Tarantulas In Pet Stores

[BRavorius]

So I've been to a lot of pet stores that sell tarantulas and all of the ones I've seen are inside clear tupperware containers just so they have enough room to walk a few inches in any direction.

All of the pet store employees that I've talked to said that it's not bad for them. Even arboreal tarantulas.

How PHYSICALLY bad is this for them (if at all)?
Could this possibly be better for them?
What kind of information can you give me?

And I'd really like peoples FACTS not opinions on this matter because I know who will say what regarding this situation.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Tarantulas tend to move rarely anyway, if at all - and if I understand their biology correctly, they do not have muscles that need to be exercised if they are to remain able to move.

It's probably mildly annoying to them, at worst. My L. parahybana and G. aureostriata juvies are in similar-sized enclosures right now until their new ones are ready to move into, and they don't act differently in the slightest.

 

[pixi14369]

Most if not all tarantula species need very little space to live, breath, eat, and..... poo... Although, it would be great if the poo wasn't near them, but w/e. They dont have the need to move about, they don't get cramps, nor do they get annoyed that they can't move around. A 7" spider lives in a burrow not more than approx. 2" in diameter, or at least just big enough to get itself into.

 

[mrbonzai211]

I would only be concerned if a T over three inches isn't provided a water bowl and hide, and for a sling, at least daily misting. Small is actually a good things for Ts. A proper enclosure should only be about twice the length of your T from toe to toe, and it needs to be deep for all species except arboreal species. I switched all my Ts to smaller enclosures way back when I first started and immediately noticed that my Ts were more active and they were more willing to spend time outside of their burrow. The small spaces keep make them feel secure. Also, I keep all my T's toweled on every side except the front and this also seems to result in more activity from my T's. For example, I do this with my split tank housing my Nhandu coloratovillosus and C. fasciatum and they are almost never in their burrows. It's funny because before I toweled them, my Nhandu color was a complete recluse and now he waits for me every day to drop the fresh water in his water dish so he can try to attack it. It's hilarious because I'll spill it in a line and he'll run back and forth trying to attack it; it's just like playing with my dog and that laser pointer I got at petco.