First T!

[Paradolia]

I will hopefully soon be getting my first Tarantula, an Ybyrapora Diversipes, at around .75". What can I expect to need when it arrives? How should I set up my enclosure? any tips would be helpful! than you very much in advance for assisting me!

 

[moricollins]

I will hopefully soon be getting my first Tarantula, an Ybyrapora Diversipes, at around .75". What can I expect to need when it arrives? How should I set up my enclosure? any tips would be helpful! than you very much in advance for assisting me!

Welcome.

Here's are a bunch of Google results in this site for this species, please take some time to read them (I think the link should work)
https://www.google.com/search?clien...uMTCYAQCgAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#ip=1

When the tarantula arrives it'll likely be in a vial/tube, depending on the vendor/seller the vial might be big enough to house the tarantula for a while. (When I was new I made sure the vendor knew that I was new and they included a vial that was big enough to house the tarantula for a few months).

Here's an example of sling housing for a species similar to this:
https://arachnoboards.com/gallery/avicularia-or-caribena-sling-enclosure.56267/

 

[Konstantin Konstantinov]

Hi
I will strongly suggest to do a bit of reading on here and setup the enclosure and post it on here before you order your tarantula.
Helpful treads for you.

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

and especially the bits about Avicularia and Caribena.
I would Not recommend
Ybyrapora Diversipes as a first tarantula if you don't have any previous experience.They are not the most docile of tarantulas.
Regards Konstantin

 

[moricollins]

Hi
I will strongly suggest to do a bit of reading on here and setup the enclosure and post it on here before you order your tarantula.
Helpful treads for you.

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

and especially the bits about Avicularia and Caribena.
I would Not recommend
Ybyrapora Diversipes as a first tarantula if you don't have any previous experience.They are not the most docile of tarantulas.
Regards Konstantin

This is good advice on the where to start reading .

This is an atypical first arboreal tarantula but still not a bad choice, compared to other people who start with much more difficult tarantulas

 

[Paradolia]

Hi
I will strongly suggest to do a bit of reading on here and setup the enclosure and post it on here before you order your tarantula.
Helpful treads for you.

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

and especially the bits about Avicularia and Caribena.
I would Not recommend
Ybyrapora Diversipes as a first tarantula if you don't have any previous experience.They are not the most docile of tarantulas.
Regards Konstantin

Thank you for providing such wonderful information! I will get to reading momentarily! i know the Y Diversipes aren't the most docile, and while I don't have any experience with tarantulas, I have been an animal lover, and casual collector my entire life, including some finicky ones. I sincerely appreciate your concern, and hopefully I can make this a wonderful, long lasting pet. I look forward to posting updates and housing pictures, as well as growth progress as the spider(s) grow.

 

[viper69]

This species is a bit defensive relative to Avics, and of course is speedy so plan accordingly.

I recommend researching the forum there are several threads about this species.

Then after reading come back with specific questions. Hate to waste your time, and mine with things you already know

 

[Paradolia]

This species is a bit defensive relative to Avics, and of course is speedy so plan accordingly.

I recommend researching the forum there are several threads about this species.

Then after reading come back with specific questions. Hate to waste your time, and mine with things you already know

I appreciate the advice! I don't think I will ever stop researching!

 

[Thekla]

When I read Y. diversipes are more defensive/not docile and then look at my 3" juvenile female I've got to laugh... apparently, she never got that memo.
Mine is a real sissy, I called her 'Fearless'.

This is her when she feels unobserved:


This is her the second I dare to look at her:

 

[fried rice]

32 oz deli cups are the best enclosures for arboreal slings.

 

[viper69]

When I read Y. diversipes are more defensive/not docile and then look at my 3" juvenile female I've got to laugh... apparently, she never got that memo.
Mine is a real sissy, I called her 'Fearless'.

This is her when she feels unobserved:
View attachment 348389

This is her the second I dared to look at her:
View attachment 348390

There's always exceptions

 

[testdasi]

Thank you for providing such wonderful information! I will get to reading momentarily! i know the Y Diversipes aren't the most docile, and while I don't have any experience with tarantulas, I have been an animal lover, and casual collector my entire life, including some finicky ones. I sincerely appreciate your concern, and hopefully I can make this a wonderful, long lasting pet. I look forward to posting updates and housing pictures, as well as growth progress as the spider(s) grow.

