Petco and PetSmart Ts?

Ravenpuffprongs

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This is in no way me saying I am interested in purchasing a tarantula from a Petco or a PetSmart: So I am well aware that these chain pet stores are a no go for purchasing animals, as they are mass produced and rarely healthy. However, I've been curious as to how that works with tarantulas. Can tarantulas be mass produced like that and therefore the stores are not a reliable source for purchasing, or is there actually nothing wrong with the production of them and they're just housed poorly in store? I'd presume all in store are males due to the importance and desirability of the females. Let me know, as I've always wondered this! Thank you!
 

cold blood

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So I am well aware that these chain pet stores are a no go for purchasing animals, as they are mass produced and rarely healthy.
This notion is incorrect. Chain pet stores deal almost exclusively with wild caught specimens, and they generally dont have health issues, even if the odds are a little higher with WC. People discourage buying from chain stores because they do not want to encourage the capturing and selling (and smuggling) of wild caught tarantulas.

Breeders or those selling captive born specimens are generally preferred, and they are, I guess you could say, the ones that are mass produced, well as much as we can anyway (you can only breed a female so often)....by producing them and selling them, we reduce or even eliminate the need for wild caught specimens that tend to give the hobby a "black eye", often associated with smuggling practices (even if they are acquired legally)
 

spideyspinneret78

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Actually, Petco has started selling Brachypelma and Tliltocatl slings that are most certainly captive bred. However, their Avics are definitely wild caught.
 

DomGom TheFather

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I baught a B. emilia a while back from a petsmart. It was healthy and kept decently compared to how a lot of my local petshops set them up. I don't make a habbit of it but it was there, i was there... Good deal.
 

spideyspinneret78

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I baught a B. emilia a while back from a petsmart. It was healthy and kept decently compared to how a lot of my local petshops set them up. I don't make a habbit of it but it was there, i was there... Good deal.
I don't agree with how they generally keep tarantulas. But the one near where I live actually does a very good job and it seems like the employees generally care. Then again, I've been to stores that were much worse. PetSmart seems to be worse. Mixed bag and can be location dependent.
 

Poonjab

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My petsmart keeps them pretty decent setups. I had a hand in that after befriending the manager one day.
 

joossa

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Buying or not buying Ts from PS/PC is not going to make or break them since the financial profit from Ts is probably minuscule in the big picture compared to big sellers like dog/cat food, health items, and accessories. If the T sells, they will bring in another. If the T does not sell and dies in store, they will bring in another. It's been like that for a very long time in different forms (anyone remember tarantula cubes)? I'm not saying buying from them is right, but boycotting Ts from them will also likely not change a thing.

The last 2 years, I have seen PetCo selling large slings/small juveniles that are obviously CB from a breeder.

I saw this last week at my local PetCo. Both were 2in DLS (small juveniles).
20220308_172049.jpg
 

viper69

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This is in no way me saying I am interested in purchasing a tarantula from a Petco or a PetSmart: So I am well aware that these chain pet stores are a no go for purchasing animals, as they are mass produced and rarely healthy. However, I've been curious as to how that works with tarantulas. Can tarantulas be mass produced like that and therefore the stores are not a reliable source for purchasing, or is there actually nothing wrong with the production of them and they're just housed poorly in store? I'd presume all in store are males due to the importance and desirability of the females. Let me know, as I've always wondered this! Thank you!
Ts can be mass produced. There’s a company in Cali that breeds them. They sell to many stores.

There’s also an outfit in Mexico that produces very large numbers.
 

NMTs

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Like I've said before, every T that is purchased from these places and given a good home by an experienced and responsible keeper is one less that is taken home by somebody that's got no business doing so...
 

jc55

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I have seen both good and bad husbandry practices in several chain stores that sell tarantulas and some stores actually have well informed staff that give the proper care required.I purchased a tarantula from a local petsmart but do not generally make a habit of purchasing from pet store chains for various reasons but you can find some great deals and prices from time to time IMO.
 

Ravenpuffprongs

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They sell a lot of adutl sized Avics in the big box stores, for cheap prices.
Interesting, I've only seen juvenile avics in my local ones. Would all the adults at the stores that I've seen such as red knees and GBBs be either males or wild caught then?
 

viper69

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Interesting, I've only seen juvenile avics in my local ones. Would all the adults at the stores that I've seen such as red knees and GBBs be either males or wild caught then?
I can't commit an answer to "all" Whatever I tell you on the above would be speculation.

Juvi- likely CB

I know the big box stores order from a company that puts out CB. But they also get specimens from WC middle men.
 

QuinnStarr

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Interesting, I've only seen juvenile avics in my local ones. Would all the adults at the stores that I've seen such as red knees and GBBs be either males or wild caught then?
My first ever T was an A avic from PetSmart that was gifted to me. The person who gave it to me said the associates said it was a juvenile. He molted once with me and with that molt came his hooks.
Obviously my frame of reference is small but that was enough to discourage me from buying another from them.
 

Westicles

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I've never bought a T from a big box store, always from breeders or sellers, mainly from here. Several months back, I was in my local Petsmart getting some fish food and noticed an A. avic being kept in more or less a death trap. I went home with my shrimp pellets and flakes and told myself I'm going back there tomorrow morning to "rescue" that spider if it's still there. Lo and behold it was, I got taught by probably an inxperienced 18yr old kid how to care for it, listened to the spill while biting my tongue, and walked out the door with it. I have no idea if it's WC, male or female, etc. Doesn't matter, it can at least live it's best life in my care and not based off their "care sheets" I did mention to the girl what was wrong with their setup, and was told they have to keep animals based off of corporate guidelines. I guess my point is, that's not something I normally do at all, and I'm not saying I'm wrong or right. But, the little guy/girl has grown on me and I've really come to love it!
 

QuinnStarr

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I've never bought a T from a big box store, always from breeders or sellers, mainly from here. Several months back, I was in my local Petsmart getting some fish food and noticed an A. avic being kept in more or less a death trap. I went home with my shrimp pellets and flakes and told myself I'm going back there tomorrow morning to "rescue" that spider if it's still there. Lo and behold it was, I got taught by probably an inxperienced 18yr old kid how to care for it, listened to the spill while biting my tongue, and walked out the door with it. I have no idea if it's WC, male or female, etc. Doesn't matter, it can at least live it's best life in my care and not based off their "care sheets" I did mention to the girl what was wrong with their setup, and was told they have to keep animals based off of corporate guidelines. I guess my point is, that's not something I normally do at all, and I'm not saying I'm wrong or right. But, the little guy/girl has grown on me and I've really come to love it!
I miss my lil Avic. 😢
Wait til it molts. If it hooks out on you, I’ll straight up cry on your behalf.
 
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