# about Curly hair tarantulas.



## friendttyy

Hello, we will go over the Curly Haired tarantula for you guys, I will cover everything you need too know about the tarantula. A helpful tip; The Curly Haired tarantula's latin name is Brachyplema albopilosum

So, what does this tarantula look like? Well when it's a sub-adult it'll be a plain black colour all over with little golden hairs on it, so it gives it a nice colour to it, it has 8 legs because it's a new world spider, these spiders are from Costa Rica, which are located in the forests.

These spiders are a great spider to have when you first start buying tarantulas because they're very cheap and easy too care for, very docile (calm natured) which means they're not prone to bite or put you in any harm, this tarantula is a Terrestrial species (ground living) meaning they do not need any height when looking after them. The only thing these will do is flick hairs if they get spooked by sudden movements or if your annoying them lol  these hairs could irritate your skin and cause rashes but normally this type of tarantula won't flick hairs or bite you if your careful with them just like any other spider.
If you do decide to buy one of these tarantula's and keep it in an enclosure then you'll need the some of the following things (I'll do multiple choices to give you an idea of what you'd want)

Heat mat (not required) this will basically provide the tarantula with a heat source and make it feel more comfortable in the environment you're keeping it in. Heat mats for a spider will not cost anything over £10 if you've got a good pet store near you, if not Amazon will provide you one for about £7, or $10. You should only cover up to half the tank at maximum so if the tarantula decides to cool down or heat up then it can move from one side to the other side depending on how it's feeling, the heat mat will encourage the spider too molt as well (only when it's ready to go into pre-molt) because it needs a certain temperature for it's body too allow it to go into the molting stage, so overall a heat mat is recommended.

Hiding - You should always give your tarantula a hiding source so it can burrow underneath it and feel safe if it ever wants to hide away from anything, also it's a place it can molt and eat because it's a suitable place because it's out the way of everything else but itself, You can provide a rock or plant pot.. something which is can easily burrow and hide under. 

Substrate - I highly recommend Coconut Husk, this stuff is fairly cheap for the amount you get it in. A brick sized-shape will cost about £5 or $8. It'll easily fill up a normal size bucket once you've added water to the brick and left it for half an hour, what it does is the brick absorbs the water and just expands by itself. This substrate is very easy for the tarantula to bury itself in, absorbs moisture as well so it can be used to also keep the tarantula cool. 
Another note on this substrate is that you'll need to clean out the tarantula every 5 or 6 months so no mould or ticks will get into the enclosure (well it'll lower the risk of it happening) you could use some bark as well, as long as it's been disinfected because a chemical in the bark can harm the tarantula, this is also a good floor for the tarantula to live on as well.

Feeding/water - Depending on the size of the tarantula you can buy different sized crickets (best food for them IMO) if it's a sub-adult then you'll probably need size 3 silent crickets (you should only really feed them once a week, but that depends on how fast you'd want the tarantula to grow. The more you feed it potentially the quicker it'll grow) But beware of this method because the more you feed it the bigger the abdomen will get and if you ever dropped it or it fell off something then the abdomen has a very high risk of cracking which will kill the tarantula or seriously harm it , you can feed them the odd pinkie once they're fully grown (this is too be kept at a minimum though as it's a big food source for a spider of 5 - 6 inches big. For the water source I recommend spraying the enclosure down with a bottle sprayer, this then covers a area which you'd like to add water to the tank so the tarantula can grab a drop whenever it wants to, I normally spray mine once every 2 or 3 days to keep it well watered if it ever wants it. If any food is uneaten you should take it out after 6 - 12 hours because if the tarantula is going into pre-molt and the food is alive and in the enclosure it could cause seriously harm to the tarantula because it's defenseless once in the molting stage, so you should take it out straight away to take away the risk of the tarantula being hurt. 

I hope this care sheet has helped any views that are reading this, and I hope you can one day maybe get yourself one of these great spiders for yourself, If I've missed out any information or you want too add any then feel free to Private message me and i'll add it in and give you the credits for the information which you added. You can also Private message me if you have any FAQ's, or you can just post it in this thread. Thanks for reading guys and I hope I've been of some help to any of you. 
Please post your experience aswell.:biggrin:

---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:01 PM ----------

I will be putting multiple resources so u dont need to do a lot of research.

---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:03 PM ----------

What does the Curly Hair Tarantula look like?

While immature, this species has an overall brown colour, with a copper tint on the carapace. Mature Adults still have the copper on the carapore, but have a brown-black ground with golden-red hairs on the legs and abdomen. An average adult size is 3 inch body and up to a 4.5-5.5 inch leg span. 

Personally, I prefer the Curly Hair Tarantula to the Chile Rose Tarantula. The Adult colour is pretty and I have found this species to be very calm and easy to handle. I basically just pick them up and pop them in my hand, they never seem to struggle. Caution should always be taken, as each tarantula has a different temperament.

Where are Curly Hair Tarantulas from?

Found in wet forests of Guatemala to Costa Rica.

Due to this species living in wet forests, they need to be provided with a reasonably humid living area of 70-80%. The temperature ranges from 21 - 27C (70 - 80F), just above room temperature will be fine for them.

Are Curly Hair Tarantulas to keep?

YES - This is one of the easiest and best species of tarantula to keep. 

Being a Terrestrial species (ground living), you need to provide the Tarantula with more ground space than height. They will dig if given the opportunity or hide beneath logs, I find they prefer the latter. Layer the bottom of the tank with approx. 3" (80mm) of substrate to allow burrowing. Provide rocks, logs and even a plant pot for the Curly Hair to hide under.

Once a week, feed on a range of insects and depending on the age, the odd pinkie (baby mouse). Crickets can injury your tarantula during moulting, so any uneaten food should be removed if your tarantula doesn't seem interested, try feeding again a few days later. Always provide water, this can be via a shallow dish or Tarantula sponge!

---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:10 PM ----------

Before you buy a tarantula you should think about the conditions it will need to live a long and healthy life. Many tarantulas die in the first few days because their new owner hasn't prepared a suitable home for them. First decide what you want to buy because a small spiderling will obviously require very different accommodation to a full grown specimen.

I will assume you are buying a medium-sized tarantula in which case you will need to provide the following.

Housing

Pet shops will sell suitable tanks in glass or plastic and the size should not be less than about 25cm by 15cm by 15cm high. If you want to create a tank that tries to provide natural conditions (for example rain forest with leaf litter, logs etc.) then you will need a much larger tank, but you won't see your spider very often! I would suggest that you begin with the simple tank without unnecessary contents so that you can watch your tarantula's activities.

Substrate (Ground cover)

A 2cm layer of Vermiculite should cover the bottom of the tank and a thin layer of chipped bark or cocoa fibre placed on top of that. These can be purchased from most garden centres and should be kept damp to keep up the humidity levels in the tank. Potting compost should not be used as they really need to be sterilised and changed frequently.

Heating

A temperature of 21-24°C is required for most of the tarantulas that you should buy as a beginner. If you have a centrally heated room which stays at that temperature all the time then you won't need extra heating during the winter, but you will between spring and autumn when the heating is switched off. 

A good pet shop that sells reptiles and spiders will have a variety of thermostatically controlled heating devices including underground cables, heating mats and hot rocks. Tell them the size and type of tank that you are using and they will recommend a suitable heater for you. An alternative is a seed propagator which can be purchased from garden centres. You can keep your tank inside it. Red light bulbs are not very suitable for heating spider tanks.

