# Catching Wild Tarantulas



## BRavorius (Jan 11, 2008)

So I've never actually caught any T's on my own let alone know where to start with that kind of thing. I live in San Diego and was wondering if there was any possible place that I could look for any T's? I know this area isn't as practical as most to look for wild tarantulas but if there is any information about finding them in the San Diego area, please post here! Thanks  


-Evan

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## jeepinwu2 (Jan 11, 2008)

Why would you want to catch wild T's?

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## imjim (Jan 11, 2008)

jeepinwu2 said:


> Why would you want to catch wild T's?


They're free!

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## josh_cloud (Jan 11, 2008)

jeepinwu2 said:


> Why would you want to catch wild T's?


not all of us have free t's running around in our backyards!


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## tin man (Jan 11, 2008)

if I were you, I would go to dry areas and look on the side of the road for males.  It might even be better at night.
But I wouldn't recomend taking tarantulas out of there natural habitat


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## jeepinwu2 (Jan 11, 2008)

imjim said:


> They're free!


That one Free T could be the one that makes or breaks the wild population in the area you took it from. 



josh_cloud said:


> not all of us have free t's running around in our backyards!


I've never took an A. Hentzi from the wild even though they are running around in my backyard.  I have helped the occasional MM safely cross the road.


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## chandlermonster (Jan 11, 2008)

Strangely enough, I just left the San Diego area and had some good finds.  I never take them home, but I have had some success in getting adult female Aphonopelma females of several different species from their burrows.  Keep in mind that if you intend to collect you need a valid fishing license and there are regulations in the state of CA on what and how many you can collect.

To find some good T's, go closer to the border in the scrub around the IB area.  Look around the base of desert shrubs for small holes the size of a 50 cent piece.  There may be some silk around the entrance,   but if there's a lot of silk and twigs wound around the opening that's not a tarantula hole, it's a wolf spider.  To get her to come out, you should take a long piece of straw and twist it around the opening.  It's better to go hunting in the evening after a period of some rain.  

And if you like collecting in groups, there are clubs in the area that you can join.   In my opinion, it's more fun that way.


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## tin man (Jan 11, 2008)

I would stick to the captive breds, I dont think its right taking wild animals out of there habitat

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## josh_cloud (Jan 11, 2008)

tin man said:


> I would stick to the captive breds, I dont think its right taking wild animals out of there habitat


right or wrong, it's an opinion. and if it's legal......it's ok!

Reactions: Disagree 1


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## AzJohn (Jan 11, 2008)

Methods to collecting tarantulas depends a lot on the species and their habbits. You can find alot of tarantulas by turning over rocks. Male sure you replace the rocks and tap dirt back into the space created when you moved the rock the first time. The dirt keeps water from flooding any future borrows. Tarantulas that live in deep borrows can be brought to the surface by putting a small amount of water down the whole. You can then use a piece of grass or a length of fishing line to tease the tarantula out of it's borrow. I never dig for a tarantula. I think it's to risky for the spider. Plus it's a lot of work and most of the time you can have good results without it. The easiest way is to drive dirt roads at night during thr breeding season. All you will find is adult males, but it will give you an idea where you can look for females later. Finding tarantulas can be very difficult unless you are lucky or have good information on were they are. Many, but not all,  tarantulas form collonies. Remember that a lot of the time they only move a little ways from the place of their hatching. If you find one you might find others. I only take one tarantula from any given area. That way I ensure that the species is not damaged to much. If you clean a collony out of mature females it will take a while for it to recover. 

I enjoy collecting my own tarantulas and see no ethical problems. None of the tarantulas I own have a five gallon aquarium as there native habitat, and right now the biggest threat to tarantulas and other animals is loss of habitat. I will say that I have seen areas that have been destroyed of road vehicles, reckles campers as well as construction. I have noticed areas that have obviously been over collected. Every rock has been overturned and several large holes in the ground. I think most of the time these are people who are selling large numbers of animals to retailers or local pet stores. I know I don't need fifty Aphonopelma sp. It makes me mad. I do think that if you collect you should limit yourself to a small number of animals in an area, and leave the area the way you found it. If you can not do this please don't collect.

