# Chaco Golden Knee?



## seussopoly (May 14, 2004)

I just bought a 2 year old male 
Chaco Golden Knee for my first tarantula. 
He was used by an educational group to take to schools to show kids & has been labeled as very docile. I must say I am still kinda scared to handle him though. 

I chose this type because I was informed by breeders that as a "general rule" they have found that these spiders are gentler & more less likely to bite than even the rose hairs. I understand all spiders can & will bite under the right circumstances & one must always be careful but I was wondering if anyone on here has ever been bit by a chaco golden knee & if so were the effects very mild as opposed to some other species bites? 

Any advice on chaco golden knees & handling would be greatly appreciated


----------



## Keith Richard (May 14, 2004)

I have a 5.5" female Chaco. She is the most graceful and mild mannered imaginable until it comes to feeding time when she let's her halo slip. I'm not a handler so I can't pass on any experience, but there are many folks on this site who own, handle, and breed the Chaco. The concensous seems to be that they are one of most easily handled species......predictable, slow and deliberate....maybe "friendly" is stretching it a little. Do a search on this site using "G aureostriata" and you find all the pics, owners experiences, and advice you will need....you will even find a thread containing a "pyshco" Chaco!! They are a great species who are very hardy, not shy, and grow to considerable size. No really special housing requirements. Just a hide and a bowl of water. Dry substrate at room temperature around 70F.


----------



## T_DORKUS (May 14, 2004)

Just got mine yesterday- just a one incher.  Really cool T, I've been wanting one for a while and finally gave in.  Keith was right on.  Unpacked it and it just strolled out- slow and deliberate, even when I herded it to its new home, it took its time and slowly walked in.    But when feeding time came around, it showed just how fast it can be. And it wasn't just satisfied with one.  Got a strong feeling this one will be a pig.


----------



## Chris V (May 14, 2004)

Research the threads that Diane wrote about her Chacos. Hers are quite impressive (the Chacos), she even fed a goldfish to one.


----------



## pitbulllady (May 14, 2004)

My big girl actually ate a small adult mouse last weekend!  Better yet, it was PRE-KILLED!  All I had to do was jiggle it by the tail with forceps, and BAM!  I mean, this was a fully-weaned, good-sized mouse, not a pinkie!  I figured the left-over food bolus would be quite messy, since I'd never fed anything that large or juicy to one of my T's(but then, I've never had a T. as big as this Chaco, either), but the next day, all that was left of this mouse was a little dry ball of grey hair and some bones, a lot like a miniature owl pellet.  Gold-Knees really ARE pigs, but mine is very gentle and calm with me, never showing any defensive or aggressive behaviors.  She certainly rates right up there with my Brachypelma smithi as a laid-back spider, only without the occasional hair-kicking.  She's big, too, a good bit larger than my outstretched hand, and probably not yet fully-grown!  I'd recommend one of these beauties over even their better-known Rose-Hair cousins.

pitbulllady


----------



## JohnxII (May 14, 2004)

Ah yes I would say so too. Also, they don't web up a lot (apart from the molting mat). I provided hideouts to mine, but they stay out almost all of the time, day or night. *AND* they grow much faster and become bigger than almost all of their Grammostola cousins.

As for handling, as they become bigger, they become slower. Just don't startle yours and you can easily coax him to wherever you want. Since this is a relatively new species in the hobby (classified a few years back), not much bite reports I guess. At least not in here.

So, I say be nice to him, and he will be nicer to you.


----------



## seussopoly (May 17, 2004)

I wasn't able to get to a pikes to get the suggested peat moss & vermeculite for bedding so got the T-rex brand foresst bedding that is 100% organic & says harmless if digested. Is this bedding ok to use?


----------



## Immortal_sin (May 17, 2004)

some people like that for substrate, and some don't. I've used it before..and it's harmless. If it dries completely, it's hard as a rock, and if it's damp, it tends to mold (at least it did here at my house). Some people swear by it though!


----------



## JohnxII (May 17, 2004)

Yes I've had a couple of mold patches developed in one of my tanks two weeks after the "expansion"... still using it for my arboreal and for incubating feeder cricket eggs though. As Immortal said, it's quite rough when dried, but it holds moisture quite well, and you can see the significant color change when it's dry. I suggest that you air-dry the expanded substrate for a few days before using it with your Chaco, since they live by only medium humidity.


----------



## Iktomi (May 17, 2004)

Mine is an absolute sweetheart!  As for advice, don't do it unless you feel you are ready.


----------



## seussopoly (May 17, 2004)

so with the chaco will i not need to keep moist substrate & mist the cage for humidity? The t-rex stuff had dried out but i misted it down real good with water to make sure its moist(not muddy). You can see little moisture collecting on the glass of the aquarium below the dirt levels. DId i do it all wrong? I have a week to fix it before the spider actually arrives if need be.


----------



## JohnxII (May 18, 2004)

Being a desert/scrubland species, they don't NEED that high humidity. Although I doubt if they would complain about the higher moisture level... however, since I've seen several people who posted about mold on the moist coconut substrate, I say it doesn't hurt to keep at least the top inch of substrate on the drier side. A water dish is all they need. Seeing moisture collecting on the glass of the aquarium below the dirt level is not wrong at all, as long as there isn't any mold growing on the top. Good luck and enjoy!


----------



## LucySmith (Mar 26, 2014)

My female Chaco is very docile, and was only skittish when I'd first bought her.
I've noticed that she is quite picky when it comes to substrate, she likes it only slightly misted,
Once I over-did it, and she wouldn't come of the sides of the terrarium. 
Very beautiful species, Good with handling, I usually pinchgrab mine and pop her onto my hand
Never once flicked hair at me, and she's a good eater.


----------

