"Class Pet"

NotableRoom

Arachnopeon
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Jan 14, 2019
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Hello,
I am a special education teacher looking into a “class pet” that will excite my students and encourage them to learn. I have been doing a lot of research for the past few months and I think an Aphonopelma Chalcodes might be perfect for us.

I am a novice with invertebrates, but would like to know your thoughts/suggestions and see if you have any advice.

A few requirements I have:
1) Hesitent to flick hairs or bite (not that my students will ever, ever handle her)
2) A species that is more “visible” or less likely to burrow/hide for weeks at a time
3) Low humidity requirements (we live in Phoenix)
4) A locking enclosure that I can easily bring back and forth from school to home on the weekends.

I hope to hear from you and thank you for your time!
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
1,038
A word of caution, talk to the custodians/janitors to make sure they won’t clean your room with chemicals that might harm the tarantula. I think an A. chalcodes is an excellent choice. I love mine and she’s usually out in the open.
 

Nightstalker47

Arachnoking
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Jul 2, 2016
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2,612
Well the A.chalodes can be known to burrow pretty extensively, so they arent always visible. A great alternative would be B.hamorii IMO, always out, very calm and ferocious eaters.

Welcome to the forums.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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Jun 27, 2010
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Aphonopelma chalcodes is a good choice, but in my experience, the classic "Rose Hair" (Grammostola rosea or Grammostola porteri) is out-and-about a lot more than A. chalcodes. I got a chalcodes back in August - and except for the occasional "proof of life" peek under her hide, have not seen her since. My G. rosea, on the other hand, is out and about pretty much all the time, is super easy to care for, is also a desert species so is well suited to your environment (they should have dry substrate, but also a water dish in case they feel like having a drink), and I have never known her to flick hairs. She is my go-to spider for classroom presentations (which do include me carefully taking her out of her enclosure and holding her, maybe 2-3 times a year) because of her very docile nature.

If you are going to be keeping it at your school, find out if the school hires a pest control company that does regular spraying in or around classrooms throughout the school year. My kids' school does this. You want to make sure if spraying is scheduled that they skip your classroom (or at least don't spray inside the room) - and take her home when spraying is scheduled, even if it will be outside, in case of drift.
 

cold blood

Moderator
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13,223
A few requirements I have:
1) Hesitent to flick hairs or bite (not that my students will ever, ever handle her)
2) A species that is more “visible” or less likely to burrow/hide for weeks at a time
Yep....also pretty sedentary, with a low food requirement and a propensity for long fasts.

) Low humidity requirements (we live in Phoenix)
No t has humidity requirements...its simply a matter of damp substrate or dry. Your location is not restrictive of what species you could keep. But nearly all beginner species are kept dry, easy and the best choice without questions.

) A locking enclosure that I can easily bring back and forth from school to home on the weekends.
A tarantula isnt something you want to be transporting back and forth on any kind of a regular basis. If you get one, it would be best left at school. A. chalcodes would be ok in a cool classrom for weekends without issue....as can many good beginner species.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
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I recommend a Brachypelma instead. Our adult female B. auratum is always visible, is VERY calm (lots of movement/vibration around her enclosure doesn't phase her), and she has striking, eye catching colours.

1541190354450.jpg

My Aphonopelma chalcodes, on the other hand, is hiding 90% of the time.
 

Nightstalker47

Arachnoking
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Jul 2, 2016
Messages
2,612
I recommend a Brachypelma instead. Our adult female B. auratum is always visible, is VERY calm (lots of movement/vibration around her enclosure doesn't phase her), and she has striking, eye catching colours.
That she does, looking forward to seeing my sling grow up, thats one stunning spider.
 

NotableRoom

Arachnopeon
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I recommend a Brachypelma instead. Our adult female B. auratum is always visible, is VERY calm (lots of movement/vibration around her enclosure doesn't phase her), and she has striking, eye catching colours.

View attachment 297646

My Aphonopelma chalcodes, on the other hand, is hiding 90% of the time.
Thank you so much everyone for your kind replies! I looked a lot into Brachypelma Smithii but many of the websites said they are frequent hair-flickers. Thoughts?

Yep....also pretty sedentary, with a low food requirement and a propensity for long fasts.

No t has humidity requirements...its simply a matter of damp substrate or dry. Your location is not restrictive of what species you could keep. But nearly all beginner species are kept dry, easy and the best choice without questions.



A tarantula isnt something you want to be transporting back and forth on any kind of a regular basis. If you get one, it would be best left at school. A. chalcodes would be ok in a cool classrom for weekends without issue....as can many good beginner species.
The problem is that many of our classrooms are not heated/cooled on weekends, which can result in huge temperature differentials. My classroom regularly hits 50 in winter and 100 during August/September. I would of course leave her there whenever the weather permitted.
 
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Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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I recommend a Brachypelma instead. Our adult female B. auratum is always visible, is VERY calm (lots of movement/vibration around her enclosure doesn't phase her), and she has striking, eye catching colours.
My Brachypelma emilia is easily the calmest tarantula I have. She doesn't flick hairs (even when gently prodded) or bolt. Nothing seems to faze her, and she is visible all the time. (She's such a pet rock that I have tentatively named her "Petra" after the famous ancient city.)

Another good option is Grammostola pulchra: very calm -- sometimes even inquisitive -- and usually visible once they get past the spiderling stage.