Humidity

The humidity in the tank should not be less than 50-60% and you should buy a little humidity gauge to stick on the inside of your tank. If the humidity drops below 50% your tarantula may die during its next moult. You can keep the humidity high by misting the tank with water from a plant mister. You should make sure that has been washed thoroughly if it's been used for any plant fertiliser or other chemicals. Also, keep a check on the tank to make sure no mould develops.

Feeding

Crickets and locusts are usually available from pet shops that sell tarantulas and reptiles, and you can try other livestock which you catch yourself, such as moths and caterpillars. Some will even eat earthworms. A tarantula of about 3-4cm in body length will eat 8-10 crickets each week although it will survive on less. 

If you keep live food for your tarantula then you should also ensure that the live food is kept in appropriate conditions (adequate space, correct temperature and humidity and access to food and water).

Water

Water is vital to your tarantula. It can survive for weeks without food but quickly die without water. A small container such as a coffee jar lid half-full of water will provide drinking water and help keep the humidity up.

Moulting

As your tarantula grows it will moult (shed its skin in a process called ecdysis) regularly, 2-3 times a year in the case of the half grown individual. Signs of an approaching moult are darkening of the colour and the spider will stop feeding. 

When feeding stops, remove any live food in case they irritate the spider, or worse, nibble it while it is helpless during the moult. Normally the spider will turn on its back to moult and lie still in that position for several hours. Do not disturb it in any way at this time as activity may prove fatal. Feed it about 4-5 days after moulting when its new skin has hardened.

Suggested species

For your first tarantula you don't want an aggressive, difficult to keep or very expensive specimen. The following are ideal species:
 •Chilean Rose (Grammostola spatulatus / G. cala)
 •Entre Rios (Grammostola inheringii)
 •Curly Haired (Brachypelma albopilosa)
 •Red Rump (Brachypelma vagans)
 •White Collared (Pterinopelma saltator)

Additional considerations

Urticating hairs

Most species of tarantula possess urticating hairs. These hairs are a defensive hair that can cause itching/irritation of the skin or more severe problems if hairs enter the eye. Care should be taken when handling tarantulas or cleaning out their enclosure. Tarantulas may also rub their back legs across their abdomen to flick hairs upwards if they feel threatened.

Bites

All tarantulas are capable of biting (since this is how they feed). Many species are docile and rarely bite as a means of defence but others are more aggressive. Biting is often a last resort and different species have different threat behaviours (for example, raising the front pairs of legs, showing their fangs or hissing by rubbing their chelicerae together) which indicate that they feel threatened. It is important that you can recognise these behaviours or, better still, avoid doing anything that makes your tarantula feel threatened.

You may also find our page on Arachnids interesting.

Remember: it is important that you know the needs and requirements of your pet before you obtain the animal. You should never, ever obtain an animal before researching its needs and preparing the housing and conditions.

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## Kazaam

friendttyy said:


> For your first tarantula you don't want an aggressive


Tarantulas aren't capable of aggression, their 'brain' is too simple for that.


friendttyy said:


> It can survive for weeks without food but quickly die without water


This is untrue.


friendttyy said:


> Feed it about 4-5 days after moulting


That's a bit too quick.


friendttyy said:


> Most species of tarantula possess urticating hairs.


That is untrue as well.

http://insidiousclothing.com/lolspiders/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/09-stahp.jpg

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


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## Chris_Skeleton

friendttyy said:
			
		

> it has 8 legs because it's a new world spider


http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii632/Ludvik123/_57c8a1a431a592af806925e57258202f1.png

*ALL* spiders have eight legs.

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## friendttyy

I got it from other places blame them and blame some ppl who told me to DO RESEARCH ON THESE GOOGLE STUFF.

Reactions: Dislike 1


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## MarkmD

It's alright to do Google wiki pages and other site research just read from many sources on that species, then dull it to it's minimal form ie substrate, enclosure size etc, then you have a good care sheet or atleast a basic one, you gave it a good try so I wont say anything about it.


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## Aredtomato

Just recently got my first Curly Hair. And just want to double check on humidity, as I was told it isn't a huge necessity. 

Should the water dish (which is actually water with silica crystals, making a sort of jelly-like substance) in the tank provide adequate enough humidity for a Curly Hair, if it is important? Its a fairly small tank and I'd like to not wet the sides because she has taken a fondness to staying on the walls for hours on end.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Kazaam

Aredtomato said:


> Just recently got my first Curly Hair. And just want to double check on humidity, as I was told it isn't a huge necessity.
> 
> Should the water dish (which is actually water with silica crystals, making a sort of jelly-like substance) in the tank provide adequate enough humidity for a Curly Hair, if it is important? Its a fairly small tank and I'd like to not wet the sides because she has taken a fondness to staying on the walls for hours on end.


They like it dry, just keep one corner a bit humid by spraying it whenever you feel like it.

Remove the silica crystals, tarantulas can't drink from them, replace it with normal water.

They hate humidity, when it's too high it'll climb, fall, and possibly damage itself.


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## Aredtomato

Kazaam said:


> They like it dry, just keep one corner a bit humid by spraying it whenever you feel like it.
> 
> Remove the silica crystals, tarantulas can't drink from them, replace it with normal water.
> 
> They hate humidity, when it's too high it'll climb, fall, and possibly damage itself.


Ok, thank you. That is what I thought, just wanted to make sure I wasn't killing the Little Miss. I'm used to high humidity T's.

And as far as the silica goes, it will be promptly removed. It was only temporary as it was from the pet shop.


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## Kazaam

Aredtomato said:


> And as far as the silica goes, it will be promptly removed. It was only temporary as it was from the pet shop.


Don't believe anything that pet stores say.

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## MarkmD

As said only fresh water, to make it easy just keep it like a G,Rosea.


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## Aredtomato

Kazaam said:


> Don't believe anything that pet stores say.


Ha, I seldom do. Only had the silica for a day or so. I was less prepared than I thought and have nothing to use as an adequate water dish until Monday afternoon, which fortunately is tomorrow. I figured it couldn't hurt if it was only a day or two. 

But I appreciate the advice. I wasn't aware they couldn't drink it period. I just thought it was a "It'll do for a bit" type thing. I'll make sure to turn down silica jelly at future purchases from that shop, which should be tomorrow.


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## Kazaam

Aredtomato said:


> l make sure to turn down silica jelly at future purchases from that shop, which should be tomorrow.


You can use it for crickets if you want, that works.

Tarantulas can go months without water, this shouldn't be a problem.


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## MarkmD

Good, you could have used a bottle cap for water.

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## Curious jay

Chris_Skeleton said:


> http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii632/Ludvik123/_57c8a1a431a592af806925e57258202f1.png
> 
> *ALL* spiders have eight legs.


This is the point I read up to before giving up, good idea, poor information.

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## Aredtomato

Kazaam said:


> You can use it for crickets if you want, that works.
> 
> Tarantulas can go months without water, this shouldn't be a problem.


Yeah, thats right. Might as well take some for them. Alright, I'm done derailing this thread. My apologies.

Reactions: Like 1


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## friendttyy

Tahnks for the replies I am actually getting them from google so people wont have to go everywhere tolook for them.

