Expectations vs. Reality

[spideyspinneret78]

Have you ever had a spider that completely defied your expectations/ surprised you in some way? Temperament, size, activity level, etc. I'd like to hear some of your stories about outliers, a specimen that pleasantly surprised you, or one that was a disappointment for some reason or another.

 

[Liquifin]

When it comes to Expectations Vs. Reality. There are two that comes to mind, which one is good and the other is not-so-good.

Good Expectations Vs. Reality:
The entire Theraphosa genus. I thought they were just brown spiders that were big a very long time ago. But in reality they have personality and so much more.

Bad Expectations Vs. Reality:
Lasiodora parahybana is the most disappointing tarantula I've ever owned. They're not what people say they are. Slow growing and mediocre all around in my experience. While they are not the worst tarantula species out there, I would recommend something else entirely like a Acanthoscurria geniculata over them.

 

[F1tarantula]

Good expectation vs reality:
I thought my now 2- 2.5 inch B emilia wouldn’t be showing off adult coloration after molts. But she does and she has beautiful almost g pulchra black (for black sections), and vivid red.

bad expectation vs reality:
When I got my A chalcodes I was like, “Oh it will probably molt in a few months or a year”



ITS BEEN 3 YEARS

 

[Wolfram1]

In regards to L. parahybana i can't agree with @Liquifin, but experiences seem to vary.

I suspect it comes down to the conditions in our care and perhaps the individual spiders. I bred them last year and while mine are still tiny 2-3. FH slings the ones that grew up at my frieds place at ~24°C all winter, compared to my measly 18-19°C are already approaching 2,5" in dsl.
I am pretty sure it would be about the same for A. geniculata, and in general everything people like in A. geniculata you get with a Lasiodora as well. With exeption of the stripes.


One species that really surprised me in a positive way was G. rosea. Mine has never shown any signs of bolting and instead walks up to any disturbance to investigate. Is it food?

I am dissappointed with my 0.2 B. hamorii since they both kick hairs at the slightest disturbance. Gorgeous but annoying.

 

[PanzoN88]

Many say Aphonopelma hentzi are dull and boring an appearance with a lack of appetite to match, so when I got my first one, that’s what I expected. I could not have been more wrong. Look at a P. muticus and you’ll see what dull brown looks like. Dull is something the A. hentzi is not, they are very stunning especially after a molt. Both of mine had better appetites than my P. cancerides.

As for bad expectation, I thought that Aphonopelma moderatum were going to be simple to raise. This species ended up being the one that I have the most trouble keeping alive. What Avics are to many, A. moderatum is the same for me.

 

[kingshockey]

Expectqlations t albo has rep as a bull dozer.the reality this sling ditched its hide and decided to dig a few holes just deep enough to hide its head into onlyand call things good i

 

[Cmac2111]

Good ex vs reality:
P. pulcher - I expected my girl to be in hiding all the time like my irminia, but she is out a lot and makes an awesome display arboreal! (I really love that she looks kinda like an arboreal version of N. tripepii, which is one of my all time favorite T's)

Bad ex vs reality:
A. geniculata - Ok so 'bad' or 'disappointing' is too far as I still love my wee girl wholeheartedly, but I would say that I have been thoroughly 'whelmed' by this species so far. My specimen hides all the time, is extraordinarily defensive (especially towards food, I swear she has to slap a meal at least four times before she eats it), and just doesn't quite square up to other large tropical terrestrials aesthetically IMO (most Phormictopus/Pamhobeteus sp. have them beat in this regard for me. Still beautiful, just not quite on their level). Perhaps once she gets to a larger size things will begin to change (she is only 4" after all), and of course this is just my individual specimen, but for a spider billed by many as the best in the hobby... well she's been far from that for me.

 

[F1tarantula]

Many say Aphonopelma hentzi are dull and boring an appearance with a lack of appetite to match, so when I got my first one, that’s what I expected. I could not have been more wrong. Look at a P. muticus and you’ll see what dull brown looks like. Dull is something the A. hentzi is not, they are very stunning especially after a molt. Both of mine had better appetites than my P. cancerides.

As for bad expectation, I thought that Aphonopelma moderatum were going to be simple to raise. This species ended up being the one that I have the most trouble keeping alive. What Avics are to many, A. moderatum is the same for me.

Would you mind to post a photo of your A hentzi after molting? Or any photo.

 

[ladyratri]

Good reality: my sub-adult irminia. I was steeling myself for a pet hole, but she built a web fortress in the front corner of her enclosure where she is basically always visible, and even in what seems like pre-molt fat stage, takes regular walks around her enclosure and poses for photos of her gorgeous self.

Slightly disappointing: this is honestly probably my own fault for enclosure design, but...I rehoused my 3" versicolor on 10-10-2022, it find the most perfect crevice and made itself a web tube overnight, and hasn't left its tube since. I literally have seen the first six legs and carapace, even like half its abdomen, but it hasn't come out far enough to see the last two legs or the spinnerets. (At least, not while anyone was there to see.) The dirt below its tube accumulates boli and the walls accumulate poop, so clearly it's ok in there, but I did hope to actually see it every now and then.

