Looking to get a Huntsman but....

[RyRyFive]

... I don't know the first thing about them. I've read they are extremely fast, but are they aggressive/defensive. How toxic is their venom? I noticed the Green Huntsman (Heteropoda boiei) on botars website, and if I get any that would be the first. I've searched for care sheets and such in the past and have not found much, so any information about them or links with info would get greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ryan

 

[Pulk]

... I don't know the first thing about them. I've read they are extremely fast, but are they aggressive/defensive. How toxic is their venom? I noticed the Green Huntsman (Heteropoda boiei) on botars website, and if I get any that would be the first. I've searched for care sheets and such in the past and have not found much, so any information about them or links with info would get greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ryan

Heh, I'm also looking at botar's H. boiei. I'll add - how much space do they need?

 

[sidguppy]

I got a pair of Huntsmans: Heteropoda venatoria.

they're quite docile, not agressive at all, but very very fast!
once they get a bit of speed, you can forget about catching them without harming them. those thin long legs can come off......

I have housed mine together (they're not cannibalistic if there's food around), but the male kept harassing the bigger female who isn't much into it.

so now I got a 7 footed male -otherwise healthy- and hence, they're separated. they DID mate, though. mating looks weird. it's different from Tarantula's.

about housing: they can be kept in a cage/tank/terra about 10"x10" foot print and 1 foot high, but larger is better. unlike tarantula's these spiders like to run around. I've seen people housing them in smaller cages, but IMO that's not good. a bigger one gives the spider more room to move.

They don't attack or bite you, not even when you touch em (in Australia they have a reputation of being completely innocent, despite the size), but these are NOT suitable to be handled.
their acceleration speed combined with the fragility makes it a very high risk for the spider.

best way to catch one -if the cage needs cleaning for example- is to put a cricketbox over it and a piece of cardboard under. take care you do not trap a leg, cause the spider will "shake" it loose to escape. bit of "daddy longleg" behaviour.

using the same attitude to these harmless spiders you would to some smaller Gecko species (some have highly fragile tails) and you're not far off.

Huntsmans are beautiful and very visible. they like to rest on a branch or on the glass, usually fairly high up.

if one escapes, he'll go up! I once had to catch one (the speed is something you have to get used to!), cause I was experienced with slow plodders like Grammostola.
not with the eightlegged version of the Roadrunner.

it went straight for the ceiling! I got it by placing a transparant box over it and carefully showing some paper underneath.

 

[Irks]

I have mine in a 70 gallon terrarium. 3L X 1.5W X 2H. I have 4 H. venatoria in this area, they're 2.5" and 3" now and they haven't eaten each other or even bothered each other in several molts (since 1.25", 4 molts ago when I put them in). This is more space than they need, but I'm sure they like it, and I don't think they'll ever canabilize as long as I keep food running around the bottom.