Both species can be kept on dry substrate, which is the easiest for beginners.

The only downside is that juveniles and adults can be quite pricey, since they are slow growers.

The problem is that many of our classrooms are not heated/cooled on weekends, which can result in huge temperature differentials. My classroom regularly hits 50 in winter and 100 during August/September. I would of course leave her there whenever the weather permitted.
Yeah, I would not leave them in there at 50 degrees. They won't love the car trip, but if you have to bring them home for the weekend, they'll live.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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Thank you so much everyone for your kind replies! I looked a lot into Brachypelma Smithii but many of the websites said they are frequent hair-flickers. Thoughts?
Mine sure was! Not as bad as the GBB's, though (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) - those guys are terrible hair flickers.
 

cold blood

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Thank you so much everyone for your kind replies! I looked a lot into Brachypelma Smithii but many of the websites said they are frequent hair-flickers. Thoughts?
Hit or miss, some dont at all...others constantly. Some that almost never flick would be:

G. pulchripes and B. albopilosum
These are also more active and better eaters.

B. emelia and G. pulchra are also great choices, just much more expensive.
The problem is that many of our classrooms are not heated/cooled on weekends, which can result in huge temperature differentials. My classroom regularly hits 50 in winter and 100 during August/September. I would of course leave her there whenever the weather permitted.
I understand that, which is why i specifically mentioned it.

You could also easily create a micro climate by heating a larger tank with a simple heat pad on the side, and placing the t enclosure inside that larger tank.

Some species, like that chalcodes or a rose hair would actually do fine with those low temps.

Fluctuations arent a problem for them either.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
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That she does, looking forward to seeing my sling grow up, thats one stunning spider.
Thank you! I got her as an adult... I am hoping to get slings one of these days so I can watch them grow up!

Thank you so much everyone for your kind replies! I looked a lot into Brachypelma Smithii but many of the websites said they are frequent hair-flickers. Thoughts?
My juvenile male B. smithi has never kicked hairs. I haven't had him all that long, but he has been calm and visible most of the time. When I got him, he was actually eating a roach... the woman met me via bicycle, then the ridr home in my truck and rehousing at home... he never dropped his roach LOL

Yeah, I would not leave them in there at 50 degrees. They won't love the car trip, but if you have to bring them home for the weekend, they'll live.
They'd live just fine in 50°F for a weekend, as well. But I am disinclined to leave a critter locked in a classroom for a weekend... I'd ferry them back and forth. My Td have traveled pleeenty of times.
 

NotableRoom

Arachnopeon
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Thank you so much everyone! I think I might be more confused than I started but you all gave me excellent suggestions. It seems like G. Pulchra might be the best choice for our school family based on some of the recommendations in this thread. However, you’re right- they’re incredibly expensive to buy as juveniles or adult females. It looks like my students may need to wait until next year but it’ll be worth it to find the right T for us!
 

Paul1126

Arachnoangel
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I would second an adult Female B. hamorii
I wouldn't worry about hair flicking, some will do it more than others and it various from spider to spider.

Some peoples B. albo never kick mine kicks as soon as I open the lid.
 

NotableRoom

Arachnopeon
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I have one more question-
Are males different in personality than their female counterparts usually? I know they are not at all as long-lived.

Also, where is the best place to purchase captive bred adult T’s?

Thank you everyone!
 

Anoplogaster

Arachnodemon
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Jan 15, 2017
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675
Lots of breeders on this forum sell tarantulas in the classified section. Some will have shipping restrictions during the winter months, depending on locations. But it’s generally a good way to find spiders from people who know what they’re doing :)

Many desert species will be tolerant of temp fluctuations, particularly those found naturally in North America.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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I have one more question-
Are males different in personality than their female counterparts usually? I know they are not at all as long-lived.
Not until the males mature. At that point, their appetite decreases, and they spend much of their time wandering in search of a female.

Males do generally mature faster than females, which can actually be a plus for students wanting to observe a growing animal.


Also, where is the best place to purchase captive bred adult T’s?
Moderator note: We don't allow links to online stores, dealers, or ads on the discussion boards (as they are akin to endorsements or advertisements), although members are free to share such links via private message.

Check out our Classifieds section. You'll find lots of spiders for sale by businesses and hobbyists. (You can't post replies in the Classifieds section. Contact the seller by sending a private message or using whatever contact method is specified in the thread or on the reviews page.)

If you are looking for a particular species, search Classifieds for the scientific name. The genus name is often abbreviated to the first initial, so if you are not finding results with the binomial, such as Grammostola pulchra, try just the species name, such as pulchra. (Be aware that there are some species that share the same species name but belong to different genera, so check the genus before ordering.)

Whether you're buying from someone here or another Web site, you should read reviews here before ordering. (When you're reading a classified ad, you can quickly find the seller's review page by clicking the user name and then clicking "Reviews & Reports Page.") Don't forget to post a review after the transaction is complete.

Google is another way to find red flags, but I would disregard positive reviews on any site where the company being reviewed has editorial control (for example, on the company's Web site or on a Facebook page owned or moderated by the company).

Note: Many people recommend against buying spiders from stores that primarily deal in reptiles, as they often don't know what they are doing, and it's anyone's guess whether you will receive the species and sex you ordered.
 
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