My 7-1/2 y/o Son Really Wants a Tarantula

[Lakotasam]

Hello,
Forgive me if I am posting incorrectly. I welcome your answers otherwise. My 7-1/2 y/o son is very enthusiastic about tarantulas and since his desires have lead him to learn how to read (slowly overcoming a learning disorder, thank you! arachnids!) I promised him he could get a tarantula someday soon. So we have been borrowing books and videos from the local library and visiting the local pet store often. Glad to find myself ready to welcome what I once feared, now knowing so much more (thanks again 8-legged friends!). I have some questions though. It seems that the library books differ a lot from each other in their facts. So Question No. 1 is: Can anyone recommend an ultimate book that seems to be the most correct?

Also I am glad that the young employess of the local petstore are enthusiastic about most of their stock but since I know so little still about these great creatures I would like to find the BEST place to make our first purchase. I have researched a little just through a google search on breeders but now feel the need for helpful advice on BEST way to BUY the creature once we are really ready to do so. Can anyone advise on possibly local breeders in Washington state (we live just south of Seattle)?? Or refer us to the best breeders for mail ordering a live animal IF it is really okay to do? The few sites that impressed me are still so anonymous and I would love to hear about folks' experiences in shipping/mailing tarantulas.

And if I may ask one more question, Has anyone out there had experience with their young children (or been themselves) becoming sucessful tarantula owners? I certainly would be willing to wait if there seems to be a resounding call to do so, or else shop now for the best advisable pet tarantula if it seems okay now. I have the feeling a Chilean rosehair or a Mexian Redknee would be best. Being very low income right now, opting for a the less expensive pet and breeder and knowing where to go, I would so much appreciate all advice. Thank you so very much. Happy Holidays! Spider-Mom:

 

[fyrburn]

Hi there, you're best going for a rosehair as they're common as muck, whereas there as Redknees are cited, and can only be sold from captive bred (making them a LOT more expensive as someone has to raise feed and care for them)

Adult Rosehair: $10 - $30
Adult Red knee: $50 - $240

Don't know anywhere specific in the US that sells em sorry as I'm in the UK, but Rose hairs are generally very docile and easy to care for (unless you've seen mine. I ain't ranting again about it )

For a book: tarantula Kepper's guide by Stanley A. Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz

I can't say if it's the best but it's what I read. Full of interesting facts and very in-depth.

Although from what I've learned since I started is actual tarantula care can only be learned from experience and asking, books just let you know more about their behaviour.

Local breeders are not necessary as, by google search as you know, a lot of people ship them out. yes, tarantulas come in the mail. And it doesn't harm them either, most mail delivery takes 2 days max, and they survive it easily. i can imagine the shipping rule is global, considering what you're buying a live animal and all, but here I order it from a UK site (UK shipping only) www.faunology.co.uk I pay for it via paypal just like I'd buy sopmething on Amazon (add to cart, etc) on the same or next possible day depending on time, they mail it out to me, and it gets here faster than I can stand in the porch bouncing about like a maniac almost weeing myself in excitement.

Ultimately, giving a T to a child is safe (considering you get a docile breed, hence rosehair = optimal) but you must know that you will be doing most of the work. Children are carefree and not responsible (sorry to stereotype but it's common fact) and thus, may irresponsibly annoy it and get bit. That's why I would strongly advise if buying for a child you supervise, and teach. There are many resopurces (including the book I mentioned) that tells you how to hold them, pick them up, etc, as ANY tarantula will bite you if you annoy it.

The main worry about givcing it to children is the hairs. You MUST ensure the child understands not tog et his/her face too close to the spider. if the hairs go into your eyes when they flick them, you're on your way to the ER ward. I'm serious. But that's as frequent as being hit by a freight train as long as the user knows the danger involved.

Also to note, children will want to play with it like a hamster. A lot of people, infact just about every experienced keeper, will advise you NOT to touch it. For everyone's benefit. If you drop it far enough on a hard enough surface, it will die. They are very fragile. And also for your benefit as the slightest puff of air can cause it to panic and flick the ultricating hairs (VERY ITCHY. NOT FUN.) and in worst case scenarios, actually bite.

Other than that, I hope you get many hours of fun and enjoyment out of your purchase, and I hope you learn a lot from it!

By the way, you're always welcome on these boards. no matter how stupid or newbie-ish the question is (trust me, I've asked some stupid crap from time to time), it's always welcomed by the good people here and answered in a friendly informative manner.

