Mexican Red Rump

[Annie Dowell]

I have seen some Red Rump slings for sale, and I have been researching and decided i'd like to try raising slings. I have found varying oppinions of RR, some say they are aggressive and skittish, and others say they are good beginner spiders. What do you think? If they are not suitable for beginners, apart from a Chilean Rose (I have one) what are another good type of tarantula for novices! Thanks in advance.

(They sell in minimum of 5 so I was intending to raise the 5, and sell on 4 later.)

[Denny Teasdale]

Hi Annie, I'm new to the hobby myself and have just got my T today...G. rosea. I've heard B. smithi (mexican red knee) are good starter T's as well as C. cyaneopubescens (green bottle blue) with the latter tending to be a bit nervous and quick (or so I was told!) apart from that I think that's as much as I can say on the subject of beginner T's I'm afraid...

[Craig Moore]

I have a little female Red Rump and yes she is on the fiesty side Nowhere near on the level of an Old World species but she does like to kick hair and I've always been careful (tweezers) when maintaining her enclosure. I've only been in the hobby since May so I consider myself a beginner like yourself. I say go for it, when they moult the look so vibrant. The red hairs contrasting with the blackness is gorgeous. Here's a recent pic of mine..

[Mark Shingleton]

hi annie, ive bin just a year keeping tarantulas so still think of myself as a biginer, i only stick to t's that are docile, i have a new river rust rump ( aphonopelma sp.) that is very well behaved and a chillie rose ( g. rosea ) that is also very good ( once tried to rip my finger off but was entirly my fault) i have a mexican red knee and a costa rican tiger rump on the way and all are said to be good beginers. all brachypelmas or grammostola are good begining t's as far as i know.

[Dee Pluck]

hiya annie

I'd say B vagans are a good next step from a G rosea.
I had two myself and one was alittle skittish but the other
was really calm. The calm one died but the other just matured
into a nice male.
another one is the B smithi, a great beginner spid too
(on sale at the mo in the spidershop.)
This was the first T i ever got and it was a great way to enter
the hobby. I got her as a large sling and she is now a beautiful
adult female. everyone should have a smithi.!
I personally wouldnt say C. cyaneopubescens is a good starter spid
mine is very very quick and doesnt at all like me near her tank.
she is very defensive.

good luck with your choice.
Dee

[Annie Dowell]

Thanks everyone for your help! I think I will go for it and get my 5 slings to raise!

I have been looking into Mexican Blood Leg (A - perfect for beginners. I really really want one, but out of my price range on spider shop (£45) I'd LOVE to bring on some slings of those.

For now, I will order my Red Rumps

Few q.
I understand that you keep them in small pots whilst they are just a few cm. Once they are too big, move to a space that is 3 or 4 times the size of spider and so on. How long normally is it between moves, and at what age are they classed as adults/sub adults/juviniles?

[Mark Harrison]

Craig, that is a beautiful looking T i cant wait till mine gets that size! I agree that they are feisty though lol named mine bolt for a reason . Having said that they are good eaters with a healthy appetite and beautiful colouration. I have found that with warm temp and regular feeding they are fairly quick growers...nothing like rosea's. Annie, when you think of selling them on let me know, i would love another Vagans.

[Craig Moore]

Thanks Mark - mine is called Titch

How long normally is it between moves, and at what age are they classed as adults/sub adults/juviniles?

B.vagans are (as Mark pointed out) one of the more quicker growing Brachypelmas. I read of a person who had a red rump grow from 1.5 inches to 4 inches in just over a year (I haven't had mine long enough to verify if that's accurate or not) Just gauge it between moults, mine was in a cricket tub when I first bought her (for a tenner- bargain!) but following her moult she now lives a 3 litre tub from Staples. I would say anything bigger than 3 cm is classed as juvenile and that maybe 4 inches onwards is sub-adult (please correct me if I'm way out here) Depends on the species of T more than anything.

Thanks