# "goliath bird eater" looking bad :( petco buy



## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

Ok so first off, my local petco just got it in yesterday, so the condition of the T is not their fault. They actually called me over when they saw me come in (getting frozen rats for my snake) because they know i have alot of tarantulas and a T. Blondi in my collection and asked me to look at a "sick looking" tarantula. 

I don't care how much ridicule I get for buying it, I told them it looked pretty bad to me and it should be moved to an ICU because the abdomen was TINY and shriveled but unfortunatly the manager said they couldn't move it to one. They offered me the 50% sale price a week early if I wanted to take it home and try to save it. I'm a HORRIBLE person and said OK. I now have it sitting in an ICU, being kept warm, and it has taken 2 crickets and drank from a bottle cap. I have high hopes for it. After almost 8 hours in the ICU the abdomen is no longer shriveled but its still very small!

Also, it looks like a blondi to me but I'm by far not expert. It just looks exactly like my other blondi but not like my stirmi. So I'm hoping that someone could help with an I.D


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## Nada (Jun 7, 2013)

That's a Stirmi.
It just looks like a skinny WC specimen(which is common in recently WC Ts). Should be fine after a few meals.

Reactions: Like 1


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## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

Its plumped up a bit after 2 crickets and some water and humidity. It was shriveled, looked a lot worse. Good to know its a stirmi. Thanks


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## Mello (Jun 7, 2013)

Silly question, but why do I always read that petco and pet stores in general only sell wild caught tarantulas? Is this fact or guess? 

And I agree that looks like a Stirmi. I don't even want to picture the conditions it was in at petco for even just a day lol! My petco just got a B. Emilia that I'll most likely purchase.


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## sugarsandz (Jun 7, 2013)

I won't judge you for taking it home, it's a personal decision. I know it should make a difference not buying animals from stores that don't care for them right but if the animal dies at the shop they are probably still going to get another one regardless of someone buying a sick animal or not. Plus the people at the store at least knew it was in bad shape and let you take it. I'm glad to hear it's looking a bit better, hopefully it perks up a bit.


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## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

Mello said:


> Silly question, but why do I always read that petco and pet stores in general only sell wild caught tarantulas? Is this fact or guess?
> 
> And I agree that looks like a Stirmi. I don't even want to picture the conditions it was in at petco for even just a day lol! My petco just got a B. Emilia that I'll most likely purchase.


The condition of the tank it was in wasn't bad. They were on the right track. The guy who takes care of the reptile area which is where the arachnids are knows enough about tarantulas to take care of them to the best of his abilities and as good as petco will allow. There was an appropriate sized water dish, a nice hide against the back wall away from the front glass and to raise its humidity he tried some wet spaggnum moss. But the cabnits they are in are divided and the humidity wouldn't stay high enough. He said it came from the distributor "wrinkled like a rasin, lethargic and bunched up, just fell out of the cup" when he unpacked it. I'm guessing wild caught is cheaper for the larger chain stores, since its all about profit for them, and I usually refuse to buy animals from chain stores but I try to save every animal I see in horrid condition, its a weakness

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## Arachtion (Jun 7, 2013)

Sounds like it just needed a bit of TLC in which case you got a bargain... Give it a decent sized enclosure, a good 5" of moist substrate, a large water bowl and most importantly LOTS of ventilation and it should be fine after a few more feeds.


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## Poec54 (Jun 7, 2013)

bugarella said:


> I usually refuse to buy animals from chain stores but I try to save every animal I see in horrid condition, its a weakness


+1.  It's not a 'weakness.'  It's not the spider's fault where it ended up and what dealer/retailer happened to buy it, nor should it have to pay the price with it's life to prove some stupid point.  Tarantulas draw people in to pet shops, who then are likely to buy something (often not spider-related), and they will continue to do carry them, as they have for decades, no matter how many die.  They're cheap enough wholesale for them to keep doing it.  Symbolic protests and boycotts do nothing to reduce the number of imported T's, and only result in hundreds or thousands of spiders to die avoidable deaths.  Educate people who work there instead.  Share what you've learned.  To spend time here giving and receiving advice, and then walk away from a dying tarantula in a store without saying or doing anything to help it is extremely hypocritical.  

Thank you for saving that one!  Theraphosa are magnificent animals.  EVERY tarantula deserves our efforts to see that it has reasonable care.  If I see a spider in a pet shop or reptile dealer needing water, I'll point that out to them, and if they don't take care of it right then, I'll ask 'Where's your faucet so I can give it some water?'

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## Wadew (Jun 7, 2013)

"Silly question, but why do I always read that petco and pet stores in general only sell wild caught tarantulas? Is this fact or guess? "

              This is definitely a guess!
And I would agree this appears to be a Stirmi!

                                                   -Wade


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## Poec54 (Jun 7, 2013)

Wadew said:


> "Silly question, but why do I always read that petco and pet stores in general only sell wild caught tarantulas?


It's obvious why, w/c adults are relatively cheap, often cheaper than a captive bred sling, and the bigger the spider, the more visible it is to customers, which generates more floor traffic.  Slings are small, unimpressive to the public, usually don't have any color, and are more expensive.  Harder to sell those to the average person: "Sure it's only 1" and brown now, but just imagine five years from now when it's big and colorful.'  That's a tough sell to most people.

