Poecilotheria regalis

[Kain Prestwood]

I promise this will be the last thread I post lol. I seem to be constantly posting questions and people are probably getting fed up of it

Anyway I am really thinking of getting a P regalis sling at the BTS show in May, however I have been told some nasty and contradicting things about them.

First of all, I want to get it know that I have no interest in handling my spiders. I know they don't overly like it. I am more than content in watching them webbing and wondering around etc.

Anyway back to the T...

A mate of mine about 4 years ago had what he told me was a Indian Royal Ornamental. Anyway the one day it apparently lunged at him for no apparent reason, and put him in bed for 3 days with a nasty bite. I am told it was unprovoked and just the T being plain nasty, so much so his wife wont like him keep any ornamental spider at all now.

However, I am really fascinated by the P regalis. I love it'd markings, I love the way it stretches out like a dog lying down, I just think there wholey fascinating spiders.

I know I'm still pretty new to the hobby, but I'm not a total idiot (well maybe I am to some, who knows?) I don't 'show off' my T's to people, in fact I usually wait for them to say, 'how come that tank has no water in?' before I tell them whats in it.

Do you think it's OK for me to have a Indian Ornamental. I have read various notes about them on the net (in fact I have spent over an hour reading info on them) each source says something different. Some say there aggressive little sods that would bite you if you even looked at it. Others say they will only bite if messed about with to an extent that they get that hacked off they bite you to make you leave them alone (as I said above, I ain't interested in harassing them to hold etc)

I'm really intrigued with this species, and I really would like to add one to my collection, but I can't help wondering which is the correct advice to listen too.

In that respect really, you can get 2 dogs, of the same breed, even from the same litter, one can be as daft as a brush, and one would rip your hand off without a second thought. So maybe my mate (Stan) was just unlucky, or the spider sore his tattoo of a T on his arm and lunged at it (he bit Stan on his T tattoo)

Of cause, I would buy a sling anyway, not full grown, so buy the time it was big enough to cause damage, I would hopefully be more knowledgeable on T's anyway.

Kain

[Johanna Turner]

Hi Kain
I was asking the same question but was asking it onthe Arboreal T Forum that Michael Jacobi runs (http://www.arborealtarantulas.net.in....com/index.php)

I have been in the hobby about the same time as you and was asking as I too think they are stunning spiders. I recommend you read the thread http://www.arborealtarantulas.net.in...?showtopic=357

(Hope the links work)

Michael specialises in Arboreal T's and would be a good person to speak to about it.

Hope this helps?

Jo

[dan hewitt]

hi, im fairly new to the hobby, and have a young b.smithi and an adult p.fasciata. i read all the warnings on these, but thought that it was just too good looking to turn down!
she sits in her log or under her cork shelter most of the day, and when i have to clean out the leftovers i just move her gently into her log with a long paintbrush, and collect with tweezers. she is fairly docile, moving away from the brush, having made no attempt to strike yet. having said that she can move bloody fast! from what i understand the main problem with them is that they are nervous and fast, instead of aggressive. just use your common sense and you should be ok.
dan

[Adam Smith]

basically with pokies and some african spiders there are always anecdotes about people being hospitalised and sick for a few days from a bite but i wouldnt let that put you off. Each person has certain tollerance some high and low and that will also affect the bite of a tarantula. I nearly got bitten by my adult female regalis a couple years back but just got out in time. I was arranging her things got too close and she took me for a cricket. If you get a sling and have the expereince of dealing with a pokie as it grows you will be used to its speed. Trust me they are fast when you are trying to temporarily house them in a tub when you want to clean theres out. If I were you I would get a couple maybe 3 and keep them together. Like some avics and pokies they can be communal and can be great to see spiders near each other and not fighting or eating each other. I was really surprised when they moult and the other leaves it alone which is there most vulnerable time. I think getting pokie slings at the show is the easiest thing to buy next to brachys

[Kain Prestwood]

Thanks Jo

And Michael really, certianly helped me decide whether they are viscous or just have a repution for it, and I think it sounds like it's mainly hear say that there so nasty.

Obviously if you make them angry, they will bite, like any pet really, so any pet treated with respect, whether it be a spider or a hamster will 9/10 out of 10 will treat you with respect.

So looks like I will get a P regalis and enjoy her, but at the same time respect her.

Kain

[Glen Feasey]

Kain,

I believe that there should be no reason for anyone not to start off in the T hobby with a Pokie or infact any Old World species. I started off with a C.darlingi as my first, and yes it moved like grease lightening but was an amazing T to own and later breed. It was a few months later that i then got my first B.vagans.