All tarantula species are beginner friendly if you do enough research. Today there are so much resources available (including Youtube, which provides visual familiarisation with the tarantula, something wasn't too common a decade ago). Just don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine.

PS: Slow down on the ridicule, chaps. There's a method behind the perceived madness. Read my follow up.

 

[Liquifin]

All tarantula species are beginner friendly if you do enough research. Today there are so much resources available (including Youtube, which provides visual familiarisation with the tarantula, something wasn't too common a decade ago). Just don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine.

There is a reason as to why some species are consider beginner T.'s and others not at all. You're telling me if a beginner was to watch youtube videos and research enough they'll be able to raise or care for an adult S. calceatum/H. maculata or a sub-adult Poecilotheria?? While it maybe be possible, it certainly isn't recommended as that's considered a rookie mistake. Research is very helpful and I agree it helps a lot, but there is a reason why we have consider certain T.'s for beginners and other T.'s for the those who have had enough experience. Experience needs to build and show that a keeper has the experience, reliability, and readiness to deal with T.'s and build on from there.

 

[Colorado Ts]

All tarantula species are beginner friendly if you do enough research. Today there are so much resources available (including Youtube, which provides visual familiarisation with the tarantula, something wasn't too common a decade ago). Just don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine.

I've read this 3 times...I've finally stopped laughing...and will just say...”NO”

 

[viper69]

All tarantula species are beginner friendly if you do enough research.

Except they aren't in the minds of serious and responsible keepers.

Just like all cars are made for beginner drivers too, a 16 yr old drive a top-fuel dragster or a Honda Civic

@Paradolia We are concerned Testy has given you terrible advice. Testy comes from the school of thought that watching something is just as good as doing it. SO, if you ever watched Apollo 13 a lot of times, my friend you qualified to be an astronaut.

 

[Paradolia]

When I read Y. diversipes are more defensive/not docile and then look at my 3" juvenile female I've got to laugh... apparently, she never got that memo.
Mine is a real sissy, I called her 'Fearless'.

This is her when she feels unobserved:
View attachment 348389

This is her the second I dare to look at her:
View attachment 348390

She's gorgeous! <3<3<3

Except they aren't in the minds of serious and responsible keepers.

Just like all cars are made for beginner drivers too, a 16 yr old drive a top-fuel dragster or a Honda Civic

@Paradolia We are concerned Testy has given you terrible advice. Testy comes from the school of thought that watching something is just as good as doing it. SO, if you ever watched Apollo 13 a lot of times, my friend you qualified to be an astronaut.

I'm knowledgeable enough to know which information works for me, and which information does not. And I can tell you that in all the videos I've watched, I am definitely not "astronaut" material XD. I do understand that with the specific breed I've selected as my first, I've done quite a bit of research, and although I'll never stop learning about "T's", I am confident that I would be able to at least keep it alive, with minimal risk to either me, or the fuzzy butt that I get. That being said, however, with my first tarantula, I will be constantly be asking questions not only here, but also on fb, and anywhere I can find someone to not ridicule me for asking basic level beginner questions. I never trust information from a singular source, because I've had issues with that in the past, and i find that the more sources that can confirm information, the more true the information tends to be. With exceptions, as life happens, and things can sometimes be different.

I do appreciate your concern, and find myself content that I have found a solid place to turn for varying opinions within a welcoming community that does their best to make sure the animals are taken care of properly.

 

[testdasi]

There is a reason as to why some species are consider beginner T.'s and others not at all. You're telling me if a beginner was to watch youtube videos and research enough they'll be able to raise or care for an adult S. calceatum/H. maculata or a sub-adult Poecilotheria?? While it maybe be possible, it certainly isn't recommended as that's considered a rookie mistake. Research is very helpful and I agree it helps a lot, but there is a reason why we have consider certain T.'s for beginners and other T.'s for the those who have had enough experience. Experience needs to build and show that a keeper has the experience, reliability, and readiness to deal with T.'s and build on from there.

I've read this 3 times...I've finally stopped laughing...and will just say...”NO”

Slow down on the ridicule, chaps. There's a method behind the perceived madness.

Let's use the adult H.mac as an example to prove my point.
I'm avoiding picking a Pokie since I'm a Pokies fanatic so it wouldn't be a fair objective assessment.