---------- Post added 12-10-2012 at 05:11 PM ----------

Brachypelma albopilosum


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


 Jump to: navigation, search


"Curlyhair" redirects here. For the texture of hair, see Curly hair.




Brachypelma albopilosum







Honduran curlyhair tarantula



Scientific classification



Kingdom:

Animalia



Phylum:

Arthropoda



Class:

Arachnida



Order:

Araneae



Family:

Theraphosidae



Genus:

Brachypelma



Species:

B. albopilosum



Binomial name



Brachypelma albopilosum
 Valerio, 1980


Brachypelma albopilosum is a species of tarantula known commonly as the Honduran curlyhair or simply Curlyhair tarantula. Its native range includes Central America, from Honduras to Costa Rica . They are terrestrial, opportunistic burrowing spiders. This tarantula is covered in long hairs that have a characteristic curl to them giving them a unique look.





Contents
  [hide]  1 Description
 2 Range and Habitat
 3 Biology
 4 Conservation
 5 As pets
 6 Gallery
 7 References
 8 External links


[edit] Description

The Curlyhair tarantula is a plump-bodied spider, covered with dark brown to black hair. It has a golden-bronze sheen due to longer gold hairs that cover the whole body, which are particularly dense on the hind legs.[1] Males are often a lighter bronze color than females.[2]

[edit] Range and Habitat

The range of the Curlyhair tarantula stretches along the Atlantic side of Honduras, Nicaragua and north-eastern Costa Rica. A burrowing species, the curlyhair tarantula is found in tropical scrubland, either around the base of large trees, near rivers, or in patches of cleared rain forest.[2][3]

[edit] Biology

Receptive females will allow a male to mate, usually during the rainy season, resulting in the making of an egg sac and the laying of 300 to 500 eggs several weeks later.[3] The egg sac is incubated for about seven to eight weeks at 24 to 27 degrees Celsius, after which pale-colored young emerge and cluster together. The spiderlings develop quickly, molting again over the next couple of weeks, by which time they disperse to live independent lives. Unreceptive females are likely to be aggressive towards approaching males and may try to kill and eat them.[2][3]

Primarily a nocturnal, opportunistic ambusher, the curlyhair tarantula preys on insects and small vertebrates. An area on the end of each leg is sensitive to smell, taste and vibration, and is used to detect prey. The tarantula holds its prey with its pedipalps (front limbs) and injects it with venom delivered via two hollow fangs. This venom has a double purpose, paralysing the prey, as well as beginning digestion.Once the venom has acted the tarantula is able to suck up the proteins and fats of its prey, leaving just a small ball of undigested body parts.[2][3] This usually docile tarantula will kick hairs off the abdomen with its hind legs when threatened, which cause blindness if they hit the eyes of a predator and can also cause a rash on the skin.[3]

[edit] Conservation

The largest threat to the Curlyhair tarantula is now habitat loss. Once captured in large numbers for the international pet trade, the curlyhair tarantula is now bred in captivity worldwide and relatively few are caught in the wild.[2] Listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the curlyhair tarantula can now only be traded internationally according to quotas and with trade permits.[4]

[edit] As pets

B. albopilosum is frequently kept and bred in captivity. They feed readily on commercially available crickets and cockroaches. They are typically docile. Females are long-lived, potentially reaching 15 years of age.

[edit] Gallery






An adult B.albopilosum







A juvenile B.albopilosum


[edit] References

This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact-file "Brachypelma albopilosum" under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GFDL.

1.^ "Eight: A site about tarantulas". April, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
 2.^ a b c d e Baxter, R.N. (1993). Keeping and Breeding Tarantulas. Ilford, Essex: Chudleigh Publishing.
 3.^ a b c d e West, R. (2008) Pers. comm.
 4.^ "CITES". CITES. April, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
 Eight Legs Brachypelma albopilosum

---------- Post added 12-10-2012 at 05:12 PM ----------

for the original page got to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachypelma_albopilosum


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## macbaffo

Friendtty. Seriously. Of course we are blaming you cos it's you who copied without reading that stuff. Your idea is good but you are doing it wrong. It is well known that caresheets from internet are not so accurate and yet you copy&paste. 

Better if you summarize all those articles in one big article with appropriate corrections.

Nothing against you but newbies have already a lot of confused info and looking in this thread they might get confused even more. And i know that it's not what you want.

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## MarkmD

I agree, maybe you should have summarized from a fue sources and then made a short cut version that is factual and to the point, ok you gave it a try and well done, but unless you know your facts I wouldn't even try, as said newbies are having a hard time as it is without needing more.


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## SamuraiSid

friendttyy said:


> I got it from other places blame them and blame some ppl who told me to DO RESEARCH ON THESE GOOGLE STUFF.


Welcome to the internet, heres your bag of salt

Im not gonna blame you, but the problem is that I cant blame them either because someone else gave them that info, and someone else gave the other people info, and so on and so forth. Grow a thick skin and realize We are all a bunch of anal T enthusiast who dont tolerate misinformation.... Now if we could all just agree on what constitutes misinformation the hobby would be a better place:sarcasm:
Stans got a couple of great threads you should read. From there familiarize yourself with KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) and the few species that do have specific requirements like swamp dwellers (Ie. Theraphosa sp.), but even these can be weened from their humidity requirements.... Guess We will have to wait for Stan to officially write an article about it before the majority catch on:sarcasm: Fact is that the vast majority of T's, regardless of what the weather is like in their "natural" habitat, will survive well on bone dry substrate, with a waterdish and hide. Nothing more is needed and falls in the category of personal preferance.

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## macbaffo

SamuraiSid said:


> Welcome to the internet, heres your bag of salt
> 
> Im not gonna blame you, but the problem is that I cant blame them either because someone else gave them that info, and someone else gave the other people info, and so on and so forth. Grow a thick skin and realize We are all a bunch of anal T enthusiast who dont tolerate misinformation.... Now if we could all just agree on what constitutes misinformation the hobby would be a better place:sarcasm:
> Stans got a couple of great threads you should read. From there familiarize yourself with KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) and the few species that do have specific requirements like swamp dwellers (Ie. Theraphosa sp.), but even these can be weened from their humidity requirements.... Guess We will have to wait for Stan to officially write an article about it before the majority catch on:sarcasm: Fact is that the vast majority of T's, regardless of what the weather is like in their "natural" habitat, will survive well on bone dry substrate, with a waterdish and hide. Nothing more is needed and falls in the category of personal preferance.


 Anal T enthusiast? 
I hope for a typo there

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## friendttyy

I was just trying to help.


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## Anonymity82

Kazaam said:


> Tarantulas can go months without water, this shouldn't be a problem.


This statement is a bit broad. 

If the tarantula is of a species who appreciates a higher humidity, it may not last months without water. If the tarantula is poorly fed or refusing food and the abdomen is on the small side the risk dehydration is higher. 

Generally, I just try to get a good look at the abdomen. Nice and plump, I can be lazy and refill/spray on a later date. On the smaller side or wrinkly, definitely want to get some water in that cage.


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## Kazaam

njnolan1 said:


> This statement is a bit broad.
> 
> If the tarantula is of a species who appreciates a higher humidity, it may not last months without water. If the tarantula is poorly fed or refusing food and the abdomen is on the small side the risk dehydration is higher.
> 
> Generally, I just try to get a good look at the abdomen. Nice and plump, I can be lazy and refill/spray on a later date. On the smaller side or wrinkly, definitely want to get some water in that cage.


