Reptile and invertebrate show in shopping mall

[Thekla]

So, there's a show going on in our local shopping mall. On every floor, there are a few species like snakes, geckos, snails, chameleons, scorpions, frogs and at least two tarantulas (afaik). A L. parahybana and a G. spatulata (at least that's what it said on that little info card).
I didn't take a picture of the LP, because she hid in her burrow. But I took a picture of the Grammostola and her enclosure:



That would have been a nice enclosure for an adult Avic, but a Grammostola...???

When I asked the woman in charge of the animals (although she was only an employee), she said the height wasn't a problem at all. She said it was her own spider and she wouldn't climb at all. "She's too lazy for that!" She continued telling me she had 20 terrestrial tarantulas at home and none of them would climb! Never!

Admittingly, she told me at home that T would be housed differently, but from I gathered it isn't any better. Too much height with real plants, rocks covering the pots of the plants. I tried to explain that you can't know a T that well, also that personalities could be changing. She only said that everyone has to make their own experiences. Well, at that point I left.

When we were talking she was handling a chameleon, which isn't a big deal I assume (and she seemed to know a lot about them, not sure if it was all correct what she told the crowd around us), but I worry about the G. spatulata, because in the description of the show it sounds as if they would be handling her as well at some point.

 

[KezyGLA]

Wow! I wish we had shows like that here in a shopping centre lol. No chance of that though. We dont even have expos in this country.

The enclosures are set up real bad. But c’mon! A random expo in a random shopping centre... thats awesome! At least its bringing more attention to these hobby!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

So, there's a show going on in our local shopping mall. On every floor, there are a few species like snakes, geckos, snails, chameleons, scorpions, frogs and at least two tarantulas (afaik). A L. parahybana and a G. spatulata (at least that's what it said on that little info card).
I didn't take a picture of the LP, because she hid in her burrow. But I took a picture of the Grammostola and her enclosure:

View attachment 286272 View attachment 286273

That would have been a nice enclosure for an adult Avic, but a Grammostola...???

When I asked the woman in charge of the animals (although she was only an employee), she said the height wasn't a problem at all. She said it was her own spider and she wouldn't climb at all. "She's too lazy for that!" She continued telling me she had 20 terrestrial tarantulas at home and none of them would climb! Never!

Admittingly, she told me at home that T would be housed differently, but from I gathered it isn't any better. Too much height with real plants, rocks covering the pots of the plants. I tried to explain that you can't know a T that well, also that personalities could be changing. She only said that everyone has to make their own experiences. Well, at that point I left.

When we were talking she was handling a chameleon, which isn't a big deal I assume (and she seemed to know a lot about them, not sure if it was all correct what she told the crowd around us), but I worry about the G. spatulata, because in the description of the show it sounds as if they would be handling her as well at some point.

Sorry you can’t fix stupidity, maybe when she loses a few wich is sad . Then the keeper will wake up , that’s an incredible amount of wasted space too. A aboreal would love that container .
I’d like to go to a reptile show but my car isn’t broken down , out of order . Maybe when im. Better off financially or moved out of parents house.

 

[Thekla]

Wow! I wish we had shows like that here in a shopping centre lol. No chance of that though. We dont even have expos in this country.

The enclosures are set up real bad. But c’mon! A random expo in a random shopping centre... thats awesome! At least its bringing more attention to these hobby!

Well, I guess I'm already way too familiar with all this stuff, I haven't even thought about it this way. But you're right! Before I talked to that woman I had a nice chat with some visitors who were frightened of the LP even when they couldn't see her. So, I talked a bit about how amazing these creatures are, how they live, etc. and they seemed to calm down a bit. So, maybe there is a good side to all of this. Even when the enclosures are not suitable for all their inhabitants.

 

[lostbrane]

I don’t know if more attention to the hobby is all that great...especially if these are the examples given to the average person. That’s just me though. I just shudder a bit thinking about how many went ahead and got a t and set something up like in those photos.

Sorry, I’m in a bit of a misanthropic mood today heh

Well, if it does indeed teach people to appreciate these wonderful creatures rather than fear them (true spiders too hopefully) then indeed, that would be great.

 

[fleetwoodmcc]

G. spatulata makes me shake my head... just a dated synonym for the accepted scientific name. Interesting way to pass off a G. rosea as something more than it is.

