What do YOU like about Tarantulas?

[Fasciatum]

Hi! So i thought about making a topic why people like tarantulas! Not sure if somebody already made a topic about this, but anyways write if you feel like it !

Why do you like tarantulas? What do you think is fascinating about them?

 

[Mvskokee]

Everything! I just like how they feed and build themselves their own shelters. Just fun to watch.

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

I like the hides they construct, they way they eat, and obviously the way they look. Arboreals to be precise.

 

[Avicularia Man]

I like how they are the biggest spiders in the world. I think it's cool how they grow (molt). I like their webbing. I like how i can has such a mysterious creature can be kept and cared for. I like that I can handle them. I like how they don't eat much and are so easy to care for. I love how they make people NOT want to visit (ran off a few idiots I didn't like when I got my spiders). I like how 90% of T owners actually care about them and talk about them (like on this site). I like their colors. I am sure I could think of more, but you get the picture.

 

[The Spider Faery]

Keeping tarantulas appeals to my nurturing side, creative side, and my scientific side.

I get to care for creatures that are both beautiful and intriguing and do so for creatures that are sometimes misunderstood in society. That's where the nurturing comes in. I like providing them with the food they require and watching them hunt, capture and do their happy feeding dance.

As pets, I appreciate that they are low maintenance, don't make any noise, don't cause any distractions, and take up less space than most other pets (so you can have more in the same amount of space!) As for the creative appeal, I enjoy designing their homes, 'landscaping', shopping for decorative items like leaves, etc. Unlike other types of pets, tarantulas are not like members of the family so much as creatures that become a hobby for you to enjoy.

As for the scientific aspect, I enjoy how they grow by molting. It's always interesting to track their growth, colour and appearance changes, and the surprise of confirming what sex your T is if you bought it as a sling. Researching the various species is also interesting. I've learned more about tarantulas in less than a year, than I'd ever guess I'd know or care to know in a lifetime prior to keeping them!

 

[arachnorama]

They're so funny and fuzzy and they are like me- unusual, reclusive, and misunderstood.

 

[Faing]

I like their size and how they have hairs. Of course it only gets more interesting when you have a dissecting scope to look look through Seeing the scopula pads under one is amazing! I don't think anybody could disagree with with me for those who have done so as well. I love how they can walk up many different surfaces.

 

[keen]

they are mysterious creatures. cant explain it. they are just truly amazing.

 

[Stopdroproll]

Pattern, colors, and feeding.

 

[Mack&Cass]

I like them because they're so misunderstood and I'm part of a great community who understands them.

I'm the kind of person who hates things that are really popular, and I try to avoid those things. I don't like monkeys or horses because everyone else does, I hate Twilight, I got my belly button pierced before every girl in the world decided it was the cool new thing, and then when it did become that, I took mine out. I always liked being different, and the looks and comments I get when people find out I keep reptiles, satisfies me because I know what I'm doing is considered weird, and I love it.

But besides that, I mostly love the growth aspect. With other things, they grow gradually and you don't really realize, even snakes. But with T's you can see the growth after every molt and it amazes me everytime when I look at the fresh new T, then at it's exuvium, and at how that big T came out of that little exuvium. Also how when you get a sling, it usually looks completely different than it will as an adult. For example, I have pictures of our C. darlingi as a 1/4" sling and now she's about 2" and her horn is starting to show and I think it's so awesome.

Cass

 

[8by8]

I love ttarantulas because they are so misunderstood and we have so much to learn. There feeding habits, webbing styles, patterns, colors, transition from a drab 1/8th inch regular looking sling to a 12" giant. Too many things to list, there just awesome.

 

[Xian]

I like them because I originally feared them! Watching them just sit around all week only to spring into action when they get fed is pretty cool. I like the fact that they are low maintenance. The colors and behaviors are great!

 

[pouchedrat]

I like how low maintenance they are compared to every single other pet i've ever had in my entire life. Then again, weird exotic mammals and reptiles usually do require excessive amounts of care.

I also love how wide the varieties are, the size differences in T's, and learning about the individual species you keep and collect.

 

[Fasciatum]

Nice to see so many replying! I would like to say something aswell but as a newbie in this hobby i would like a bigger 'overview' before making a statement!

 

[MrRogers]

Personally, I like that tarantulas are complex creatures with a simple surface. They appear emotionless, solid, stale and boring until someone with an open mind takes on the endless task of observing and understanding them. For an animal that seems so simple, they do amazing things with the tools they have.

I also find them especially interesting because so many people don't take the time to learn about them. It's like having a hidden gem.

 

[BlackCat]

I like watching them grow up. I like the way they construct their homes, watching the arboreal T's build a nest at the top of their enclosure and watching the terrestrial T's construct a solid tunnel out of loose substrate, and every other kind of home I've seen them build for themselves, really awesome to see. There is so much more to list but I can definitely say, they never get boring!

 

[Kamikaze]

They are indeed interesting creatures and very much misunderstood. They're a joy to watch and definitely a joy to keep. After acquiring a sling, you feed it, water it, take care of it, and before you know it, you have a big adult T thats ready for breeding. Time certainly flies (especially with Tapinauchenius species)

 

[Obelisk]

I like them because they are "different." For years I've kept reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Compared to those, arachnids are kind of alien, but also simple creatures. It's really very cool to keep a big, terrestrial invert like a tarantula (or scorpion). They're also very low-maintenance compared other exotics (and more common pets too).

 

[TarantulaFanBoy]

I enjoy the Mysteriousness of the Tarantula world. So many species out there in the world that man has yet to even lay there eyes on. So many more species to be Described. So many color's, So many shapes and sizes. So many patterns. So many Temperaments. The tarantula world is never ending. It is like the Universe vast and mind bending. I love the "stories" The tarantula "Legends." I love the disputes and the Huge variation of opinions. Does S Satanas exist? Maybe.... Is it extinct? Maybe..... I love the Elusiveness of Tarantulas. I love the way Tarantulas walk and move. I love the way they eat and throw threat displays. I love hearing about human interactions with Tarantulas in the wild. I love the fact that you can close your eyes and imagine and dream up a tarantula in your mind.... With any shape size or color. And there are high chances that a real tarantula would look very similar to that image. I enjoy how Graceful tarantulas are. They walk like they are here to stay. Simply because they are. The have been here for hundreds of thousands of years. I like to imagine and think that in some Remote Jungle or mountain range somewhere in the world. There is a tarantula out there never before seen by human beings. I like to imagine that the Tarantula is so beautiful. That if a man looks at it..... he shall go blind. I like how Shamans in Cameroon use Tarantulas to tell a person Fortune and Fate in life. It is fascinating to think Ancient Civilizations Marveled and worshiped Tarantulas. It is amazing to think a man can spend his Entire life looking for every species of tarantula and would die not even half way there. In my opinion Tarantulas are the greatest Creatures on this planet. I would die a very very Fulfilled and a very happy man searching for rare and Elusive Tarantulas. If i could marry a tarantula I would. ;P