It's a bit wide, but a well keeped tarantula won't have much problems with it, even humidity loving species will survive a while without water.


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## ragnarokxg

friendttyy said:


> I was just trying to help.


I am fairly new to this hobby, only a few months, and I got about half way through before I knew you were leading a lot of people down the wrong path.  And as was said earlier, the worse thing you can do is provide misinformation.  You went the wrong way with it and copy and pasted info that is very misleading.  And that is just as bad as the people who wrote the information about it in the first place.  I don't want to sound mean but maybe you should have consulted with others via PM's before posting on here this ridiculousness that could easily get other newbies confused and may lead to some otherwise avoidable deaths.

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## Hobo

*Mod note*

Despite the "facts", I find that through the correction of the misinformation so far has proven useful for the OP, and for others who may find this thread one day.
What doesn't help are stupid spammy one liner posts/images that contribute absolutely nothing to any topic. This isn't an imageboard. Consider this a formal warning for all of you who wish to post such things here, as any more spam will result in infractions.

[HR][/HR]

Friendttyy,

Perhaps it would be useful for you to actually have some experience with this species (and tarantulas in general) before trying to create a care sheet. Regurgitating info found on the net isn't very helpful, as the info is seldom reliable and very easily found by those who really want to find it. With all the false info so far, all you've managed to do is confuse potential new hobbiest who may stumble into this thread.

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## friendttyy

Good points I will get more experience before I do these stuff.


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## Blinx

Ok, my turn. From my memory real quick. I will have to correct it most likely. If it is wrong in anyway please go ahead and mention it.  This forum is like a classroom for me. I am just trying to learn. I have searched the net for days and found conflicting info. I am not teaching, I am asking. A HUGE POST.

The Honduran Curly hair is a CITES listed tarantula. What that means to us who are only keeping it as a display pet, is that the tarantula cannot be imported or exported without permit. The Brachypelma Albo. lives in areas with cloud forests and mountainous forests, so it's humidity should be kept high at around eighty percent.  Terrestrial spiders such as the Brachpelma Albo. require substrate in which to burrow as well as to maintain hydration. The tarantula will drink water from the substrate. Providing a shallow water dish without the aide of a sponge is encouraged by hobbyists and is required by the tarantula. The habitat should have length but not be too large for the spider. An enclosure that is too large will prevent the spider from being able to find it's food as a young spiderling as well as pose difficulty for an adult. The habitat should be at least twice the length of the entire spider. Several inches of substrate, three to five, should be adequate. Providing a heat source is not always encouraged as the sources for heat are not marketed for tarantulas and many if not all reptile and amphibian heat source products should be avoided. Products for hermit crabs, the under the tank heaters have registered as having a temperature of 100 degrees f itself and are marketed for kritter keeper plastic habitats, while they have not melted plastic, that I am aware of, the warnings indicate the heaters are to be used on glass. On glass the temperature rises to 96.9 degrees f which could be higher on depending on glass thickness and is used above the substrate line to provide air temperature that can range as high in the mid eighties on very cold days with varying factors. These heaters do pose a risk. While not encouraged or necessarily thwarted, it is a zoo med product that I personally have used with great success with tarantulas. It is preferable to heat the whole room the tarantula is in however not everyone is tolerable of an increase in temperature and willing or able to do that either due to personal medical reasons or financial ones.  Nothing hotter than about 88 degrees f for this tarantula?

Honduran Curly Hair Tarantula females are long lived to an age averaged to be about twenty years. Males only live a few years until they reach maturity.  Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Central America are the locations where Honduran Curly Hair tarantulas have been found to be native. The cleared areas of rain forest or tropical scrub land are the places the tarantulas are found because of and due to habitat loss. 

So basically here is where I am getting confused. The area where it says cloud forest, then conflicting (?) information of tropical scrubland and mountainous forest. I don't need to really know anything other than what kind of rock or type of rock would be nice for the spider to have in it's habitat? I have read up far enough to know that Nicaragua is one of the places that the tarantula cannot legally come from I think without a permit, or even with one. I don't need all this info. I am not a collector of wild anything. Here is my situation. The habitat is like the biggest aesthetically noticeable thing about the hobby because the spider is going to burrow and basically be out of sight. I got griped at bad on another forum for caring about aesthetics and nearly made into a monster for wanting something that looked nice and was also good for the spider. I read candy dishes can be used with a lid and/or cookie jars, just that the ventilation is the issue. There is just a lot of information and a lot can be 
found online but it can leave one without an ounce of common sense left about what it is they are trying to convey as a point exactly. 

We learn origins, ok great, so that tells us what exactly? Does that give us any idea about whether we should use peat or coconut? nope.  Is there any special just for tarantula dirt that can be used? nope. We look at climate. Ok lots of rain, rainy seasons, temps fluctuate from 70's to 80's f from those areas listed. So, we mist. WHy do we do this to ourselves? Why do we read all this great fun information then get stuck with the notion that as a hobbyist it is kind of useless and an aggravating annoyance to those who are already in the know and up to their eyeballs in permits, know how, experience, teaching and told you so's who are taking the precious moments out of their day's and nights to correct our ignorance.. Well, it's my curly hair, and I want it to have an amazing life in it's habitat and want the time it shares with us to be nice. I just don't wanna bore or aggravate people and I'd like to keep a tarantula in a huge antique looking cookie jar. Oh no... here it comes.. The post after post about ventilation and the conflicting posts about humidity. I am not a scientist, zoologist, invertebrate vet, microbiologist, or even a college graduate. I am a stay at home housewife and mom and don't ask for much but have gotten blunt after blunt of wrath by annoyed geniuses on the tarantula topic. I don't expect this forum to be nice. 

WHAT exactly do I need to know as a simple pet owner? 
All of the above? None of the above? 
Can I EVEN HAVE a curly hair tarantula with it having a CITES listing? 
Can any tarantula live in a cookie jar? 

Dang. I never though keeping a spider would be so complex and full of so much information.


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## Blinx




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## soundsmith

Last post Dec 2012.

Reactions: Award 1


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## BobBarley

Blinx said:


>


On a thread reviving streak bro!


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## MrsHaas

I almost peed laughing.


