# Pink toe questions



## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

Hi guys im new on this forum and would like to ask a few questions. I currently own a chili rose tarantula and im looking into getting another. I was thinking either  pink toe or a mexican red knee. 

I was wandering which i would see more of? 
And are pink toe good tarantulas to keep in general? 
What would happen if a pink toe were to bite me? 
And is a 12"x12"x18" good for an adult pink toe?

My local pet shop has one whihc is about 2" big for £20 and im really interested in it.

Thanks for reading,

Peter


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## -Exotic (Sep 17, 2008)

hmm i dont know anything else but the bite the bite is no worse then a bee sting thats IMO but if your allergic to it then ya your in a world if danger if you get bit just put the bite under hot water to draw out any venom then rap it up with some sporn and bandage.


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## HcUnderoath (Sep 17, 2008)

i would go with the red knee tho he grows very slowly

i dont know much about "pink toes" i dont personally like climbers

since he is a climber i would guess the cage is fine

if you have a red knee you will need to put in deep substrate like 5" atleast or more if he is very small so the cage is not to tall

you will probly see more of the red knee


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## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks for replies, its such a hard decision! I  think i might buy the juvi pink toe and maybe raise a mexican red knee sling.

Could anyone tell me which one of the two spiders is more of a display tarantula?

Peter


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## gecko_keeper/KBfauna (Sep 17, 2008)

I got to be honest with ya. I own a few of both, and I usually always see both quite a bit. And both are cool in there own ways. I guess you need to figure out if you want a terrestrial or an arboreal. But both is always a win-win situation!!!


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## Jeff Godbold (Sep 17, 2008)

Well you know what they say......if in doubt, get both!


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## gvfarns (Sep 17, 2008)

I've got them both and I think the redknee is better.  They are both visible enough, depending on the environment you give them.

As for raising one sling and buying  larger T, I'd tend to go the other way since redknee slings grow very slowly and the pinktoe grows much faster.  Of course, prices reflect that fact.  But if you get a female redknee you will have it for decades, so it's worth the price.  The redknee is a lot more impressive display tarantula.

Although the pinktoe will be more active.  And in some sense they have more personality.

I also don't care for arboreal tarantulas like the pinktoe because they jump out of your hand if you hold them and are pretty fast.  And they are more likely to web a lot and possibly hide.


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## gvfarns (Sep 17, 2008)

Oh yeah, the other reason I like terrestrials like the redknee is that they are more likely to eat in front of you in my experience (and that's much of the fun of it).  You throw a cricket in there, it walks up to the tarantula and gets eaten.  Pinktoes are good eaters in the sense that they eat a lot, but they always hang near the top of the cage.  They come down at night or when you are not looking and snag food and it's a little annoying.

Actually I find that trait very annoying.


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## gvfarns (Sep 17, 2008)

Oh and don't worry about a bite from the pinktoe.  They have very insignificant venom, less painful and serious than a bee.  Also tarantula venom lacks the proteins that make insect bites allergenic.  Although we all talk about fear of allergies, you never find anyone who actually has one to T venom.  They are kind of hypoallergenic.  It's possible of course, but not likely at all.

Also pinktoes have particularly small fangs compared with other tarantulas, so the mechanical damage from a bite would be less.

It's all academic of course because neither a pinktoe nor a redknee is going to bite you.  Worry more about the urticating hair.  In that sense the redknee is worse because they flick hair a lot, whereas pinktoes don't flick at all (although they do posses the hair).


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## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

Oh thats disappointing i think pink toes look nice.
Thanks for information and views.
Do you guys order spiders off websites like the spider shop and tarantula barn?


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## gvfarns (Sep 17, 2008)

I buy them either from a reptile expo in my city or from online dealers.  Go to the "for sale" section here on arachnoboards--you can get much better deals if you buy multiple tarantulas at a time.  The online dealers that have websites are good but they don't offer the same deals and are less likely to have adults.

