Lasiodora parahybana good for a first T?

[1Lord Of Ants1]

FINALLY got the yes on getting a tarantula from my parents. In the last few days I've done quite a bit of research, and have narrowed down my search to this particular species, the salmon pink birdeater. The seem to be the perfect starting tarantula for me, they have a great size, grow fast, good appetite, hardy, stay out in the open, they're cheap, and don't seem to be too particular about humidity. I've heard they're not great for handling, but this isn't a problem for me, I typically don't handle any invertebrates I keep. I was wondering if this species is relatively hardy as a sling, since I'll probably start from there. After some research, I'm planning to order from http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/. 2 slings with a cool pack and priority shipping totals 31$, perfect price since my parents don't want me spending a couple hundred bucks on some hairy spiders. If you have any experiences with this species as a starter, please share!

 

[paassatt]

L. parahybana was my first. I'd recommend getting a sling for sure, but be prepared to have larger enclosures ready for it as it grows, because it grows like a weed. The adult, fully-grown size is going to be quite substantial though, so make sure you're able to accomodate it accordingly.

 

[Sweepstakes]

I started with an L. parahybana as well. Mine is around 8" to 9" and stays out almost constantly. I have him in a 20 gallon enclosure and, being a MM, he roams quite a bit so he is very active. As for handling, I handle mine quite a bit but it is always on his terms. If he is climbing up the side I can take the top off and he will crawl right out onto my hand, walk around it for a bit, and then I put him back in his home and he sits around, contented. They have a very good appetite and are fun to watch feed, and my only regret is that I didn't get a sling when I bought him. He was immature but unsexed and with his only molt in my care became a mature male :/ Needless to say he has been a great first T.

 

[PrimalTaunt]

It's fine for a beginner. Only complaint that I have had with mine is that it took a long time to lose it's sling coloration (Fall 2009 when I got it until about two months ago) but mine is not the quick growing weed like a lot of others have.

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

So far so good for an LP.

If anyone has any LP slings for a good deal, please send me a PM, the site I plan to buy from might not have them up for very long.

 

[paassatt]

Check the classifieds section.

 

[Ben Oliver]

good idea for the L. p. for the your first T. i should have gotten one as my fisrt but didn't i got a G. pulchripes instead. they are supposed to get very large 10" or so. the nice thing is with their size they should calm down pretty good. i haven't herd of them biteing much but i have herd that they can kick hair really well. every critter has its good points and bad.

 

[HighFlyer]

That's a good species to get, I'm very happy with mine. If you need a site, I believe swiftinverts.com is selling 1/4" slings for around $5

 

[webbedone]

Its definatly fun to start with esp if you get it as a 1/4 sling feed it and watch it grow to be a monster.

 

[pnshmntMMA]

i bought an almost 3" female from hellion299 and the things great. been in premolt since i got it, but its a neat little thing. burrowed under the hide and webbed up real nice. im expecting 2 Ts to molt, any day now.

 

[JadeWilliamson]

Absolutely buy from Jamie! She's great to deal with. Communication is excellent and she's really enthusiastic. I just ordered some stuff from her I can't wait to get and share a review for.

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

Just recieved 3 LP slings from a fellow board member for 25$, and I'm stoked to have them! Can't wait till feeding time!

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Congrats enjoy!

 

[JODECS]

congratz... be prepared coz those guyz will be huge soon

 

[Big_nito]

U will definitely enjoy feeding them coz they eat/hunt/feed with much gusto!!!! Congrats on ur new slings!

 

[Merfolk]

Unless you try to pet it under the chin or leave it for weeks without water, you should have no trouble with it. Once they start showing adult coloration, molts will make you wonder how the Hell such a big animal could fit in its (noticeably smaller) old tuxedo. Hardy, forgiving, not too aggressive (unless you are a prey), mild venom (if ever it bites you) and the colors are very nice after a molt and it's one of the giants of the T world. Hard to go wrong with this one! : )

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

They're nice and fat already after feeding on some freshly killed dubia nymphs. To be honest I found it hard to believe when I first heard that tarantulas can be scavengers, I thought they were only motivated by movement and live prey. Obviously, these little slings proved it true and found the lifeless carcasses and went to work chewing it to pulp.