Another newbie.

[Andrew Woffendin]

Hi all

Suppose I should introduce myself. Im Andrew, im completely new to the world of Ts, infact new to the world of anything that isnt a dog, cat, bird, or gerbil (all of which i have owned at some time in my life). Ive been skulking around many T forums for a while now, reading up on as much as i can, and have dedcided to start keeping Ts (i am already planning on having more than one T). However i wont be getting my first T for a few months.

suppose thats all you really need to know at the moment. cant tell you too much personal info as youd all think i was pretty wierd.

Oh and i dont like spiders. so this will be fun.


Andrew

[Luke Scott]

Get a avic pinktoe there are absolutely stunning and so sweet that was my first tarantula now I have 8 with 2 more on way so watch out there like Pringles once uve popped you deffently can't STOP

[Phil Lilley]

Re: Another newbie.

I wanted ONE, to get over my fear of spiders too...I know have 11. They are like Pringles, you can't have just one.

[Luke Scott]

They are beautiful amazing creatures what ts do u have

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... Suppose I should introduce myself. Im Andrew, im completely new to the world of Ts, ...

WELCOME TO THE HOBBY!

WELCOME TO THIS FORUM!

... Ive been skulking around many T forums for a while now, reading up on as much as i can, and have dedcided to start keeping Ts (i am already planning on having more than one T). However i wont be getting my first T for a few months. ...

Why wait? What's wrong with now?

Okay...but don't keep us hanging! We need to know what you get as soon as you get it. In fact, it might be a good idea to develop a "short list" of possible candidates before you buy any, and ask us if any are not good choices for the newbie. And, once you get any we need to see lots of photos. WE LUVS PICHERS! LOTSA PICHERS! Use one of the photo hosting sites like Imageshack or PhotoBucket to save space on the BTS server.

In anticipation I'm going to insert a generic newbie introduction. While it's aimed specifically at North Americans, you're keeping the same tarantulas as we, so it shouldn't make a lot of difference.

DID YOU HEAR THAT? THAT WAS THE NEWBIE ALARM!

There's nothing wrong with being a newbie as long as you do something about it. After 45 years of keeping tarantulas, I still consider myself a newbie. We can trace a tarantula's ancestry back over HALF A BILLION YEARS. They've had that long to develop and fine tune their lives and lifestyles. They're incredibly complex and detailed creatures. We're gonna be playing catch-up (that's the newbie part) for a long, LONG, LONG time!

The first thing you need to understand is the KISS principle, not to infer that you're stupid. Inexperienced, maybe. Stupid, I don't think so; you can speak, read, and write English (arguably one of the more difficult languages on Planet Earth), and use a computer just fine. But, I digress. As long as you supply the basic necessities of life for your captive tarantula, the less you incorporate into its cage and care regimen, the less there is to go tragically haywire. KISS, indeed!

The second thing you need to understand is that tarantulas are like no other creature you've ever kept or even heard about before. All your ingrained assumptions and prejudices don't apply to them, and may even be dangerous to them. They're neither tropical fish, reptiles, birds, nor hamsters, and you don't take care of them like any of those animals. One of the biggest problems with newbies is trying to get them to abandon all their prejudices and begin to look at the world from the vastly alien perspective of a huge, fuzzy spider.

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT.
MAKE SURE YOUR SEAT BACK AND TRAY TABLE ARE SECURED IN THEIR UPRIGHT POSITIONS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE H*** OF A RIDE!

Because tarantulas are so bizarre and unique, you have a lot of preliminary homework to do. So, we begin. You need to read the following webpages.

1) Stan's Rant. ESPECIALLY, READ THE PART ABOUT NOT TRUSTING ANYTHING A PET SHOP TELLS YOU! AND ESPECIALLY, STUDY, EVEN COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE FOUR RECOMMENDED BOOKS.

2) Myths.... Read the entire webpage tree.

3) Care and Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula. Even if you're never going to keep a rose this webpage holds a lot of advice that 's applicable to nearly every other desert tarantula.

4) Substrate because you need to know about this very basic part of a tarantula's existence.

5) If you can possibly spare the time, at least skim through the entire Spiders, Calgary website.

... Oh and i dont like spiders. so this will be fun. ...

Firstly, you're a brave soul! Congratulations.

Secondly, you're wrong. You may not like some artificial, hypothetical, mental construct of what you have been told a spider is. But, since you don't know spiders very well, and probably least of all tarantulas, you really are in no position to know whether you really like the real thing or not. Regardless, we're gonna fix that!


Enjoy your newfound little 8-legged buddies!

