Semi new to the hobby, OBT safe? got kids what do you think..

[lalberts9310]

I don't know about the claim that P. cambridgei is way calmer than P. irminia. When I see my P. irminia, if I try to do anything in her cage, she doesn't hang around. She heads directly back to her hole. My P. cambridgei, who is much larger (both adult females), lies in wait for me to open the door to her enclosure. I don't do anything in her home without my 10" tongs. We often fight over her water dish and she shows little if any fear of me. She has wrestled my tongs away from me on numerous occasions.

Sorry, maybe I should've clarified a bit. What I meant by "calmer" is that P. cambridgei are less skittish and less inclined to bolt. I agree with you completely when it comes to defensiveness, they are quite defensive and would rather confront than bolt and hide (both my specimens are quite defensive), but I deal with them easier during maintenance than I do with my P. Irminias.. I had both my male P. Irminias bolt around like mad things during maintenance until they eventually find their way back to their webs, but sometimes they even bolted out of the enclosures, and I had one of them bolt onto my arm as well - this can be very nerve wrecking to a newcomer. In that sense P. cambridgei is waaaay calmer than P. irminia IMHO.

I have a mature female P. cambridgei/irminia hybrid, she acts like a P. cambridgei, I've had her for more than a year now and have never seen her bolt.. I like it when a T fights over a waterdish, this female of mine would grab and slap the waterdish and the water.. I think it's quite cute

 

[Chris11]

The way tarantula keepers talk about Pterinochilus murinus interests me a great deal. In my experience with them, they are quick to stand and fight but eventually back down and run like crazy at a disturbance. They are talked about like they are little monsters when they "posture" and bite, but I see an incredibly scared animal when this happens. More times than not, I see them housed inappropriately in containers with no suitable places to hide and stay hidden. In most pictures I've seen of them, they web up the entire enclosure they are housed in giving an indication they are using the entire enclosure as a burrow. It's no surprise then that when the lid of its container is opened, the spider is quick to attack.

Is Pterinochilus murinus a good species to have if children are around? Depends on the comfort level and experience of the adult keeper in handling high strung spiders and his or her ability to house them appropriately. I've kept many a high strung/ quick-to-bite species, including P. murinus, with a child around and it was completely safe because they were all housed appropriately. Not a single one was quick to rear back and bite during feeding or watering because they all had their own burrows/ hides to retreat to and they all used them. Cage cleanings and transfers to new cages were easily done because I was in control of the situation.

Keeping species from the Americas with urticating bristles could pose a hazard to children as well. Although not as severe as the powerful neurotoxins contained in the venom of some species, urticating bristles in theory could cause a more irritation to a child than an adult. The point though is that tarantulas are not pets. They are wild animals that have different means to defend themselves. If one does not fully understand these defenses and can read a tarantula's body language, then no tarantula should be kept around children at all.

Ive never put two and two together till i read this ^^... My MF stays undrr her bark at all times and has webbed a lot around it, but has never spread to the whole tank... Shr only strays from it a few inches at night.

 

[eXel]

A very thanks to all of you. I just came back from the breed. Finnally made up my mind with A.Diversipes sling. With couples of B.Vagans and Davus fasciatus.
I have some terrestrial species, and god damnit never seen a sling jump on a cricket like those (speaking of Davus fasciatus )! they are very nice!!
With that have a nice day to all of you and thanks for participating at my post!!!

 

[viper69]

In most pictures I've seen of them, they web up the entire enclosure they are housed in giving an indication they are using the entire enclosure as a burrow. It's no surprise then that when the lid of its container is opened, the spider is quick to attack.

The observation re: webbing/container being the entire home is something I have long speculated about. That is, with a given amount of floor space, at what point does the T stop thinking the entire container is its home. I realize this is species specific. For example, with my B smithi, she has only webbed up significantly half of her container. Of course she has trip wires throughout the entire container. But only one portion has a web mat she hangs out at. Contrast that with with my female GBB, and at all stages of her life cycle she webs up the entire container over time.

Does that mean female GBBs need larger floor space than a female B smithi? I don't technically know, but your observation/thought reminded me of my own observation. Feel free to PM me if you like.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

So i heard lot of bad things about P.Murinus... are these people exagerate or not.. looks like they bite is very dangerous. Would i be a dumba** if i get some of those? I have 2 kids. 4 and 2 year old. Sure they will be kept on the highest shelf...

Thanks for your advice.

Ah. Some of those. Not one, but "some of those?".

 

[lalberts9310]

A very thanks to all of you. I just came back from the breed. Finnally made up my mind with A.Diversipes sling. With couples of B.Vagans and Davus fasciatus.
I have some terrestrial species, and god damnit never seen a sling jump on a cricket like those (speaking of Davus fasciatus )! they are very nice!!
With that have a nice day to all of you and thanks for participating at my post!!!

Great choices man! Just do some research on how to house the avic properly, there are tons of info here on the boards. Hope you enjoy your new lovely specimens

 

[Bugmom]

Now that Cheeto is in his bigger enclosure with a hide, he's barely webbed at all, and doesn't freak out when I open the lid now. So I'm going to agree with the theory that no hide = extensive webbing to make a hide for themselves. Give then a hide and they might web less.

 

[CobaltWrangler]

The way tarantula keepers talk about Pterinochilus murinus interests me a great deal. In my experience with them, they are quick to stand and fight but eventually back down and run like crazy at a disturbance. They are talked about like they are little monsters when they "posture" and bite, but I see an incredibly scared animal when this happens. More times than not, I see them housed inappropriately in containers with no suitable places to hide and stay hidden. In most pictures I've seen of them, they web up the entire enclosure they are housed in giving an indication they are using the entire enclosure as a burrow. It's no surprise then that when the lid of its container is opened, the spider is quick to attack.

Definitely not encouraging the OP to get an obt, and it seems like he has settled on a species more appropriate for his living situation, but in my LIMITED obt experience, I think Aphonopelma has a point. I have a 4in female P. murinus, purchased at my local petstore about a year ago. She was around 2in at the time and was housed in a small kritter keeper that she had completely webbed at the store. She was every bit a stereotypical obt, very unpredictable and a nerve wracking T to deal with, according to store staff. I decided to give her a go, after getting a feel for OW with my H.lividum. First thing I did was move her into a 12w x 12l x 18t enclosure with a large cork bark log, a few fake plants and twigs, and a water bowl. After a couple days she webbed up the entire inside of the log and made it her den. She hasn't webbed anywhere else in the enclosure in the year I've had her, eats well and at the slightest disturbance sprints back to her den and stays there. I still absolutely respect her as an OBT and never get complacent around her, but my one experience with P. murinus does coincide with AphonopelmaTX's post on the subject.

 

[BobGrill]

Good to see someone being open-minded and making an informed decision. You may (or may not) be surprised to see how many inexperienced people come here asking whether or not they should get something, and when they are told why they shouldn't, they proceed to argue with those giving the advice. Obviously, the choice is there's in the end though.