What made you buy your first T, and what was your first?

[Kodykrueger]

So i recently brought a few T's but i struggle pronouncing and spelling the latin term (i believe its latin). I personally got my 3 as I've always looked at spiders as very delicate and misunderstood. I know the fact i brought 2 Ow spiders that are normally "aggressive/defensive" but i have no intention of holding them 2 i got them as i thought they was beautiful and they don't scare or bother me the thought of being bitten or having hairs flicked at me. Im getting another few next month.

But what made you guys start looking after Ts and what was your first?

 

[YagerManJennsen]

found a jumping spider, remembered I had a tarantula many years ago, started shopping online, bought an Avic at a petstore and eventually found the forums.

 

[ccTroi]

I’ve always been interested in spiders (orb weavers in particular) when I was smaller. I saw an exotic animal store in my area, and I wanted to see what kind of animals they offered. I walked out with a Brachypelma hamorii as a graduation present.

 

[Rittdk01]

A friend had a rose hair that I really liked. I went out and bought 2 Rosehairs and two pinktoes. Those were my only four for about 2.5 years. Now I have a pretty sizable collection.

 

[spookyvibes]

they don't scare or bother me the thought of being bitten or having hairs flicked at me.

Old Worlds don’t have urticating hairs. Because they lack this extra defense mechanism, their venom is more potent in order to compensate.

To answer your question, I originally started keeping a wolf spider after having a realization that most spiders are harmless and they really aren’t out to kill us. I always have been fascinated by them but I was always warned by everyone around me that they were “poisonous” and “could kill you.” After realizing this was not true, I started keeping my wolf spider but eventually let her go because she ended up laying an egg sac and I didn't want a bunch of spiderlings. Anyways, one day I was talking to my friend who lived next door about spiders, and her little brother was like, “Why don’t you get a tarantula?” and I was like, “You know... Why don’t I get a tarantula?” I got my first, a mature female Grammostola porteri, from a mom-and-pop pet shop that has since closed down, have had her for years, blah blah blah, started getting worried about her age, bought another, slowly sank into addiction, ended up here, and yeah, that’s my origin story as far as tarantula keeping goes.

 

[AnObeseHippo]

I was always really freaked out by spiders as a kid. Always calling my mom to come get rid of it (lol). Then we moved to a new house with a lot more spiders in the area and I could basically find one wherever I was if i looked hard enough. Them being constantly around me, gave each other a mutual respect. As in, I don’t touch you, you don’t touch me and we will be okay. I started refusing to kill them when people get freaked out by random spiders, and only relocate them if I must. About 6-7 months ago I found The Dark Den on youtube and I became hooked. It took me about 5 months of casually searching for a local pet store that had Ts and I eventually found one that sold them (at rip off prices but whatever I’m giving them gud lovin’ now) and I came home with a 5 inch female B. vagans and a 1 inch B. hamorii sling.
I can’t wait to get more but I’m gonna wait for the next big local pet expo in a couple months

 

[Kodykrueger]

Old Worlds don’t have urticating hairs. Because they lack this extra defense mechanism, their venom is more potent in order to compensate.

To answer your question, I originally started keeping a wolf spider after having a realization that most spiders are harmless and they really aren’t out to kill us. I always have been fascinated by them but I was always warned by everyone around me that they were “poisonous” and “could kill you.” After realizing this was not true, I started keeping my wolf spider but eventually let her go because she ended up laying an egg sac and I didn't want a bunch of spiderlings. Anyways, one day I was talking to my friend who lived next door about spiders, and her little brother was like, “Why don’t you get a tarantula?” and I was like, “You know... Why don’t I get a tarantula?” I got my first, a mature female Grammostola porteri, from a mom-and-pop pet shop that has since closed down, have had her for years, blah blah blah, started getting worried about her age, bought another, slowly sank into addiction, ended up here, and yeah, that’s my origin story as far as tarantula keeping goes.

Yeah the poor little things just want to live their lives in peace, i love watching mine my barachypelma smithi run around its enclosure, i recently rehoused my obt and its been hidden making webs ever since, it sucks as i used to love seeing its webs. But my lampropelma just burrows for now

 

[Kodykrueger]

I was always really freaked out by spiders as a kid. Always calling my mom to come get rid of it (lol). Then we moved to a new house with a lot more spiders in the area and I could basically find one wherever I was if i looked hard enough. Them being constantly around me, gave each other a mutual respect. As in, I don’t touch you, you don’t touch me and we will be okay. I started refusing to kill them when people get freaked out by random spiders, and only relocate them if I must. About 6-7 months ago I found The Dark Den on youtube and I became hooked. It took me about 5 months of casually searching for a local pet store that had Ts and I eventually found one that sold them (at rip off prices but whatever I’m giving them gud lovin’ now) and I came home with a 5 inch female B. vagans and a 1 inch B. hamorii sling.
I can’t wait to get more but I’m gonna wait for the next big local pet expo in a couple months

Ah man i know the feels my local pet store tried ripping me off as well, trying to sell me a enclosure when they was babies and selling slings and juveniles for silly prices, but i brought all 3, going to buy more as the pet store has no water dishes for them just fed them weekly in tiny enclosures

 

[Minty]

Long story short, I always liked them and a colleague who kept them spoke to me about how to keep them, so he roped me in and I bought a C.Cyanepubescens.

