So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

Lopéz · 4 Mar 2003 at 19:40

How's Terry?

You can sex a spider by examining the shed skin - but it's very difficult until you've had some practice, especially with small spiderlings. Terry is probably too young to attempt sexing properly.

Mugabe has recovered completely from the moult, and is getting back to the build he's meant to be. He grew substantially during the moult - much bigger than Idi now.

Still got those bright iridescant blue-green feet, much brighter now after the moult.

I can't wait until Idi moults - he should be a fair bit larger than Mugabe when he does (Baboon spiders are all very fast-growing)

The Edge · 4 Mar 2003 at 19:53

have u sexed your baboons yet?

Master Skooter · 4 Mar 2003 at 20:04

I ordered 'The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' last Friday, after LostKat recommended those books.

It came today, i've just had a quick gander, it's full of great pics & loads of info about everything. Gonna sit down & have a read after me bath

LostKat, have you seen the size of the B.Emilia on P.31? It's bloomin' HUGE! :eek:

TrUz · 4 Mar 2003 at 22:21

WOW top thread, just read through all of it and loved it.
I am tempted to get me a new pet...

Keep the good piccy's and vid's coming...

Nexus · 4 Mar 2003 at 23:01

This is a really great thread, keep it going, very interesting reading.

Reading this thread and the fact that my housemate just brought a Hamster has really got me into the mindset of getting a pet of my own. Just not sure what yet.

ElectroBlaster · 4 Mar 2003 at 23:10

Wow! this thread was an enjoyable and imformative read

Malt_Vinegar · 4 Mar 2003 at 23:26

Had a quick and informative MSN with Lopez today, sorted out a few things for terry, he should be back to normal and all sorted in the next few days

I think hes a red legged for sure now

seeing him today just confirmed what i already thought.

I think maybe when i get my house at uni next term i shall get a tarantula or preying mantis

Its a bit impractical in halls!

Lopéz · 5 Mar 2003 at 13:56

Originally posted by Master Skooter
I ordered 'The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' last Friday, after LostKat recommended those books.

It came today, i've just had a quick gander, it's full of great pics & loads of info about everything. Gonna sit down & have a read after me bath
LostKat, have you seen the size of the B.Emilia on P.31? It's bloomin' HUGE!

I'm in the middle of reading the TKG at the moment. It's such a chunky book for the price - well worth a purchase.

Remember how I said Mugabe had extended his webbing?
It doesn't look quite so neat and tidy now, but it's certainly impressive:

He got disturbed by a cricket I dropped in for him this morning....I've never seen such a reaction - he literally bombed around the tank - like that electricity Gremlin from Gremlins 2? Utterly mental, he was jumping up very nearly the height of the tank (9 inches!) before settling on the side of the glass.

After all the excitement of this one doing his best Tasmanian Devil impression, I decided to leave him alone and hold Miguel instead - he's a fat little sod these days.

He's grown visibly in the short time I've had him.

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 15:03

1,2,3.....awwwww.

What a little porker

I had a day off today, so i popped down to my local pet shop to find out a bit more info about the T's they have in stock.

There was this old bloke there, so i asked him a few things. I think he thought he could just pass me off with the limited info that he had obviously picked up from working there, but he must have been the goldfish man, cos he knew bog-all about Ts.

Disappointed, i turned to leave. A younger (35ish) bloke walked in, luckily this was the man i was after, he knew quite a bit. We ended up chatting for around an hour! *lol*

Apparantly they had a Usumbara Red Baboon in stock, but then we find out they didn't, so i guess they had sold it. The guy owns (or did) a Red Knee, which he's had for around 8 or 9 years. He bought it for £225! :eek:

He was told by two experts that it was a female, that's why it cost so much. He finds out eventually, after trying to mate it, that it was in fact a male! *lol*

I asked him about the spiders they had & where they got their stock from. He breeds Praying Mantis, but doesn't sell them in the shop. They sell them to a place that sells them to trade, and it's from this place they get the Ts. He said they just get sent stuff, so they don't really know what they're gonna get until they arrive, which i found a little dodgy. He said they usually get about 11 or so per delivery.

The only stock they had was the same as the last time i popped in.

The Mexican Red Knee was born in 1997, so must be around 6 years old, and was marked as sub-adult. Apparantly they've had that 1 since it was a spiderling. It was a good size, but they wanted £75 for it including the tank, which sounded a lot? How much do Red Knees go for? He said spiderlings were around £20-25, which i also thought sounded a lot. Bugs Direct sell them for £17.50. But i'd be put off paying £75 for a T that had been sat in a pet shop all it's life. He also didn't know the sex of any of the Ts, said it was really hard until they reach adult.

