Reason you got into spiders POLL

[FilliamHMuffman]

I had a friend online who kept on talking about how cool his B smithi was, so I decided it might be interesting to explore the idea. I started with a Rosey, and then ended up collecting a standard Pink-toe, a Texas Tan and a Cobalt Blue. When I got married, my then new husband was wigged by spiders, so I pared it down to one, my original rosey. But she died, and now I have two slings, of which I actually know the names (Brachypelma smithi and Grammostola aureostriata).

I like tarantulas because they're cool, they do make quite interesting conversation, and they are SO much lower maintenance than my other pets.

 

[speedreader]

Ever since I watched the Home Alone movie, I wanted one.

 

[OldHag]

Bought some Leopard Geckos from Kelli Hammack and she sent me 2 Avic avics. Been a greased pole to hell... erm Heaven ever since.

 

[Selenops]

I got into them because I love animals in general. I only wanted 2 but realized that they are so easy to take care of. I thought that snakes were easy to take care of but Tarantulas are way easier to feed,clean, etc...and don' t need alot of space.

This partially the reasons, I probably loved arachnids and inverts probably before I could pronounce "spider". Same goes with reptiles. See a clip on television I was glued, see pictures it was literally eyeball to page, and see them crawling on my fence I was in hot pursuit same goes with reptiles.

They always fascinated me and plus I had parenting that told me about the good bugs and the bad bugs back since a toddler. So I grew up with an appreciation for mantids, bees, etc.

 

[Ryoga]

I've always been interested in large "bugs." One day my cousin and I were talking about tarantulas, as he had recently taken an arachnology class. That rekindled my interest, and I decided to just go for it!

 

[Moe]

former arachnophobe

I was one of those "moms" just last year with two boys ages 11 and 9 who were begging to get a tarantula!http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/images/smilies/eek.gif
My oldest was studying about animals in his 6th grade science class and his teacher (the school favorite by the way!) has a G. rosea in his classroom. Early in the fall, he told the kids that someone could take the class tarantula home for Christmas break to take care of it for the week. My son was beside himself, begging me to let him take "Rosie" home. I asked him "Who's Rosie?" He then told me it was the tarantula and I immediately said "No way!" Through his persistence, I finally said Ok, as long as he was the one to take care of it! A parental letter was required to actually take her home. Well, I also required him to learn about tarantulas first, borrow books from the library, videos, study on the internet, etc. Then I got into studying about them! Once I got over the initial shock of seeing a big spider up close for the first time, I discovered that I actually LIKED them! I learned more to get over my fear of spiders this past year than I ever have. Even house spiders, that used to make me scream at the sight of them, aren't so bad. I know that they have a purpose and even help out around the house! Since then, We have "spidersat" Rosie 3 separate weeks. When school was over, we were kind of sad to say goodbye to Rosie! We went to a local pet store and got our own first G. rosea, her name is Angela, my 9 y.o. named her that. She has been a wonderful spider and we are all learning so much from such a small animal. My kids actually have learned more compassion from having animals like our T. We also have a small dog, and have had a freshwater aquarium for many years.(the kids love to name each fish too!)
But now I'm hooked on spiders and am considering getting another one, but not until we are ready for it. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Jmugleston]

Poll

I kept various reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, but spiders and scorpions freaked me out as a kid. To overcome I fear I started reading about them and was fascinated. So I have been collecting them since.
-Joey

 

[Buggzter]

My husband had a couple years ago and had to get rid of them. Back at the end of March, he asked me if he could get one from a guy he used to get numerous reptiles from... I gave in. Then I found two 2nd instar Chilean Roses for sale at another pet store and picked them up since I knew he'd like them. And then it went on from there... in less than 5 months, we've bought 37 - lost one, cricket killed antoher, and 35 are happily eating crickets each week for us. We'll get more when we can... AKA, soon!

 

[The_Thunderer]

'Cause they're ALL amazing!

I had to pick "other" also. I think that tarantulas and all my other exotics (snakes, leopard geckos, beardies) are simply amazing animals. Watching them grow and thrive under conditions that I've created for them is refreshing and rewarding.

PLUS, my kids all learn great amounts from my keeping these creatures. Right now, they're pretty apprehensive about the T's I have (Just got a B. bohemi today - about 40 minutes ago! LOL), but they're learning how to care for them, how to respect them and most of all, how to be good to them.