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## Bugmom

Blinx said:


> Ok, my turn. From my memory real quick. I will have to correct it most likely. If it is wrong in anyway please go ahead and mention it.  This forum is like a classroom for me. I am just trying to learn. I have searched the net for days and found conflicting info. I am not teaching, I am asking. A HUGE POST.
> 
> The Honduran Curly hair is a CITES listed tarantula. What that means to us who are only keeping it as a display pet, is that the tarantula cannot be imported or exported without permit. The Brachypelma Albo. lives in areas with cloud forests and mountainous forests, so it's humidity should be kept high at around eighty percent.  Terrestrial spiders such as the Brachpelma Albo. require substrate in which to burrow as well as to maintain hydration. The tarantula will drink water from the substrate. Providing a shallow water dish without the aide of a sponge is encouraged by hobbyists and is required by the tarantula. The habitat should have length but not be too large for the spider. An enclosure that is too large will prevent the spider from being able to find it's food as a young spiderling as well as pose difficulty for an adult. The habitat should be at least twice the length of the entire spider. Several inches of substrate, three to five, should be adequate. Providing a heat source is not always encouraged as the sources for heat are not marketed for tarantulas and many if not all reptile and amphibian heat source products should be avoided. Products for hermit crabs, the under the tank heaters have registered as having a temperature of 100 degrees f itself and are marketed for kritter keeper plastic habitats, while they have not melted plastic, that I am aware of, the warnings indicate the heaters are to be used on glass. On glass the temperature rises to 96.9 degrees f which could be higher on depending on glass thickness and is used above the substrate line to provide air temperature that can range as high in the mid eighties on very cold days with varying factors. These heaters do pose a risk. While not encouraged or necessarily thwarted, it is a zoo med product that I personally have used with great success with tarantulas. It is preferable to heat the whole room the tarantula is in however not everyone is tolerable of an increase in temperature and willing or able to do that either due to personal medical reasons or financial ones.  Nothing hotter than about 88 degrees f for this tarantula?
> 
> Honduran Curly Hair Tarantula females are long lived to an age averaged to be about twenty years. Males only live a few years until they reach maturity.  Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Central America are the locations where Honduran Curly Hair tarantulas have been found to be native. The cleared areas of rain forest or tropical scrub land are the places the tarantulas are found because of and due to habitat loss.
> 
> So basically here is where I am getting confused. The area where it says cloud forest, then conflicting (?) information of tropical scrubland and mountainous forest. I don't need to really know anything other than what kind of rock or type of rock would be nice for the spider to have in it's habitat? I have read up far enough to know that Nicaragua is one of the places that the tarantula cannot legally come from I think without a permit, or even with one. I don't need all this info. I am not a collector of wild anything. Here is my situation. The habitat is like the biggest aesthetically noticeable thing about the hobby because the spider is going to burrow and basically be out of sight. I got griped at bad on another forum for caring about aesthetics and nearly made into a monster for wanting something that looked nice and was also good for the spider. I read candy dishes can be used with a lid and/or cookie jars, just that the ventilation is the issue. There is just a lot of information and a lot can be
> found online but it can leave one without an ounce of common sense left about what it is they are trying to convey as a point exactly.
> 
> We learn origins, ok great, so that tells us what exactly? Does that give us any idea about whether we should use peat or coconut? nope.  Is there any special just for tarantula dirt that can be used? nope. We look at climate. Ok lots of rain, rainy seasons, temps fluctuate from 70's to 80's f from those areas listed. So, we mist. WHy do we do this to ourselves? Why do we read all this great fun information then get stuck with the notion that as a hobbyist it is kind of useless and an aggravating annoyance to those who are already in the know and up to their eyeballs in permits, know how, experience, teaching and told you so's who are taking the precious moments out of their day's and nights to correct our ignorance.. Well, it's my curly hair, and I want it to have an amazing life in it's habitat and want the time it shares with us to be nice. I just don't wanna bore or aggravate people and I'd like to keep a tarantula in a huge antique looking cookie jar. Oh no... here it comes.. The post after post about ventilation and the conflicting posts about humidity. I am not a scientist, zoologist, invertebrate vet, microbiologist, or even a college graduate. I am a stay at home housewife and mom and don't ask for much but have gotten blunt after blunt of wrath by annoyed geniuses on the tarantula topic. I don't expect this forum to be nice.
> 
> WHAT exactly do I need to know as a simple pet owner?
> All of the above? None of the above?
> Can I EVEN HAVE a curly hair tarantula with it having a CITES listing?
> Can any tarantula live in a cookie jar?
> 
> Dang. I never though keeping a spider would be so complex and full of so much information.


This is pretty much all you need to know about keeping a B. albopilosum:


A few inches of substrate. Cocofiber is fine. Organic top soil is fine. The T really won't care either way.
A water dish is fine. The T may or may not use it. I skip a dish entirely and just mist once a week.
They will probably burrow as slings. They don't burrow much as an adult, but will appreciate and use a hide.
Tarantulas don't care if they are put in a top-of-the-line premanufactured terrarium or a recycled tub of nuts so long as they get fed on a regular basis and aren't harassed by people/other pets or cooked by a heat lamp or heat pad. They don't care if the hide is a Kleenex box cut in half, or an expensive hut from Petco. Whatever decorations you put in is primarily for your benefit, not the T's. 
Many of us keep a lot of tarantulas. When you have 36 (like I currently do) or 100 (like I did last year) or 400 (like my friends), you don't go for pretty, you go for functional. The tarantulas don't care so long as those crickets keep coming.
Curly hairs are dang near impossible to accidentally kill. Odds of them dehydrating, starving, or freezing are slim to none so long as the previous advice is followed.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## MrsHaas

Bugmom said:


> Many of us keep a lot of tarantulas. When you have 36 (like I currently do) or 100 (like I did last year) or 400 (like my friends), you don't go for pretty, you go for functional.


Omg could someone plz tell my husband this?? We have 40 and every enclosure is a grand masterpiece worth well over 2-3 (sometime 10!)x the price of the spider in it! Lol

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## cold blood

Blinx, don't read care sheets.  In fact, forget EVERYTHING you have EVER read on a care-sheet and start with a clean slate, you've found your new source here at AB.   Problem solved. 

And don't mist, they're not plants.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Bugmom

MrsHaas said:


> Omg could someone plz tell my husband this?? We have 40 and every enclosure is a grand masterpiece worth well over 2-3 (sometime 10!)x the price of the spider in it! Lol


That'd be my husband if this were his hobby too... He paints models so he'd be all "IT HAS TO LOOK GOOD" and I'd be all "THE TARANTULA DOESN'T NEED YOU TO BUILD IT A TANK, IT -IS- A TANK."

I don't think I've ever spent more than $20 on an enclosure. That includes dirt lol


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## MrsHaas

Bugmom said:


> That'd be my husband if this were his hobby too... He paints models so he'd be all "IT HAS TO LOOK GOOD" and I'd be all "THE TARANTULA DOESN'T NEED YOU TO BUILD IT A TANK, IT -IS- A TANK."
> 
> I don't think I've ever spent more than $20 on an enclose. That includes dirt lol


Oh goodness..... Haha!  My hubby has gone so far as to buy special furniture for the damn things!  But at least when they are all hiding away in their perfectly positioned cork rounds for 23hours and 59 mins A day there's always a pretty tank to stare at!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## cold blood

Bugmom said:


> I don't think I've ever spent more than $20 on an enclose. That includes dirt lol


That's about my tops as well, and frankly most are less than $10, probably closer to $5....sterilite and topsoil keep costs of large collections way down, leaving more $ for the most important things, like spiders.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bugmom

cold blood said:


> That's about my tops as well, and frankly most are less than $10, probably closer to $5....sterilite and topsoil keep costs of large collections way down, leaving more $ for the most important things, like spiders.


Sterilite is the T-keepers saving grace. And Mainstay, from Wal-Mart. Can't beat a clear one-gallon for an arboreal for $3.


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## JustSomeDude

Those one gallon jugs from Walmart are sweet! Def gonna start using them I am quickly running out of space with my tanks in my t room


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## Leila

You guys....I wanna know why THIS thread is one of the First that popped up in my search for "B. albo sling care."

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Leila

Leila said:


> You guys....I wanna know why THIS thread is one of the First that popped up in my search for "B. albo sling care."