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## dtknow (Jan 11, 2008)

Also, most pet store animals are taken from the wild. I think that collecting one yourself is more ethically sound than buying one from someone else.

Chandlermnster: Do you have a link to those regs? I'm aware a fishing license is needed for herps but didn't think so for tarantulas. What is the limit? I know with most herps you can possess up to four.


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## desertdweller (Jan 11, 2008)

I find it fulfilling to collect T's only on the basis of restoring the natural balance.  If an area has been bulldozed or is going to be destroyed for building houses, the T's run for their lives.  The have nowhere to go as the neighboring lot already it's own populations.  It's fun to have them for a time and then release them back if it is safe. (Non spraying residents) Otherwise they have a life with you instead of being crushed by builders.

I have wild T's only if it helps them, not if it takes their wild life from them.  I wouldn't want a prison if I could be wild.  IMHO


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## Drachenjager (Jan 11, 2008)

jeepinwu2 said:


> That one Free T could be the one that makes or breaks the wild population in the area you took it from.


Almost as likely as my car getting 1 mpg less fuel mileage than the new ones will make gasoline prices go up.


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## dtknow (Jan 12, 2008)

It depends. If a population is seriously fragmented one or two breeding females removed could spell the end of the population. I would agree with an above poster with taking tarantulas only from areas that are being developed.


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## tin man (Jan 12, 2008)

josh_cloud said:


> right or wrong, it's an opinion. and if it's legal......it's ok!


I can see your point, well thats just my opinion

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## cheetah13mo (Jan 12, 2008)

If you breed those two females and get sacks, then you can put them back, and some of the offsring. That's what I've done with one of my female A. hentzi I plucked out of the ground. When I hunt, I also leave some of the ones I find. There are a couple I keep going back to so I can just check up on them but they are staying right where they are. There's nothing wrong with collecting wild caught if you are responsible and aware of the population in the area because at that point, you are not damaging the population. That is the arguement, right?


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## Rich65 (Jan 12, 2008)

In my opinion, it will depend on the population in a giving area. I have seen roads where it is hard to avoid hitting the T's on the road because of huge numbers and the area I live in now during the fall I will only see a few males on the road. Just like with reptiles unfortunately, I've seen more dead on the road than I've ever seen live and kicking. So taking a few here and there should not have to much impact, look at the area and see if it can support a larger colony.I see most here aruond the roadsides near cattle ranches so more than likely on the other side of the fence they're burroughs get trampled. I would like to investigate that sometime to confirm or disprove my ideas??
If you do collect, limit your take and possibly return some slings to the exact location later.
 I know contrary to popular believe, I have seen many females wondering the roadsides as well as MM T's, this is around the Hollister area of Ca, I am now in the Sierras and this year saw one male at almost 3000' in elevation on my road and I assisted him across it, pretty darn cool.... did'nt get a pic, maybe next year??? never have a camera when you need one!!!


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## Aarantula (Jan 13, 2008)

*Helping with T population in your area!*

I swear if I had T's running around my backyard REGARDLESS of species I would collect them and breed them if the species was being run out of the area. But I however WOULD NOT sell them but instead release ALL offspring back into the wild after a few months of raising them to ensure independent survival. 

I know I know... alot of you would just respond to this like, "not capturing them and leaving them in nature would allow them to breed fine without your assistance". But hey, If you live near a piece of land being lost to a housing development, golf course or an office complex... you as a tarantula lover should feel obligated to do something about ensuring the survival of tarantulas in your area. 

Every little bit helps.


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## NevularScorpion (Jan 13, 2008)

Aarantula said:


> I swear if I had T's running around my backyard REGARDLESS of species I would collect them and breed them if the species was being run out of the area. But I however WOULD NOT sell them but instead release ALL offspring back into the wild after a few months of raising them to ensure independent survival.
> 
> I know I know... alot of you would just respond to this like, "not capturing them and leaving them in nature would allow them to breed fine without your assistance". But hey, If you live near a piece of land being lost to a housing development, golf course or an office complex... you as a tarantula lover should feel obligated to do something about ensuring the survival of tarantulas in your area.
> 
> Every little bit helps.


