Friendly T's?

[Galaxyblues]

Can y'all give me your lists of (in your opinion) the most friendly tarantulas, large and small? I am considering getting a "heart butt", a GBB, or a salmon pink birdeater. i am looking for a very large, but friendly tarantula... thanks!

P.S. I already have an a. calcodes, so pref. don't include those in any of the lists.

clarification: by "friendly" i mean not bolty/too jumpy. my friend's tarantula attacked the stick i was feeding him with and almost got my hand... oh hell nah

 

[Derivative]

There is no such thing as a "friendly" tarantula. Tarantulas dont enjoy human presence. The ones that dont bite you when you piss them off are considered to be docile and the only time docility is important is when someone is going to be handleing the tarantula or rehousing and even then as long as the T is not speedy Gonzalez temperament isn't overly important.
To make this reply shorter im just gonna say do not handle. Handling has no upside.
If you are looking for a docile begginer species go with Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, or Grammostola. If you are looking for something bigger go for G. Pulchripes. If you're looking for something a little more advanced go with Acanthoscurria, or Lasiodora.

 

[Galaxyblues]

There is no such thing as a "friendly" tarantula. Tarantulas dont enjoy human presence. The ones that dont bite you when you piss them off are considered to be docile and the only time docility is important is when someone is going to be handleing the tarantula or rehousing and even then as long as the T is not speedy Gonzalez temperament isn't overly important.
To make this reply shorter im just gonna say do not handle. Handling has no upside.
If you are looking for a docile begginer species go with Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, or Grammostola. If you are looking for something bigger go for G. Pulchripes. If you're looking for something a little more advanced go with Acanthoscurria, or Lasiodora.

CLARIFICATION: BY "friendly" i meant not jumpy or super apt to freak out and bolt when i walk into the room...

 

[chanda]

When you say "heart butt" are you referring to the Cyriocosmus species? Because as cute as they are, they are defintely not "very large" or even moderately large tarantulas! The Cyriocosmus are dwarf tarantulas that remain quite tiny even as adults. I currently have two mature male Cyriocosmus elegans - both of which have a total body length of less than one inch.

I wouldn't really call any tarantulas "friendly." At best, some are more docile and tolerant than others - but even that can vary significantly from species to species, from individual to individual within a given species, or even from day to day for any given spider. That "pet rock" of a spider that "always" lets you pick it up and handle it can suddenly decide to bolt, to bite, or to flick hairs at you.

Of the species you mentioned, I would not consider any of them to be particularly docile. My Cyriocosmus are quite skittish, spending the majority of their time down their burrows - particularly if I get too close or open their enclosures to feed them. Of all my spiders, the GBBs are consistently the worst as far as hair kicking goes. The Lasiodora parahybana ("Salmon Pink") have been moderately defensive, giving me threat poses or kicking hairs when disturbed, though they didn't kick hairs as badly as the GBBs. The closest I'd come to calling any of my spiders "friendly" would be the notorious "pet rock" species like the good old Rose Hair, Grammostola porteri, the Curly Hair, Brachypelma albopilosum, and the native Aphonopelma species that I find here in SoCal - and even those have their days are anything but friendly.

The real question is why you want a "friendly" tarantula. Is it because you want something you can hold and pet and cuddle? If so, you are better off getting a cat or a dog. Tarantulas do not like to be held. At best, they will tolerate it, but they do not benefit from it in any way. It is not a deep, emotional bonding experience for them. All it does is put them at unnecessary risk of suffering a fatal fall or other injury - and it also puts you at risk of being haired or bitten.

Now, if you just want a large, fast-growing, cool-to-look-at-it-in-the-tank tarantula (which is, after all, where they belong) then there are a number of fabulous species out there. Lasiodora parahybana, Acanthoscurria geniculata, Nhandu chromatus, and the GBB (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) (just to name a few) all meet those requirements - and all are pretty easy to take care of. They are aggressive feeders and - at least in my experience - are highly visible, spending most of their time out in the open. The GBBs are also prolific webbers, which is cool if you like that sort of thing. Larger spiders can be pretty expensive to buy, but you should be able to get a sling or juvenile for a reasonable price and then watch it grow. The above mentioned species grow pretty fast - particularly when compared to the glacial pace of some other species (like some of the Grammostolas, for example).

*Edit after seeing your clarification: why were you feeding your friend's tarantula with a stick? While some people do tong-feed their spiders, it's generally not a very good idea. If the tarantula strikes the tongs (or chopsticks or whatever other tool you are using to offer prey) it could break its fangs - an injury that could prove fatal if it is unable to eat afterward. It's better to just drop the prey in and let the spider chase it down. Tongs should only be used for cage maintenance, such as removing discarded or uneaten prey, waste materials, and molts.

 

[Thekla]

clarification: by "friendly" i mean not bolty/too jumpy. my friend's tarantula attacked the stick i was feeding him with and almost got my hand... oh hell nah

Every tarantula has a feeding response (that's what you experienced) and will jump on prey. Even my H. chilensis jumped so hard at the mealworm I shoved in her direction with a straw I almost got a heart attack.

Apart from that, I agree with @chanda, with tong- or stick-feeding there're risks of the spider breaking a fang or two. I always just put the feeder (dead, half-dead or alive) in the enclosure and watch the show.

