So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

Lostkat · 17 Jan 2003 at 21:51

After having trawled hundreds of tarantula sites, I'm still no closer to deciding which one to get

I thought I'd set my heart on this one (B. emilia), but I can't find anywhere that has got any in stock apart from a site which hasn't replied to my emails.
Mexican True Red Leg - Brachypelma emilia

BUT, I've found this one (B. Boehmei)on two different websites for sale, and one is a spiderling (exactly what I am looking for). Should I just go with this one instead? :confused:

Mexican Fireleg - Brachypelma boehmei

Decisions

Master Skooter · 17 Jan 2003 at 22:13

Yeah, get it, get it!

Get the other 1 next week

[Edit: Nobody answered a previous question i posted.......do/can they fire their hair? Read a few stories in newspapers :rolleyes:

about people gettting the hairs fired into their eyes?

MindYerBeak · 17 Jan 2003 at 22:29

H

ppy Harry says:
"5 Stars,
O Great Master"

At The Gates · 17 Jan 2003 at 23:03

Get the Mexican Fireleg. :cool:

Do all tarantulas spin webs? What do they use them for? As i take it they all seem to eat crickets and the like which seem to big to get caught in webs.

Lostkat · 17 Jan 2003 at 23:26

Originally posted by Master Skooter
Yeah, get it, get it!

Get the other 1 next week

[Edit: Nobody answered a previous question i posted.......do/can they fire their hair? Read a few stories in newspapers about people gettting the hairs fired into their eyes?

Yep, a few tarantulas will 'kick hairs' as a form of defense when aggravated. They have very fine 'urticating' hairs on the abdomen which are barbed and contain a small amount of mild venom. If a tarantula gets annoyed and kicks hairs, it can cause skin, eye and nose irritation and some people can even have allergic reactions. Apparently, some of the arboreal (tree-living) spiders also kick these hairs on their webs as a form of protection.

Very nifty

Master Skooter · 17 Jan 2003 at 23:56

So which ya gonna get?

Personally outta all the spiders in this thread, i love those Cobalt Blue.........stunning creatures.

I'd love to own 1 but my GF would have a fit *lol* :rolleyes:

Lopéz · 18 Jan 2003 at 11:36

Originally posted by Master Skooter
Yeah, get it, get it!

Get the other 1 next week

[Edit: Nobody answered a previous question i posted.......do/can they fire their hair? Read a few stories in newspapers about people gettting the hairs fired into their eyes?

Kate's just about covered it. Generally "New World" tarantulas (ones from the Americas) kick hairs as a defence whereas "Old World" ones (from Africa and Asia) will tend to rear up in threat posture first.

Originally posted by At The Gates
Get the Mexican Fireleg.

Do all tarantulas spin webs? What do they use them for? As i take it they all seem to eat crickets and the like which seem to big to get caught in webs.

Tarantulas tend to actively hunt rather than spin webs as a trap, although their web will certainly help trap larger crickets, frogs and lizards (the webs are shockingly tough)

All spiders have the ability to spin webs but not all of them do. My Chile Rose lays a very fine mat of silk, much like a rug on your living room carpet. Baboons will dig tunnels and reinforce them with as much web as they can, and arboreal spiders usually build a funnel like web up in a tree. They are mainly for shelter and protection.

Lopéz · 18 Jan 2003 at 14:40

HELLO,

I CAN CONFIRM YOUR ORDER WILL BE DESPATCHED TUESDAY 21ST JANUARY.. FOR DELIVERY WED 22ND.

Regards,
Joseph Rogers

BUGS DIRECT UK
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.bugsdirectuk.com
Tel/Fax: 01803 762 409

Click to expand...

Fantastic :cool:

Plenty of time for the substrate to dry to a suitable level before they arrive.

Can't wait to watch these babies hunting....
God I want more now, the idea of a Cobalt Blue spiderling is just so tempting right now.

sik · 18 Jan 2003 at 15:46

Good luck with it, Lopéz.

I man at work breeds spiders, according to mummy, so...

. What a coincidence.

Lopéz · 18 Jan 2003 at 17:46

Originally posted by sik
Good luck with it, Lopéz.

