Arboreal versus Terrestrial

[Thistles]

I think you're just noticing the demographic change on this forum. There has been a big influx of new users who are mostly new to the hobby. Being beginners but also smart enough to come to this forum, most of them seem to be exercising prudence and starting with NW terrestrials with maybe an "oops, this spider is too much for me" mistake somewhere in the mix. Y'know, buy a rosie at a LPS, get a Brachy, then an LP, then OOPS! a regalis, then a genic...

 

[Red Eunice]

Sticking to the thread title I would fall in the arboreal category.
BUT...add "versus Obligate Burrower." thats me.
The digging, reinforcing tunnels with silk and they readily take any prey offered. That is intriguing to me. Granted they aren't the most colorful or quickest of the species I have, but are my favorite type of T.
That's my statement and I'm sticking with it.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

I think you're just noticing the demographic change on this forum. There has been a big influx of new users who are mostly new to the hobby. Being beginners but also smart enough to come to this forum, most of them seem to be exercising prudence and starting with NW terrestrials with maybe an "oops, this spider is too much for me" mistake somewhere in the mix. Y'know, buy a rosie at a LPS, get a Brachy, then an LP, then OOPS! a regalis, then a genic...

As a New T owner in the hobby this is seriously 100% accurate.

Basicly i skipped the Rosie. got the brachy/LP, skipped the regalia and got a genic with the brachy haha.

But that is a good point, a lot of us new hobbiest, who are willing to do the research seem to be picking the NW terrestrials, and like in my case, because after reading both the bite reports/experiences with some of you more experienced members on here, its pretty obvious its not a great choice to jump right into any OW"s or any of the faster Arboreals.

Plus set ups for terrestrials, and terrestrials also seem to be a bit cheaper to start off with.

I got a B. albo Confirmed Female, An A. Genic and a LP all for under 100$, including enclosures, substrate, crickets/worms etc. and each one already as a juvenile T. not slings.

 

[Thistles]

As a New T owner in the hobby this is seriously 100% accurate.

Basicly i skipped the Rosie. got the brachy/LP, skipped the regalia and got a genic with the brachy haha.

But that is a good point, a lot of us new hobbiest, who are willing to do the research seem to be picking the NW terrestrials, and like in my case, because after reading both the bite reports/experiences with some of you more experienced members on here, its pretty obvious its not a great choice to jump right into any OW"s or any of the faster Arboreals.

Plus set ups for terrestrials, and terrestrials also seem to be a bit cheaper to start off with.

I got a B. albo Confirmed Female, An A. Genic and a LP all for under 100$, including enclosures, substrate, crickets/worms etc. and each one already as a juvenile T. not slings.

Thank you for being conscientious and responsible! Those are all great spiders and this is a good place to learn

 

[Venom1080]

What about a RCF P. murinus? They're dirt cheap

key word. "most" i love my murinus, absolutely stunning color compared to most of my terrestrials.

 

[twinkleyell]

im a terrestrial kid! i much prefer my tarantulas stocky, even at the expense of wacky and vivid colors. my favorite patterns always tend to be stripped knees or bands and those are common in terrestrials. plus as much as i adore arboreal, i always find feeding them awkward since my a.purpurea makes a web UNDER the lid of her cup and i always feel bad for potentially ruining her web. not to mention the fact shes ALWAYS at the top of the cup and it worsens the risk she'll escape. (i really need a new set up omg)

 

[EulersK]

im a terrestrial kid! i much prefer my tarantulas stocky, even at the expense of wacky and vivid colors. my favorite patterns always tend to be stripped knees or bands and those are common in terrestrials. plus as much as i adore arboreal, i always find feeding them awkward since my a.purpurea makes a web UNDER the lid of her cup and i always feel bad for potentially ruining her web. not to mention the fact shes ALWAYS at the top of the cup and it worsens the risk she'll escape. (i really need a new set up omg)

This. 100% this. Stocky is absolutely the perfect word. There's no trait in an arboreal that can't be fulfilled by a terrestrial! Venomous, defensive, extremely fast, and so on. Terrestrials win, man.

 

[Iska]

This. 100% this. Stocky is absolutely the perfect word. There's no trait in an arboreal that can't be fulfilled by a terrestrial! Venomous, defensive, extremely fast, and so on. Terrestrials win, man.

