So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

Lopéz · 19 Jul 2004 at 21:04

Originally posted by TramP
Those links dont work, got any new ones?

Some are old/deleted/out of date now.

Why do I keep spiders? No idea, always found them interesting basically - plus they don't need huge levels of maintenence, don't smell, wee on the carpet, or cost thousands of pounds.

At work I am known as "Spiderman" and get pumped daily for information. It's quite amusing

Lopéz · 19 Jul 2004 at 21:34

Originally posted by EchO_NicK
If I ever did get one, how much would a ...for want of a better word...Beginners spider cost? Lol, including paying for food and tank etc. and would it be allright if I didn't handle it much if at all? Lol ta

Ideal beginners spider: Brachypelma vagans (£20 for a subadult female)
Tank: £15 (medium Petpal)
Heat mat: (£10)
Bag of peat from the garden centre: (£4)
Crickets: (£2.50, tub should last a month at a push)

Lopéz · 27 Aug 2004 at 07:42

Asian Mustard would most likely be a Chilobrachys huahini/andersoni and I'd agree that they can be huge stocky and very defensive beasts. I've got a few spiderlings and large juveniles - hopefully a male and female for breeding

Micky_Love

In my opinion the hardiest, cheapest and easiest of spiders to keep is Pterinochilus murinus, the "Usambara" Baboon.

However (and it's a pretty big "however") this is one of the fastest moving and most defensive of tarantulas. That said, they tend to remain in their silk burrow and would prefer to hide if disturbed. Still, the defensive aspect forces me to say that in no way would I recommend this spider for the novice.......although I bought one as my second tarantula

If you want the docile end of the market, and are more interested in behaviour than handling and so on, a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens might be a good idea. These will live either terrestrially (on the ground) or semi-arboreally (halfway up a tree) depending on the set up you provide them with. They grow fast, are very pretty, produce huge amounts of silk and get quite large. They are a little nervous but as a non-handler this won't really matter.

Lopéz · 27 Aug 2004 at 13:18

Originally posted by DirtyMinx
I'd love to see some updated pics of Pepper, Rio, Mugabe and the other grumpy so n so if you guys have the time at some stage. It would be nice to catch up with some of your "originals" and see how big they have got now.

Pepper moulted last week

I will get some pics later today if I get the chance.

Lopéz · 27 Aug 2004 at 13:54

Originally posted by Barbie
10 minutes in freezer then?

That will kill them

5 minutes in the fridge works for me, I left them in there for 20 once and half were stone dead

Lopéz · 5 Sep 2004 at 18:43

Originally posted by DirtyMinx
I'd love to see some updated pics of Pepper, Rio, Mugabe and the other grumpy so n so if you guys have the time at some stage. It would be nice to catch up with some of your "originals" and see how big they have got now.

Let's start with Mugabe shall we?

When I got her last spring she was a 1.5" juvenile:

Now she's grown into a bright orange adult female.

Lopéz · 5 Sep 2004 at 19:12

Pele's life has come full circle.

Started off as a spiderling from a wild caught eggsac

After growing up very quickly, he became a mature male in May this year

So I sent him to Ray Gabriel for a breeding attempt just after he mature.

A couple of weeks ago - bingo!

A total of 61 baby Pele's - half of which are now mine.

And Pele himself is still alive and kicking ready to mate again.

Lopéz · 5 Sep 2004 at 20:42

Avicularia aren't very big generally - Pele is exactly this large:

The babies will look like that for about 5 months, then slowly the legs will go bottle green and then the "feet" turn pink - basically, the colours reverse. They eventually lose the striped abdomen (bum) which fades into two red streaks as shown on the mother with babies above.

Licensed Devil:

Hehe, no we gave some away and I kept a 5 back to grow on myself for future breeding. When they get big enough to sex I will keep a single female for future breeding and sell any others.

So at the moment I have 21 surplus to sell. I'll flog them at the next entemological show in October, probably 3 for a fiver.

I could ask for more but I'm not really interested in making huge amounts of dosh from breeding, I do it to help keep the hobby going.

Lopéz · 5 Sep 2004 at 21:18

Originally posted by agw_01
Agreed.

What breed is Pele, and is he/she poisonous? I take it the answer will be no, especially if you're holding it.

Pele is an Avicularia avicularia - the first tarantula ever to be described scientifically.
All spiders are venomous but very few are dangerous to humans. Avicularia are normally pretty docile, and a bite is rare. IPeople who've been bitten by these generally report symptomns not even as bad as a wasp sting - a bit of throbbing and ache in the area and that's about it.

The colours are fantastic. I've never seen a spider/arachnid (sorry, unsure of proper term for that breed) with red feet.

Click to expand...

Spider is fine - they just aren't "true" spiders like the ones we get in this country.

Avicularia is a huge genus spread across South America, lots of different species and lots of possible natural hybrids/colour variants. Generally they are dark with pink toes, but of course there's lots of variation from species to species.

Lopéz · 6 Sep 2004 at 01:06

Originally posted by St0n3y
I got mine 3 for £5, although prices do fluctuate. Depends where you get them from, normally I would say about £4 each for that size (trade)

I'd say that was about right. £4-£5 "trade" ie at shows or from breeders, £8-£10 in a pet shop. Sometimes you get people selling 'em cheap though, like me and Ray are doing with these ones.

Lopéz · 3 Oct 2004 at 13:18

Haven't posted any pictures for a while, so I grabbed my camera whilst at Ray Gabriels house and snapped a few of his spiders.

First up, Avicularia purpurea:

Next, Tapinaucheneus purpureus

Lopéz · 3 Oct 2004 at 13:19

Sub-adult male Poecilotheria metallica.
No- I haven't photoshopped it to look brighter, and yes two of the legs are regenerating ones.

Lopéz · 11 Nov 2004 at 21:08

She should be done this evening.

Don't touch her or disturb her too much for a week or so, and don't offer food either.

Lopéz · 11 Nov 2004 at 21:47

Originally posted by Barbie
If she started at 8pm, then she'll be done in the morning. I'll mist the tank again before bed, i dont want to risk her getting stuck.

Thanks for the post lopéz

1 hour in and she's still lying with her legs out flat on the soil.. shouldn't they be in the air?

The bit before the moulting (laying out on their backs and flexing a bit) is the most time consuming part - it can take hours. Once they actually split the skin and start to wiggle out it should only take half an hour or so to get out. When she's done she'll lay on her back again to recover before rolling upright.

Lopéz · 19 Dec 2004 at 20:58

Holy crap, can't believe it's that long ago I posted here!

Have some Haplopelma pictures :

H.albostriatum

H.minax

H.lividum

H.sp."longipedum"

H.sp."Vietnam"

Lopéz · 16 Jan 2005 at 10:54

Originally posted by hsp70
ok i'm digging this thread up again because i finally got a digital camera also my p.vespertinus molted today into a ....male !

does anyone know someone (lopez?) who has a female? i've made a post on the bts website so hopefully something will turn up

Pamph males are stunning!

I think Andy Matthews might want it. he's the Pampho man in the UK.

I'll ask him for you today.

EDIT
Done

Lopéz · 16 Jan 2005 at 13:55

Best place for live foods is www.livefoods.co.uk - much more generous quantities than Global and better quality too. If your buying in bulk then Monkfield Nutrition are apparently very good, always at the shows etc.

With regards to the spider not eating, I wouldn't be concerned - my G.rosea went 10 months without food! They can be stubborn beasts, as long as it isn't thin and emaciated it will be fine.