Colbalt Blue Or Orange Baboon

jper26

Arachnobaron
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Hi i just have all scorpions right now iv kept tarantulas alot when i was younger i decided to get another its between colbalt blue or orange baboon what do you say is most interesting?
 

skadiwolf

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if you've never had Ts i wouldn't recommend aggressive, hostile species to start out with.

you might try something much less challenging. just mho.
 

jper26

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Ive had mexican red knee and chilean rose hair only docile ones i keep hot scorpions im very careful i know there 2 different things but i always thought if you have good common sense and respect them it will be ok. Skadiwolf whats your favorite T?
 

TheDon

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mmm both nice lookin and crazy tarantulas =) I dont have a cobalt but i do have an Usambara Orange Baboon. The usambara is a very nice lookin T but just dont plan on pickin it up. Plus my usambara is only out during the night time from 1am on till about 7am trust me I have been up between those 2 times. So if you want a T that u can show to your friends this isnt a good one. Now from what I know about the Cobalt is that it is pretty much the same way, Psycho and Burrows so you dont see it much. If it was me I would go with a Cobalt as long as you get a female but thats only because I already own an Usambara. Its a hard decision but I still think if I didnt have the Usambara already I think I would go with the Cobalt. Another cool thing with the Usambara is that it lays down alot of webbing which is pretty awesome to see. Now if you want something a little more docile and something that is out most of the time go with something like a Pinktoe (anykind) , Pink Zebra Beauty, Costa Rican Zebra, Curlyhair or Mexican Red Knee. Now if you want to stay with the Aggressive T's then a good T that is out all the time is the Giant White Knee which is what I am buying next. But either of the 2 choices you gave are good choices if you dont mind feeding and watering Dirt and dealing with a Psycho T.

so if it has to be one of the 2 go Cobalt (female) if you cant get a female go with the Usambara.

TheDon
 

jper26

Arachnobaron
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Thanks for all the info Don i have a huge pet store near me who has about 20 different tarantulas so it will be fun picking.=D
 

skadiwolf

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well, now that you mention it...(grin)

though i would NEVER own either of these, i think the most impressive and beautiful are the H. maculata and the P. ornata is a CLOSE second favorite.

:)

if you feel you can handle it, then the best of luck to you! i admire your courage and determination.

out of the two you mentioned, i think the cobalt blue have some of the most beautiful coloring i have ever seen. :) hope that helps you out.
 

RugbyDave

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oooh, i can't belive no-one did this yet.. so,in the style of many many people on this board before me, i say to you:

"if it had to be between both of those, i'd say go with both :)"

boo-yah =D

peace,
dave
 

jper26

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Yeah good call Dave both sounds good maybe ill get a new scorpion tommorrow too while im at it.:D
 

TheDon

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Ack... man I wish there was a petstore around here that had that many T's of I hope to get any out of the ordinary T's i have to order them through the petstore which kinda sux because I like to be able to go in and pick the one I want. But when I was in there today I told them that if they decided to get something besides the Typical (Rose, Costa Rican Zebra, or Pinktoe) I told them that I was 99% sure I would but it. So hopefully that gives them some incentive to get different ones in. But if you get a list of what the store has I would be happy to look at the list and maybe help you decide. I may have some of them and be able to give you info on them like I did with the 2 you already listed. Good Luck with the decision.

And yes i agree with what you said that if you respect the T then everything should be fine whether its agressive or docile. Any T has the possiblilty of biting you. So if you feel comfortable with the thought that you may get bit then by all means get an aggressive species. My 3rd T was a suntiger which is known to be pretty mean and from experience is lightning fast. Plus I personally think that most of the aggressive species are better looking. Like the Togo Starburst (H. Maculata), Suntiger (P. Irminia), Trinidad Chevron (P. cambridgei), Cobalt Blue, Usambara, any Poecilotheria and the list goes on. If they have an H. Maculata at the petstore I would get one I love mine its my best looking T in my opinion. Anyways Im babbling. So..

Peace

TheDon

Just saw Daves post and I agree if u have the money then get both or more I know I would.
 

skadiwolf

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addicts. ;P

say, while we were mentioning scorpions, how do you handle the hot ones besides very carefully? (grin)

also, what are emperor scorpions like and are they as tame and easily handled as i've heard? 'when unhappy dude, they normally just push you away with their claws and don't sting you.'

bs or no bs, YOU be the judge! :D
 

RugbyDave

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i've handled a couple scorps and i've found that most just pinch theheck out of me.. Now, that's not saying you won't get stung, but just like T's --- you know the deal..

but if you talk to most dealers and scorp-heads (?) ithink you'll find most people will say PINCHING...

emps are cool.. they CAN behandled... i mean, they're used in movies all the time because of their docile nature.. as are G.roseas..but you've seen the recent threads, right Skad? :)basically, my opinion, its just like the roseas -- tend to be nice, and you'll USUALLY just get nothing more than an evil pinch, but still...


you must be careful with hot species... but if you keep them, you realise that, and you made a mature choice in buying that species and you know the drill.. and you possibly have 911 on speed dial..although.. 911 is really only 2 more numbers more than the one you press for speed dial...

talk about YOU rambling TheDon??? try this one on for size :)

pce
dave
 

jper26

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Ok Don im going to tell you how to get your pet store too get new things you want. I have the biggest pet store in the world 30 minutes from me its called that fish place in lancaster pa. Always had a great selection of ts but would only keep emporer scorps so i constintly emailed them about getting new ones in under my screen name under other peoples took awhile. But finnally they broke down keep about 5 different scorps now even a hot one try it with your store lol.:}
 