 

[BaphometDL50]

I like have a collection with variety.Each habit have their awesome ways to live.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

im a terrestrial kid! i much prefer my tarantulas stocky, even at the expense of wacky and vivid colors. my favorite patterns always tend to be stripped knees or bands and those are common in terrestrials. plus as much as i adore arboreal, i always find feeding them awkward since my a.purpurea makes a web UNDER the lid of her cup and i always feel bad for potentially ruining her web. not to mention the fact shes ALWAYS at the top of the cup and it worsens the risk she'll escape. (i really need a new set up omg)

As much as i want an arboreal, i can imagine that would be a bit awkward, like your trying to help by bringing food, but your destroying its home at the same time. kind of a Catch 22 for the enclosure haha.

 

[Tenevanica]

There's a lot of hate for Brachypelma in this thread, and that is an outrage. You can't argue that Brachypelma isn't one of the prettiest genera out there. B. smithi, B. vagans, B. emelia, and B. boehmi are absolutely stunning! The orange on a few of those species is incredible! There's too much hate for NW terrestrials. It's sad really.

I will admit that P. metallica is by far the most beautiful T (Theraphosidae ) in the hobby.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

There's a lot of hate for Brachypelma in this thread, and that is an outrage. You can't argue that Brachypelma isn't one of the prettiest genera out there. B. smithi, B. vagans, B. emelia, and B. boehmi are absolutely stunning! The orange on a few of those species is incredible! There's too much hate for NW terrestrials. It's sad really.

I will admit that P. metallica is by far the most beautiful T (Theraphosidae ) in the hobby.

i personally LOVE Brachypelma. Part of the reason i picked a B. albo as my first T.

Regardless if their ease of care and being beginner friendly, because lets face it there are plenty of Beginner friendly T's out there, but also for their simple beauty.

Like they maybe not have many color patterns, but i live the look of a Plain black spider covered in tiny pink curly hairs. for me its a simple beauty that is just that, beautiful

 

[Poec54]

There's a lot of hate for Brachypelma in this thread, and that is an outrage. You can't argue that Brachypelma isn't one of the prettiest genera out there. B. smithi, B. vagans, B. emelia, and B. boehmi are absolutely stunning! The orange on a few of those species is incredible! There's too much hate for NW terrestrials.

For almost the first 40 years of the hobby (starting in the late 1960's) terrestrials dominated, and until the Brachypelma export ban in Mexico, that one genus was the most popular. I haven't see 'hate' for NW terrestrials on this forum; the hobby's continually expanding into new species. There's a lot of great tropical NW terrestrials in high demand today: Chromatopelma, Pamphobeteus, Phormictopus, Xenesthis, Theraphosa, etc. Even though the vast majority of my collection is some combination of arboreal, tropical, or OW, I still have Aphonopelma chalcodes and B smithi. I'd like to have more of both genera.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

There's a lot of hate for Brachypelma in this thread, and that is an outrage. You can't argue that Brachypelma isn't one of the prettiest genera out there. B. smithi, B. vagans, B. emelia, and B. boehmi are absolutely stunning! The orange on a few of those species is incredible! There's too much hate for NW terrestrials. It's sad really.

I will admit that P. metallica is by far the most beautiful T (Theraphosidae ) in the hobby.

Pfff B.boehmei can't stand the greatness of a Megaphobema robustum, man. I will take one of those 'Pablo Escobar' Colombia orange beauty anytime rather than that 'Brachy'

I do agree that (certain, and class A) NW are always underestimated, that's a shame... especially for the OW 'blue' rapture madness insanity such M.balfouri (still laugh hard at those insane prices) and P.metallica, a total joke.

What happened to the respect for genus Ephebopus, Phormictopus, Pamphobeteus, Megaphobema, Acanthoscurria, Tapinauchenius, Psalmopoeus etc i say?

Stop the 'Grammo & Brachy & Brachy & Grammo' dictatorship.

Long live Selenocosmia aruana, the Chilobrachys "tribe", Ceratogyrus sanderi, Lampropelma nigerrimum, L.giannisposatoi etc

lol joking, that's only my view, love B.vagans

But more, more, more... long live the Goddess of Theraphosidae: 0.1 Pelinobius muticus, hissing Queen.
Nothing is like her. Nothing

 

[Abyss]

It's all subjective on some level. Some people think the species in the USA are all striking and gorgeous. Others think a GBB blows away anything etc etc. It also depends on what you think is dull. Some people think Avics are all basically variants with a blue background, and thus, boring.

Speaking of GBB's, i wouldnt say blows everything away but they are stunning

 

[Solsurfer]

I always just get what interests me at the time . it started with an arboreal obsession but then I broadened my horizons . One batch I ordered was all just the most aggressive species I knew about at the time. I do have to say arboreals are still my favorite .something about a vertically oriented enclosure is just cool to me.​