My wife, on the other hand, simply tolerates my facination with all my pets.

 

[Keith Richard]

I was at a very impressionable age when Alice Cooper released "Welcome To My Nightmare" in 1975. I was facsinated by the song "The Black Widow" and my interest was hatched there and then and has been nurtured ever since.

 

[fyrefly]

Always fascinated by insects of all types. When my friends played with barbies, I was collecting bugs. Not a great hobby for a little girl trying to make friends

But spiders were always a special interest - they always fascinated me, specifically their webbing and hunting.

 

[penny'smom]

I have always been facinated by spiders. I was never a squisher , I always played the catch and release game...still do.

I got my first T as a breaking up "gift". A B smithi. He kept her at my house due to housing rules in the dorm on base, and when we split said I could keep her. I had her for 16 years. After a 5 year hiatus, I re-entered the T world by getting a G rosea a gift for myself. Now I am looking at trying for P scrofa.

Wish me luck.

 

[Selenops]

Always fascinated by insects of all types. I was collecting bugs.

But spiders were always a special interest - they always fascinated me, specifically their webbing and hunting.

Same here. Only it is equal parts spiders, scorpions, and centipedes. Every week is a shifting choice of venom.

 

[gskeney]

I keep Ts out of personal interest. Do not view them as Pets.... but more of a display animal......like the fresh and salt water fish I've kept for years. I usually keep monitors or snakes for pet purposes. I began to interact with Ts in 1964 while living in NM. Got a Mexican Red Leg for Xmas in 1980 while living in CA. Have 5 currently. Very interesting animals to study......not to mention having something alive in the home that dates from the Devonian era. I'm thinking about various species for the next purchase.

 

[sviau]

Spiders are fascinating creatures and integral parts of life, they come in a wide range of colors and temperaments and are relatively easy to take care of (compared to, say, a high maintenance dog for example) They're relatively easy to maintain as well. All around interesting "pet" (I still have trouble referring to tarantulas as "pets", although I wouldn't know of an alternative epithet).

 

[Blue25]

Got into T's because as a kid close family friends of mine had them and always thought they were just the coolest thing ever. Also I live a busy life and a pet that does not need to be played with fits in perfectly.

 

[mconnachan]

One of my colleagues, a few years ago was a breeder, he asked if I knew anything about tarantulas - I told him about a time when I had kept a true spider without my parents permission in a glass jar, one thing leads to another, we spoke about T's for good few months then he tells me about one of his breeding projects - B. klassi - I was so enamoured with the pink colours he was describing I thought yeah why not, I decided to get a B. smithi now hamorri, kept that for a few months then when the B. klassi were at a decent size he sold me one - that was my introduction to the hobby over 15 ears ago now. I've since had a break while my kids were growing up, but I'm well and truly back into the hobby - tarantulas are my life - apart from my family of course!

 

[Tom Servo]

I've always liked the calm nature of spiders.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Seeing as we're necro-ing decade-old threads:

- They're not dogs.
- They're quiet.
- They're fairly low maintenance.
- They don't take up much space.
- They don't annoy me.
- They're cool as fook.
- They're adorable murder floofs.
- I like watching them kill things.
- They're not dogs.

 

[miss moxie]

I've told this story before but it was years ago so why not again? I used to be incredibly arachnophobic. I had a lot of misinformation and I was always told by my mother that spiders would bite you and it would make you very sick, hurt really bad, etc. All the sort of things an impressionable little kid needs to develop a complex. When I would see a spider I would literally make a noise of fear. Not really a scream, more like a yelp. Where I live we get a hoard of wolf spiders in the fall and every fall was like hell for me-- 'big' spiders everywhere.

My little brother got a tarantula when he was sixteen, and when I was visiting him and the rest of my siblings he brought her down to show me. She was a 4" G. porteri and he asked me in this smug voice if I would like to hold her. WELP. I am not the sort of person who allows herself to be dragged by some pubescent teenage boy, especially one that is related to me. So I told him yes without hesitating and I held her. And she was the coolest thing ever. Her feet were so soft, her touch so light. I don't handle Ts anymore now that I know how dangerous it is for them, but I still remember how cool their little feeties feel.

Two weeks later and I bought a G. porteri of my own. I gained interest in a great hobby, had some great interactions with people in the tarantula community, and I lost my arachnophobia. It was a win-win-win.