Welcome to the boards, and hopefully the hobby soon too!

 

[syndicate]

if u want somehting cheap and docile try gettin a rose hair(grammostola rosea)also buying an adult female will ensure that it will live a long life.
also id reccomend u get a copy of the tarantula keepers guide or tarantulas and other arachnids.they seem to be the best books on the hobby imo

 

[Mattyb]

Rose hair (G.rosea)
Chaco goldenknee (G.aureostriata)

would be my top two beginners.


-Matty

 

[Varden]

The folks at NW Zoological (tarantula.com, I think) are the only Washington breeders that I'm aware of. A little further south and you'll find Dean Pittman (NW Invertebrates) just outside of Portland. However, you might want to consider holding off on buying a spider just yet. I was just talking with Dean's wife last week and she mentioned some expos coming into the area in the next three months. One in Portland in January, one in the Seattle area (I hope I remember that right) in February, and another in Eugene in March. If you can, you might want to hit one of those expos. You'll find a variety of breeders and have a variety of T's to choose from at decent prices.

 

[Kid Dragon]

In answer to your question, is 71/2 years old too young? No.

However, your supervision may be needed for the following reason. Even if you get a docile species that rarely bites like a rosie, hair flicking (abdominal setae) can be problematic with kids. They can get the setae into their eyes which could be a HUGE problem. While this problem is rare, kids are particularly suseptible since they tend to put their face close to what they are looking at. While rosies aren't the most frequent setae flickers, the anatomy of their hairs seem to be a pretty bad combo with people's skin, and horrible in the eye.

Knowing this, you have the child keep his/her face away from the T, and scrub hands well after contact with the T or inside enclosure.

At that age, when they get interested in a topic, I suggest go with it, because there is no limit to the educational gains they can make when they're motivated.

Be glad your child isn't facinated with birds or some other high maintenance, highly annoying pet. Ts can be cheap and easy...and best of all they don't bark or scream.

 

[Mr Ed]

Can anyone advise on possibly local breeders in Washington state (we live just south of Seattle)?? Or refer us to the best breeders for mail ordering a live animal IF it is really okay to do? The few sites that impressed me are still so anonymous and I would love to hear about folks' experiences in shipping/mailing tarantulas.
Spider-Mom:

Well to the boards! If your interested in an on line breeder, you might try checking the breeder/dealer reviews. There are lots of good reputable dealers who post here and are usually readily available to answer any questions. Right now, with the colder weather not many of them are shipping. The benefits of a dealer as opposed to a common pet store are that the dealers/breeders have much more experience and are a LOT more knowledgable. Sometimes with the pet stores the animals may be wild caught (WC) and could have parasites or be stressed from the way they were kept. The dealers have a much larger selection of species (I'm thinking there are around 950ish species).
Whatever you decide, be sure to read up the care sheets on the particular sp. that you get. Good luck with your T and welcome to the addiction.

 

[Nike]

"Tarantulas and other arachnids" is a very straight forward and good book. It gives you what you need to know in a very compact package."Tarantula keeper`s guide" is a lot thicker book,and gets very deep to the issue at hand,but is also a very good book.

Of course,you are the only one that knows your son here; kids of that age differ so much in their responsibility and patience,that I don`t think it`s possible to give any general advice on how suitable a T is for you. I would make a deal with him that you always care for the T together.and that there`ll be no "show-offs" when he`s alone in the house with his friends,etc.

My own kids are only 3 1/2 and 2,and they are very interested in our T`s and snake. But I have made it very clear (and the animals live on the top shelf)that only daddy cares for them. I think it`ll be a huge advantage for them in the future to have lived with "different" creatures,and maybe not having to cope with the very usual arachnophobia and other dislikes for the different. Good luck!

 

[Windchaser]

My kids have for the most part grown up with tarantulas. My youngest was around 4 when I got my first one. My kids are now 14, 12 and 10. Over the years they have studied them, written reports on them and gave presentations at their schools. We are now currently breeding them as well. They have been bitten by the bug (figuratively, not literally). On several occassions they have requested tarantulas for gifts. In my opinion, this can be a wonderful learning experience for kids.

 

[Alissa]

You live in Kent?

