Nothing could have prepared me for this

[Gator Watson]

So I'm a new keeper. At least with tarantulas. Ive kept Hognas. Various snakes. I used to work in pest control, so I've safely relocated many venomous snakes. Dealt with hordes of wasps and hornets. I've come face to face with angry animals and rattlesnakes in crawlspaces where I couldn't as much roll over, and certainly not escape.

So there I am, in my privately owned LPS getting crickets for my A avic and GBB. I'm friends with an employee there and says the three letters: OBT.

They had it for a few months at this point and didn't feel comfortable doing basic housekeeping for it, nor selling it to an unsuspecting keeper. He offered me a deal I couldnt resist. I went against common thought and bought a subadult OBT with about 2 months T keeping experience.

Now it's time to rehouse. I enter the bathroom, towel under door. This time, the towel is for a different purpose than my teenage years. Tongs in hand, I lift the lid to the critter keeper it was in and prepared for a fight.

Then suddenly, nothing happened. I calmly picked up the piece of cork round that was concealing the spider, placed it in the new enclosure, and closed the lid. It slowly crept out to explore it's new home, made two laps around at lightening speed, then found a new hide.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I credit it to previous animal handling and above all else, keeping calm. I think mine may be an anomaly, but this process went much smoother than rehousing even my A avic.

 

[viper69]

Avics are the worst because they are so stubborn as a defensive stance and they jump

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Very cool get some pics soon, my lps the only one with Ts on display is only interested in price gouging so odds are I’ll only be getting feeders there .

 

[Frogdaddy]

Monsters aren't they?

 

[NMTs]

OBT's are easy to provoke into threat poses, so all the people looking to sensationalize how "dangerous" and "ill-tempered" their spiders are can make them look fearsome. If you keep them properly and treat them with respect, though, they aren't bad at all.

 

[Gator Watson]

Update: this fella(who I've affectionately named Bojangles) is fully hooked out. There was a molt in his enclosure when I bought him, so hopefully he'll be around for a little while yet.

Still think these guys get a bad rap. One rehouse does not speak for an entire species, but a little planning and respect go a long way.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Update: this fella(who I've affectionately named Bojangles) is fully hooked out. There was a molt in his enclosure when I bought him, so hopefully he'll be around for a little while yet.

Still think these guys get a bad rap. One rehouse does not speak for an entire species, but a little planning and respect go a long way.

Completely agree. A lot of their reputation comes from people who don't house them correctly and don't give them enough substrate and hiding places. Of course the spider is going to be defensive- it feels cornered out in the open and is trying to protect itself. Plus unfortunately some people harass them to try and get them to threat pose or behave defensively for pictures/ video. In reality I've found that they're shy spiders that would much rather run and hide than be aggressive. I don't think they're nearly as bad as some people say.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Completely agree. A lot of their reputation comes from people who don't house them correctly and don't give them enough substrate and hiding places. Of course the spider is going to be defensive- it feels cornered out in the open and is trying to protect itself. Plus unfortunately some people harass them to try and get them to threat pose or behave defensively for pictures/ video. In reality I've found that they're shy spiders that would much rather run and hide than be aggressive. I don't think they're nearly as bad as some people say.

Overblown yeah you’d practically have to get bitten on purpose, I’ve only been bit once It was a anax I tried to pinch grab . My own fault ! There’s people on here who’ve never been bitten. It’s idiots who make videos poking and prodding there obt for views who usually get bitten.

 

[Gator Watson]

Completely agree. A lot of their reputation comes from people who don't house them correctly and don't give them enough substrate and hiding places. Of course the spider is going to be defensive- it feels cornered out in the open and is trying to protect itself. Plus unfortunately some people harass them to try and get them to threat pose or behave defensively for pictures/ video. In reality I've found that they're shy spiders that would much rather run and hide than be aggressive. I don't think they're nearly as bad as some people say.

