Prodigal Returns

Profkrakatoa

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
177
I've been gone for a long time! I am thinking of bringing the wonder of tarantulas to my students by having one in my classroom. I had a Rose Hair many moons ago and he died of old age. Suggestions for the best T for a middle school classroom.
 

FrDoc

Gen. 1:24-25
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jul 18, 2017
Messages
832
I’m thinking go with what you know. Rosies were, and are a hobby staple. I can think of no better for the classroom. A B. albopilosum may be as good, and a bit easier and less expensive to obtain. Whatever you decide, welcome back into the fold.
 

Brachyfan

Deactivated account
Joined
Jun 14, 2019
Messages
310
My vote would be a Grammastola pulchripes. The get large and are pretty docile.
 

Andrew Clayton

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
579
Grammostola Pulchripes there docile and hardly ever kick hair. Since you have kept Ts before and the students shouldn’t be handling, Acanthoscurria Geniculata may be good there easy to care for look great and have a ferocious appetite making for great observation
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
1,038
I love my female G. pulchripes! She has a wonderful attitude and she takes her prey so slowly and deliberately like a little lady! And those freshly moulted colours are awesome!
 

Montgg

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
56
If you are not planing on handling it, I think something like a GBB would be interesting and possibly bring more interest from the students as they have the potential to build some amazing webs and are very nice to look at. But then again they are a lot more expensive now. Really its up to you , as long as you have the care down , then any species would work (minus old worlds for obvious reasons).
 

Andrew Clayton

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
579
(minus old worlds for obvious reasons).
Yea they may have stronger venom but IME my Acanthoscurria Geniculata gives more threat poses than I’d care to admit while I have a Phormingochilus Everetti that is that calm you could handle her (never handle, I’m just saying you could) we don’t advise old worlds to new keepers but the op has kept Ts before and is looking for a display piece for his class so that’s why no1 has mentioned an old world, because you never see them not like you’re big bulky new world terrestrial
 

Arachnophoric

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
947
I think a GBB (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) would be terrific for a class set up as they tend to be more active than your average Grammastola and would probably be visually a bit more engaging for your students. Not to knock Grammies, but they tend to be pretty sedentary and for anyone who is arachnophobic or not a fan of spiders in general, they may not be too interesting as what a GBB has to offer.

GBBS are heavy webbers, voracious eaters, incredibly hardy with simple care requirements, and visually stunning at ALL stages of life. They're fast growers too, and change drastically in appearance from sling to adult, so I'd think the students would be incredibly fascinated to see how much the T has changed from molt to molt and could go from a sling to having full adult coloration by the end of the school year. Behavior is skittish and quick, but nothing unmanageable for someone who's done their research and have taken care of a tarantula before. Definitely not for handling though, which I wouldn't recommend doing with any tarantula you intend to keep as a class pet since that sounds to me like a recipe for a dead T if someone panics.

Here's a couple pictures of my girl Artorias, as a sling and as a subadult respectively;


However, GBBs can be pricey, even as small slings, so if that's out of your budget then what the others recommended are good too; G. pulchripes is large and relatively docile, generally not too hard to find nor too expensive, are good eaters, and if you go with a smaller specimen they have decent growth rates for a Grammastola (a genus known for mostly slow growers). They're quite pretty with their bronzy tones and golden knees, a more subdued kind of beauty to appreciate.

Another "rose hair" (G. porteri, G. rosea) could be good too, but I'd personally steer away from them; they're known to be some of the most inactive tarantulas in the hobby. Basically pet rocks you supply with water and food, and they're infamous for going on fasts for MANY months for seemingly little reason. When I had my girl before she passed away, she'd go several months without eating and make me think she was in premolt, then randomly decide to eat, just to go on another several-months-long fast. A bad combo when taking into account how glacially slow they tend to grow. Not that you probably don't know all of that after having one yourself, but just doesn't sound like it'd be overly engaging for the class if you ask me.

B. albopilosum would be a good choice as well. Probably one of the most beginner-friendly Ts out there; you can find a decently sized sexed female for low prices, they're a bit skittish but overall pretty placid, and have those trademarked curled setae that give them their common name and make them look like fluffy little fuzzballs. Brachypelma are long lived, and while the genus generally grows at a slower rate, B. albopilosum is on the faster end of growth for the genus. They eat pretty well IME (I have 3) and have a propensity to move around substrate, though after they hit a certain size they tend to just hang out in the open, even when they decide to bulldoze their setup a little. Not the most eye-catching T in terms of colors, but they're certainly a charming species that you just can't go wrong with.
 
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Mikeyspikeyz

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
38
I was also going to say GBB. If you get it as a sling they'll be able to see some pretty good growth and some great coloration. Also they eat almost every time you feed them.
 
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