I second him, I will probobly do the same


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## cheetah13mo (Jan 13, 2008)

Aarantula said:


> I swear if I had T's running around my backyard REGARDLESS of species I would collect them and breed them if the species was being run out of the area. But I however WOULD NOT sell them but instead release ALL offspring back into the wild after a few months of raising them to ensure independent survival.
> 
> I know I know... alot of you would just respond to this like, "not capturing them and leaving them in nature would allow them to breed fine without your assistance". But hey, If you live near a piece of land being lost to a housing development, golf course or an office complex... you as a tarantula lover should feel obligated to do something about ensuring the survival of tarantulas in your area.
> 
> Every little bit helps.


I would keep some of the offspring and put them in the hobby. It would keep prices down on the species and help the hobby. With so many slings in an egg sack, I think the majority of what you take to put in the hobby would be the ones that would not make it in the wild. Say you get 300 slings in an egg sack where in the wild, 20 would make it to maturity. If you kept 100 and circulated them in the hobby, odds are that out of the 200 left in the wild, 20 would still make to maturity.


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## josh_cloud (Jan 15, 2008)

cheetah13mo said:


> I would keep some of the offspring and put them in the hobby. It would keep prices down on the species and help the hobby. With so many slings in an egg sack, I think the majority of what you take to put in the hobby would be the ones that would not make it in the wild. Say you get 300 slings in an egg sack where in the wild, 20 would make it to maturity. If you kept 100 and circulated them in the hobby, odds are that out of the 200 left in the wild, 20 would still make to maturity.


right you are.


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## cacoseraph (Jan 15, 2008)

A NOTE ABOUT RELEASING BACK INTO THE WILD:


no hobbyist keeping exotic species in their collection should ever EVER release something back into the wild.  the hobby knows almost NOTHING about invertebrate/arachnid diseases.... only that sometimes pieces of peoples collections die for no readily apparent reason. we don't know how to diagnose anything... so their can be no prognosis without diagnosis. we don't know how to treat anything.  heck, we don't even know all the diseases our pets can get... OR WHAT SPECIES THEY CAN TRANSFER TO


i am in the (long, slow, and laborious) process of writing an article that will give some good info (though likely not exactly answer) some of the questions/problems listed above.

Code Monkey and other VERY knowledgeable hobbyists and bug workers have all agreed with me (or seperately expressed exceedingly similar sentiments).


IF you had completely seperate facilities for your restoration work and had protocols in place to hopefully detect and contain pathogens then you would have my fullest support and i would help you feed stuff on the weekends.  failing that... please wait to read my article before you release anything to the wild. i promise i will have it done in a year or less.

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## Steveyruss (Jan 15, 2008)

Aarantula said:


> I swear if I had T's running around my backyard REGARDLESS of species I would collect them and breed them if the species was being run out of the area. But I however WOULD NOT sell them but instead release ALL offspring back into the wild after a few months of raising them to ensure independent survival.
> 
> I know I know... alot of you would just respond to this like, "not capturing them and leaving them in nature would allow them to breed fine without your assistance". But hey, If you live near a piece of land being lost to a housing development, golf course or an office complex... you as a tarantula lover should feel obligated to do something about ensuring the survival of tarantulas in your area.
> 
> Every little bit helps.


I agree with this guy here, I can't see any ethical issue with breeding wild species and releasing some because so many people hate spiders, rather than leaving them to their own device -like many argue here- they go on killing frenzies just knowing that they are in their backyard! In populated areas the biggest threat to spiders is people! People will generally help a stray cat but they'll nearly always squash a spider!


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## halfwaynowhere (Jan 15, 2008)

isn't it better in the long run to catch a few, and breed them, and introduce them to the hobby, than to just let them live in the wild where they will eventually be forced out of their habitats by urban development? I mean, isn't it better for a species to exist only in captivity, than to not exist at all?
I'm not saying that they should all be caught and kept in captivity, and I feel that we should do everything we can to protect their natural habitats. But with the way things seem to work these days, its almost inevitable that at least some species will die out in the wild.


