beginner thinking about getting an A. avic and looking for advice

[SlytherinAway]

hello all
I am relatively new to the hobby, but I am already looking to expand my collection. I currently have three slings (A. seemani, B. vagans, and G. pulchripes) but I would like to get an adult T that I can display and not worry about as much as a little sling. I work at a local exotic pet shop and we have some Avicularia avicularia for decent prices and I've been debating picking one up. The one I have been eyeballing is around 3.5 inches DLS and I was curious if this would be a decent first adult T. I have also been thinking about picking up an adult A. calcodes but I would prefer an arboreal tarantula if possible.

If the Avic is a good stepping stone, could I sex it at that size to be sure I'm getting a female?

I should note I have done a good bit of research on Avics and I already have an enclosure at home, just not set up.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

A. avicularia is a decent first arboreal and at 3.5" you should be able to sex it (don't ask me though, I suck at vent sexing Avics). What sort of enclosure do you have for it?

 

[Ungoliant]

I currently have three slings (A. seemani, B. vagans, and G. pulchripes) but I would like to get an adult T that I can display and not worry about as much as a little sling. I work at a local exotic pet shop and we have some Avicularia avicularia for decent prices and I've been debating picking one up. The one I have been eyeballing is around 3.5 inches DLS and I was curious if this would be a decent first adult T. I have also been thinking about picking up an adult A. calcodes but I would prefer an arboreal tarantula if possible.

This is a good choice.

If the chalcodes is a good price, you can always get both.

If the Avic is a good stepping stone, could I sex it at that size to be sure I'm getting a female?

Yes. Take a photo and post it in the sexing gallery.

I should note I have done a good bit of research on Avics and I already have an enclosure at home, just not set up.

Feel free to post photos of your setup here for feedback.

 

[SlytherinAway]

thanks yall. I have both an exo terra nano tall and some various old pretzel containers. I am going to replace the screen top on the exo terra with something the T cant get caught on if that's what I decide to go for

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I am going to replace the screen top on the exo terra with something the T cant get caught on if that's what I decide to go for

I haven't done this with the ones that house my C. versicolor pair (I'd recommend it for non-Avicularinae arboreals though as they can rip the mesh), I do have a lot of clutter up top though so if (on the off-chance) they do get caught somewhere they should be able to easily free themselves.

 

[SlytherinAway]

I kinda need to replace the mesh as it is already torn lol. My friends tokay tore through it and is now living somewhere in her closet.

 

[Patrick McFarland]

An Avic would be a great first arboreal. Can you get a pic of the underside for us to help sex it?

 

[SlytherinAway]

went in to check it out and it looked pretty leggy with a small abdomen so i assumed it to be male. If i see it against the glass i could try to snap a picture

 

[cold blood]

went in to check it out and it looked pretty leggy with a small abdomen so i assumed it to be male. If i see it against the glass i could try to snap a picture

Well it could be a mature male....but if its not, it could simply have molted recently.

When getting ventral pics, be sure to include ventral shots of the palps.

 

[SlytherinAway]

can do. i dont think it's molted recently as we usually keep track of that kind of stuff, but i can always check to be sure

 

[SlytherinAway]

how bolty are avic slings? I figure I can get a few slings for the price of an adult but I've heard quite a bit about sudden bursts of speed.

 

[EtienneN]

how bolty are avic slings? I figure I can get a few slings for the price of an adult but I've heard quite a bit about sudden bursts of speed.

I’d say they are decently bolty. My A avic seemed less bolty than my C. versicolor who at like less than 0.75” would constantly try to set a land speed record every time I opened her cup.

edit: the bolting can be mitigated by putting your sling(s) in deli cups with plastic lids instead of the micro acrylic sling boxes sold online that are often included with the spider. Those (like the one I had) have to be either pulled apart in the middle or half cracked.

 

[SlytherinAway]

damn lol. I might stick with the mostly calm slings I have for now then. I'm still working on some arachnophobia issues so bolty spiders are a bit off-putting.

 

[Wyoguy069]

A 4 inch Avic was my first tarantula about 3 months ago. Toni/Tony has not been sexed yet as he/she molted while we were on vacation. She ( I’m optimistic) has become one of my favorites . A little fast when she wants to be, but shows no aggression. Recently she comes down and takes Dubias right from the tongs. The fact they are around $30-$50 makes them even more appealing

 

[SlytherinAway]

oh wow, she's gorgeous!
i definitely have a soft spot for the metallics. I'll definitely mull things over over the next couple days.

 

[viper69]

how bolty are avic slings? I figure I can get a few slings for the price of an adult but I've heard quite a bit about sudden bursts of speed.

All Ts are faster than humans to a point.

Avics will jump without a second thought. And they are extremely fast when they choose to be.

 

[Predacons5]

You ever watched this video about Avics?

Gives you an idea of what their natural habitats are like.

I have Avic. avicularia and Avic. juruensis Morph 2 (aka "Peru Purple"). Both do not really bolt as readily or as quickly as the Phlogiellus sp. Palawan I have. I had some fun chasing 1 of the Phlogiellus sp. Palawan down during its unpacking. Catch cups are your friend. It also helps to stay calm and not freak out either. Compared to stuff that run some distance at a drop of a hat, Avics are nothing. Avics bolt kinda "slow" and in short bursts compared to something like the Phlogiellus sp. Palawan. Just don't make sudden moves or poke and prod it too much during the unpacking/housing. Keep it slow and steady.

Easy trick to not touch the tarantula sling or freak your T's out during unpacking:

Open the vial the T is in and check to see if it is moving around by using a flashlight to look into the vial. If it is moving slightly, you can place the entire vial into the enclosure and let the T crawl out on its own. I unpacked all my Avics this way. There's no rule that says you must use a pair of forceps to remove the paper towel and unroll it to get the animal into the enclosure.

If you choose to do the removal of the paper towel method, you can carefully unroll the paper towel with 2 pairs of forceps up to the point when you can barely see the spider, then rip off the excess portion of the roll of paper towel, and carefully place the portion of the paper towel with the tarantula in it into the enclosure with a pair of forceps. If you don't feel comfortable ripping the excess paper towel, you can just put the entire piece of unrolled paper towel into the enclosure and allow the tarantula to crawl out on its own. Be ready with a catch cup in case the Avics decide to bolt. It is best to use this method by unpacking the tarantula inside the intended enclosure or directly over it (if the enclosure is small).

If you want to know what kind of forceps I prefer to use for unpacking slings...I love the Adson Tissue Forceps 4.75" 9x9.

For the adults, just find a longer pair of forceps. Method is the same as mentioned above.

 

[Derivative]

VENTILATION, VENTILATION, VENTILATION!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dapink02]

thanks yall. I have both an exo terra nano tall and some various old pretzel containers. I am going to replace the screen top on the exo terra with something the T cant get caught on if that's what I decide to go for

I've heard people leaving the mesh on with no problems, but I replaced the mesh on mine just to be safe. I personally love A. avicularia as it was the second T I ever owned. Mine's always on full display on the outside of her bark hide so it's a good option for display. Not to mention it's a beautiful species.