Ornate Golden Baboon?

lorelei_rhine

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
3
My husband purchased a new Tarantula Friday. The pet store had it labeled as a Golden Chaco, but a simple Google search showed me they were wrong. This is only my second spider, and it is seriously aggressive! From what I am reading I need to make the store take it back, but I'm afraid to. She admitted a local collector told her she had it labeled wrong and almost sold it to a little girl as a docile, good first arachnid. Everything I can find tells me Julius is psychotic, and when we tried to open the lid earlier he attacked. I don't know if I'm ready for an aggressive spider, and need insight on how to care for it other then the hype on the internet (like the man in NY)
 

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xhexdx

ArachnoGod
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Jul 20, 2007
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5,357
It's not aggressive, it's defensive.

That's Pterinochilus murinus, also called an OBT (Orange Bitey Thing or Orange Baboon Tarantula).

Either way, not docile at all, and very defensive of their territory. They are old world, so they have some pretty mean venom as well.

If you don't feel you're ready for it, I'd bring it back.
 

super-pede

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
543
It's not aggressive, it's defensive.

That's Pterinochilus murinus, also called an OBT (Orange Bitey Thing or Orange Baboon Tarantula).

Either way, not docile at all, and very defensive of their territory. They are old world, so they have some pretty mean venom as well.

If you don't feel you're ready for it, I'd bring it back.
+1
very bad choice for a beginner.
 

xhexdx

ArachnoGod
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Regarding how to care for it...run a few searches on here - you'll find way more information than you ever imagined on caring for OBTs.
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
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Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
I'd be mad to if I was it with an inch of dirt & a hide (OP, nothing against you!) It might not really be all that bad if the store had had it setup better in the first place.

You could possibly make it work if you want to try. Do any of the pet stores around you sell large tongs? Like 10-12"? If you could get some to pull out the hide & water dish, you could buy a bagged substrate & pour it in through the opening (I know, maybe not the best idea) slowly. With the tongs you could put back a bottle cap filled with water.

Given several more inches of substrate, it might become a happier camper.
 

Sleazoid

Arachnoknight
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Jul 18, 2010
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I'd be mad to if I was it with an inch of dirt & a hide (OP, nothing against you!) It might not really be all that bad if the store had had it setup better in the first place.

You could possibly make it work if you want to try. Do any of the pet stores around you sell large tongs? Like 10-12"? If you could get some to pull out the hide & water dish, you could buy a bagged substrate & pour it in through the opening (I know, maybe not the best idea) slowly. With the tongs you could put back a bottle cap filled with water.

Given several more inches of substrate, it might become a happier camper.
All tarantulas are so ungrateful with everything we do for them though, but we still love them. {D
 

belljar77

Arachnosquire
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Apr 7, 2010
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It baffles me that a petstore would sell something they knew nothing about. Especially something potentially harmful. And she almost sold it to a child? Nice. Now that you have it though, you might enjoy it! OBTs are entertaining, beautiful Ts, just treat them with respect. Mine's a tongs-on kind of guy :)
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
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It doesn't surprise me at all. Someone probably knew exactly what they had & told them a story about what it was. Of course with it being a tarantula, why put it to the test of finding out if it's docile or not?

Mine's faulty :rolleyes: I've yet to get a threat display out of him. Actually, he acts like a weeny.
 

spiderworld

Arachnosquire
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Jul 20, 2010
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90
Hi! i live in south africa!
The P murinus is a very coo tarantula! they dou a couple unique things! especialy the breed process! ive been lucky enough to breed them before!
****although they are now banned from the hobby in south africa!!!
Because we have a similar spider in the Augasaphalus family! ant our nature conservation cant tell the diff! so they just made them elligal to keep! And because some idiots were breeding the golden baboon here and selling them as obt!

anyway enjoy your spider! ps i managed to get 5 of them to coinhabbit untill they had legg spans of +- 8cm
 

lorelei_rhine

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
3
@chris It was $40, but the money isn't the issue. @niki If I keep him, I am looking at getting him an environment from tarantulacages.com (I don't feel the one my rosehair was in is sufficient). I can also order tongs from them. As for the pet stores, this is my second tarantula, 2 different stores, and neither knew what they were doing. My first was an adult, very docile, and died of old age. This is a baby who has webbed a nest at the opening and now I don't know how I'm even going to feed him!
 
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Moltar

ArachnoGod
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Well... $40 i more than a little steep for such a commonly sold, easily bred, fast (as heck) growing and commonly wild collected species of tarantula. You could find a similar specimen for $20 or less at a herp/arachnid show or an online dealer. But, as you said, that is a side issue.