[Andrew Woffendin]

WELCOME TO THE HOBBY!

WELCOME TO THIS FORUM!

Thankyou for the welcome

1) Stan's Rant. ESPECIALLY, READ THE PART ABOUT NOT TRUSTING ANYTHING A PET SHOP TELLS YOU! AND ESPECIALLY, STUDY, EVEN COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE FOUR RECOMMENDED BOOKS.

Already read this and bookmarked it.

2) Myths.... Read the entire webpage tree.

Already read this.

3) Care and Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula. Even if you're never going to keep a rose this webpage holds a lot of advice that 's applicable to nearly every other desert tarantula.

Already read this.

4) Substrate because you need to know about this very basic part of a tarantula's existence.
.

Already read this.

5) If you can possibly spare the time, at least skim through the entire Spiders, Calgary website.

I hadnt already read this, but have now.

Firstly, you're a brave soul! Congratulations.

Secondly, you're wrong. You may not like some artificial, hypothetical, mental construct of what you have been told a spider is. But, since you don't know spiders very well, and probably least of all tarantulas, you really are in no position to know whether you really like the real thing or not. Regardless, we're gonna fix that!

I should have probably been more specific, i dont like small spiders, they give me the creeps.

Enjoy your newfound little 8-legged buddies!

Im sure i will

Okay...but don't keep us hanging! We need to know what you get as soon as you get it. In fact, it might be a good idea to develop a "short list" of possible candidates before you buy any, and ask us if any are not good choices for the newbie.

G.rosea
G.pulchera
A.purpurea
C.fasciatum
P.regalis
P.metallica
H.lividium
P.irminia


ok so theres my list for now. The rosea and pulchera are the only ones i would be thinking of to start my collection.

On a side note what does sp mean when seen in a Ts name?

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... I should have probably been more specific, i dont like small spiders, they give me the creeps. ...

I had to respond to this! Read the following:

Love your tarantulas, but creeped out by wild spiders in your house?

Heya! New to spiders. (Scroll about halfway down.)

...
G.rosea
G.pulchera
A.purpurea
C.fasciatum
P.regalis
P.metallica
H.lividium
P.irminia


ok so theres my list for now. The rosea and pulchera are the only ones i would be thinking of to start my collection....

Both G. rosea and G. pulchra make very good to excellent pets and usually make very good choices for the beginner. As adults, care for them both a strict arid species.

If you get a G. rosea be sure to read Care and Husbandry... It'll save you a lot of grief and consternation. They do have some problems, but we've learned to deal with them, or at least not go crazy fretting over them. They're overwhelming good points are that they're relatively inexpensive, and they're pretty much bullet proof. Note that only wild caught G. rosea have "Hemisphere Shift" problems. Those that are captive born are just like any other tarantula.

And, how can anything that's basically just black be so beautiful as a G. pulchra? G. pulchra apparently doesn't experience the dreaded "Hemisphere Shift" problem as G. rosea, and is very nearly as hardy.

Why not get both?

Which brings us to this:

Has no one told you of the tarantula enthusiast's lament?

"LIKE THOSE POTATO CHIPS, YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!"

You've been warned!



Poecilotheria regalis and P. metallica are both large, fast tarantulas that are usually quick to bite and have very potent venoms. While you won't die if bitten, for several days or a week you may think you're about to, or wish you would! These are not for the beginner. Also, while the price is dropping, P. metallica are still beastly expensive. If it experiences a price crash, or you're independently, filthy, stinking rich, maybe you can get one later. Otherwise, put it on your bucket list for when you win the Lotto! As adults, care for these as semi-arid to arid arboreals.

Haplopelma lividum is a fairly hardy, beautiful tarantula. But, it's an obligate burrower, and you'll probably seldom see it. Are you willing to pay that kind of money for a pet hole? Also, they are inclined to bite at the drop of your hat, and their venom is relatively potent. You won't die, but for a day or two you may wish you would! You can get more information about this species by checking out the following:

Spinnen in der Natur

Thai wildlife: Rare footage of haplopelma minax Taking care of her burrow.

As adults, care for these as semi-arid burrowers.

One beautiful species which you didn't list, but which you might consider is Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, the greenbottle blue tarantula from Venezuela. Gorgeous tarantulas! These are relatively docile and hardy if cared for as an arid species as adults. See these for more information:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...e-Blue-feeding

Rick C. West in Paraguaná, Venezuela looking for GBBs

Paraguaná xeric scrubland (home of the GBB)

Wikipedia: Greenbottle Blue Tarantula

... On a side note what does sp mean when seen in a Ts name?

