Introductions!

[the ming cu]

Hiya all!

I'm a college student and a starting enthusiast, it's been a year now.
I'm into spiders, any spiders will do.
I like scorpions and snakes as well but I love spiders more.

I only have: 1 versicolor 1.25" (probably female), 4 (probably) selenocosmia javanensis range 8-9 cm, and 270 eggs of (probably) selenocosmia javanensis. wish them develop into baby spiders soon
I'm glad I can join this forum and hope can cooperate with you all.

[Kathie Franotovich]

New forum member from the US

Hi everyone, I'm Kathie and I live in the US, west coast (California). I'm a retired nurse. I've been an animal lover my whole life, but my idea of "fur kids" never included furry little tarantulas. Now, due to a request by a neighbor to baby-sit her tarantula while she's out of the country for 2 months (she's a school teacher, and this is the class tarantula), I've been studying about them. I've been reading forums, and I'm halfway through "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" by Stanley and Marguerite Schultz.

In the past, looking at pic's of tarantulas made me shudder -- I've never liked looking at insects or spiders. I'm not afraid of them, it's just a physical response. Couldn't even watch documentaries about insects or spiders.

But --- now after a couple of weeks looking at photos of tarantulas, I'm appreciating their beauty and the beauty of their pure instinctual drive to survive, both as a species and as individuals. What I considered ugly has become beautiful ... I'm reminded of an observation by Pamela Colman Smith, an early 20th century artist and writer: "Ugliness is beauty, but with a difference, a nobleness that speaks through all the hard crust of convention."

So I'm very close to agreeing to care for "Tranchie" (named by my neighbor's first grade students). I have a major reservation about this. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not sure I can get over my aversion to insects, and obviously this will hamper my ability to feed Tranchie. Later today I plan to ask for advice about this problem in your discussion forum.

I really want to get over this, because I've actually been looking at online breeders / sellers of tarantulas, and I'm fixated on the idea of getting a G. pulchra and a B. smithi ! When I heard myself say "beautiful" the first time I saw a photo of a G. pulchra, I thought, uh oh, I feel an obsession coming on.

So anyway, hello to all, and this seems like a nice place to talk about tarantulas.

--Kathie

[Carole Dallison]

Hi Guys.
I`m Caz and I`m a newbie. I`ve had a facination about Tarantula`s for years. Asked hubby if I could have one, his reply was "No, it aint happening" So we`re now divorced and I have 14 gorgeous little T`s, haha! Looking forward to meeting and chatting to everyone.

[Andrew climance]

Hi,

I'm a returning member of the board, let things lapse a bit, I'm afraid.

Still have Sydney the Lasiodora parahybana and have four vivs waiting for houseguests!

Good to be back and I look forward to catching up on the latest news.

[Bernadette Hughes]

welcome, Bernadette! lovely T's you have! bet you end up with a few more at the show
you should meet a fair few of us there!

Aye well I'll be bringing the the A.Metillica and the G.Rosea to the show and yep I plan to come home with a few ^^. It will be nice to meet people who are not afraid of my babies.

[James Box]

welcome, Bernadette! lovely T's you have! bet you end up with a few more at the show
you should meet a fair few of us there!

[Bernadette Hughes]

Hello there, about time I got around to doing this.

My name is Bernadette Hughes and I live in Wales with my husband and 3 Tarantula's. Got into this hobby by accident, my sister had a G.Rosea that she coulsn't keep anymore and so passed it on to me. 4 years later, I now have a A. Metillica as well as the G.Rosea and a E.Camperstratus 'sling too. Have been watching the BTS website and forums for awhile and decide to jump onboard ^^ and will be going to this year's show in a few weeks. Hopefully will see you guys there

[James Box]

welcome, Wayne, Christian and Chris!
Wayne, i'll check out your site, sounds great! hope you enjoy it over here...i don't know the Redditch area, but doubtless they'll be an enthusiast or two nearby! plus we all meet up at the shows.
Christian, nice to see another US member!
Chris, welcome to the hobby, glad you're being proactive with the phobia. this hobby has helped many overcome it!

[Chris M]

Hi everyone,
I'm Chris, 36, and like a few others here got a T to help conquer my arachnophobia!

I'm very new to the hobby but am enjoying it immensley, hence my joining the BTS

Cheers,

Chris

[Colin D Wilson]

Welcome to the forum guys, nice to see keepers from other countries on here.

[Christian Feick]

Hello BTS,

My name is Christian and I live on the west coast of the US. I am happy to be here and an actual member of your forum. I have heard only good things about the BTS, I have searched and read many threads here prior to joining. I have been keeping tarantulas for over a decade now, they never cease to amaze me. This seems like a Great place to expand my knowledge and share my experiences as well.

Christian

[Waynebraidwood]

Hi Peoples.
I am from down under (South Africa), Pinetown Durban. I have been keeping and breeding Tarantulas for than a couple of years now. Very soon I will be immigrating back to the UK, Redditch to be more exact. I was wondering if there are people in that area who keep and breed Tarantulas that I could get in contact with. If anyone would like to visit the south African site and read up on some of goings on, here is the site URL http://www.tarantulas.co.za . I have not been very active on the site for various reasons but is a wealth of info. I still have some Tarantulas but am in the process of selling them off and giving them away before I leave for the Uk.
Cheers
Wayne

[James Box]

welcome Stephen! it'll be great to see your spider. the only problem is that being on here will tempt you to get many more!
pity about the striata, they're one of members of that genus that i personally like.
hope you do make it to a show sometime to meet some of this bunch! loads of friendly people and great spiders to be seen!

[James Box]

welcome, Juan! must be amazing having those spiders on your doorstep!
hope you manage to make it to the BTS expo sometime soon, be good to meet you!

[Stephen Heather]

Hey team,

I started off with a B.Smithi which I bought for £30 ( lol i know ) at my local reptile shop its was a tiny spider ling about the size of a 20p, I have now had it for just under 5 years and is now bigger than a CD. I have had it sexed and confirmed that its a female. Shes called Myetta, a couple of years ago I was going to sell her, was about to put the ad in the paper and felt really sad so didn't bother and decided to keep her. I bought another spider ling a pokie (Poecilotheria Straita). Only problem was we had a very cold winter here in fife and unfortunately I lost the little fella, which prompted me to move the glass cabinet from the outside wall to an inside wall in my living room. Although I am not completely sure if the cold was the problem as my mates one passed away as well. The Straita had a molt as well. Anyway.

I joined BTS to speak to other people in the hobby and to gain some much needed experience although I don't think I have done to bad with my b.smithi, I will post some pics of my b.smithi for comments in a few hours, she has bright red knees unlike other pictures I have seen....

I work as a I.T technician for Samsung but am going back to university this year to complete my BENG in Computer Security and Forensics. I live in Inverkeithing in Fife, don't know were it is?, I can see the Forth Rail bridge and trains going across it from my kitchen and bedroom window.

I hope I will be able to attend one of the conventions shortly.

Thank you for reading and HI.