Beginner Australia

[Failinghearts]

Hi I'm a beginner to this hobby, I have some experience keeping scorpions, (I have nine different species at the moment ) I live in South Australia and am looking for a good beginner species that's small but not too small. Ten centimetres is a good size, if possible I would prefer one that creates decently sized webs around their nest. It is a nest right?

 

[arthurliuyz]

@RezonantVoid

 

[Cmac2111]

I think Davus Pentaloris, also known as the Guatemalan Tiger Rump, could be a good pick for you. It's a small/medium sized T (around 4 inches or so), easy to care for and very pretty. Just keep its substrate lightly moistened, give it some places to hide and you'll be sweet (they do fine at room temperature). They're not the heaviest webbers in the world but it should do some at the entrance to their burrow and the surrounding area. This species can be a bit skittish and will try to run and hide if disturbed, but so long as you stick to observing them (no handling pls) then this shouldn't be a big issue.

If more spectacular webbing is what you want, then go for Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens (The Green Bottle Blue). They are immensely pretty, perhaps even easier to care for than D. Pentaloris as they like it mostly dry, and they do some very heavy webbing provided you give them some clutter to anchor that webbing onto. They also stay out more than D. Pentaloris, but are considerably larger with females getting to 6 inches. Once again, they can be skittish, and will often flick of some very itchy urticating hairs if bothered excessively (this is their primary defence mechanism), so be aware of this as you don't want these on your skin, in your mouth or your eyes. D. Pentaloris possesses these hairs too, and both will flick them around their enclosure to as an added defence (especially on the webbing)!

Either would be great for you if you can get them, they're both relatively easy to find within the hobby. Good luck with whatever T you end up getting.

> I'll also add Hapolopus sp. Colombia (the pumpkin patch tarantula). Don't own one so can't say a lot about it, but I believe its also 3-4 inches, decent webber with a relatively skittish temperament. Unfortunately can't give opinions on this one but it's probably worth looking into.

 

[arthurliuyz]

I think Davus Pentaloris, also known as the Guatemalan Tiger Rump, could be a good pick for you. It's a small/medium sized T (around 4 inches or so), easy to care for and very pretty. Just keep its substrate lightly moistened, give it some places to hide and you'll be sweet (they do fine at room temperature). They're not the heaviest webbers in the world but it should do some at the entrance to their burrow and the surrounding area. This species can be a bit skittish and will try to run and hide if disturbed, but so long as you stick to observing them (no handling pls) then this shouldn't be a big issue.

If more spectacular webbing is what you want, then go for Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens (The Green Bottle Blue). They are immensely pretty, perhaps even easier to care for than D. Pentaloris as they like it mostly dry, and they do some very heavy webbing provided you give them some clutter to anchor that webbing onto. They also stay out more than D. Pentaloris, but are considerably larger with females getting to 6 inches. Once again, they can be skittish, and will often flick of some very itchy urticating hairs if bothered excessively (this is their primary defence mechanism), so be aware of this as you don't want these on your skin, in your mouth or your eyes. D. Pentaloris possesses these hairs too, and both will flick them around their enclosure to as an added defence (especially on the webbing)!

Either would be great for you if you can get them, they're both relatively easy to find within the hobby. Good luck with whatever T you end up getting.

I think they're only allowed to keep native species in Australia.

 

[Cmac2111]

I think they're only allowed to keep native species in Australia.

Ahhh I was wondering what laws were in place there... damn. Well, Ignore everything I said OP

 

[RezonantVoid]

Hi I'm a beginner to this hobby, I have some experience keeping scorpions, (I have nine different species at the moment ) I live in South Australia and am looking for a good beginner species that's small but not too small. Ten centimetres is a good size, if possible I would prefer one that creates decently sized webs around their nest. It is a nest right?

All 4 Australian tarantula genera have fairly similar care. Selenotholus and Selenotypus are smaller, slower growing, light webbing and reasonably affordable. Coremiocnemis only has C.tropix, IMO not particularly fun to keep or especially rare. Phlogius are the largest, heaviest webbing, fastest growing and most valuable/sought after.

All are basically as easy as each other to keep, but I should warn Selenotholus are especially defensive as adult and can be intimidating to new keepers.

Selenotypus wallace, 10cm adult female. Probably my favourite Selenotypus, even if they are among the most commonly available.



Phlogius goliath (NOT the same as the goliath bird eating spider). Yes, it's blue, but it doesn't last. Many tarantulas here have dumb names like sp. blue leg depsite them almost never being blue.






If you ask me though, tarantulas are far from the coolest spiders in the country. 50 shades of brown have tough competition against red and metallic gold