So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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If you dont mind me asking Lopéz, How much did you pay for the Baboons? I may be tempted, although I am still thinking about a Cobalt Blue.:D

That particular type of baboon can be terestrial, arborial, and a burrower, it seems to change its habits according the the season, a very interesting spider. Its also a very big webber second only to the Greenbottle Blue.

Have you ever heard of the Chicken spider? This is no joke, the thing is black about 9 inches across and hunts in groups, several spiders have been known to take a chicken down drag it off and take it down into a burrow. I will post a link to the details, which are on the British Tarantula Societys web page.
 
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big tank :eek:


do the post office know they are delivering large hairy spiders?
What happens if the package is damaged in transit and one gets out?

Interesting thread (definately one for the archive), i normally don't like spiders, but looking at these beauties i think i could probably get used to them (maybe not like them, but not scream like a girly when confronted with them;))
 
Both are sub-adult (4-5cm across) and so probably unsexed.

One is a Pterinochilus murinus (Mombassa Golden Starburst), the other is the same species but the "Usumbara" colour variant - very often described as a whole new species when it isn't. (Rick West said so and I take his word as gospel.)
The Usumbara variant is from the mountain ranges and is usually a deep golden "Terry's Chocolate Orange" wrapper colour.

The murinus was £10, the Usumbara variant was £12.50, from www.bugsdirectuk.com

Cobalt Blue's are DAMN expensive - my local pet shop had them at £70 and he reckoned it wasn't up to much colour-wise unless recently moulted.
 
Have you ever heard of the Chicken spider? This is no joke, the thing is black about 9 inches across and is known to hunt in groups, several spiders have been known to take a chicken down drag it off and take it down into a burrow. I will post a link to the details, which are on the British Tarantula Societys web page.

I have found the aricle about the Chicken spidersn that can be downloaded the link is http://thebts.co.uk/aranaPol.ZIP, and just to tempt you here is a photo. :)

chicken1.jpg
 
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Well as there say you learn something new everyday and this thread has been one big learning curve for me I would love to have a spider but I could not stand the crickets give me the creeps, the wife is a Reptile person also

my daughter loves Spider always pointing them out and proding them(house spiders) so probably a bad idea to get one

keep us posted on the new additions
 
Bloomin' hell Leon, you're a bloody looney! :eek:

Very interesting tho i must say.

But personally i get a bit jumpy around BIG spiders.......dunno why, they just give me the heebee-geebees!!!

Those piccies certainly made me wince.

I read somewhere that they fire their hairs in ya eyes when they become scared & it messes ya eyes right up?

[EDIT: I've just read the whole thread & they sound like a great hobby/pets.........shame my GF is petrified of em.

Just had a quick gander at the BugsDirect webby, the 'True Spiders' (Orbs) are the type that freak me.......all black, shiney & skinny legged :eek: The Red Kite looks mad!
 
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Had a mail yesterday from Bugsdirect confirming they had the Pterinochilus spiders in stock. They get sent Special Delivery - I just hope we don't have a cold snap over the next week (the spiders are being sent over the next 5 days)

My other worry is that the silicone sealant won't have cured by the time they arrive! It's taking ages for the first application to go off and after that it'll need redoing to ensure a strong bond.
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
Had a mail yesterday from Bugsdirect confirming they had the Pterinochilus spiders in stock. They get sent Special Delivery - I just hope we don't have a cold snap over the next week (the spiders are being sent over the next 5 days)

My other worry is that the silicone sealant won't have cured by the time they arrive! It's taking ages for the first application to go off and after that it'll need redoing to ensure a strong bond.
Click to expand...

I can just imange in the sorting office 2 little boxes moving around that could give someone a fright
 
Originally posted by GJUK
I can just imange in the sorting office 2 little boxes moving around that could give someone a fright
Click to expand...
Well tarantulas are pretty fragile things so I've no idea how they package them. :confused:
I don't even know if they tell Royal Mail what's in the parcels - all I know is live delivery is gauranteed via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

I tried something new tonight with my Chile Rose.
To move her about I've always scooped her up gently into my hand.
The other popular method is to "pin" the spider down using the index finger, and grip it firmly between the 2nd and 3rd pairs of legs and lift it up.

As this is something the spider is unnacustomed to, it simply sits still like it's frozen or something.
I've given it a shot a few times but my Chile always struggled against me, tonight was the first time she's co-operated. :)
 
Originally posted by Lopéz
Well tarantulas are pretty fragile things so I've no idea how they package them. :confused:
I don't even know if they tell Royal Mail what's in the parcels - all I know is live delivery is gauranteed via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

I tried something new tonight with my Chile Rose.
To move her about I've always scooped her up gently into my hand.
The other popular method is to "pin" the spider down using the index finger, and grip it firmly between the 2nd and 3rd pairs of legs and lift it up.

As this is something the spider is unnacustomed to, it simply sits still like it's frozen or something.
I've given it a shot a few times but my Chile always struggled against me, tonight was the first time she's co-operated. :)
Click to expand...


You know what you should do is print picture of what new spiders will look like and show it to the royal mail person delivering them and see what colour they go I know they are not Deadly creatures but it what people think or I wonder if they have special trained staff for 'Special packages'

Enjoy your new friends

I have tried that pin technic on some other creature 1 being my daughter she just kaugh and riggles and the other are edable crabs when I have been diving in UK water they like it just a much as your spider

I have seen the pictures of your spider but how big is she or is it a he???



GJUK
 
Lopéz, The spiders come in a little box labled "live insect" and is usually well padded out. I work at RM and admit that I dont think its the best method for sending them, those boxes are not handled with any ammount of care. On one occasion a nother guy came upto me spinning the box in his hands, I went barmy and threatened to introduce him to the insect inside, which happened to be a mature Indian Ornamental. Having said that, all of the spiders sent to me have arrived in good condition and have faired well after their Royal Mail expierence.
 
Blimey, she looks tiny in his hands!!! She'd probably cover my palm quite easily though. She aint little! Can't wait to see some of the bigger spiders 'face to face' when I go down to his next time. We're going on a trip to the spider shop! :cool:
 
I must admit, I could never pick any of mine up like that. I bet its a safer method as well, after all they cant bite you whilst your holding them like that. I would be to frightened of squeezing them to hard. I usually just prod mine onto my hand.

By the way, do you have probs with escaped crickets? Every now and then we have one loose some where. I remember hunting for one at 4 in the morning that was chirping its little brains out. It had been keeping me and the wife awake all night, every time I put the light on it shut up. When I eventualy found the little swine I giggled like a maniac as I introduced him to the Goliath. :D
 
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