Question about pokies

[YagerManJennsen]

Just curious, do you (forum-land) think it would be a better route to start off with poecilotheria slings rather than juvies or adults? Or could you jump into caring for an adult straight away (with experience from other OWs (H. maculata, C. fimbriatus)).

Just looking for the best method for working into the realm of pokies without just jumping in something that is over my head.

 

[14pokies]

It's not so much a question of sling or adult. It's what species to start with..

vitatta,, miranda, subfusca,regalis, metallica are all pretty good introductions to keeping poecs..

striata,ornata, and rufilata can are more prone to being defensive or high strung..

P. Met can be really skittish but usually not defensive..

The others like Hanuma,formosa, tigrina etc.. Are harder to find..

So IMO stick with a species that is somewhat more reserved and easy to find sling or adult..

*edit* compared to most O/Ws commonly available poecs are relatively calm Ts..

It's the venom potency and the potential for insane speed that makes them tricky.. Work smart and keep the T calm and things usually go pretty smooth..

 

[louise f]

The most cooperative Poecs i got is for sure the metallica, regalis and vitatta.

The lesser coops i got is Formosa, tigrina, striata, faciata and ornata.

And IMO if you already got an H.mac i would not worry to much about getting a pokie. But for a starter i would go for the regalis.

 

[Moonohol]

Get a sling or a juvie. Their care is simple, they're cheap, and they grow quickly. You can get P. regalis slings for $20-30 if you're looking in the right place. Even P. metallica are getting cheaper--I got my metallica at 1.5" for $60. Compare that to an AF which could run you $300 easily.

 

[14pokies]

The most cooperative Poecs i got is for sure the metallica, regalis and vitatta.

The lesser coops i got is Formosa, tigrina, striata, faciata and ornata.

Striata slings and juvies never stop moving! They are like children that eat too much sugar...Quick to take flight when disturbed also!

 

[louise f]

Striata slings and juvies never stop moving! Quick to take flight when disturbed also!

Haha yeah tell me about it, once i got a juvie shipped to me. When i opend the box it was flying out and was hiding inside my table. Had to tear it apart to get the little fucker out. God damn

 

[Poec54]

As fast as Poecs grow, get slings. I'm leery of buying adult Poecs unless you're friends with the seller, as a lot of tropical females live 10-12 years, and you could wind up with a burnt-out breeder in it's final year or two. Not worth the premium you'd pay for it, I've learned that the hard way.

All Poecs are beautiful, go for what's available and priced to move. That's usually going to be regalis, fasciata, ornata, striata, or vittata (they're the easiest species to breed in captivity). No disappointment with any of them. Of the 12 Poec species I have, none are particularly defensive, only formosa is consistently high strung, occasionally metallica is (metallica are the smallest as adults). With Poecs, they're usually non-confrontational unless you get too close. So, don't get too close. As a genus, they're the least high-strung of the OW arboreals, but if you get complacent or push your luck, they can make you regret it.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Slings it is...that is when we're able to get some. probably after the scoprlings get sold and there's some spare spider cash.

Would their growth rate be similar to that of A. geniculata?

 

[louise f]

Slings it is...that is when we're able to get some. probably after the scoprlings get sold and there's some spare spider cash.

Would their growth rate be similar to that of A. geniculata?

Poecs grow a lot faster than genics. A male matures within a year or so.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Poecs grow a lot faster than genics. A male matures within a year or so.

So I assume it would be best to get 2 or 3 to be safe.

...And I thought genics were fast growers.

 

[Poec54]

So I assume it would be best to get 2 or 3 to be safe.

...And I thought genics were fast growers.

No, genics are at a moderate rate. OBT males can mature in 10 months, even a little less. That's fast.

Get at least 3, and that's not being overly 'safe.' Five would be better. Part of it is we don't know anything about sex ratios, and part of it is luck of the draw. From what I've seen, I'd say a general overall ratio for Poecs is about 60-65% male on average, but you never know what you'll get. You could get three and have two females. Then again, they could all be males. Last year I had 7 vittata turn out to be 6.1. I kept 24 regalis selected at random from a couple sacs I bred and 18 of them matured into males this summer (75%); the females still have a ways to go.

Remember, even if you get a female, they have a lot of molts ahead of them, and if something goes wrong during one of them, you lose your spider. I think it's crazy to buy one sling at a time. You pay too much in shipping and there's usually a good chance of getting a male. Males are fine for people who breed, but without an adult female on hand, they're of limited value to the average person.