Petco and PetSmart Ts?

[QuinnStarr]

Getting a MM is not the end of the world.

I never said it was. But it can also be sad when you expect at least a few years with an animal and get maybe 2.

plus, Wes and I are what I would consider friends - he knows I’m teasing.

 

[Westicles]

I miss my lil Avic.
Wait til it molts. If it hooks out on you, I’ll straight up cry on your behalf.

I do thank you, but absolutely no need to cry!!!

 

[viper69]

Getting a MM is not the end of the world.

agreed- it’s an excellent way to expand the number of Ts one owns. In almost all of my ownership vast majority of slings I raised were male

 

[zeeman]

I spoke with the manager of my local petco and she informed me that they purchase their T's from a breeder / distributor and could order from a new list that comes out every Wednesday to have it arrive the following week.

As much as the people who work their might not know a ton about T's, they did decent jobs at providing care and were really interested that someone might buy them.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Certain Petcos were offering these "Tarantula Huts" back in 2016. They included a T and an enclosure of sorts. Don't know if the Ts were juvies or mature. Don't know if they were WC or CB or a combination of the two. They were asking about $20. Less than half what a lot of vendors are asking for slings. I get the impression this line was discontinued?

Tarantula Hut Petco

Anyone ever seen these tarantula huts for sale? Supposedly, for $20 you get a spiderling ranging from about 10-12 different species to pick and choose from if available. Pretty cool, I bought one which was labelled as the Brazillian white banded tarantula. Can't wait to see what it is going to...

arachnoboards.com

Petco Expands Tarantula Offerings to Include 25 Different Breeds

To the delight of arachnid lovers everywhere, more than 950 Petco stores nationwide now have up to 25 tarantula species available, including 12 temperate and 13 tropical breeds. Amongst the...

corporate.petco.com

 

[Matt Man]

okay quick admission. Petco is a client of mine. (I'm a graphic designer by trade). @ their HQ they have captive bred animals and access to breeders. I have been trying to prod them along in how they house them in store.
Sadly my connections there aren't in the invertebrate / exotic but am trying to locate the proper folks to pass on husbandry notes. They have gotten better, as has Pet Smart.

 

[PidderPeets]

I'm going to throw myself under the bus and say I have purchased more than a few tarantulas from chain pet stores. I believe 9 in total over the years. Aside from the general care in-store being poor, I have never experienced them having any health issues. I've only had 3 die: 2 mature males and 1 older female. The rest are still alive and well in my care.

I can't say with certainty as I've never asked, but from the species I've bought and seen over the years there, I would be inclined to think that some species are wild-caught (Avics, A. seemanni, etc.), while others are captive bred (N. chromatus slings, Brachys, etc.). I do remember the "tarantula huts" they had some years back, and those were generally slings of very commonly bred species that produce large sacs.

As for the male/female ratio, I have had a nearly even mix, and I don't think they even know enough to sex them. I have gotten phenomenal deals on species that turned out female but were being sold as their generic price.

 

[Ravenpuffprongs]

I'm going to throw myself under the bus and say I have purchased more than a few tarantulas from chain pet stores. I believe 9 in total over the years. Aside from the general care in-store being poor, I have never experienced them having any health issues. I've only had 3 die: 2 mature males and 1 older female. The rest are still alive and well in my care.

I can't say with certainty as I've never asked, but from the species I've bought and seen over the years there, I would be inclined to think that some species are wild-caught (Avics, A. seemanni, etc.), while others are captive bred (N. chromatus slings, Brachys, etc.). I do remember the "tarantula huts" they had some years back, and those were generally slings of very commonly bred species that produce large sacs.

As for the male/female ratio, I have had a nearly even mix, and I don't think they even know enough to sex them. I have gotten phenomenal deals on species that turned out female but were being sold as their generic price.

I came across a petco with a subadult B. albiceps yesterday for $100 and they were also running an arachnid deal for 20% off on top of that. Because of the age it seems to be at, would it be more probable of it being wild caught?

 

[DomGom TheFather]

I came across a petco with a subadult B. albiceps yesterday for $100 and they were also running an arachnid deal for 20% off on top of that. Because of the age it seems to be at, would it be more probable of it being wild caught?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

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!

Petco makes claims they purchase their tarantulas from a breeder. However.....where does this so called breeder get their T's? Why is this so called breeder company name is one I never heard? Why is it in either of these pet stores I have never seen slings? Smallest I've seen yet is 2 inches dls. That has been the smallest so far with me personally.

On a different tune neither pet store chain displays any knowledge of care requirements for tarantulas. Employees will handle the store's tarantulas, well the ones that let them.

 

[PidderPeets]

I came across a petco with a subadult B. albiceps yesterday for $100 and they were also running an arachnid deal for 20% off on top of that. Because of the age it seems to be at, would it be more probable of it being wild caught?

That's where I get a little bit uncertain, but I'm still inclined to think it's captive-bred. Last I checked, all Brachypelma species are covered pretty thoroughly under CITES, meaning it's extremely difficult if not impossible to import wild caught specimens. Especially for commercial purposes. Although the larger sizes seem a bit suspicious, they can grow pretty fast under the right circumstances.

For example, I have a male B. hamorii from Petco that I watched for a few months before eventually purchasing (2.5 - 3 months, but I can't recall exactly). They kept him at temps in the low 90s and fed almost daily. He was about 2 inches and plump when I first saw him. When I finally bought him maybe 3 months later, he was 3.5 inches and in heavy premolt. I was so surprised by the growth that I asked the guy who took care of the spiders to confirm it was the same one. So while not typical, it is within the realm of possibility