Easier to manage?

spider_fan

Arachnosquire
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Easier to manage? (H. mac vs Pokies)

I was wondering which were more difficult to manage, Poecilotheria species or H. maculata? Most of what I have seen about pokes is just that they are quick, but a lot of psots regarding H mac's make them seem worse than a P. murinus that has been poked with a stick. I want to cut through all the hype and learn the truth on these two spider groups, and which one is easier to care for.
 
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ballpython2

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I was wondering which were more difficult to manage, Poecilotheria species or H. maculata? Most of what I have seen about pokes is just that they are quick, but a lot of psots regarding H mac's make them seem worse than a P. murinus that has been poked with a stick. I want to cut through all the hype and learn the truth on these two spider groups, and which one is easier to care for.
IMO, since one of these is an african and the other one is an indian species they have both the same difficulty of management. they also because of their ow origin have more potent vemon than say nw tarantulas. This doesn't mean they can kill you but it does mean that the effects of their bite will hurt more and may last longer than say a bite from a rose hair or something of that nature...also when people tell you their pokie and H mac stories some are going to sound much worse than they really are depending on how much experience the person has with ow tarantulas..or just tarantulas in general. Neither of these T's are hand pets and no attempt should be made to hold these guys...you should use a catch up w/ top when moving them for any reason. The easiest way to care for these guys is to make sure you have a small amount of substrate at the bottom, a corkbark that the spiders can web on...and a cricket or two every few days.

You guys I'm new to giving this kind of information so if im wrong just tell me where I missed up so i know in the future....please dont bite my head off..
 

spider_fan

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You're not wrong in any of your information, and I do appreciate your reply, but that is info I already know. I was looking more for advice from people who have cared for both so I could find out specific differences between the 2, not just general information on old world arboreals, so I could decide which one would be better for me to get first.
 

Talkenlate04

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If your going to dive right in with a more aggressive species it might has well be a Pokie......... Just be careful. They can go 0-80 in 0.001.

As for differences boths species act similar and are deffensive when they want to be. Water sish and a arboral setup for them and they will be happy, plenty of ventalation as well.

I would just go the Pokie route because of how they look. Most Pokies are so colorful and rewarding to own they are hard to turn down.
 

Scott C.

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I've kept 'em before. They're both over-aggro'd if you ask me. Never personally seen a threat from either except from a mature male H. maculata.... If you're going with one of the two first, I'd say pick based on looks, because either way you are getting an extremely fast, secretive, and hotter, arboreal sp..
Good luck to ya,
Scott
 

TTstinger

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I find my self diagreeing with most on this topic as all my T's are OW other than ALF Yeah they are fast But I have never seen aggression From any of mine. They are the run and hide type if you ask me all the pic's you see of the OW T's showing fang IMO are being cornered and poked to get them to rear up and give a show. none of mine have show me their teeth. But I also do alot of things with my T's that alot of people think is very stupid (I do not mean by handling) I care for my T's in a way that very very few people do and I think that calms them a bit more. But these are just my T's too maybe I just got good apples, but I lean towards the other. just as you would with all spiders show respect. and I love the way H. macs look.

My two cents
 

ballpython2

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I find my self diagreeing with most on this topic as all my T's are OW other than ALF Yeah they are fast But I have never seen aggression From any of mine. They are the run and hide type if you ask me all the pic's you see of the OW T's showing fang IMO are being cornered and poked to get them to rear up and give a show. none of mine have show me their teeth. But I also do alot of things with my T's that alot of people think is very stupid (I do not mean by handling) I care for my T's in a way that very very few people do and I think that calms them a bit more. But these are just my T's too maybe I just got good apples, but I lean towards the other. just as you would with all spiders show respect. and I love the way H. macs look.

My two cents

How do you take care of your T's different from everyone else?...I'm wondering thats all
 

cacoseraph

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the only spiders i have seen threat displays from are new worlds


zoom


zoom



zoom

my G. rosea female and A. seemani female are WAY more likely to strike at me or throw a threat than any of those females pictured above.

between my mac and pokies i would say the mac is more nervous. of course that is only a single sample of each in adult form. of slings, i think my mac is more nervous too, actually.
 

spider_fan

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Those are beautiful spiders caco, when did you first start handling OW? Did it start when one decided to run up your arm unexpectedly, or did you just want to try it?
 

cacoseraph

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thanks :)

i started with tiny slings. i bought 50 P.murinus to do an experiment on and those things are truly nuts. they run and jump off of ANYTHING. they made it onto my hands and floor (and i had to recatch them FAST and used my hands) and sort of got me in the mindset that the "aggression" of most OW t's is over rated.

i sort of worked my way up in size over maybe a year or so. something like that.

also, i was handling centipedes at the same time and that really reinforced the idea that most bugs aren't NEARLY as aggressive as people like to make them out to be

once i got some experience (not necesarily free handling) i was able to gauge the "mood" of bugs better. centipedes are much more random than tarantulas though. one thing to remember is that even bugs i have handled in the past have "bad days" and are much more reactive and like, spookable.
 