 

[Greasylake]

G. spatulata makes me shake my head... just a dated synonym for the accepted scientific name. Interesting way to pass off a G. rosea as something more than it is.

I was wondering what the heck a spatulata was, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I was wondering what the heck a spatulata was, thanks for clearing that up.

Sounds like a tool for cooking haha!!!
That poor terrestrial is a goner if it ever climbs to the top , and falls. Horrific care !! Wow just wow

 

[SonsofArachne]

Sounds like a tool for cooking haha!!!
That poor terrestrial is a goner if it ever climbs to the top , and falls. Horrific care !! Wow just wow

Yes, a spatulata is a Italian spatula

 

[Teal]

I don’t know if more attention to the hobby is all that great...especially if these are the examples given to the average person. That’s just me though. I just shudder a bit thinking about how many went ahead and got a t and set something up like in those photos.

Sorry, I’m in a bit of a misanthropic mood today heh

Well, if it does indeed teach people to appreciate these wonderful creatures rather than fear them (true spiders too hopefully) then indeed, that would be great.

Agreed. I don't want attention brought to the hobby in that way... poorly informed people of the public getting spiders in horrific set ups ):

But, helping people not fear arachnids would be great! I'd love for more people to relocate spiders they find rather than smoosh them.

 

[Thekla]

I think in this case it wasn't about spiders at all or maybe only for a very small part. They had about 25-30 different species and only two spiders. And of those two, one hid and one was only showing its butt (and was rather small, maybe 3"-ish?)... not really a magnet for the crowd, who was more looking at the snakes and the other reptiles like the chameleon (which was a real beauty, I've got to admit).

I'll try to have another look (there wasn't much time yesterday) and get more pictures.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I think in this case it wasn't about spiders at all or maybe only for a very small part. They had about 25-30 different species and only two spiders. And of those two, one hid and one was only showing its butt (and was rather small, maybe 3"-ish?)... not really a magnet for the crowd, who was more looking at the snakes and the other reptiles like the chameleon (which was a real beauty, I've got to admit).

I'll try to have another look (there wasn't much time yesterday) and get more pictures.

Lots of cool reptiles I bet , I never seen a show. I just wish reptile keepers would stop keeping terrestrial in cages big enough for an adult chameleon.

 

[viper69]

@Thekla Which mall??

 

[Minty]

Wow! I wish we had shows like that here in a shopping centre lol. No chance of that though. We dont even have expos in this country.

The enclosures are set up real bad. But c’mon! A random expo in a random shopping centre... thats awesome! At least its bringing more attention to these hobby!

There's an expo in the UK, today.

 

[Thekla]

@Thekla Which mall??

It's over now, it was in the "Haerder Center" in Luebeck. Do you know it? :wideyed:

And sorry, I didn't have a chance to get there again and take more pictures.

 

[viper69]

It's over now, it was in the "Haerder Center" in Luebeck. Do you know it? :wideyed:

And sorry, I didn't have a chance to get there again and take more pictures.

No problem. I do know that one! I know all the places in Luebeck pretty much, more by sight than name.

 

[boina]

She continued telling me she had 20 terrestrial tarantulas at home and none of them would climb! Never!

That seems to be the accepted dogma in large circles of German/Swiss tarantula keepers. People have told me that 'risk of falling' is something the Americans made up... seriously. German keepers in general are also very set in their ways and not open to constructive criticism. They were keeping tarantulas longer than everyone else, after all the Germans kind of founded the hobby and they know better anyway . I've given up any discussion about tarantula keeping a long time ago.

At least its bringing more attention to these hobby!

I'm not sure I think that's necessary in Germany. Everyone and his uncle/ her aunt seems to be keeping (and breeding) tarantulas. There are more than a dozen expos in driving distance in one year, and I live at the edge of Germany and can only go south to any expo. If you live in the middle of Germany you can have another expo about every week... As I said above for me it seems much more important that someone/somethings shakes the hobby in Germany up a bit and people realize 'we've always done it like this', or worse 'that's how they live in the wild' is not an argument.

 

[KezyGLA]

@boina I said that before realising it was Germany. You are right.

 

[KezyGLA]

There's an expo in the UK, today.

There is no expo in Scotland

 

[Thekla]

@boina @KezyGLA Nevertheless, I never saw something like this smack in the middle of a shopping mall before.