RugbyDave

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THATS SUCH A COOL PET STORE!!!

just moved out from the burgh myself...

not anywhere half the selection as in the Twin Cities, or parts of California or Arizona or Kentucky, but nonetheless a great T-town! :)

pce
dave
 

jper26

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Yeah skadiwolf emporers are very docile rarely sting if so only like a bee sting. Scorpions are very intersting you should try one my emporer just had babies 2 weeks ago is awesome. Another good species you should try is a desert hairy (hadrurus spadix) very intersting.:D
 

skadiwolf

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just out of sheer curiosity...

if a hot scorpion bites you, does it cost the same as a hot snake bite?

i've heard that you can use around 15 or more vials of antivenom for a snake bite and that sometimes those go for like $15 a pop. um, that's QUITE pricey.

'i have never believed more fervantly in anything than my belief in the utter idiocy of the human race' - me :D
 

RugbyDave

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then get a tri-color..they're the coolest!!!.. or just start with a fattailed (australis)...they're basically the kittens of the scorp world.. you can wrestle with them and give them baths and snuggle up to them... ;P...

you'll get that if/after you get into scorps...

pce
dave
 

Lopez

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I had an "Orange Baboon" - Pterinochilus murinus Usambara variant as my second spider and it's doing just fine. All you have to remember is:

1) Look don't touch
2) It's fast. A LOT faster than you.

Here's my own views on the 2 species

Cobalt Blue - Haplopelma lividum

Relatively small Asian tarantula native to Thailand and Burma amongst others. The Cobalt Blue is prized in the pet trade for it's stunning blue colouring - but be aware that juveniles and adult males lack the blue of the females. Some are brighter than others, and to get the best view you need the right light - and Cobalts don't like light.
In fact, they don't like anything very much. Mine is a mercurial feeder and slaughterer of crickets that stays deeply concealed in its burrow, only venturing to the surface late at night. H lividum should always be given deep substrate, into which you should sink a deep burrow. The spider will sort the rest out. Without this deep burrow they become extremely stressed and will not feed.
There is an excellent post in this forum by Martin Huber in which he describes how to make tanks for Asian burrowers. Do a search for it. :)
Short haired and short tempered, the Cobalt is not generally a handleable tarantula, though many have tried (and succeeded)
Hailing from moist Asian forests, you should keep the Cobalt quite moist. I watched a programme filmed in the Burmese jungle recently and humidity was 95% during the day. That's extremely humid. Whether or not you choose to apply this to your spider is up to you. Remember that keeping it that moist will mean regular mite problems, which will need keeping under control.

Usambara Orange Baboon - Pterinochilus murinus

This has to be one of the brightest tarantulas regularly available in the hobby. They are just as orange as the look in pictures, and the colours after a moult are breathtaking.
The Usambara is found in the Usambara mountain highlands in Northern Tanzania. Here it lives on the dusty mountain slopes and in dry savanna, much like a Greenbottle Blue would in Venezuela.
These tarantulas like it dry, so just add substrate and make sure the spider has a water dish at all times. Moist substrate has been known to eventually kill Pterinochilus, so make sure it isn't living in a swamp! Otherwise, they are hardy as hell, and care-wise will take a fair bit of abuse from a novice keeper.
Their habits vary from spider to spider - some burrow, some make floor based webs, andsome are fully arboreal - give it a branch and there's a good chance it will use it. I have seen Usambaras totally fill the tank with silk, making it almost impossible to see anything else!
This is a defensive spider, though as juveniles they will generally run before fighting. As their size grows, so does their bravery. If disturbed, an Usambara will rear up baring it's fangs and stridulating noisily. They will stand their ground for a very long time before eventually relaxing.


Personally, I think the Usambara is a better choice.

  • It's just as pretty as a Cobalt
  • IT builds fantastic messy webs that - let's admit - look really cool
  • They are on show a lot more than a Cobalt
  • They are generally less stressed and nervy
  • They are far easier to look after

At the end of the day, it's up to you. Hope this was of some use to you. :)
 

TheDon

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Hmm... that sounds like a good Idea now I just need to find the stores email. The thing also with the store is that it isnt very big at all so I dont know if they would have room to have more than about 4 at a time which would be better then the usual 1 they have. But so far Ihave bought all the T's they have brought into the store. Starting from the Rose, then Costa Rican Zebra and most recent from there was a baby Pinktoe. But I have ordered 2 T's through them so I think they can be pretty confident that I will buy any others, although they are getting a Rose in tomorrow that I dont "plan" on buying that is until I go in and look at it :p . I gave them a little hint today but not sure if it is gonna work. I think also that I am gonna order a giant white knee through them next week when they make another order. Once again rambling... Oh well I have nothing better to do at 4am in the morning.

Peace

TheDon

oh and I agree with Lopez that the Usambara is easier to take care of because of the fact that they like it DRY! whereas the Cobalt likes it humid which is much harder to maintain.
 
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skadiwolf

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lopez, i don't even want one of these Ts and will probably never consider owning them.

however...i deeply appreciated the informative depth of your most excellent post.

good job! :) merci!
 

jper26

Arachnobaron
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Depends how hot it is skadiwolf some make you loose feeling in your arm for a few hours some can be worse. Like a arizona bark is hot but i think i read nobody has died since 1968 from one.
 
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