What is experience?
"Practical contact with and observation of facts or events" sounds like a reasonable definition - well it's from the Oxford Dictionary and I'm kinda partial to Oxford.

What is research?
Here I use a very narrow scope. Research = what I can see in a Google search and/or see on Youtube.
I even exclude obtaining information from this very forum.

What makes keeping a H.mac different from a beginner specie?
Particularly what are the differences that can only come from experience (as defined above) but is difficult / impossible to obtain through research?

A quick google "H. maculata tarantula care" yields:

• First link to Mike's Basic Tarantula page that for the most parts match my own experience with the specie. It even mentioned "very fast", the bad temperament, inclination to bite and strong venom in there.
• 3 Youtube video links to: "Togo Starbust Care Notes" by Deadly Tarantula Girl, "Heteroscoda maculata Rehousing and Husbandry Notes" by Tom Moran and "Heteroscoda maculata - Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula" by The Invert Kingdom UK. Tom Moran is widely considered to be providing good husbandry advice on tarantulas so at the very least, I would consider that video authoritative. The other 2 vids don't diverge much (if at all) from Tom's vid and the web page.
• Now I'm not a complacent chap (you guys seem to have been rather quick to ridicule while ignoring my "Just don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine." statement). I saw it says strong venom, will bite and very fast so I go on Youtube and watch some more videos. Too many to list but I'm sure after the first 10 or so, I would know many things, down to even the hole-in-a-piece-of-cardboard trick.
  • In fact, from some of the videos, it is clear to me that the H.mac isn't just fast, it teleports.

What come from (my) experience that were not available in the research bullet points above?

• H. mac can burrow if it doesn't like the hide. It basically picks wherever it thinks is most comfy and settles there, if it's 2 inches below ground at the base of but outside the cork bark then so be it. I would argue that this nuance, while interesting, isn't that useful.
• It is not only capable of teleporting but also doing it in bursts with very little pause in between. Knowing how fast AND quick it can be definitely only comes from experience. However, I have been repeatedly told that it is very fast and I'm not complacent so I take precaution by staying as far away from it as possible when doing stuff in the tank e.g. using tongs instead of my bare hands. I'm already being very careful around it but if it still decides to teleport across the tank up my tongs to tag me then it has nothing to do with my experience level.

If it were 2 decades ago, I would have laughed at such notion just like you guys have. However, it's 2020 now, not 2000.
There is a tremendous amount of information readily available online, unlike 2 decades ago when we all had to learn on the job, so to speak.
Adding to that is the fact that tarantulas are relatively hardy and low maintenance - keeping a tarantula is not calculating the trajectory of a nuclear missle!

So do the research and don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine.

 

[Paradolia]

Slow down on the ridicule, chaps. There's a method behind the perceived madness.

Let's use the adult H.mac as an example to prove my point.
I'm avoiding picking a Pokie since I'm a Pokies fanatic so it wouldn't be a fair objective assessment.

What is experience?
"Practical contact with and observation of facts or events" sounds like a reasonable definition - well it's from the Oxford Dictionary and I'm kinda partial to Oxford.

What is research?
Here I use a very narrow scope. Research = what I can see in a Google search and/or see on Youtube.
I even exclude obtaining information from this very forum.

What makes keeping a H.mac different from a beginner specie?
Particularly what are the differences that can only come from experience (as defined above) but is difficult / impossible to obtain through research?

A quick google "H. maculata tarantula care" yields:

• First link to Mike's Basic Tarantula page that for the most parts match my own experience with the specie. It even mentioned "very fast", the bad temperament, inclination to bite and strong venom in there.
• 3 Youtube video links to: "Togo Starbust Care Notes" by Deadly Tarantula Girl, "Heteroscoda maculata Rehousing and Husbandry Notes" by Tom Moran and "Heteroscoda maculata - Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula" by The Invert Kingdom UK. Tom Moran is widely considered to be providing good husbandry advice on tarantulas so at the very least, I would consider that video authoritative. The other 2 vids don't diverge much (if at all) from Tom's vid and the web page.
• Now I'm not a complacent chap (you guys seem to have been rather quick to ridicule while ignoring my "Just don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine." statement). I saw it says strong venom, will bite and very fast so I go on Youtube and watch some more videos. Too many to list but I'm sure after the first 10 or so, I would know many things, down to even the hole-in-a-piece-of-cardboard trick.
  • In fact, from some of the videos, it is clear to me that the H.mac isn't just fast, it teleports.