I man at work breeds spiders, according to mummy, so.... What a coincidence.

If he's a breeder then he should be able to sell you a spiderling for a quid or so.
Most breeders let the 100+ babies eat one another so you get left with 30 or so good strong spiderlings.

sik · 18 Jan 2003 at 18:15

Cool? ....I'll ask him.

Lostkat · 19 Jan 2003 at 14:11

I have now found somewhere which stocks the two spiders I want! HURAH! However, I have another dilemma.

I am getting B. emilia for £18 - that part has been decided

However, I can also get B. boehmei for £13

Getting a second spider would cost absolutely NO more to keep because one box of pinheads would be more than enough for both spiderlings to feed off, and they would share the same heat mat. Space also isn't a problem because they'll be in containers the sizes of small sandwich box until they're about 2 years old.

Should I get the other one??? Decisions decisions

Master Skooter · 19 Jan 2003 at 14:36

Just read thro the thread again, and my GF was also showing keen interest.

Apparantly she was gonna get 1 a few years back.

I'd like to find out a lot more before i take this any further.

I'll try the links posted in this thread.

Any other links where i can find out tthe basics etc?

Skoot.

Lopéz · 19 Jan 2003 at 14:43

http://www.bugsdirectuk.com/index.html

http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/html/tarantulas.html

http://hem.spray.se/minax/index/welcome_e.html (excellent info on spider care)

http://www.bighairyspiders.com/

http://tarantulas.differentdawn.com/general/species.html (species information)

http://www.birdspiders.com/ (Tarantula expert Rick West)

http://www.arachnophiliac.com/burrow/arachnidinfo.htm (Godd info, including ones to avoid)

http://atshq.org/ (American tarantula Society)

http://www.thebts.co.uk/ (British Tarantula Society)

All very worthwile reading.

TonyMontana · 19 Jan 2003 at 15:28

Lopiz m8, seeing your tank Im getting ideas since I found the cobalt blue at the size of around 7cm (smaller than the c.rose I got now) for 80euros (around 52pounds) ...it was very active running around in its tank at the shop which is not the case with the c.rose, which is sitting around...

what do you think of the price? should I go for it?

Lopéz · 19 Jan 2003 at 15:43

Originally posted by TonyMontana
Lopiz m8, seeing your tank Im getting ideas since I found the cobalt blue at the size of around 7cm (smaller than the c.rose I got now) for 80euros (around 52pounds) ...it was very active running around in its tank at the shop which is not the case with the c.rose, which is sitting around...

what do you think of the price? should I go for it?

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.

Minxy · 19 Jan 2003 at 16:11

I cant stand spiders but having chatted to Lostkat for a bit about them and read this I'm keen to see some more piccys of your beloved pets.

Personally prefer pets I can pick up and cuddle but those Piders are fascinating! I never even realised they came in blue!

Lopéz · 19 Jan 2003 at 16:25

Unfortunately the blue coloration is only visible under strong light.
For instance, my Chile Rose looks a dull brown in normal light, but a flash photograpoh will show the gorgeous iridescant pink colouring on the cephalathorax (its back)

Many of the brightly coloured species are more aggressive.
You can, however, find some very beautiful examples of the more docile species.

The Green Bottle Blue (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) is a hardy and generally agreeable spider with awesome colouration.

http://www.donsroom.co.uk/~lopez/Chromatopelmacyaneopubescens

http://www.donsroom.co.uk/~lopez/Chromatopelmacyaneopubescens02

Guest · 19 Jan 2003 at 16:36

I don't know how you can want a pet tarantula, I think waking up and seeing it would give me a heart attack. Still each to their own

Lopéz · 19 Jan 2003 at 19:20

Originally posted by Wilf
I don't know how you can want a pet tarantula, I think waking up and seeing it would give me a heart attack. Still each to their own

I don't honestly know why I like tarantulas.
I've always been really interested in insects and other invertebrates. Mammals bore me.

If I woke up and they weren't there I'd have a heart attack - because that would mean they were loose somewhere.....not good.

So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

Guest

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