I recommend reading this thread: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/tarantula-information-for-beginners-and-more.318718/

There're tons of information and also a few lists of good beginner species.

 

[Vanisher]

If you want a docile (for most part) cool looking and hungry tarantula, i suggest B albopilosum! I have a little problem regarding the word docile. It depends how the word is used. To say general docile is ok, but not suggesting a tarantula to a beginner saying "it is a docile speicies" He/she gets it and it turns out to be mothing but docile!

 

[BoyFromLA]

Q: Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?
A: Yes.

Q: Friendly tarantula?
A: No.

 

[Ungoliant]

Can y'all give me your lists of (in your opinion) the most friendly tarantulas, large and small? I am considering getting a "heart butt", a GBB, or a salmon pink birdeater. i am looking for a very large, but friendly tarantula... thanks!

P.S. I already have an a. calcodes, so pref. don't include those in any of the lists.

clarification: by "friendly" i mean not bolty/too jumpy.

GBBs tend to be skittish. They are also faster and may be prone to kicking hairs.

My most docile tarantulas are easily my Brachypelma emilia and Grammostola pulchra. The B. emilia seems indifferent to activity in the enclosure -- even when I put her in a clear plastic container to sex her, she did not react quickly or defensively.

My pulchras have an almost curious temperament. They seem to check out anything that's going on in the enclosure.

Neither species gets huge, but both are large and bulky as adults.

I don't recommend handling any tarantula, but if you're looking for something that is generally slow and less prone to startling bursts of speed, these are good choices.

 

[Teal]

Oh here we go...

Can y'all give me your lists of (in your opinion) the most friendly tarantulas, large and small?

Tarantulas are not "friendly."

I am considering getting a "heart butt" (1), a GBB, or a salmon pink birdeater. i am looking for a very large, but friendly tarantula... thanks!

1. A what the eff? That isn't even a thing. Use scientific names so you at least make a little sense in this entire post.

.S. I already have an a. calcodes(1), so pref. don't include those in any of the lists.

Well, at least you tried...
1. A. chalcodes

clarification: by "friendly" i mean not bolty/too jumpy. my friend's tarantula attacked the stick i was feeding him with and almost got my hand... oh hell nah

How dare a spider attack its prey

How do you feed a spider with a stick? Were you offering it a kebob?

 

[Vanessa]

Can y'all give me your lists of (in your opinion) the most friendly tarantulas, large and small? I am considering getting a "heart butt", a GBB, or a salmon pink birdeater. i am looking for a very large, but friendly tarantula... thanks!
P.S. I already have an a. calcodes, so pref. don't include those in any of the lists.
clarification: by "friendly" i mean not bolty/too jumpy. my friend's tarantula attacked the stick i was feeding him with and almost got my hand... oh hell nah

Cyriocosmus on a whole are very fast and skittish, although not really defensive, and you rarely see them. Also, most of the genus tops out at 1.5-2", so they are anything but 'very large'.
Chromatoplema cyaneopubescens is fast, skittish, and often have very enthusiastic feeding responses. Same with all species of Lasiodora.
They all have the potential of reacting in that manner to feeding... every single one of them. The way you get around that is to not tong feed them. Nobody can guarantee you that any species won't attack the tongs, or even come right up them, if they are hungry enough.

 

[EtienneN]

Tarantulas are NOT domesticated, they are wild animals and as such they are prone to be very unpredictable. However, I would say that the G. pulchra is a tarantula with a pretty even keeled temperament. They get good sized but not super big. Just don’t handle the spider. It could accidentally get hurt or killed.

 

[asunshinefix]

I think you've gotten a good explanation of why there's no such thing as a friendly or handleable spider. That said my chillest/most forgiving of the dumb beginner mistakes I made is by far my Homeoemma chilensis. Close second goes to Grammostola pulchra or pulchripes. My Brachypelma albopilosum is also very good-natured but more skittish than the others I mentioned.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

My lasiodora parahybana is super "friendly". It was however pretty skittish as a sling so I guess it's got to do with what stage you are buying you're tarantula at as well. As the different life stages bring different moods to pretty much all living things

 

[nicodimus22]

If there was only a giant version of H. chilensis, that might be ideal for you. Mine is super relaxed.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

My 'Orange Bob' is incredibly friendly, but only because I always whistle this song before opening her cage

 

[asunshinefix]

If there was only a giant version of H. chilensis. Mine is super relaxed.

I wish I could blow mine up to dog size! I mean okay, she'd probably try to eat me, but imagine getting to hug and cuddle a big ol spooder...

 

[nicodimus22]

I wish I could blow mine up to dog size! I mean okay, she'd probably try to eat me

Yes, but in the nicest way possible.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

O. aureotibialis - mine always tries to hug me

View media item 58010

 

[FrDoc]

Please! Please! What must I do to obtain the facepalm?!

O. aureotibialis - mine always tries to hug me

View media item 58010

I cannot see this picture enough.

For all of you showing off your ability to face palm, my post said I wanted to obtain “the” face palm (definite article), not “a” face palm. Heh!

 

[The Grym Reaper]

For all of you showing off your ability to face palm, my post said I wanted to obtain “the” face palm (definite article), not “a” face palm. Heh!

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