Talkenlate04

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Well Cacoseraph most of time I agree with you but here I cant..............handling OW T's is not really a brilliant idea, and while you might think you can hold them and seem to do so, My one question to you is, is it worth is when you do get one that goes skittish on you with no warning biting repeatedly all the way up your arm or neck?

Never mind what Pokie venom might do, but what if you react badly and throw your T and hurt it?

There is no way I could do it. I dont suggest it. I find my thrills elsewhere.
 

Lorgakor

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I have owned adults of both species, both male and female. Hands down the H. maculata were much more defensive than any of the pokies. Now when I say more defensive, it is when you are having to manipulate them for something that the difference is shown, not when they are just chilling in their tanks. While in their homes, both are quite skittish, but not defensive at all. As long as they have an established hide/web they would much rather take cover than stand and fight.

That being said, if you need to get them out for any reason, cage changes, photos, packing etc. the H. maculata can be more defensive. Any time I had to get mine out, they would not hesitate to strike and bite. Packing up the male and female was a rather nerve racking experience, getting the male out of his cage and into the females for breeding, also a nerve racking experience. They would go into a wicked threat display, bobbing up and down on their legs striking at anything that went near them. I didn't find them so defensive that they weren't managable, but compared to my pokies whom I've never seen even one threat display from (six different pokie species) the H. maculata were by far the more defensive species.

Of course this is just my experience, I'm sure that there are some nice calm H. maculata out there, and some psycho pokies!
 

TTstinger

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How do you take care of your T's different from everyone else?...I'm wondering thats all
Well one way is all my T's once 1 in get their own 10 gal tank yes I have a room full of them but giving them the ability to choose high or low they have I don't like the idea that people put 5 in T in little KK and then say the are fine yeah to you they are fine. You know what I am not even going to go any futher I have had this bash before. Sorry
 

Talkenlate04

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Well one way is all my T's once 1 in get their own 10 gal tank yes I have a room full of them but giving them the ability to choose high or low they have I don't like the idea that people put 5 in T in little KK and then say the are fine yeah to you they are fine. You know what I am not even going to go any futher I have had this bash before. Sorry
Where do you think they live in the wild the Hilton? The live in HOLES, and makeshift hides, 10 gallons is to much for all but the biggest species. You can do it, there is nothing wrong with that at all, but they are not any less healthy by staying in something smaller then 10gallons.
 

TTstinger

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Where do you think they live in the wild the Hilton? The live in HOLES, and makeshift hides, 10 gallons is to much for all but the biggest species. You can do it, there is nothing wrong with that at all, but they are not any less healthy by staying in something smaller then 10gallons.
but in the wild they can leave that hole if they so choose so I give them that choice. anywho we are digressing the topic
 

Thoth

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In terms of dealing with them for rehousing, maintence, et c.; my H.mac is more challenging mostly because mine webs excessively and is very reclusive (so to move it involves a lot of poking and tearing of webbing leading to a less than happy t). That and it is a bit more unpredictable, open the enclosure to feed sometimes it'll run and hide, other times it'll throw a threat display.

(I keep a P.ornata for a pokie for comparison. It tends to try to hide more than anything else)

Neither is so bad that I am afraid of them but I definitely not want to get bit by either, that and i'm a bit more on my toes with my H.mac.
 

Meaningless End

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i know this is a two week old topic but i couldent help but to respond to it..

i have both a p. faciata and a h. mac. and the h. mac makes me WAY more nervis then my pokie dose. The pokie dosent ever throw up a threat display and when handled dosent even take off or anything she just sort of chills. Pokies do seem to absolutly hate the tuch of skin though.. i dont know why but they realy dont like it.

My H. mac is a freaking speed demon from hell.... it moves very fast from the second you open her tank and isnt one just sit and let you hold her... there both extreamly cool species and i recomend both to anyone who has a soft spot for a web in a tree.
 
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