Seriously. Lol. This post is so misleading. Imagine if a newbie who had not done much research prior to reading the OP's post saw this and did not venture furthur into the thread...  @cold blood @Exoskeleton Invertebrates @EulersK. This goes against what all of you have told me thus far.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Chris LXXIX

Leila said:


> @cold blood @Exoskeleton Invertebrates @EulersK. This goes against what all of you have told me thus far.


Ah ah the 'Three Caballeros' 






jok :-s

Reactions: Funny 3


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## EulersK

Leila said:


> Seriously. Lol. This post is so misleading. Imagine if a newbie who had not done much research prior to reading the OP's post saw this and did not venture furthur into the thread...  @cold blood @Exoskeleton Invertebrates @EulersK. This goes against what all of you have told me thus far.


Yes, well, we also advocate thinking for yourself. Hopefully the abundant redundancies and grammatical/spelling errors would tip someone off on this person's credentials

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Leila

Chris LXXIX said:


> Ah ah the 'Three Caballeros'
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jok :-s


Omfg, you are my fave @Chris LXXIX!!!! Hahahahahahahahahha!!!!!!

Reactions: Funny 1 | Love 1


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## Crone Returns

Leila said:


> Seriously. Lol. This post is so misleading. Imagine if a newbie who had not done much research prior to reading the OP's post saw this and did not venture furthur into the thread...  @cold blood @Exoskeleton Invertebrates @EulersK. This goes against what all of you have told me thus far.


Sometimes you just gotta smile and nod.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 1


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## Leila

EulersK said:


> Yes, well, we also advocate thinking for yourself. Hopefully the abundant redundancies and grammatical/spelling errors would tip someone off on this person's credentials


Fair enough :wideyed:

Reactions: Funny 1


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## BobBarley

EulersK said:


> Yes, well, we also advocate thinking for yourself. Hopefully the abundant redundancies and grammatical/spelling errors would tip someone off on this person's credentials


*cough our new president cough*  Sorry I have a cold.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 5


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## Chris LXXIX

Leila said:


> Omfg, you are my fave @Chris LXXIX!!!! Hahahahahahahahahha!!!!!!


Oh thank you Lady. Your kind words are a _placebo _for my soul during the last part of this unfinished Lombardy Winter that not even the best Tennessee whiskey which old good Larry Hagman used to watering his throath with, can match

Reactions: Love 2


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## Leila

Chris LXXIX said:


> Oh thank you Lady. Your kind words are a _placebo _for my soul during the last part of this unfinished Lombardy Winter that not even the best Tennessee whiskey which old good Larry Hagman used to watering his troath with, can match

Reactions: Like 1


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## Leila

EulersK said:


> Yes, well, we also advocate thinking for yourself. Hopefully the abundant redundancies and grammatical/spelling errors would tip someone off on this person's credentials


I was not putting any blame on you guys. No way! Only stating that I found it quite bizarre that this archaic post was one of the first two to pop up in my AB search for B. albo slings. I thought you guys would find amusement in this.

Reactions: Like 1 | Love 1


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## EulersK

Leila said:


> I was not putting any blame on you guys. No way! Only stating that I found it quite bizarre that this archaic post was one of the first two to pop up in my AB search for B. albo slings. I thought you guys would find amusement in this.


What always gets me is a handy part in The Tarantula Keeper's Guide that suggests keeping Avics in enclosures with no substrate. Just a giant water dish as a base. Quite the recommendation...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Chris LXXIX

EulersK said:


> What always gets me is a handy part in The Tarantula Keeper's Guide that suggests keeping Avics in enclosures with no substrate. Just a giant water dish as a base. Quite the recommendation...


Eh eh


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## Leila

EulersK said:


> What always gets me is a handy part in The Tarantula Keeper's Guide that suggests keeping Avics in enclosures with no substrate. Just a giant water dish as a base. Quite the recommendation...


Whaaaaaaaat??

Reactions: Funny 2


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## cold blood

EulersK said:


> What always gets me is a handy part in The Tarantula Keeper's Guide that suggests keeping Avics in enclosures with no substrate. Just a giant water dish as a base. Quite the recommendation...


He said...^^^^

Reactions: Funny 1


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## EulersK

Leila said:


> Whaaaaaaaat??


Not exaggerating even a little. I've actually thought about critiquing the book in a video, but I fear that's a bit too arrogant. It's a book with a lot of great information, but some of the suggestions should be avoided. It's hard to tell the difference when you're a new hobbyist.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## HybridReplicate

EulersK said:


> Not exaggerating even a little. I've actually thought about critiquing the book in a video, but I fear that's a bit too arrogant. It's a book with a lot of great information, but some of the suggestions should be avoided. It's hard to tell the difference when you're a new hobbyist.


 I have no interest in arboreals currently so I never looked into their care & only know what I read in TKG...thought this was legit!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## boina

When I started out I read the TKG and then I read the German equvalent, Peter Klaas book (you know all those Ts. called Something klaasi or peterklaasi or pulcherimaklaasi?). After that I was ready to throw in the towel. Those two books practically contract each other at every turn. P. Klaas is a strong believer in high temps and a specific humidity for every species and he gives specific care sheets for about everything. He does know a lot about Ts in their natural environment, though, so he does advocate for more involved setups. In the end I decided to go with logic and basic animal behaviour knowledge, meaning if a T wants a hide and substrate in its natural environment it will probably 'like' one in it's cage, too.

Reactions: Like 3 | Love 1


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## johnny quango

The tarantula keepers guide is a great starting point for any new keeper and as such it should be the 1st addition to your collection. It's not without it's faults one of which @EulersK as brought up as I'm pretty sure none of us do or would keep Avics that way there's a few more besides but maybe that's the reason there's an updated version in the pipeline (may even be out now) along side tkg I have a small book by Russ Gurley about keeping tarantula and scorpions in captivity so between them there's plenty of information that helps beginners and experienced keeper.

My go to book though is Tarantulas of the world by Francois teyssie it feels almost twice as thick as Tkg and it as a lot more up to date information. It feels fresh in it's approach compared to tkg don't get me wrong there's still alot of reading of a scientific nature which may seem daunting to a beginner and it's definitely not a sit and read in 1 sitting kind of book.
There's a major downside to this book also and that is the price to put it bluntly it was more expensive that any of my tarantulas including my adult females and that was after it was on sale at half price if I'd paid full price for it then it would have been almost double the price of my Grammostola pulchra female who is my most expensive tarantula purchase ever

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1 | Helpful 3


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## HybridReplicate

johnny quango said:


> The tarantula keepers guide is a great starting point for any new keeper and as such it should be the 1st addition to your collection. It's not without it's faults one of which @EulersK as brought up as I'm pretty sure none of us do or would keep Avics that way there's a few more besides but maybe that's the reason there's an updated version in the pipeline (may even be out now) along side tkg I have a small book by Russ Gurley about keeping tarantula and scorpions in captivity so between them there's plenty of information that helps beginners and experienced keeper.
> 
> My go to book though is Tarantulas of the world by Francois teyssie it feels almost twice as thick as Tkg and it as a lot more up to date information. It feels fresh in it's approach compared to tkg don't get me wrong there's still alot of reading of a scientific nature which may seem daunting to a beginner and it's definitely not a sit and read in 1 sitting kind of book.
> There's a major downside to this book also and that is the price to put it bluntly it was more expensive that any of my tarantulas including my adult females and that was after it was on sale at half price if I'd paid full price for it then it would have been almost double the price of my Grammostola pulchra female who is my most expensive tarantula purchase ever


It's $95 on Amazon from the publisher, not a bad price considering. Thanks for the recommendation, didn't even know this existed & can't wait to read it!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## johnny quango

HybridReplicate said:


> It's $95 on Amazon from the publisher, not a bad price considering. Thanks for the recommendation, didn't even know this existed & can't wait to read it!


