OBT reputation

kyrga

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
321
I'm thinking about getting a p. murinus, but not sure if I'm ready for one. Some people say they're fairly easy to maintain, while others tell stories of them flying out of containers and running around biting everything.

I don't handle my spiders any more than absolutely necessary, and I think I take good care of them, but I'm not sure if I'm experienced enough or not. I'm definately getting a new T in the next month or so, and it'll probably be the last one I get for at least another year or so, and I don't know whether I should just go for it, or stick with a more tame species.
 

monitormonster

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Messages
196
My roomate has an OBT, and from what I have seen, it is always hiding. The few times it has come out, though, I have never seen it do any crazy flying attacks or anything.

I would say get one, you dont really need to be a T expert to keep one of these. Just be careful doing tank maintenence and you should be fine
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
generally, if you give an obt a lot of crap to make a tube web around and/or let it burrow they will retreat rather than go spastic agro.... generally

of course, this is also the first tara species i have kept that was fast enough and crazy enough to get away from me and hit the floor... both as slings and adults... so you can't *always* be sure they won't do something interesting. one time a subadult ran up his container, jumped onto my hand, then took a flying leap... i tried to snag it out of midair and it REJUMPED off my hand. the action was so fast it was just barely followable, if you get my meaning?


also... they have stiffer venom that most new world species... so if they do get out and you do get bit it will potentially suck quite a bit.


if you do decide to get one i would definitely get a sling or smaller individual, rather than an adult. i can't think of a single tara species that has slings that are completley demonic and unmanageable
 

FRAZE01

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2003
Messages
285
I love them.Right now I have 5 and am always looking for more.
 

ballpython2

Arachnoprince
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Feb 28, 2007
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1,670
These are great tarantulas respect their reputation and where they are from and if you correctly do this and disturb them only when you need to rehouse, feed or give water and they will make excellent pets..they have a gorgeous bright orange color.

I have a P murinus and a Lugardi which is from the same family as the Murinus.
 

Bulldog08

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
131
obt was my first T. Respect it and you shouldn't have a problem.
 

sammyp

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
146
Hey,

This depends entirely on your own 'comfort level' with tarantula's in general.

If, for instance, you're quite calm about the spiders you do handle making sudden movements (or scooting up your arm as pink-toes are prone to do) and feel you trust your reactions and aren't completely freaked out by them, then by all means, get one.

Obviously, don't handle her. And, as has been said, be aware that these little darlings pack a slightly more interesting venom package than most and treat it with the due respect.

Enjoy! They're great spiders!
 

kyrga

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
321
what tarantulas do you have?
I only have experience with avics and a g.rosea. My a. avic sling can be pretty fiesty.

I'm definately going with a sling.

What kind of setup/care works best with p.murinus? Room to burrow and things to attach web to, and a water dish I'd guess? They're not a high humidity T, from what I know.
 

KJE

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
808
I think if you aren't sure you shouldn't get one. Only you can decide if you feel ready for one.

If you get some and decide you weren't ready I'm sure you can sell them to someone on the boards. Of course, then you have to pack them for shipping which isn't always an easy task.

I got 4 or 5 of them(can't remember) after I had been keeping t's for over a year. I got them at around 1" in size. I had already kept other "fast, hot" species so I thought I would be okay with them. I ended up selling them after having them for around 6 months or so. They were too unpredictable for me.
 

sammyp

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
146
They like it dry. :) Nice and warm, water dish and lots of stuff to web up (or none at all) and they will generally build their own tube retreat.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
They like it dry. :) Nice and warm, water dish and lots of stuff to web up (or none at all) and they will generally build their own tube retreat.
quite right.

also, these seem to have a faster metabolism than a lot of the other species i keep, so the babies can actually starve to death in a relatively short amount of time. i was used to feeding slower growing species and lost a few obts slings to starvation before i realized i have to feed them more than "normal"
 

kyrga

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
321
quite right.

also, these seem to have a faster metabolism than a lot of the other species i keep, so the babies can actually starve to death in a relatively short amount of time. i was used to feeding slower growing species and lost a few obts slings to starvation before i realized i have to feed them more than "normal"
The slings I have now eat 1 sometimes 2 crix a week. How much do otb slings need?
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
The slings I have now eat 1 sometimes 2 crix a week. How much do otb slings need?
well, about that much. when talking about feeding it is hard to say anything exactly. but... if you feed an obt 1-2 crix a week and the crix are at least as long as the prosoma/cephalothorax/"head" you should be fine.

i ran into problems cuz i was running an experiment contrasting heavily fed and thin fed development. i wiped out all my thin centipedes and most of my thin obts and scorplings. only my B. albopilosum had slow enough metabolisms that i didn't lose any.
 

spid142

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
492
obt

obt's are pretty Ts with the bright orange color-form, and mine has made a multi-chambered tube web throughout her jar, kind of in a U shape sideways, and she comes out twice a week to rest on side of jar to wait for food. Mine at around 2.5 inch has never acted like she would threat and bite, but I leave her to her home and don't make sudden moves while doing maintenance, she always just backs farther into her tube-web. Of course I use tongs to pull out leftovers, etc.
 

LeilaNami

Arachnoking
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Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
2,164
I only have experience with avics and a g.rosea. My a. avic sling can be pretty fiesty.

I'm definately going with a sling.

What kind of setup/care works best with p.murinus? Room to burrow and things to attach web to, and a water dish I'd guess? They're not a high humidity T, from what I know.
I started with my rosie, A. metallica, and an A. seemani before I got the OBT. I haven't seen it since I put it in the tank. {D They're speedy and a bit nuts but they'd rather hide from you.
 

Sevenrats

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
301
If you're sticking your fingers in there and moving the hide around you'll soon be posting a bite report. If you keep your fingers out of there and leave the spider alone you'll be fine.
 

phil jones

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,051
well they are " fun " to keep as they are as mad as a bag of spanners and nasty little s*** but if you allways keep your guard up with hands not in the tank ect you should be ok if not you will end up on the bite reports good luck if you go for one %%% phil
 
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