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## Chris_Skeleton (Jun 7, 2013)

Do you know how to identify the differences between a T. blondi and a T. stirmi?


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## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

Chris_Skeleton said:


> Do you know how to identify the differences between a T. blondi and a T. stirmi?


I searched last night for the differences, something to do woth hairs on the pattela (sp) but even with my glasses I don't see a difference  maybe my blondi is actually a stirmi and that's why I don't see a difference between them


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## korg (Jun 7, 2013)

bugarella said:


> I searched last night for the differences, something to do woth hairs on the pattela (sp) but even with my glasses I don't see a difference  maybe my blondi is actually a stirmi and that's why I don't see a difference between them


Yeah, I'd be willing to bet you are now the proud owner of three T. stirmi. Check out the differences here if you'd like (not my image, but hopefully nobody will mind me posting it here):







When you see a real blondi they are so hairy it's actually not that hard to tell the difference.


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## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

korg said:


> Yeah, I'd be willing to bet you are now the proud owner of three T. stirmi. Check out the differences here if you'd like:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well I took both the new stirmi and my blondi out into the sunlight, and I now see the hairs ALL over the blondis legs! Omg, it needs to shave! Looks like a hippy! How could I miss that lol I'm special :sarcasm: My house is really dark so I tend to miss a lot of the finer details. I need a brighter overhead light.

So i have 2 stirmis and a blondi, the blondi being my first ever tarantula :biggrin:


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## Poec54 (Jun 7, 2013)

I just volunteered today to go to my local reptile dealer/importer and water all their T's, at least 100 of them in deli cups (Avicularia, Ceratogyrus, Augacephalus, Euathalus, Rose Hairs, B. smithi, B. albopilosum, P. cancerides, and T. Stirmi).   Spent 3 hours there.  For most I put substrate on 2/3's of the container floor, and left 1/3 bare and put a wet cottonball there.  They can crack open the lid and replace the cottonballs weekly with a tong.  Also showed their 'spider guy' what to do and what each species needed substrate-wise (or lack of it in the case of the semi-arid species).  They had a deal fall thru on the stirmi, and I especially want to make sure they don't lose any.  

They give me great deals on spiders and I wanted to repay them for it.  I did this in college many years ago for a local importer and a neighborhood pet shop, and they'd pay me in crickets and an occasional free spider.  Everybody benefits, especially the spiders.

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## bugarella (Jun 7, 2013)

Poec54 said:


> I just volunteered today to go to my local reptile dealer/importer and water all their T's, at least 100 of them in deli cups (Avicularia, Ceratogyrus, Augacephalus, Euathalus, Rose Hairs, B. smithi, B. albopilosum, P. cancerides, and T. Stirmi).   Spent 3 hours there.  For most I put substrate on 2/3's of the container floor, and left 1/3 bare and put a wet cottonball there.  They can crack open the lid and replace the cottonballs weekly with a tong.  Also showed their 'spider guy' what to do and what each species needed substrate-wise (or lack of it in the case of the semi-arid species).  They had a deal fall thru on the stirmi, and I especially want to make sure they don't lose any.
> 
> They give me great deals on spiders and I wanted to repay them for it.  I did this in college many years ago for a local importer and a neighborhood pet shop, and they'd pay me in crickets and an occasional free spider.  Everybody benefits, especially the spiders.


I actually went to my small towns better pet store (my town has 2, one that is terrible and one that is awesome) and helped feed at water the animals (chameleons, various snakes, 3 tarantulas, 3 emperor scorps and a flat rock scorp, rats and mice and fish) and gave them some advice on their tarantulas, showed them this site so they can join and learn the scientific names and find proper care instructions for the care sheets they provide with each animal (I made up a lovely care sheet last week for the T. Stirmi they have and they actually used it) and I showed them reviews for the 2 places they are ordering their tarantulas from, which made the owner feel better knowing the guys are very well known in this community. They took my name and number down and said they will have me come in when they get their shipments to see the Ts and kinda give them a health check before they put them out on display. She said we can "work something out" if i help them out. The owner has a dozen of her own tarantulas so she at least knows how to take care of them dor the most part, but she's not as "into it" as any of us, like, she doesn't know the scientific names or the venom potency or if they are old world or new, which contries and regions they come from specifically , or how irritating the hairs are for which species ect ect. She has 1 P. Ornata and the rest are brachypelmas and a few rescued rose hairs. 

All in all, I feel like I did a world of good for arachnids and the hobby on my days off. Now I'm going to end this awesome weekend on a high note with free tickets to boxing and a few beers!

P.s. I will update this thread with progress pics of the Stirmi as it gets better

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## Poec54 (Jun 7, 2013)

bugarella said:


> All in all, I feel like I did a world of good for arachnids and the hobby on my days off. Now I'm going to end this awesome weekend on a high note


You made a difference and changed the lives of some spiders.  It's so much better to get involved and be part of the solution.  You did good.