When I bought my copy it was still selling at around $145. It's a great read and some of the photography of the biotopes are beautiful as well as being informative they tend to focus more on Brachypelma and Grammostola though so it's mainly central/south America


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## HybridReplicate

johnny quango said:


> When I bought my copy it was still selling at around $145. It's a great read and some of the photography of the biotopes are beautiful as well as being informative they tend to focus more on Brachypelma and Grammostola though so it's mainly central/south America


Tell me more about this place where you buy AF G. Pulchra for $72.50...

Reactions: Agree 2


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## boina

johnny quango said:


> The tarantula keepers guide is a great starting point for any new keeper and as such it should be the 1st addition to your collection. It's not without it's faults one of which @EulersK as brought up as I'm pretty sure none of us do or would keep Avics that way there's a few more besides but maybe that's the reason there's an updated version in the pipeline (may even be out now) along side tkg I have a small book by Russ Gurley about keeping tarantula and scorpions in captivity so between them there's plenty of information that helps beginners and experienced keeper.
> 
> My go to book though is Tarantulas of the world by Francois teyssie it feels almost twice as thick as Tkg and it as a lot more up to date information. It feels fresh in it's approach compared to tkg don't get me wrong there's still alot of reading of a scientific nature which may seem daunting to a beginner and it's definitely not a sit and read in 1 sitting kind of book.
> There's a major downside to this book also and that is the price to put it bluntly it was more expensive that any of my tarantulas including my adult females and that was after it was on sale at half price if I'd paid full price for it then it would have been almost double the price of my Grammostola pulchra female who is my most expensive tarantula purchase ever


I've just ordered a copy - thanks for the hint, I didn't know that book existed.


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## cold blood

HybridReplicate said:


> Tell me more about this place where you buy AF G. Pulchra for $72.50...


lol, go re-read the quote you posted,

 "When I bought my copy it was still selling at around $145."

He's not in the US btw.

Reactions: Like 2


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## johnny quango

HybridReplicate said:


> Tell me more about this place where you buy AF G. Pulchra for $72.50...


It's called the United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the UK to friends.
It cost around $85 including shipping so not quite half price but close enough. The $85 was for my pulchra not the book

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Nicole Dunn

friendttyy said:


> Hey I was wounding what I should do for lighting, my tarantula isn't near any windows and I'm not moving her and I need to know should I keep on her lamp all the time {normal lamp} or should I make a schedule for her lighting. If you know anywhere I could find this answer if you don't know.


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## darkness975

@Leila don't tell @Chris LXXIX he is your fave.  It will go right to his head.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3 | Lollipop 1


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## Leila

darkness975 said:


> @Leila don't tell @Chris LXXIX he is your fave.  It will go right to his head.


Ah, but I always enjoy a nice dose of humor! Hehe

Reactions: Agree 2 | Love 1


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## Inspector Aberline

friendttyy said:


