Suggestions for a Display Spider

[Glen Feasey]

OK guys, i was asked today by a friend what would make a superb display Tarantula. My mate has kept and bread Common Boas and Crested Geckos for years and is a superb herpetologist, however has no experience with Tarantulas.

So after suggesting B.smithi, B.vagans, A.seemani, G,rosala and A.avicularia i wondered if anyone could suggest a more mobile, visible T that i could of missed?

[lee smith]

Lasiodora parahybana make good display T's, as they like to sit out in the open alot and the grow to a fairly big size.

[Richard Goram]

Same goes for Acanthoscurria geniculata

[Stephen Bryceland]

an excellent display T is an Grammostola aureostriata.. always out in the open, amazingly docile and a very nice looking T .. thats probably why I have 4 and hopefully more soon

[Daniel Carpenter]

Dull in colours but quite big in size : Phormictopus cancerides
and amazing to watch eat
Dan.

[mike halewood]

Acanthoscurria geniculata

+1 that would be my first choice. Closely followed by a B. smithi

[Colin D Wilson]

Either A. Geniculata or L. Parahybana
Both hardy and forgiving if a few little temp or humidity mistakes are made.
Also if he is, as you say, a "Superb Herpetologist" he will be able to transfer the Common sense principles to keeping T's. I've managed to combine the two for the last 37 years.

[Johanna Turner]

Hmm, ok, for looks I would say one of the ornamentals (poecilotheria) or going terrestrial, as some others have suggested, A, geniculata.

L, parahybana I think is a good one mainly for size but I think I would have gone for something with more striking markings. (Don't get me wrong, I like them, that's why I have one!!)

The other option is N, chromatus as it has very similar markings to the A, geniculata, more vertical than horizontal white stripes on the legs.

Another consideration (Bearing in mind I'm not thinking of beginner suitability here!!) is Cyriopagopus Sp 'Singapore blue', another one on my wish list! I believe this is arboreal?

There's H, lividium but I believe this is fossorial? Apart from the fact that it is an old world 'T' and has a nervous disposition!

[Richard Groves]

My suggestion would be for an Avicularia sp. I have A. metallica on display in my kitchen and she always looks stunning! They build a pretty impressive nest and can regularly be seen wandering around there enclosure. The only downside is that they are extreeeemly messy spiders so you will have to clean up regularly!!!

[Daniel Carpenter]

Very nice tank ...i have one and they are relly gd ...and nice spider to.
Dan.

[Glen Feasey]

Coolsox by messy do you mean in the toilet training department?

[Neil Ashby]

I have an Avicularia Metallica and it constantly poo`s down the front of the glass tank , something which also used to happen with my Regalis i had too !

[Richard Groves]

Coolsox by messy do you mean in the toilet training department?

Yes! I can clean the glass one day and it's covered in c*@p the next!