By the way don't let me disuade you from buying that pinktoe if you like it better.  It's a fun, safe, and interesting tarantula.  I just have a personal preference for terrestrials (lots of people would give you the opposite opinion).  

And also redknees are about the best out there, so few T's can measure up.


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## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

I think i am going to buy both then.

How much room would a adult red knee need when fully grown?
And when you say they grow slowly how slowly is this?

Red knees do look amazing too i just thought id try a climbing spider.

Peter


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## Tuwin (Sep 17, 2008)

B. smithi's are much hardier and easier to care for than an A. avic. If you don't mind keeping up with the humidity than get the pink toe. If you want to keep a tarantula that you can keep dry than get the B. smithi. You would keep the smithi the same as your G. rosea

sling A. avics are far more likley to die even in the best care than a B. smithi

B. smiths are all around easier to care for T's but arboreals are so neat!


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## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

:/ thankyou. would a pink toe which is like 3-4" in leg span be classed as a spiderling and therefor hard to raise?

Humidity is no problem i keep amphibians and reptiles too so i am maintaining humidity in tanks everyday.

Peter


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## gecko_keeper/KBfauna (Sep 17, 2008)

That's actually a good size to start with. You shouldn't have any problems with it.


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## gvfarns (Sep 17, 2008)

It seems pretty clear that you want a pinktoe.  Go buy it right now.

You can always buy the redknee later.


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## jnfenrir (Sep 17, 2008)

Rubb3r said:


> Hi guys im new on this forum and would like to ask a few questions. I currently own a chili rose tarantula and im looking into getting another. I was thinking either  pink toe or a mexican red knee.
> 
> I was wandering which i would see more of?
> And are pink toe good tarantulas to keep in general?
> ...


I love both of my A. avics. In my opinion, they are some of the most "fun" tarantulas to keep. Both of mine are very active, very friendly/docile, and watching them hunt -- mine actually dive off the walls onto their prey -- is really cool, when I do manage to see it. I want an Avic sp. in every color. 

Also, I don't know why people think they're harder to care for than something like G. rosea. And both of mine are in the 2-3" range. The only real difference is a thorough misting every few days, which takes about ten seconds. Pink-toes are actually very hardy tarantulas, known for their extreme adaptability in the wild. My point is, don't let rumors dissuade you.

Avics have low venom potency (unless you're allergic, of course), and they're not aggressive at all. In the rare event that you did get bit, it would probably be just a quick nip that would, at worst, give you a cool story to tell. 

As for B. smithi, they're a great species too. Mine (about 5.5") is really laid back, not skittish at all. She's kicked hairs a few times, but it was seemingly random because she remained perfectly calm after doing it. I think mine just has some "dain bramage", lol. That being the case, I don't really like handling mine because I break out in a rash for like three days afterward, whether she kicks or not. Speaking from personal experience, I don't recommend them if you're looking for something to handle. They are very pretty though. I wouldn't trade mine for anything in the world.

Of course, as others have said, you can't go wrong with getting both.  

Hope this helps!


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## Rubb3r (Sep 17, 2008)

Rite thanks for the replies everybody i was looking for pink toe care sheets in detail but they all seemed very simple like a quick overview. 

I will buy the pink toe tomorrow and then look at getting a red knee when i next get paid, will give me a reason to send money XD

Thanks alot,

Peter


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## Tuwin (Sep 17, 2008)

Good luck!

don't forget to post pics once it's all set up in it's new home


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## Aurelia (Sep 17, 2008)

-Exotic said:


> hmm i dont know anything else but the bite the bite is no worse then a bee sting thats IMO *but if your allergic to it then ya your in a world if danger *if you get bit just put the bite under hot water to draw out any venom then rap it up with some sporn and bandage.


Tarantula venom is NOT bee venom.   They are only compared because they have similar symptoms to those who are not allergic to bees.  If it bites you, you'll itch and swell a little at the site, I've never read or heard of anybody being allergic to tarantula venom.


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