What come from (my) experience that were not available in the research bullet points above?

• H. mac can burrow if it doesn't like the hide. It basically picks wherever it thinks is most comfy and settles there, if it's 2 inches below ground at the base of but outside the cork bark then so be it. I would argue that this nuance, while interesting, isn't that useful.
• It is not only capable of teleporting but also doing it in bursts with very little pause in between. Knowing how fast AND quick it can be definitely only comes from experience. However, I have been repeatedly told that it is very fast and I'm not complacent so I take precaution by staying as far away from it as possible when doing stuff in the tank e.g. using tongs instead of my bare hands. I'm already being very careful around it but if it still decides to teleport across the tank up my tongs to tag me then it has nothing to do with my experience level.

If it were 2 decades ago, I would have laughed at such notion just like you guys have. However, it's 2020 now, not 2000.
There is a tremendous amount of information readily available online, unlike 2 decades ago when we all had to learn on the job, so to speak.
Adding to that is the fact that tarantulas are relatively hardy and low maintenance - keeping a tarantula is not calculating the trajectory of a nuclear missle!

So do the research and don't be complacent and you are gonna be fine.

What is a "Pokie"?

 

[DaveM]

Well, testdasi, you make some thoughtful points. I'm not sure you've covered everything though.

When I first learned how to drive a car, I knew in advance [from research, observation, knowledge of physics] that it's important to slow down when making a turn.
But I was very surprised, once I actually got behind the wheel, at just how much it's necessary to slow down. I'm glad that surprise came when I was still driving rather slowly in a parking lot.
Otherwise, I might be dead.
Starting out with an H mac... ...I dunno. Reading about the speed and experiencing it for the first time are different. Experience calibrates our expectations and responses in a way that book learning sometimes misses.
Develop a perfect technical knowledge of violin playing methods from study, but the first time you try to play a real violin, I bet it won't sound pretty.

Ybyrapora diversipes is no H mac, though, and I bet this OP that spells pareidolia a funny way will be just fine.
And perhaps experience doesn't help a pareidoliac very much if he's too disconnected from reality. Listen to me OP: there are no secret messages from aliens scribbled in the substrate of your Ts enclosure!

 

[Paradolia]

Well, testdasi, you make some thoughtful points. I'm not sure you've covered everything though.

When I first learned how to drive a car, I knew in advance [from research, observation, knowledge of physics] that it's important to slow down when making a turn.
But I was very surprised, once I actually got behind the wheel, at just how much it's necessary to slow down. I'm glad that surprise came when I was still driving rather slowly in a parking lot.
Otherwise, I might be dead.
Starting out with an H mac... ...I dunno. Reading about the speed and experiencing it for the first time are different. Experience calibrates our expectations and responses in a way that book learning sometimes misses.
Develop a perfect technical knowledge of violin playing methods from study, but the first time you try to play a real violin, I bet it won't sound pretty.

Ybyrapora diversipes is no H mac, though, and I bet this OP that spells pareidolia a funny way will be just fine.
And perhaps experience doesn't help a pareidoliac very much if he's too disconnected from reality. Listen to me OP: there are no secret messages from aliens scribbled in the substrate of your Ts enclosure!

Thank you for the comment! The... um... incorrect spelling of pareidolia was completely unintentional... 7 years ago. I was having a very difficult time in my life, and in addition to watching a show called "Your Bleeped Up Brain", where I learned about the term, (but not how to spell it correctly), I was also "coerced" into playing the worlds first augmented reality mobile phone game. (I'm a bit of a gamer, so it didn't take much convincing). Since the game was a quasi-espionage meets capture the flag type game, I decided that the name Paradolia would be a great fit... Then I learned how to spell it properly, and decided to use the unintentional misspelling for my online fun stuff.
7 years later, and I still love telling the story about it

 

[DaveM]

What is a "Pokie"?

Lift up your shirt, and poke yourself in the belly. How did that feel? That's not the type of pokie we discuss here.

Now, after some time successfully caring for your diversipes, acquire some species from the genus Poecilotheria. Post photos of them, write lots of posts about them -- they're great! But after a while you'll get tired of typing out all 13 letters of Poecilotheria, and you'll realize why people sometimes call them pokies. It doesn't sound so grand (and the spiders are grand ones), but it's a short nickname.