Taxonomists use the notation (as in "Grammostola sp.") to indicate an unspecified or unidentified species classified in the genus. Note the lack of any further qualifying identifier such as "Valparaiso."

Enthusiasts use approximately the same designation for approximately the same purposes, but often append some unique identifier to distinguish their particular specimen or population from any others., e.g., Grammostola sp. "Valparaiso." We presume that this means that the tarantula in question is tentatively identified as belonging in the genus Grammostola (but, since we're dealing with amateurs there's no guarantee), and was presumably collected somewhere near Valparaiso, Chile (with no guarantee as to how far or close to Valparaiso). Enthusiasts must be very careful about this sort of naming because, while it looks very official and scholarly, it's a barefaced admission that the namer wasn't able or willing to make a closer identification (and therefore, commitment), and the buyer may end up paying an exorbitant fee for a very common species (e.g., Grammostola rosea) instead of a true "collector's item."

Hope all this helps. Best of luck.


Enjoy your little 8-legged neon wonder!

[Mark Knowles]

Hi- wow! How to follow that
If you have trouble finding a pulchra you could consider a pulcheripes-often forgotten sp. I had a list at 1st , ended up with some of them or whatever caught my eye at time. Im sure lots of people are like that?
Oh welcome to the hobby!

[michael connachan]

The amount of differing info on the web is just exhausting from one site regarding P.Regalis to another saying humidity should be 65%-70% then another saying they should be kept at 75%-80% what's going on can they all not just get together and decide once and for all what they keep their own at and then pass on said info to the normal hobbyist it is really quite disconcerting when wrong humidity and temps can kill our beloved tarantulas, very confused and annoyed, I tend to ere on the side of a little bit of common sense and see, have kept T's for a long time now 10 years or so, and I have only had one untimely death yeah you guessed it my Avicularia Versicolor, who died after 8 months in my care from an 8mm sling to going on an inch and a half. Still not sure what killed it but woke up one morning and it was stuck in its molt exhausted and dead I'm afraid. Sorry to keep rambling on but you get my drift (I HOPE).

[Szandra Speier]

and I have only had one untimely death yeah you guessed it my Avicularia Versicolor, who died after 8 months in my care from an 8mm sling to going on an inch and a half. Still not sure what killed it but woke up one morning and it was stuck in its molt exhausted and dead I'm afraid. Sorry to keep rambling on but you get my drift (I HOPE).

It's SASD (Sudden Avicularia Death Syndrome) ...I think it's not just whit you happend so.

[Peter Lacey]

Szandra, SASD is merely a term invented by people on forums. I saw this develop and its quite amazing that what turned out to be funny diagnosis has become a term people use. However, I guess it does indicate that problems exist.
I'd say the biggest cause of Avics dying is due to far too moist an enclosure and lack of ventilation. Remedy both of these issues and we have a miraculous cure. I therefore put loads of ventilation in the enclosures and keep them off-dry.

[Szandra Speier]

Maybe you have right Peter, I dont had ever an Avicularia, I just heard a lot about tath SASD from another forum members before.

[Stanley A. Schultz]

The amount of differing info on the web is just exhausting from one site regarding P.Regalis to another saying humidity should be 65%-70% then another saying they should be kept at 75%-80% what's going on can they all not just get together and decide once and for all what they keep their own at and then pass on said info to the normal hobbyist ...

The reason for this confusion is that none of the authors have had enough experience to realize that tarantulas are exceedingly resilient organisms, capable of adapting to a truly amazing spectrum of conditions. If one has had good luck keeping P. regalis at 75% to 80% relative humidity, and perhaps never tried any other, that's what they avow as the King's truth. Another has had the same experience with 65% to 70%, so that's what they recommend. While in fact, P. regalis is capable of surviving for long periods, if not thriving in a relative humidity ranging from perhaps 50 or 55% all the way up to nearly 100%!

Read Relative Humidity for more information than you really thought you'd need.

... it is really quite disconcerting when wrong humidity and temps can kill our beloved tarantulas, ...

In fact, maybe you should back up a level or two and read the web tree beginning with Myths...

Or if you have time, scan through the entire web tree beginning with Spiders, Calgary.


Your little 8-legged buddy will be giving you spot quizzes daily!

[Mandy James]

Congrats on deciding to get a tarantula. They really are fascinating creatures. I too am scared of spiders, which is why I decided to get a T almost a year ago. I've had some hairy moments (no pun intended), even been in tears at times but I am getting better,oh and I've just recently added two more to the collection. So yep as you've already been warned, be prepared to want more