When tendering to my T's tanks i use a long pair of tweesers to remove soiled items, a piece of balso wood to pursuade them in to their hides and even lift their water bowls out with a long pair of barbeque tongs. I do this because i am allergic to wasp/bee stings so dont want to take risks. So i guess this leads me to say that i do not (personal oppinion here) believe anyone should not own a specific T because of its 'reputation' or aggression. If you want one, get one! Simple.

My only personal thoughs are we should all try to buy captive bread whenever we can.

Now i am off my soap box, go get one mate, post us some pics and enjoy!

Glen

[Daniel Carpenter]

I am getting one of these although i have never keep arboreal species before so this will be a learning piont for me to ...but i am looking foward to it.
Dan

[Colin D Wilson]

I've just this last month bought a Regalis sling, it's moulted since i've had it and is a very shy and timid spider on the whole. It is, however, extreemly fast, twice as fast as my little A Avic, so i can see where the sudden shock of the move, possibly leading to a desperate attempt to restrain the animal can lead to a bite (not in every case as there are some that are just not human friendly)
There's a lot a hype and truth about these arboreal species and their "more potent venom". If you handle with care when doing any maintenance there's no reason for any mishaps.
as has already been said, handling T's is not neccesary, using instruments to remove dead items and feces are a must and each person has a different tolerance to venom (in what ever form it is) and will react differently (fortifying the reason for the tweezers etc).
If you have been bitten by one species of T then it doesn't guarantee that a bite from a different species will be the same. Or in fact if a wasp sting doesn't bother you then you cannot be sure that a T bite or Scorp sting will have the same reaction as the make up of the venom has different charactoristics and is based on a differing base structure (i.e proteins and peptide sequencing, neurotoxic / cytotoxic....not getting too techy)
I personally have taken two separate bites from the european viper (adder) whilst on conservation trips (both my fault) and have only suffered minor blistering and bruising of the surrounding tissue yet a wasp sting two years back lead me to not be able to use my hand for a week.

I think, in general, common sense and safety are of paramount importance.
being ignorant of these facts only leads the "anti spiders as pets" people to have a stronger hold on their ongoing attempts to put a stop to our hobby.

As i have said before and Glen has just mentioned
I shall now step off my soap box

[Michael Kingwell]

As Glen said, really you have to start somewhere....... and with pokies there is no better sp than regalis.
This species, especially as slings, tends to show a run and hide tactic instead of a threat display (This will be good for your overall confidence when dealing with pokies as they do get a *danger press* on some sites). BUT as also said, this is not a hard and fast rule and any T can strike at any time.
Most of the relevant points seem to have been covered in this thread already, I just wished to say that you're making a good choice as (with all pokies) this species is beautiful. The slings grow reasonably quickly and show a lovely change in colour. Keep regalis for a while, get the set-up and husbandry right... then move on to a miranda or metallica......
YOU WILL BE HOOKED

[Colin D Wilson]

Forgot to mention.....
Buy a regalis for your first one....they're fantastic

[Kain Prestwood]

Well I got one today, P Ornata I believe (Store had them marked as just Indian Ornamentals)

I have spent 3 hours tonight just watching it. First it caught 3 crickets and ate it (It must have been starving) and now it's had a wonder around it's enclosure it's finally settled on a cork bark log on the vertical in there trademark resting position.

Man I love this spider!

Kain

[Daniel Carpenter]

I relly can wait til mine comes....
Dan.

[Glen Feasey]

Great news!

Please dont forget to post some pictures, there is noting better than seeing peoples new arrivals!

[Matt P Kent]

Hello board! Long time lurker here, couldn't help myself from posting though!

Wow, I got one of these today as my third spiderling. They are as we all know, beautiful, but I wasn't expecting it to be A) so big, and B) so FAST! :P

I'm pretty good with animal control but this thing leapt out, and over his to-be enclosure, before running many laps of the table underneath and eventually (just as my mind was beginning to think "Well you're not seeing that again for a while") dropping off into the waste paper bin underneath (full of paper, kitchen towel etc) and running up and down the sides of this, before settling at the bottom.

Wow.

I thought I could hear it stridulating at some point (don't even think P.Regalis can?) but it was infact caused by my heart beat and clothes.

Next time I get a spider with a speed reputation like this, I'm going to transfer it so much differently.

Still. It is gorgeous, having only had Brachypelma spiderlings, I've never had such an attractive spiderling before.

Just as a warning to anyone getting one soon! Worth having, but be prepared :P

[Nicola Dolby]

Poecilotheria

They are really special spiders, and really fast like you said Matt. Here's a small pic of one of my P. formosas, lovely creatures!


Sorry the picture is upside down!