believes he has made progress in training a Mexican Red leg to come for food when called. :)

BTW, I have read that Tarantuals will eat fish if they are dropped into them alive.:)
 
Originally posted by Doobdonk

I have another question. The vibrant colours in some species, are these only to be found on the females of the species, or across gender? Also, regarding the lifespan of a tarantula, with the male having a considerably shorter lifespan, would you perhaps recommend the male to a beginner as 30 years is a potential long commitment to something that you've never delved into before?

Are the males smaller than the females when reaching maturity, as is so often seen in the animal/insect world?
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The colours tend to be found in both the males and females - the coloration often differs slightly, but the males are normally equally colourful.

Lifespan - yes, if you weren't totally sure then a male would be a good idea - the problem being that until maturity spiders are very hard to sex....and by that time the poor male probably has only a year left at best. :(

So - best course of action is to buy a spiderlijg, raise it to maturity (anything from 1 to 4 years) and then decide what to do. IF it's a male you can hire him out as a "stud" (no joke) and if it's female you can either keep her, or sell for a tidy sum (£40 or more)

Males tend to be generally scrawnier looking and smaller than females, and often become restless when mature (they spin a "sperm web" and really aren't happy unless being mated out.)
 
Well mine hasn't been half as active as Leon's and she's not eaten yet, but when I got home from work I found she'd dug herself a nice little burrow to hide in.

Managed to get a slightly better pic of her, though my webcam is awful at taking close up pics as it's either WAY to bright or just black. I also forgot to focus it and had a wobbley hand which didn't help.

Upon closer inspection ( yes I had the guts to take the lid off and look at her :p ) she has a furry black abdomen, and a pinky carapace and legs - quite a lot of colouring for a spiderling. She's not as young and tiny as I thought she'd be to be honest, but that is actually a big relief :)

spidey2


I've not named her yet. I haven't even come up with any suggestions! Needs to be something unisex anyway in case she turns out to be a he :D
 
I was getting a bit concerned about Mugabe. He was all huddled up in a corner and partially buried under the substrate.
So I took a chopstick and gently prodded his back legs to see if he was even still alive....

Usambara03


Well I knew I could expect aggression from Baboons, but not in ones so young!
I apologise for the poor picture but I think you can make out the nasty orange blob in the centre of the picture.
Raised up on it's hind legs in classic defense posture, you can see the mouthparts (the pale pinky red area) The fangs are over a millimeter thick each (Doesnt sound big? Imagine it being stuck into your hand twice) and around half a centimeter long each. The spider is only3cm long so that should give you an idea of their size relative to the animal.

Put it this way, if this thing bit me it would really hurt.
 
Stop prodding it with the chopstick then;)

This has been a most intriguing thread, make sure you keep me updated on the advantures of Spider:D

And if Miggy goes anywhere near my fish....I wont be responsible for my actions:mad: :D
 
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Glad to see people are still reading and enjoying this thread. :)

Since I started it, my collection has trebled in size and Kate has acquired her first tarantula.

Funny thing is, the person who actually asked for this thread was Phoolf....and she hasn't replied to it yet. :D
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
These Baboons don't even flinch unless I bang the perspex divide.
Knocking the glass and playing *loud* music has never had any ill effects on any of my own pets. :)
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Might consider getting one then... i dont have room to keep a snake anymore but i might be able to fit a spider in :)
 
Just reading and looking at all these spiders makes my feet feel like there's something crawling on them under the desk :p
 
Originally posted by Kendo
Brilliant thread Lopez, fascinating stuff. Before reading this I knew absolutely nothing about Tarantulas, now I still know almost nothing, but want to know more :) Never knew they could be so beautiful, that Indian Ornamental looks amazing. Are they quite rare?


Just out of interest, how many people are now considering buying a Tarantula from reading this thread? I'm definitely thinking about it.
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No, bit I wouldnt mind something like a Mantis?

Has anyone seen a Zebra spider in their home before? Tiny striped things that can jump pretty far, a bigger version of one of them would be cool!
 
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Originally posted by Lopéz
I'd honestly not advise you to go for a Cobalt Blue (H. lividium) for your second spider.

Firstly, they are highly aggressive and will bite if you attempt to put your hand in the tank.

Secondly they are antisocial little burrowers, and will often dig a hole and not come out of it for weeks on end. Many owners rarely see their Cobalt Blues.

If you were going to divide the tank, make sure there are NO gaps and the lid fits tightly, or the Cobalt will work under the gap and kill the Chile Rose within a day. That goes for almost any tarantula.

The price is about right - pet shops sell Cobalt Blues here for about £70, mail order places tend to be more like £40 or £50. Spiderlings are obviously much much cheaper.

Ask the pet shop to demonstrate the aggressive qualities of the Cobalt Blue. This will give you some idea of just how evil this species can be.

If you decide you do want the spider, bear in mind it will need peat as a bedding instead of what you use for the Chile - this species needs to dig a burrow or they will die. So make sure the heat mat (you'll need one, they like it hotter than a Chile Rose) is on the back of the tank not underneath it.
Humidity should also be higher - mist the tank daily and make sure the spider has a water dish.
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thanks for the info m8 sorry I didnt respond earlier ..I think Im ready for an aggressive species and besides you cant get many different ones over here so finding a cobalt blue is a long shot ...I ll check with the petshop again to see if they sold it and if not Ill give it another thought and we ll see... just a small note about my tank's lid ...you dont have to remove it completely as it has small seperate "doors" that you can use to drop food inside or make small "redecorations" and since the lid is basically a plastic mesh the spider cannot walk on it upside down to reach these "doors" ...Ill have to check on that though...
 
Never underestimate what your spider can walk on.

My Baboons both walk upside down on wet glass, like Ninjas.

If you're going for the Cobalt, read plenty of caresheets and be aware when feeding or you may end up with an unwelcome escapee.
At the end of the day it's up to you to decide if you are ready for an aggressive species. :)

Liverpool-Lad, you can buy Mantids from various pet shops but I don't know anything about their husbandry, lifespan, etc.
 
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