So the one thing I wanted to do above all else was give him plenty of hiding spaces to make him feel more secure. I provided two well started burrows, plenty of cork hides on the surface. I also had one random shard of cork left that I kind of just haphazardly threw in there because why not. Which one did he chose? yep. The haphazard. Ya try to do something nice for a fella.

 

[Matt Man]

well you had a cork round so that helped you considerably. Had it been a half round it would have been a different story. I had one that was surprisingly easy as well, and then went "Well let me pull that chunk of web out" and she teleported so quickly I lost her somewhere between containment level 1 and 2 (I had 3 plus) I found her and she was pretty easy to coax back into her enclosure but there was a good 3 minutes where I had no idea where she went. (it was under the lip of containment 1)

 

[TechnoGeek]

I'm still adhering to my strict "no old world Ts" rule after 5 years of keeping Ts.

Tho this has little to do with their defensiveness (which is a factor ofc). Most old would Ts are either fossorial, or heavy webbers that hide in their own webbing, and I'm only interested in pretty Ts that stay out on display most of the day.

In short, all I see in old world Ts is a more defensive and more venomous spider they could be more challenging to care for but yet less rewarding to keep. Lots of people disagree with me ofc. The only ow I MIGHT one day keep would be M balfouri.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I'm still adhering to my strict "no old world Ts" rule after 5 years of keeping Ts.

Tho this has little to do with their defensiveness (which is a factor ofc). Most old would Ts are either fossorial, or heavy webbers that hide in their own webbing, and I'm only interested in pretty Ts that stay out on display most of the day.

In short, all I see in old world Ts is a more defensive and more venomous spider they could be more challenging to care for but yet less rewarding to keep. Lots of people disagree with me ofc. The only ow I MIGHT one day keep would be M balfouri.

Some new worlds can be reclusive , I’m hoping this lp is only hidden to molt . I’ll prob remove that experimental feeding dish asap ; tried letting the spider find the super worms lol. It worked until it didn’t .. last few days my phampho hasn’t left the hide either.
I had a chilobrachys that was really visible til it had a Bad molt. So don’t rule them All out I definitely am getting another some day .
9 of my 11 spider’s always outside the hide is still good . So you’re not wrong either !

 

[Gator Watson]

well you had a cork round so that helped you considerably. Had it been a half round it would have been a different story. I had one that was surprisingly easy as well, and then went "Well let me pull that chunk of web out" and she teleported so quickly I lost her somewhere between containment level 1 and 2 (I had 3 plus) I found her and she was pretty easy to coax back into her enclosure but there was a good 3 minutes where I had no idea where she went. (it was under the lip of containment 1)

Well as a matter of fact, it was a half round. He did have himself webbed up so much that it might as well have been a full round. I'm counting my blessings with this. As I said, I think the behavior is a little dramatized, but if I get another old world, it'll still get the respect and preparation it deserves.

 

[MariaLewisia]

I started off my tarantula journey with a Hysterocrates gigas - you know, one of those species you google and all results start with big red "NOT FOR BEGINNERS! EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE!!!" text? - by mistake. She came in a "beginner friendly" mystery box. Cold sweats ensued as I read the name on that vial. Well, turns out she's an absolute darling and continues to be so to this day, 7 inches of growth later. But the little T. albo I got in that same box? What a jerk.

I'm almost into the triple digits of tarantulas now. It's a pretty even split of NW and OW and with species whose reputations range from widely regarded as "a great choice for the arachophobic" all the way to the infamous "out for your soul AND your firstborn", and honestly I have never had a problem with any of them. Ever. I treat them with respect, give them the comfort and space they need, and they aren't defensive in return because they have no need to be. Some might be a handful, like the aforementioned T. albo who likes to come running at full speed towards any vibration she feels so she can try and eat it. Whether it's actual food or just me opening the enclosure doesn't matter, she'll give it a try. That is the level needed to be a jerk in my household because the other's are just, I don't know, nice? They keep to themselves and I don't bother them too much. I think that says something.