If you're not comfortable with it (quite understandable - they're pretty grumpy) then you should take it back. The store really screwed up by labeling one of the most defensive, venomous tarantulas available as one of the most docile. They're obligated to accept the return. Try for something more new world and docile. If thay have some other species in there you're not sure about just snap a pic and post it here. We'll ID it for you and tell you if it's appropriate for your experience level.
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
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Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
If you choose to keep it, I wouldn't worry about getting a hugely elaborate setup for it. They are heavy webbers & will cover up everything with webbing.

This is what mine did in just two days in it's 1gal container:



 

Big Red TJ

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
319
I am gonna agree with taking it back or find a member on this board who may live near you. This is not a species to cut your teeth on so to speak. Obt are defensive and they do posess a nasty bite. If you are not comfortable with dealing with it that is what I would do. Here is a tip though when rehousing do it in the bathtub and lay several pieces of cork bark down. That way if it runs it is going to run for cover and not up your arm. I have a special place in my heart for all old worlds and I find once you provide deep substrate and start a burrow for them and lay a piece of cork bark over it they will tunnel down and be a pet rock. We never see ours except late at night when she is hungry waiting for dinner. I reach in her cage all the time just get her a bigger cage with deep substrate and a hide then give it a couple of days to settle in. OBT are really bullet proof in my opinion. (Forgive my spelling but the keeys on this black berry are small) :)
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
Hi! i live in south africa!
The P murinus is a very coo tarantula! they dou a couple unique things! especialy the breed process! ive been lucky enough to breed them before!
****although they are now banned from the hobby in south africa!!!
Because we have a similar spider in the Augasaphalus family! ant our nature conservation cant tell the diff! so they just made them elligal to keep! And because some idiots were breeding the golden baboon here and selling them as obt!

anyway enjoy your spider! ps i managed to get 5 of them to coinhabbit untill they had legg spans of +- 8cm
Are you saying that there are bright orange species of Augacephalus or that they can't tell the difference between an orange OBT and a green/grey Augy?

Both seem a little far fetched... Some people! (Not you Spdrwrld, them.)
 

farrisbaharom

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
31
in case you decide to keep the little fella...

this is what i house my 2 incher in.



IMG]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z166/farrisbaharom/IMG_0927.jpg[/IMG]



he'll have it all webbed up with fantastic tunnels soon.
 

PhobeToPhile

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 14, 2010
Messages
210
Nice setup. Looks like you haave two different subtrates in there-what are they?

To the OP: OBTs are sometimes recommended as a begnniner tarantula-but mainly because they're incredibly hardy and only if you can deal with their attitude. If you take it back, I would get a written gurantee from the store owner to label it properly if you can, and treat it as its temperment deserves. Namely, not to sell it to a child looking for a docile spider! Or, keep it and learn how to care for it. Your pick.
 

violentblossom

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Jun 7, 2009
Messages
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I encountered this SAME scenario at my local Pet-O-Rama! They had something called a "Brazillian Fire Red", but the thing was hidden in the enclosure, so I wasn't able to see it.

I asked what it look like, in the hopes that it was maybe a B. boehmei, something I'd been looking for, and the girl told me that yes, it was fairly red. When asked about temperment, she said something about how she didn't think it was aggressive because she'd handled it when it tried to run out, and it hadn't bitten her. Low and behold, it was a tiny OBT who gave me a threat display the minute it sighted me.

Cost was $50, and when I told both clerks what it was they were dealing with, they sort of scoffed at me. It was only when they googled it right then and there that they believed me, and were pretty pissed about it, because again, they'd handled it and were fully unaware of the venomous nature of the animal. They still haven't been able to reach the guy who sold it to them, but they no longer go through him and are still trying to get rid of the obt.
 

farrisbaharom

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
31
nothing special - potting soil (that's condensation you see) at the bottom and coco peat on top of that.
 

Musicwolf

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
283
hehe - I just purchased a beautiful H. lividum from the LPS last week (who was in terrible living conditions, but had only been there 20 hours). The experienced reptile guy turned white when he found out what I wanted to buy. He was rather scared to get her for me because she had put on such a display the day before. He had a great respect because of her speed and attitude. Apparently he was bitten a couple years ago by this supposedly "docile" orange T. I had him look up an OBT and he said, "yep, that's the one that got me." I told him that he shouldn't worry about the H. lividum - - he was already a pro at handling the worst T's - lol.
 
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