Best Invert to Handle

[Natalya Boothe]

I am often asked by friends and family if they could hold one of my tarantulas and I always so no, they are too fragile. I would like an invert pet that inexperienced people and children could touch and hold with little danger to the animal or them. I was thinking along the lines of roaches, millipedes, isopods etc.

What do you guys think would be the best to handle, or what would be the most fun and engaging for someone who has never interacted with an invert before?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I am often asked by friends and family if they could hold one of my tarantulas and I always so no, they are too fragile. I would like an invert pet that inexperienced people and children could touch and hold with little danger to the animal or them. I was thinking along the lines of roaches, millipedes, isopods etc.

What do you guys think would be the best to handle, or what would be the most fun and engaging for someone who has never interacted with an invert before?

yeah you got it !!!
Heavy slow Roaches are good like orange nymphs/ dubia/ hissers..

 

[Asti]

Isopods are small but super cute. Armadillidium vulgare 'magic potion' are one of the bigger species and they roll into these perfect balls if they're nervous. They're not too fast and in general they love bumbling around. Super easy to keep as well. I've had them for my kids (and myself obviously as the prime caretaker) since they were toddlers. They have these tiny families too, so if you life a bit of cork bark you'll see the bigger ones with their tiny babies together. Very cute.

If you want to go bigger, do millipedes. The Thyropygu species (Giant Browns from Eastern Asia) are fairly easy to find in the hobby and are adorable. Big gentle giants. They feel like velcro, according to my kids. I keep them in one of those 'hamster scaping' terrariums. I use about 20% cocopeat and 70% dead leaves and 10% spagnum. Decoration just sticks, branches and cork. They eat veggies and fruit, but mostly the leaves.

Both the isopods and millipedes need some calcium so get some sepia.

Both really got me over my fear of 'crawly things' too ... to the point where I now joined you guys in tarantula keeping. Hah!

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Hissers are good

 

[viper69]

You need a

 

[sparticus]

Those little death feigning beetles that are popular right now are kinda cute. I feel like some adults might struggle with roaches just because of the "gross- it's a cockroach" factor. Kids are less likely to have that response internalized.

 

[mantisfan101]

blue death feigning beetles and vinegaroons by far

 

[Wolf135]

Grand Canyon isopods I think is what they're called but they're an inch long

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Dynastes granti is one type of beetle that can be handled.

If you buy an L1 larva it'll be about 2 years before it becomes an adult. Adults can live up to about 6 months.

Try to buy an L3 larva to reduce the time before having an adult beetle to handle.

There's a plethora of other beetles but if you want one of the largest this is one of them.

 

[Natalya Boothe]

Thank you all for your responses! I have been weighing all the options and I really like the Blue Death Feigning Beetles.

Do I need special desert sand or do these guys work fine on any basic sand I can get at the store?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Orange head roach sub adult nymph , they posses very grippy legs !!! Nor did it try and-jump or escape . Adults are handleable but not so much like nymphs/hissers are better.

 

[sparticus]

I've never kept them but I have heard they aren't super picky about the substrate as long as it is dry. I would recommend research to confirm, though- heard it second hand and didnt bother to confirm.