They also had 2 Chile Rose, as i mentioned earlier in this thread. I think 1 was about £18, the other £25, which again included the plastic tank. They were both a good size, with the largest about a similar size as the Red Knee. Why are they so much cheaper than the Reds? I think the Chiles were marked as juveniles. But again, i don'y know how long they had been sat in the pet shop.

It was nice to talk to someone, but i don't think i'll be buying my T from there........when i convince my GF that is :rolleyes:

I might ask my parents if i can keep 1 at their place :cool:

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 15:51

Disregarding characteristics, here's some of my favourite looking T's:

Antilles pinktoe / Avicularia versicolor

(Temperment: Quite flightly and jumpy, but fairly docile)

Greenbottle blue / Chromatopelma cyanopubescens

(Temperment: Skittish, hair kicker, sometimes defensive)

Cobalt blue (Female) / Haplopelma lividum

(Temperment: Exceptionally aggressive and secretive)

Togo Starburst / Heteroscodra maculata

(Temperment: Very speedy, very aggressive when grown)

Is it possible to buy ANY species of T you like in the UK?

Lopéz · 5 Mar 2003 at 16:14

The guy owns (or did) a Red Knee, which he's had for around 8 or 9 years. He bought it for £225! He was told by two experts that it was a female, that's why it cost so much. He finds out eventually, after trying to mate it, that it was in fact a male! *lol*

Yep, I can believe that - about 10 years ago Red Knees were at sky high prices - they are still pricey today.

He said they just get sent stuff, so they don't really know what they're gonna get until they arrive, which i found a little dodgy. He said they usually get about 11 or so per delivery

Sounds about right - most pet/reptile places get sent a random assortment of stuff - I know for a fact my local place gets a lot of his stuff from Bugs Direct.

The Mexican Red Knee was born in 1997, so must be around 6 years old, and was marked as sub-adult. Apparantly they've had that 1 since it was a spiderling. It was a good size, but they wanted £75 for it including the tank, which sounded a lot? How much do Red Knees go for? He said spiderlings were around £20-25, which i also thought sounded a lot.

Adult and subadult Red Knees go from between £40 and £100 - online stores are always a LOT cheaper - 50% less in a lot of cases.
That one was priced at around the going rate for a shop specimen - 6 years old means it should really be on the verge of maturity at the very least.

They also had 2 Chile Rose, as i mentioned earlier in this thread. I think 1 was about £18, the other £25, which again included the plastic tank. They were both a good size, with the largest about a similar size as the Red Knee. Why are they so much cheaper than the Reds?

Basically because they're boring to look at compared to the Red Knee - unless you're lucky and get the Red Colour Form like my own Pepper is.

Normal variants are more of a dull pale brown colour.
Also they are very easy to collect in the wild - unlike the Red Knee which is protected, and therefore only available if bred in captivity.

It was nice to talk to someone, but i don't think i'll be buying my T from there

The exact relationship I have with my reptile centre. Yes, I buy my crickets, vermiculite etc from him, and it's nice to pop down for a look and a chat, but pet shop spiders are generally bought by n00bs who haven't discovered the power of the intraweb.

Antilles pinktoe / Avicularia versicolor

My favourite Avicularia. I was in the process of buying a spiderling, but the guy's mails keep bouncing so I've backed off for now. Shame as they are ultra-rare over here.

Greenbottle blue / Chromatopelma cyanopubescens

Another stunner - only seen an adult male or two in the UK. Lots being bred in mainland Europe though - worth trying to bring some over as a personal import in bulk I reckon. You'll sell them no problem.

Cobalt blue (Female) / Haplopelma lividum

Nasty piece of work - take photos of it the second it arrives, cos it'll hammer underground within minutes and you won't see it for six months. Commonly available as Wild Caught adults ( :mad:

) and now being bred in the UK as spiderlings - babies go for about a tenner, adults up to £100.

Togo Starburst / Heteroscodra maculata

Really fancy one myself and I'm sure these are available in the UK. Very similar in temperament to my own Baboons.

Is it possible to buy ANY species of T you like in the UK?

No - our choice is very limited compared to Europe and the States. The best place to get more obscure species is the BTS show (in May I think), or any other tarantula shows. This way you get to buy direct from breeders, talk to experts, and find stuff you'll hardly ever see in the shops.

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:35

Originally posted by Lopéz
That one was priced at around the going rate for a shop specimen - 6 years old means it should really be on the verge of maturity at the very least.

Yeah, he did say it was on the verge of adulthood.

Originally posted by Lopéz My favourite Avicularia. I was in the process of buying a spiderling, but the guy's mails keep bouncing so I've backed off for now. Shame as they are ultra-rare over here.

It says that these are fairly docile. I'd really like one of these as i'd like a T that was a little different from the norm & they're beautiful. If it was possible to find them over here, what sort of price would i be looking at, any idea?