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## scottyk (Jan 15, 2008)

cacoseraph said:


> A NOTE ABOUT RELEASING BACK INTO THE WILD:
> 
> 
> no hobbyist keeping exotic species in their collection should ever EVER release something back into the wild.  the hobby knows almost NOTHING about invertebrate/arachnid diseases.... only that sometimes pieces of peoples collections die for no readily apparent reason. we don't know how to diagnose anything... so their can be no prognosis without diagnosis. we don't know how to treat anything.  heck, we don't even know all the diseases our pets can get... OR WHAT SPECIES THEY CAN TRANSFER TO


This point can be further illustrated by researching some of the problems facing The California Desert Tortoise. 

A well intentioned push for captive breeding and the return of former pets to the wild either introduced or caused the spread of a severe respiratory infection. The result was a loss of not only the reintroduced specimins, but a the death of most wild tortoises in the release areas. It is now illegal to collect them "and" to release captives...

A North American Tarantula in a home collection could easily be exposed to parasites or pathogens from any number of exotic spiders and insects that it would never encounter in the wild. Without full understanding of what those could be and what possible incubation times are involved, there is a real risk involved in such practices..


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## cacoseraph (Jan 15, 2008)

very good to know! thanks for the info scotty!


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## josh_cloud (Jan 16, 2008)

i stand corrected......therefore i'll keep all i catch and be happy. problen solved.


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## Thrasher (Jan 16, 2008)

Well there are no Ts in Oregon where I live. I wouldn't mind catching a pair and start breeding them, that would help me get better at breeding Ts. But I wouldn't have them for very long before releasing them back to the wild. Yes, people hate spiders, and they realllllly hate them around my living area, they tell their kids its okay to collect ladybugz but kill whatever spiders come near them. ITS TRUE, I heard it with my own ears. But again, my parents used to tell me that.


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## cacoseraph (Jan 16, 2008)

Thrasher said:


> Well there are no Ts in Oregon where I live. I wouldn't mind catching a pair and start breeding them, that would help me get better at breeding Ts. *But I wouldn't have them for very long before releasing them back to the wild. *Yes, people hate spiders, and they realllllly hate them around my living area, they tell their kids its okay to collect ladybugz but kill whatever spiders come near them. ITS TRUE, I heard it with my own ears. But again, my parents used to tell me that.


please read the previous ten posts. you should not release stuff back into nature.


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## halfwaynowhere (Jan 16, 2008)

I don't know what the laws are like everywhere, but i do know that in california, once an animal has been kept in captivity, it is illegal to release it back into the wild. I'm not sure how far this extends, if its a state or federal law, and if it even covers Ts. I found this out several years ago from some herp guy when i was talking about some lizards that I had caught and was keeping as pets.


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## cacoseraph (Jan 16, 2008)

halfwaynowhere said:


> I don't know what the laws are like everywhere, but i do know that in california, once an animal has been kept in captivity, it is illegal to release it back into the wild. I'm not sure how far this extends, if its a state or federal law, and if it even covers Ts. I found this out several years ago from some herp guy when i was talking about some lizards that I had caught and was keeping as pets.


unfortunately most law does not count spiders as "animals". CA Fish and Game certainly does not.  that is an excellent law though.  in my copious free time i would like to research it. heh.


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## aliceinwl (Jan 16, 2008)

I'd like to second what others have said against release. Just scroll through a few pages of posts and you'll see posts about nematodes, dyskinetic syndrome, etc. No one nows exactly how the tarantulas contract these diseases and what kind of vectors may be involved. For example, if crickets could be a vector for some of the nematode infections, one could inadvertently introduce a new pathogen into the wild population by releasing a tarantula that had been fed domestic crickets.

The taxonomy of the _Aphonopelma_ spp. in North America is also not well understood. One could easily and inadvertently create mutts through captive breeding. Release of these mutts coud compromise the genetic integrity of wild populations, especially if released into areas where populations are already low / under pressure.

Once in captivity, they and their offspring should stay there. And, supplying captive offspring may indirectly help by alleviating pressure on wild popuations, by people desiring pets.

Alice


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