 

[Matt Man]

Well as a matter of fact, it was a half round. He did have himself webbed up so much that it might as well have been a full round. I'm counting my blessings with this. As I said, I think the behavior is a little dramatized, but if I get another old world, it'll still get the respect and preparation it deserves.

my first T was a rescue and she was on bad substrate and needed rehousing. Here's my 'welcome to the hobby'

Aggie Pre 2

• Matt Man
• Aug 14, 2017

When we rescued her, her substrate was wrong so we had to redo her enclosure. This was pretty...

Aggie Post 1

• Matt Man
• Aug 14, 2017
• 5

This was my (our) first T. (???) It was a rescue, and even though I was a newb and this was an...

 

[Matt Man]

I started off my tarantula journey with a Hysterocrates gigas - you know, one of those species you google and all results start with big red "NOT FOR BEGINNERS! EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE!!!" text? - by mistake. She came in a "beginner friendly" mystery box. Cold sweats ensued as I read the name on that vial. Well, turns out she's an absolute darling and continues to be so to this day, 7 inches of growth later. But the little T. albo I got in that same box? What a jerk.

I'm almost into the triple digits of tarantulas now. It's a pretty even split of NW and OW and with species whose reputations range from widely regarded as "a great choice for the arachophobic" all the way to the infamous "out for your soul AND your firstborn", and honestly I have never had a problem with any of them. Ever. I treat them with respect, give them the comfort and space they need, and they aren't defensive in return because they have no need to be. Some might be a handful, like the aforementioned T. albo who likes to come running at full speed towards any vibration she feels so she can try and eat it. Whether it's actual food or just me opening the enclosure doesn't matter, she'll give it a try. That is the level needed to be a jerk in my household because the other's are just, I don't know, nice? They keep to themselves and I don't bother them too much. I think that says something.

So you are new to the forum and are using triple digits in Ts.
Can I ask how many are adults?
I am concerned because I am guessing the majority of your Ts are slings. 100 slings takes up less than a milk crate, 100 adults will fill several rooms. I want to make sure you have adequate space for your Ts when they mature

 

[l4nsky]

So you are new to the forum and are using triple digits in Ts.
Can I ask how many are adults?
I am concerned because I am guessing the majority of your Ts are slings. 100 slings takes up less than a milk crate, 100 adults will fill several rooms. I want to make sure you have adequate space for your Ts when they mature

New to the forum doesn't mean new to the hobby . Takes longer than a month or two for a tarantula to put on 7" DLS.

...She came in a "beginner friendly" mystery box. Cold sweats ensued as I read the name on that vial. Well, turns out she's an absolute darling and continues to be so to this day, 7 inches of growth later.

 

[MariaLewisia]

So you are new to the forum and are using triple digits in Ts.
Can I ask how many are adults?
I am concerned because I am guessing the majority of your Ts are slings. 100 slings takes up less than a milk crate, 100 adults will fill several rooms. I want to make sure you have adequate space for your Ts when they mature

I've been in the hobby for quite a few years by now, and had already been lurking around in the tarantula interwebs, including Arachnoboards, for some years before the jump into keeping myself. I don't know, I just never saw the need to create an account before last year when I felt I could contribute something legit to the hobby and not just noob around lol.

As for the tarantulas themselves, 25-30 of them are slings and the rest are well established juveniles, sub-adults or adults. I'm also an avid dwarf lover (that sounds so wrong...) so most of my adults take minimal space. Don't worry, I've got it all figured out! Thanks for the concern though.

 

[Matt Man]

New to the forum doesn't mean new to the hobby . Takes longer than a month or two for a tarantula to put on 7" DLS.

Thanks, I understand that, I lurked here for close to 7 years. Also noted: H Gigas get big pretty quick (4" plus in 2 years) so could still be around 3 years to accumulate nearly 100 Ts