So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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Originally posted by Master Skooter
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)
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The adult versicolor will be wild caught. Spiderling sounds about hte right price - they are seldom available as babies.
Nearly all adult spiders are wild caught. For a start, you won't know it's age, it could be ill, dying, just about to moult or just come out of a moult - you have no way of knowing.
Not only that, but it means numbers are being decimated in the wild.

Wild-caught spiders = no thanks.
 
I still love those cobalts, what an amazing colour.

What a little pasty Jezzie is getting! Still a cutie.

We need moooooooooooore piccys and videos!!:p

Please:D
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
The adult versicolor will be wild caught. Spiderling sounds about hte right price - they are seldom available as babies.
Nearly all adult spiders are wild caught. For a start, you won't know it's age, it could be ill, dying, just about to moult or just come out of a moult - you have no way of knowing.
Not only that, but it means numbers are being decimated in the wild.

Wild-caught spiders = no thanks.
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I wasn't thinking of buying either of the adult T's, i was only stating that those species were available to buy over here. I agree about selling wild T's :mad:, anyway i want to go through the growing-up stages with my ickle baby when/if i get one. But i do REALLY fancy a Antilles pinktoe / Avicularia versicolor now & i can afford £9.99 :), but i'm a little worried after you mentioned that they are prone to dying as spiderlings :(
 
Originally posted by Master Skooter
I wasn't thinking of buying either of the adult T's, i was only stating that those species were available to buy over here. I agree about selling wild T's :mad:, anyway i want to go through the growing-up stages with my ickle baby when/if i get one. But i do REALLY fancy a Antilles pinktoe / Avicularia versicolor now & i can afford £9.99 :), but i'm a little worried after you mentioned that they are prone to dying as spiderlings :(
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Basically I'd Google for every caresheet and more specifically spiderling care sheet you can - they are stunning as babies - completely different to the adults. The babies are blue with dark chevrons.

If it *does* die (and it shouldn't as long as it has high humidity but also sufficient ventilation - keep an eye out for mould!) then you can console yourself that:
  • It only cost you a tenner
  • You still have the tank etc. and will be better prepared for any future spiders
  • It was bred specifically for the pet trade, much like cows are for beef & leather
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
Basically I'd Google for every caresheet and more specifically spiderling care sheet you can - they are stunning as babies - completely different to the adults. The babies are blue with dark chevrons.
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Ok, will do mate, thanks.

Here's some piccies of how beautiful they are as spiderlings:

versicolor1.jpg


tick1.jpg


Look big don't they?

They aren't :p

versicolor2.jpg


I've emailed a few reputable shops, who are gonna make some enquiries about them & let me know. Fingers crossed! :)
 
Originally posted by Master Skooter

Cobalt blue (Female) / Haplopelma lividum
cobalt1.jpg

(Temperment: Exceptionally aggressive and secretive)

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Think thats about the prettyest spider iv ever seen. Me wants (shame the misses is so scared of them, she literally has a panic attack and hyperventilates at house spiders....so that would probably kill her
 
Originally posted by The Edge
Are those veriscolor spiders aggressive? They are purty!!
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No - the whole Avicularia genus are generally docile and nervous. They are easily frightened though, and run rather fast. They can safely jump downwards from a good couple of meters.
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
Skooter, where did you find A. versicolor in stock? I can only find them listed at www.easyexotics.co.uk, and they appear to be out of stock.
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That was the place that i saw them too.

I've emailed Joseph at bugsdirect & he's going to make a few enquires about them.

I've found quite a few sites, but i think the best place might be the BTS Show.
 
You sometimes find the shed skins discarded near a web in this country - they look like dead wrinkled up spiders.
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Ah..... In the past I had always thought they were dead spiders as I knew they were canabalistic. But after reading about the moulting I thought that made more sense.

We have a spider living in the ceiling corner of our shower room. I went in there this morning and noticed that it suddenly looked a hell of a lot bigger and it had a wrinkled up skin in its web.
 
Just to clear up what I said about beginners keeping the more aggressive species, it can be done.

The only need to expose yourself to possible attack (or rather defence) from the spider on limited occasions.

1 - When the spider initially arrives through the post

Generally the tarantula will be dazed, confused, cold and sluggish.
They normally come in small plastic containers. Simply pop the container in your tarantula tank, and open the lid.
Let the spider do the rest. Once warmed up it will soon leave the pot it came in. If it doesn't they can generally be coaxed out.
When the spider has left it's transport tub, simply remove remove it and discard

2 - Feeding

Check visually that the spider is not on the walls or top of the tank, open the lid, pop in the cricket. It's that simple.

3 - Cleaning out

This doesn't need doing often - wait until the spider is burrowed away, or in it's retreat, then go ion with some long tweezers and pick out any cricket remains, or shed skins.

That's it - water can be poured through the top without taking the lid off, so even if you have a spitting hell-fire species, you really shouldn't get bitten by following these simple rules. People get bitten when they either
  • Try to hold an unwilling tarantula
  • Poke it about or disturb it (we're all guilty of this one)
  • Careless, not checking the spider's location before invading the tank.

I use these long-nosed pliers:

Pliers01


And these excellent long forceps:

Forceps01


Mugabe still looking as orange as ever btw:: :D

Mugabe20
 
LOL :D

They are XXL Forceps and Pliers :D

What do you do if it escapes? Do you stay up until you find it? I wouldn't like the idea of sleeping with it crawling round :eek:
 
lopez, about your husbandry regime.

do you need to change the substrate often? you mention removing partially eaten.dead crickets but what about faecal matter?


edit:nevermind i've found out :)
 
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Lopez,

I really fancy keeping a spider now and reading your post on keeping a more aggressive species has inspired me a bit as I fancy the challenge.

The only problem I see in doing so is what do you do when the spider outgrows the tank?? If i get a spiderling or juvenile, presumably it'll be lost in the size of tank that a mature spider would find comfortable.

Most other things I'm sure i can get around.

Have you ever thought of engineering an "airlock" system of double doors for feeding purposes to eliminate the possibility of the spider escaping?

Thanks
 
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