I would recommend going to A Place For Pets in Burien (www.aplaceforpets.org). Many people have mixed feelings about buying from petstores, but I like this one very much and think Kevin is well-educated and really helpful. I buy most of my spiderlings from there just because I prefer to see the spider before I take it home - you might also benefit from being able to hold and handle a spider in store (even if you choose not to handle, you should know how in case of emergency, and you can see if you have a bad reaction to the hairs everyone else has mentioned.)

I also think a tarantula would be a good pet for a small child - tarantulas have simple basic needs, and they don't need the love/attention/high level of care a puppy or kitten or whatever else would need. This can be a great learning experience for your son and remain affordable, so best of luck!

I agree with everyone else on the books too, BTW. Look for cheap copies in used bookstores or on ebay.

 

[bonesmama]

I always wanted something besides a turtle or a canary when I was a kid! This could be a great experience for yours! You know your child better than anyone, so my Q for you is--would he make a responsible keeper,can you trust him not to mistreat it, or will this T turn out to be your pet? And how would you feel about that? Tarantulas have long lifespans if they are cared for properly.......

 

[WingedDefeat]

The Tarantula Keepers Guide, as mentioned above, is by far the best single book that we have relating to tarantulas as pets.

I personally recommend finding a reputable dealer on the internet. I try to avoid pet store spiders, they tend to be poorly taken care of, and the have a narrow selection.

I hope your son has fun with his future pet!

 

[Alissa]

The Tarantula Keepers Guide, as mentioned above, is by far the best single book that we have relating to tarantulas as pets.

I personally recommend finding a reputable dealer on the internet. I try to avoid pet store spiders, they tend to be poorly taken care of, and the have a narrow selection.

I hope your son has fun with his future pet!

I would for the most part recommend avoiding pet stores, as they are usually just awful and misinformed but I like this one a lot. I've had to do a lot of looking around at local stores too because I'm a serious fish-addict.

I would just be afraid that buying a T online without ever having handled/worked with one might not be the best option. I don't think I would have ever gotten into the hobby without this particular petstore and their help.

 

[Cory Loomis]

As a teacher, I'm glad your son is interested enough to read about tarantulas. A couple of comments about reading and books... "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" by Schultz and Schultz is not for young readres, but might be helpful to you. I would check it out of the library or buy it used. "Tarantulas and Other Arachnids," by Marshall, is smaller, more direct, and has lots of pictures, making it better for a young reader, but the reading text will still require your help in all probability. I would start a notebook of pages printed off the net. There are numerous sites that offer caresheets, articles, and pictures. This would give your son something to read that the two of you created, a more valuable reference, I think, in many ways.

As for first spider and source...

First spider might be from a pet store and an adult specimen, in which case a G. rosea would probably be the least expensive and most readily available. If you can hit a show, a dealer might be able to help you out with a G. aureostriata or a B. vagans or B. albopilosum. Of those three, any sub-adult will take adult crickets and thrive. All are easily kept, all are fairly docile species, and all are reasonably priced.

Good luck with your tarantula, and keep reading with your son.

 

[MysticKigh]

No need to become redundant with the reading recommendations ... so I'll address the question of your son's age in regard to T ownership. My son was almost 8 when we got our first tarantula (appx 3 years ago) Things have been wonderful since then. He has been able to do presentations at his school with them and has learned a great deal about spiders in general. We have far less local T deaths now that he has let his friends know that the Ts will not kill their dogs or eat their baby sisters LOL
He is not into holding them excessively which I think is best. Young kids tend to have a hard time staying still and remembering little things like "don't breathe on the T'' When he first began handling them it was sitting down on the carpet... so if we had a mad dashing T there wasn't a lot of risk of injury to the spider. He collects their moults and loves to watch them eat. A warning though... some T's can be somewhat like pet rocks... my son's
A seemani is infamous for sitting in the same position for what seems like weeks on end if she's not eating. This can get boring rather quickly for a little one. As someone else already mentioned... a good question to ask yourself is how do *you* feel about owning a T... just in case he loses interest...or is there the chance he'll be like my oldest daughter who desperately wanted a T and was terrified to reach into it's cage once we brought it home? She recovered... eventually and was able to feed, change water and clean up after it... but in the interim, I had an extra T... to the opposite extreme... will he be able to resist perpetually taking the T out of it's home... will he be able to abide by some basis rules ie: be gentle.. handle only with supervision... it's not a pet that wants it's back scratched etc. You know your son better than anyone- if you're both up for this.. then welcome to the hobby... otherwise known as the addiction ;P