> Hello, we will go over the Curly Haired tarantula for you guys, I will cover everything you need too know about the tarantula. A helpful tip; The Curly Haired tarantula's latin name is Brachyplema albopilosum
> 
> So, what does this tarantula look like? Well when it's a sub-adult it'll be a plain black colour all over with little golden hairs on it, so it gives it a nice colour to it, it has 8 legs because it's a new world spider, these spiders are from Costa Rica, which are located in the forests.
> 
> These spiders are a great spider to have when you first start buying tarantulas because they're very cheap and easy too care for, very docile (calm natured) which means they're not prone to bite or put you in any harm, this tarantula is a Terrestrial species (ground living) meaning they do not need any height when looking after them. The only thing these will do is flick hairs if they get spooked by sudden movements or if your annoying them lol  these hairs could irritate your skin and cause rashes but normally this type of tarantula won't flick hairs or bite you if your careful with them just like any other spider.
> If you do decide to buy one of these tarantula's and keep it in an enclosure then you'll need the some of the following things (I'll do multiple choices to give you an idea of what you'd want)
> 
> Heat mat (not required) this will basically provide the tarantula with a heat source and make it feel more comfortable in the environment you're keeping it in. Heat mats for a spider will not cost anything over £10 if you've got a good pet store near you, if not Amazon will provide you one for about £7, or $10. You should only cover up to half the tank at maximum so if the tarantula decides to cool down or heat up then it can move from one side to the other side depending on how it's feeling, the heat mat will encourage the spider too molt as well (only when it's ready to go into pre-molt) because it needs a certain temperature for it's body too allow it to go into the molting stage, so overall a heat mat is recommended.
> 
> Hiding - You should always give your tarantula a hiding source so it can burrow underneath it and feel safe if it ever wants to hide away from anything, also it's a place it can molt and eat because it's a suitable place because it's out the way of everything else but itself, You can provide a rock or plant pot.. something which is can easily burrow and hide under.
> 
> Substrate - I highly recommend Coconut Husk, this stuff is fairly cheap for the amount you get it in. A brick sized-shape will cost about £5 or $8. It'll easily fill up a normal size bucket once you've added water to the brick and left it for half an hour, what it does is the brick absorbs the water and just expands by itself. This substrate is very easy for the tarantula to bury itself in, absorbs moisture as well so it can be used to also keep the tarantula cool.
> Another note on this substrate is that you'll need to clean out the tarantula every 5 or 6 months so no mould or ticks will get into the enclosure (well it'll lower the risk of it happening) you could use some bark as well, as long as it's been disinfected because a chemical in the bark can harm the tarantula, this is also a good floor for the tarantula to live on as well.
> 
> Feeding/water - Depending on the size of the tarantula you can buy different sized crickets (best food for them IMO) if it's a sub-adult then you'll probably need size 3 silent crickets (you should only really feed them once a week, but that depends on how fast you'd want the tarantula to grow. The more you feed it potentially the quicker it'll grow) But beware of this method because the more you feed it the bigger the abdomen will get and if you ever dropped it or it fell off something then the abdomen has a very high risk of cracking which will kill the tarantula or seriously harm it , you can feed them the odd pinkie once they're fully grown (this is too be kept at a minimum though as it's a big food source for a spider of 5 - 6 inches big. For the water source I recommend spraying the enclosure down with a bottle sprayer, this then covers a area which you'd like to add water to the tank so the tarantula can grab a drop whenever it wants to, I normally spray mine once every 2 or 3 days to keep it well watered if it ever wants it. If any food is uneaten you should take it out after 6 - 12 hours because if the tarantula is going into pre-molt and the food is alive and in the enclosure it could cause seriously harm to the tarantula because it's defenseless once in the molting stage, so you should take it out straight away to take away the risk of the tarantula being hurt.
> 
> I hope this care sheet has helped any views that are reading this, and I hope you can one day maybe get yourself one of these great spiders for yourself, If I've missed out any information or you want too add any then feel free to Private message me and i'll add it in and give you the credits for the information which you added. You can also Private message me if you have any FAQ's, or you can just post it in this thread. Thanks for reading guys and I hope I've been of some help to any of you.
> Please post your experience aswell.:biggrin:
> 
> ---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:01 PM ----------
> 
> I will be putting multiple resources so u dont need to do a lot of research.
> 
> ---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:03 PM ----------
> 
> What does the Curly Hair Tarantula look like?
> 
> While immature, this species has an overall brown colour, with a copper tint on the carapace. Mature Adults still have the copper on the carapore, but have a brown-black ground with golden-red hairs on the legs and abdomen. An average adult size is 3 inch body and up to a 4.5-5.5 inch leg span.
> 
> Personally, I prefer the Curly Hair Tarantula to the Chile Rose Tarantula. The Adult colour is pretty and I have found this species to be very calm and easy to handle. I basically just pick them up and pop them in my hand, they never seem to struggle. Caution should always be taken, as each tarantula has a different temperament.
> 
> Where are Curly Hair Tarantulas from?
> 
> Found in wet forests of Guatemala to Costa Rica.
> 
> Due to this species living in wet forests, they need to be provided with a reasonably humid living area of 70-80%. The temperature ranges from 21 - 27C (70 - 80F), just above room temperature will be fine for them.
> 
> Are Curly Hair Tarantulas to keep?
> 
> YES - This is one of the easiest and best species of tarantula to keep.
> 
> Being a Terrestrial species (ground living), you need to provide the Tarantula with more ground space than height. They will dig if given the opportunity or hide beneath logs, I find they prefer the latter. Layer the bottom of the tank with approx. 3" (80mm) of substrate to allow burrowing. Provide rocks, logs and even a plant pot for the Curly Hair to hide under.
> 
> Once a week, feed on a range of insects and depending on the age, the odd pinkie (baby mouse). Crickets can injury your tarantula during moulting, so any uneaten food should be removed if your tarantula doesn't seem interested, try feeding again a few days later. Always provide water, this can be via a shallow dish or Tarantula sponge!
> 
> ---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 07:10 PM ----------
> 
> Before you buy a tarantula you should think about the conditions it will need to live a long and healthy life. Many tarantulas die in the first few days because their new owner hasn't prepared a suitable home for them. First decide what you want to buy because a small spiderling will obviously require very different accommodation to a full grown specimen.
> 
> I will assume you are buying a medium-sized tarantula in which case you will need to provide the following.
> 
> Housing
> 
> Pet shops will sell suitable tanks in glass or plastic and the size should not be less than about 25cm by 15cm by 15cm high. If you want to create a tank that tries to provide natural conditions (for example rain forest with leaf litter, logs etc.) then you will need a much larger tank, but you won't see your spider very often! I would suggest that you begin with the simple tank without unnecessary contents so that you can watch your tarantula's activities.
> 
> Substrate (Ground cover)
> 
> A 2cm layer of Vermiculite should cover the bottom of the tank and a thin layer of chipped bark or cocoa fibre placed on top of that. These can be purchased from most garden centres and should be kept damp to keep up the humidity levels in the tank. Potting compost should not be used as they really need to be sterilised and changed frequently.
> 
> Heating
> 
> A temperature of 21-24°C is required for most of the tarantulas that you should buy as a beginner. If you have a centrally heated room which stays at that temperature all the time then you won't need extra heating during the winter, but you will between spring and autumn when the heating is switched off.
> 
> A good pet shop that sells reptiles and spiders will have a variety of thermostatically controlled heating devices including underground cables, heating mats and hot rocks. Tell them the size and type of tank that you are using and they will recommend a suitable heater for you. An alternative is a seed propagator which can be purchased from garden centres. You can keep your tank inside it. Red light bulbs are not very suitable for heating spider tanks.
> 
> Humidity
> 
> The humidity in the tank should not be less than 50-60% and you should buy a little humidity gauge to stick on the inside of your tank. If the humidity drops below 50% your tarantula may die during its next moult. You can keep the humidity high by misting the tank with water from a plant mister. You should make sure that has been washed thoroughly if it's been used for any plant fertiliser or other chemicals. Also, keep a check on the tank to make sure no mould develops.
> 
> Feeding
> 
> Crickets and locusts are usually available from pet shops that sell tarantulas and reptiles, and you can try other livestock which you catch yourself, such as moths and caterpillars. Some will even eat earthworms. A tarantula of about 3-4cm in body length will eat 8-10 crickets each week although it will survive on less.
> 
> If you keep live food for your tarantula then you should also ensure that the live food is kept in appropriate conditions (adequate space, correct temperature and humidity and access to food and water).
> 
> Water
> 
> Water is vital to your tarantula. It can survive for weeks without food but quickly die without water. A small container such as a coffee jar lid half-full of water will provide drinking water and help keep the humidity up.
> 
> Moulting
> 
> As your tarantula grows it will moult (shed its skin in a process called ecdysis) regularly, 2-3 times a year in the case of the half grown individual. Signs of an approaching moult are darkening of the colour and the spider will stop feeding.
> 
> When feeding stops, remove any live food in case they irritate the spider, or worse, nibble it while it is helpless during the moult. Normally the spider will turn on its back to moult and lie still in that position for several hours. Do not disturb it in any way at this time as activity may prove fatal. Feed it about 4-5 days after moulting when its new skin has hardened.
> 
> Suggested species
> 
> For your first tarantula you don't want an aggressive, difficult to keep or very expensive specimen. The following are ideal species:
> •Chilean Rose (Grammostola spatulatus / G. cala)
> •Entre Rios (Grammostola inheringii)
> •Curly Haired (Brachypelma albopilosa)
> •Red Rump (Brachypelma vagans)
> •White Collared (Pterinopelma saltator)
> 
> Additional considerations
> 
> Urticating hairs
> 
> Most species of tarantula possess urticating hairs. These hairs are a defensive hair that can cause itching/irritation of the skin or more severe problems if hairs enter the eye. Care should be taken when handling tarantulas or cleaning out their enclosure. Tarantulas may also rub their back legs across their abdomen to flick hairs upwards if they feel threatened.
> 
> Bites
> 
> All tarantulas are capable of biting (since this is how they feed). Many species are docile and rarely bite as a means of defence but others are more aggressive. Biting is often a last resort and different species have different threat behaviours (for example, raising the front pairs of legs, showing their fangs or hissing by rubbing their chelicerae together) which indicate that they feel threatened. It is important that you can recognise these behaviours or, better still, avoid doing anything that makes your tarantula feel threatened.
> 
> You may also find our page on Arachnids interesting.
> 
> Remember: it is important that you know the needs and requirements of your pet before you obtain the animal. You should never, ever obtain an animal before researching its needs and preparing the housing and conditions.





			https://www.nwzoo.com/pdf/Albopilosum.pdf

Reactions: Disagree 1


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## Inspector Aberline

-  http://www.mikebasictarantula.com/B-albopilosum-care-sheet.html

-  https://www.nwzoo.com/pdf/Albopilosum.pdf

-  https://birdspiders.ch/brachypelma-albopilosum/

Suggest digesting the information at the last of the three (3) links above first.  I suppose one CAN keep one of these beauties on dry substrate.  Whether one should is another matter altogether. . . .


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