Good reality: Lava. I expected a G. pulchra sling to hide in a corner and do nothing for like a year. She has molted twice and almost doubled in size since October, and derps about doing goofy spider things on a daily basis. Super fun to watch. Very photogenic.

 

[viper69]

N incei- impressed

 

[TJ 68]

Bought an A. hentzi That I have never Seen. I had low expectations but for now I just have an empty Habitat that I fill the water Dish and let a Cricket hang out in for a while. Im sure its just Building up the suspense so Ill be more impressed when I finally see it. Also I Have/Had all 3 Theraphosa and they Never Disappoint.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

When it comes to Expectations Vs. Reality. There are two that comes to mind, which one is good and the other is not-so-good.

Good Expectations Vs. Reality:
The entire Theraphosa genus. I thought they were just brown spiders that were big a very long time ago. But in reality they have personality and so much more.

Bad Expectations Vs. Reality:
Lasiodora parahybana is the most disappointing tarantula I've ever owned. They're not what people say they are. Slow growing and mediocre all around in my experience. While they are not the worst tarantula species out there, I would recommend something else entirely like a Acanthoscurria geniculata over them.

Lasiodora parahybana are my second favorite t behind the Goliath bird eater , sadly I am moving onto non hair kickers when I get new Ts . This could be many years away , not sure how long til I get new Ts or find a job . Plus I gotta tell my parents they have no hairs otherwise it’s a no go, I won’t buy more hair kickers.

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

Positive example from my C. schmidti, which, for a while, ended up being one of my most visible Ts.

So much for a pet hole

• CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy
• Dec 11, 2022
• 2
• cyriopagopus cyriopagopus schmidti ornithoctoninae schmitdi

My 0.0.1 Cyriopagopus schmidti (Ke Bang locality, Golden CF) in its usual position on top of the...

It's become much more elusive after its molt and the rehouse (to an adult enclosure so I don't have to rehouse it again) following that, but it's still bold enough to make a partial appearance every two days at least; I see far less of my O. violacepes, which is basically invisible (to the point I've wondered more than once if it had died, and haven't seen it at all in the last two weeks).

Another positive example comes from one of my P. everetti slings, which-after its last molt-has become so bold it spends more time outside of its hide than in it and is probably my current most visible T. I thought Asian arboreals were supposed to be shy unless you gave them a ton of cover and darkness?

Out and About in New Clothes

• CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy
• Mar 23, 2023
• everetti ornithoctoninae phormingochilus phormingochilus everetti sling

This sling has become very visible after its recent molt, and in spite of having eaten twice...

 

[8 legged]

I have given up almost all fossorials. I still find the animals interesting and great, but for me personally there is no point in keeping them. If I hang up a poster of the species I have more visual impressions than if I put up a container with soil....

 

[BoyFromLA]

1. The odds against ratio
   • Expectation: female
   • Reality: male
2. Chilobrachys fimbriatus behavior
   • Expectation: always hiding
   • Reality: always out in the open
3. Harpactira pulchripes behavior
   • Expectation: burrower
   • Reality: no hides, no burrows
4. Orphnaecus philippinus
   • Expectation: bright orange color
   • Reality light brown-ish color
5. Homoeomma chilense availability
   • Expectation: readily available within a few years
   • Reality: Not so sure anymore

 

[l4nsky]

When I started to allow specimens with urticating hairs other than type 2 into my collection (5+ years after getting into the hobby I might add).

• Expectation: I'm going to have to dress down in PPE looking like Walter White every time I open up these enclosures and I should still expect to get hit with them.
• Reality: Why does my finger slightly itch? Oh, because I removed all the burrow spoil blocking the cross ventilation from the Aphonopelma sp Michoacán enclosure by hand while she just sat there and watched me from the mouth of her burrow. I should probably use gloves next time. Anyways, I wonder if she'll eat this month...

 

[LucN]

Good expectation vs reality : I expected my G. rosea to be fasting most of the time, however, she's usually amongst the first to catch her crickets.

 

[PanzoN88]

Would you mind to post a photo of your A hentzi after molting? Or any photo.

I think this one was shortly after a molt. This picture was taken around 2 years ago.



unother expectation I had is that A. hentzi were going to be slow growing. While not exactly wrong, I found both of mine molted at a medium rate.

 

[Igiem]

Expectqlations t albo has rep as a bull dozer.the reality this sling ditched its hide and decided to dig a few holes just deep enough to hide its head into onlyand call things good i

I don't know why I find this so cute. But it reminds me of the old myth of Ostriches hiding their head in the ground when they are scared.

 

[Isaax Critterz]

Funny story actually. When i first got my pulchra sling for Christmas. My father set it up in a LARGE zilla mh. And you guessed it, it didn't do anything but stay in the 5 dollar pet-co hide...Luckily i downgraded it into something much smaller and it has molted 3 times with me so far.