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## cmcghee358 (Jun 9, 2013)

Mello said:


> Silly question, but why do I always read that petco and pet stores in general only sell wild caught tarantulas? Is this fact or guess?
> 
> And I agree that looks like a Stirmi. I don't even want to picture the conditions it was in at petco for even just a day lol! My petco just got a B. Emilia that I'll most likely purchase.


Because that's where their distributor gets them from. If they buy independently from their distributor(rare) then they will have some CB spiders.

When I first started this hobby I went to my Petco to ask the "reptile guy" to get me a Lasiodora parahybana. He asked if it was easy to get, I replied "Sure! They have 1000-2000 young, and online they cost like $5! Should be easy to get"

He called me a week later and said his distributor has never had any, and doesn't carry them. Of course! Because Brazil doesn't allow tarantula export, and since the distributor deals in WC they had never had any LPs.


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## 845BigRed (Jun 10, 2013)

Poec54 said:


> You made a difference and changed the lives of some spiders.  It's so much better to get involved and be part of the solution.  You did good.


First we save the spiders then the whales?


I heard they deal with wild caught because they can get the adult full grown specimens as they sell out and don't have to worry about upkeep on tons of tiny slings. I noticed my local store hasn't gotten any new ones in since I bought the only one they had. I couldn't stand seeing the conditions they had it in either. 
Plus its cheaper for pay some guy to spend a few hours in the jungle capturing full grown live specimens then it is to grow the slings to adults.


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## bugarella (Jun 20, 2013)

He is doing so much better. I say he because it looks pretty male when I look at its underside. I will wait for a molt to confirm though, but it seems to be my luck when I buy unsexed tarantulas, they have ALL turned out to be male.


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## Arachtion (Jun 20, 2013)

bugarella said:


> He is doing so much better. I say he because it looks pretty male when I look at its underside. I will wait for a molt to confirm though, but it seems to be my luck when I buy unsexed tarantulas, they have ALL turned out to be male.


Thats why now I'll only either buy slings or sexed females


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## bugarella (Jun 20, 2013)

Yeah, I'm only buying unsexed if its a heck of a good deal anymore. Sexed females and 3 or more slings is what I have been sticking to lately. I only have a few females to get and I will have all pairs!

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## sptheghost (Jun 20, 2013)

hahaha i work at a petco and i always wondered what exactly we would get in if i ordered a " goliath bird eater ". how big is the fella???? given their price tag retail wise i would want it to be a decent size i guess lol. as for the chain stores carrying exclusively WC spiders idk i've bought/rescued a few ranging from my lovely little P irminia which was a 1 1/2 inch juvi to a male rosie a female rosie and a poorly kept H lividum and i just took advantage of that same 50% sale to get a little 2 1/2 inch B boehmei. it seems to me that is pretty much whatever CalZoo, the distributor has they send out regardless of size, origin or condition. neat spider though, also on a side note is there any real disadvantage or advantage to stirmi vs blondi other than knowing what exactly you own???? e.g. care, temperament ???


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## bugarella (Jun 20, 2013)

sptheghost said:


> hahaha i work at a petco and i always wondered what exactly we would get in if i ordered a " goliath bird eater ". how big is the fella???? given their price tag retail wise i would want it to be a decent size i guess lol. as for the chain stores carrying exclusively WC spiders idk i've bought/rescued a few ranging from my lovely little P irminia which was a 1 1/2 inch juvi to a male rosie a female rosie and a poorly kept H lividum and i just took advantage of that same 50% sale to get a little 2 1/2 inch B boehmei. it seems to me that is pretty much whatever CalZoo, the distributor has they send out regardless of size, origin or condition. neat spider though, also on a side note is there any real disadvantage or advantage to stirmi vs blondi other than knowing what exactly you own???? e.g. care, temperament ???


Well, most likely you will get a stirmi every time. Easier to find I guess. And as for size, its actually about 6 or 7 inches dls. Its pretty good sized. Bigger than my Blondi. Nasty attitude, being WC, it hates life in a clear glass box. It kicks hairs and attacks the side of the tank regularly. I wouldn't recommend this as a T to order in to a petco store. What if a kid had gone in there with his parents to get his first tarantula and this mean sucker is what he picked up? The fangs are close to an inch long on this guy, that first mistake and bite would spell disaster for the kids love of tarantulas, the kids hand, the reputation of the hobby from a novices point of view and the Ts life. This guy hasn't made caring for him easy and I know what I'm doing! 

I have this stirmi, another stirmi at just about an inch dls and a 5ish inch dls blondi and the care is pretty much the same. Beasts at feeding time, and pet holes. Although my blondi is a kitten compared to this stirmi. I have a few species that I'm wary of but this guy demands my attention.

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## sptheghost (Jun 20, 2013)

hahaha thanks for the reply. nah i would never sell something like that to a unknowing child lol we can can get avic avic and some other gentler things for that. though some of my coworkers are verging on the high functioning handicapped end of the spectrum hahaha it would be more for my own edification and hopefully someone who is enthusiastic about tarantulas would purchase it. cool to know they come in pretty large though i may order one for myself.


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