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Embers To Ashes

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
269
Hi, I have been in the arachned trade since about september. I have four Ts and a scorpian, and I think I'm ready for a true spider.

Since this is my first and I have experiance with tarantulas, I would like it to be on the larger side. At least two inches in legspan.

One of the reasons Im deciding to get into this is because some of them have amazing colors. I would like mine to have stunning coloration.

I dont realy want an overly defencive species. (incase he escapes or something.) I wont be handeling him very much if at all.

I want an arborial spider that wont hide all day and will make some awesome web. I have a fiveteen gallon tank if thats nessisary.

If I can have more than one in the same enclosure that would be great, but that is not a must for me.

Any sugestions? (Pictures if you have them please!)
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
maybe an Argiope or Nephila species?


there are also some huntsmen species that would probably satisfy your requirements
 

Embers To Ashes

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
269
From what I have read, Argiope spiders only get up to 1 1/4 inches? Is that true? They are very butiful though.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
true spiders are measured in body length usually, cuz their legs are so much more variable than tarantulas

1.25"BL on an argiope is around 2.5"DLS
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
Linothele aren't true spiders, Araneomorphae. they are Mygalomorphae, not too terribly far from tarantulas

if non-tarantula mygs are in the mix then Linothele is a pretty good choice. they aren't strictly arboreal, but they are super copious webbers that will make use of some vertical elements in a cage. plus, most are gorgeous :)


tbh, the >= 2"DLS is kinda hurting your options. there aren't really that many trues in the hobby that big. you might be able to find some Hogna sp. wolf spiders that get that big. H. carolinensis can, for sure


a really big Kukulcania sp. spider can do just about 2"DLS. they are really neat spiders. their family is kiiinda inbetween the true spiders and mygs, though it is classifeid as a true. the females can mate like tarantulas, i.e. mate, lay and eggsac, then shed and do it all over again, and can live for like 5-10 years. they look a bit like mini G. pulchras, too
 

ZergFront

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
1,956
true spiders are measured in body length usually, cuz their legs are so much more variable than tarantulas

1.25"BL on an argiope is around 2.5"DLS
I've been measuring them wrong this whole time! LOL!

I have a MM. Zoropsis that is 2" in legspan and he's arboreal. Zoropsis don't spend a lot of time on the ground and it's usually the females that make any webbing at all (excluding the sperm webs). So far, I've only heard of Zoropsis populations in the Mediterranean and California (the latter being non-native).

Huntsman get very big and they usually stay above ground as well. I don't know so much about their webbing habits, though. Nephila have very intricate webs and they're big true spiders as well.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
huntsmen don't really make much webbing. they do make sleeping bags and baby hatching bags, sometimes, though

there are Olios sp. in the USA that get up to like 2.5-3"DLS, too

there is also a species from FL that's name escapes me that gets ~around that size and might be semi-communal but i could be misremembering that part
 

spider pest

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 25, 2009
Messages
160
Hi, I have been in the arachned trade since about september. I have four Ts and a scorpian, and I think I'm ready for a true spider.

Since this is my first and I have experiance with tarantulas, I would like it to be on the larger side. At least two inches in legspan.

One of the reasons Im deciding to get into this is because some of them have amazing colors. I would like mine to have stunning coloration.

I dont realy want an overly defencive species. (incase he escapes or something.) I wont be handeling him very much if at all.

I want an arborial spider that wont hide all day and will make some awesome web. I have a fiveteen gallon tank if thats nessisary.

If I can have more than one in the same enclosure that would be great, but that is not a must for me.

Any sugestions? (Pictures if you have them please!)
Dolomedes tenebrosus sounds like it fits the bill, and you can probably find them in Virginia. Large, semi aboreal, not super colorful but visually interesting. Multiple spiders in the enclosure will not work though. You'll find a lot of threads here regarding care and set-up.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
I've been measuring them wrong this whole time! LOL!

I have a MM. Zoropsis that is 2" in legspan and he's arboreal. Zoropsis don't spend a lot of time on the ground and it's usually the females that make any webbing at all (excluding the sperm webs). So far, I've only heard of Zoropsis populations in the Mediterranean and California (the latter being non-native).

Huntsman get very big and they usually stay above ground as well. I don't know so much about their webbing habits, though. Nephila have very intricate webs and they're big true spiders as well.
as long as you label your measurements it kinda doesn't matter :)
 
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