 

[feistycadavers]

i actually just got my first tarantula a few weeks ago, a g pulchra sling!!

always loved insects and arachnids growing up, but was kinda steered away from the interest because it's "for boys" or whatever, but within the last year or so i sort of rediscovered how much i LOVE spiders. decided to treat myself for my birthday. i should've listened when people told me it'd be addictive aaaaaaa

 

[Quinnk74]

I have been obsessed with spiders my whole life. When I was 10 I found my first pet, a black widow I found in the window well of my house. Kept it for about four months until my mom found it and FREAKED OUT. I now have three of those at work and nine tarantulas at home. First Ts were a P. murinus, G. porteri, and an A. seemani I found on the local classifieds in some godawful conditions, bad enough a lps would have found them unacceptable. We were planning on just the porteri but after seeing how they were kept the we decided to take them all.

 

[starnaito]

My first T was a rosie, which is a common first T, but at the time, I was thinking it would end there. 13 tarantulas later... and I'm adding new shelving to my room. I've always loved spiders and had some wild-caught species (including a wolf spider) as a kid, but my parents would never allow me to have a tarantula. So, as an adult, when the rosie showed up at my locally owned pet store, I decided to put all my research into practice and get my first T.

 

[Nightshady]

My son wanted a T for his birthday nine months ago. I did a ton of research and since I was paying for shipping, I thought “what the heck I will get one (a GBB) too.”

Now I have nine T’s and he has five haha.

 

[Scarabyte]

Started watching people on youtube related to tarantulas and joined AB, and have wanted one for years. Then in February I bought my first (A. avicularia, who's doing great)
And now I have 19 T's and 2 Scorpions

 

[Kodykrueger]

Thanks guys for your input it's interesting to find out others reasons my red knee females been very friendly since rehomed i love her she always there when i wake up end of my bed (its the warmest room with temps upto 30 degrees max and i love seeing that my singapore blue has burrowed and keeps going every night little champ, and my obt always comes out at night i always spend a few minutes before i go bed watching them.


Does anyone have a favourite? And can i ask why

 

[Toddydog]

I started wanting to get into exotic animals but I wanted something easy to care for. I ended up getting suggested some tarantula videos on YouTube and the rest is history. I started in December and I have 23 now.

Does anyone have a favourite? And can i ask why

A. geniculata. It's a great eater. To the extent that it will attack the water dish if it thinks the water being poured in is food.

 

[spookyvibes]

Does anyone have a favourite? And can i ask why

I think my current favorite is my P. cambridgei. It’s growing at an astronomical rate and has a really cool dirt curtain/tunnel that allows me to see it 24/7. Have never had it refuse a meal, I actually fed it a few days before its last molt. Also, its just so darn cute, I love the sling coloration and though the adult coloration is beautiful, I’ll be sad to see the sling coloration go.

 

[RonnyT]

I remember being fascinated by spiders as a kid.
In grade 6 we had to do a presentation on animals, and I chose tarantulas. I remember wanting to buy one then, but my parents didn't allow it. I recently found arachnoboards, and decided I wanted a tarantula. So I went to the local expo and picked up one Brachypelma albopilosum sling.

 

[Tearsacid]

Does anyone have a favourite? And can i ask why

My favorite is my inexpensive little L.P. I had to give away all of my pets, aquariums, and other small collection of T's for work a few years ago since I would be travelling. I ended up keeping 1 single tarantula and 1 single plant that I brought with me. My tiny L.P. sling that grew so slowly compared to my other LP's. Its still with me & still a slow grower lol. Its about 2.5-3 inches across after 3-4 yrs.

I've had Texas Browns my entire life but my 1st T I bought was then called B Smithi & a Chaco along with it. I discovered that there were a lot more species than I knew about so I went to an expo and had to have them. Anyone else get an urge for docile T's after watching Jungle2Jungle in '97?

 

[Corcor]

My dad kept a B. hamori in the 80's. I don't remember it, but I do remember all the Polaroids. It just looked awesome unlike anything I'd ever seen before, growing up in the countryside of Canada. He always told me it was the easiest pet to care for. They really are. I already had hamsters, gerbils, rats, finches, cats and dogs. My sister and I were spoiled with animals, it was awesome lol. I wanted a scorpion, but my parents had no experience with them so I was told to start with a T. I was....10...ish. I did take a couple years off during college. In the past 4 years my collection grew from 2, an OBT and a P. cambridgei, to just over 30 t's and a scorpion. i did have about 10 scorpions but i find t's more interesting now.

My Favorite T will always be the OBT. My first OBT passed away last December after 10 years and my sling has molted twice in my possession now. Just an awesome species to watch and grow with as a keeper.