Originally posted by Lopéz No - our choice is very limited compared to Europe and the States. The best place to get more obscure species is the BTS show (in May I think), or any other tarantula shows. This way you get to buy direct from breeders, talk to experts, and find stuff you'll hardly ever see in the shops.

What's the BTS Show? Do you know of a link?

Cheers mate.

SKILL · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:38

Originally posted by Master Skooter

What's the BTS Show? Do you know of a link?

Cheers mate.

Google pwns you tbh:

http://www.thebts.co.uk/

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:39

Originally posted by SKILL
Google pwns you tbh:

http://www.thebts.co.uk/

HeHe, fank ooooooooo

Lopéz · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:40

Originally posted by Master Skooter

What's the BTS Show? Do you know of a link?

Cheers mate.

Yes, versicolor is docile, though for some reason prone to dying without any apparent cause as spiderlings.

As for the show, this should have some info, or just search through the whole BTS site.

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:43

Cheers mate.

You going up? It's Birmingham way, which isn't too far i suppose.

Have you been before? Is it a good show?

So if i managed to find a juvenile, would is be less at risk? I hate to have my T die on me for no reason. Especially if it took a lot of time & effort to find in the first place.

What about a Greenbottle Blue, or would that be a bad choice as a 1st T?

Lopéz · 5 Mar 2003 at 17:54

Originally posted by Master Skooter
Cheers mate.

You going up? It's Birmingham way, which isn't too far i suppose.

Have you been before? Is it a good show?

So if i managed to find a juvenile, would is be less at risk? I hate to have my T die on me for no reason. Especially if it took a lot of time & effort to find in the first place.

What about a Greenbottle Blue, or would that be a bad choice as a 1st T?

I've spoken to traders who tell me the show is pretty damn awesome. Stacks and stacks of stuff to see.

Really really hoping to go this year with Kate.

Juveniles are generally less at risk than spiderlings - spiderling is the most fragile stage.

If you can actually find one, there's nothing wrong with a Greenbottle Blue as a first Tarantula IMO - infact, if you're sensible about it you can keep anything as a first tarantula - even something like a Baboon spider.

If you only ever open the hatch to drop in a cricket once or twice a week and the lid is secure, then I can't see why you couldn't keep any species. Just like any "dangerous" animal, it's only a problem if you keep sticking your hand in the tank. They don't randomly burst through the glass and hunt you down.

Pinhead · 5 Mar 2003 at 18:33

awesome thread. just found it today, been reading it all afternoon instead of doing work. never thought i found T's that intersting, (actually, i hated them, might still do in person) but my mind is changing.

cheers for entertaining me all afternoon and causing me to get behind with my work

Master Skooter · 5 Mar 2003 at 21:15

Originally posted by Lopéz
I've spoken to traders who tell me the show is pretty damn awesome. Stacks and stacks of stuff to see.

I might see if i can get up there, sounds interesting.

Originally posted by Lopéz
They don't randomly burst through the glass and hunt you down.

*LMAO*

I've just started searching for breeders, found a place that has Antilles pinktoe / Avicularia versicolor (adult) £79.95! :cool:

(Another place has tiny 1cm spiderlings for £9.99)

And

Greenbottle blue / Chromatopelma cyanopubescens (adults) £79.95

Also found some Togo starburst baboon - Heteroscodra maculata that you liked Lopez £24.99 (Captive & wild)

Lostkat · 5 Mar 2003 at 22:41

Hmmmm I'm willing to bet that those C. cyanopubescens and A. versicolor adults are wild caught :mad:

Although I desperately want a cyanopubescens, I'm willing to wait until they have some captive bred spiderlings. I really do not agree with the sale of wild caught tarantulas, especially when so many of them are endangered.

Lópéz

They don't randomly burst through the glass and hunt you down.

Now that I would like to see

Wonder if you can train them to do that?

Anyway, back to the whole point of this post. I just thought I'd let you all know how the girlies are getting along, seeing as I haven't posted any pics for almost a week (shock horror).

Jezabel is doing just fine at the moment. She's filled in her burrow and her tank looks like a mountainscape at the moment. She's piled bits of substrate all over the place and generally made a reet mess of it all. Oh and he's INCREDIBLY fat too. Who ate all the pies?

Rio is also getting on well. She's a bit nippy though, and very deceptive. She'll stomp oh-so-slowly around her tank, until you pop the lid off, and then she breaks out into a gallop. She nearly escaped yesterday, but I just managed to get the lid on as she got to the top of her bark. She has an enormous appetite for such a little tarantula, so I'm limiting her to being fed every other day.

Isn't she just gorgeous?

I think she's gonna have a temper on her when she's grown up. Check out that bald little abdomen! Someone's been kicking hairs when they're in a bad mood!