Some Petsmarts now have tarantulas

[NikiP]

I remember there was a thread on the possibility of this during the summer. Someone at our new Petsmart mentioned that me that some Petsmarts would be getting them.

Yesterday I got a text from one of my buddies saying that the Petsmart a few towns away from us has them. He only saw/recognized G. roseas & Avics, so I probably won't make the hour drive anytime soon to check it out. I will probably stop in ours on the way to work to see if they've gotten them in.

 

[Tokendog]

I haven't checked my local Pet Smart yet but I will. I did notice the other day that my local Petco, which has for the last four or five years, only had Rosea tarantulas, has started carrying Pinktoes and Cobalt blues.

The lady there said the Manager wants to start carrying more of a variety of Tarantulas so will be ordering different ones.

However, I compared the prices, and for an unsexed Cobalt they wanted 60$ that is probably about 4 inches.

A bit high but I guess that's to be expected

 

[groovyspider]

ha petco is constanly trying to talk "shop" with me about Ts saying "yea you should really start ordering from us" iam like uhh no

 

[BigJ999]

Im never buying mine from a store they don't have enough variety in T's. And likely wouldn't be able to get what your looking for. I imagine a lot T's are hard to find in places like that

 

[Terry D]

Our local Pet land, co and smart chains carry only Avics (all look the same, prob A avics?) and various forms of "rosehairs"- slim selection indeed. They're pretty reasonably priced and most look fairly healthy, though. I'm pretty sure that's all I've seen at chain stores. On the other hand, my mom n' pop lps carries a comparatively wide range of theraphosids. The owner keeps a few himself.

 

[belljar77]

I find the idea of any of the big stores carrying H. lividum to be a little, well, concerning. I have a feeling that some kind of important care information might not get passed along to the employees, not to mention the customer.

 

[Tokendog]

I find the idea of any of the big stores carrying H. lividum to be a little, well, concerning. I have a feeling that some kind of important care information might not get passed along to the employees, not to mention the customer.

I agree. I spoke with one of the employees - she approached me, started trying to tell me information - and we had a nice conversation but I tried to explain that the Avic is an arboreal, and they had it in a terrestrial setup...and that the Lividum was a burrower and that they had only provided it about an inch of substrate.

She seemed cool about the info, but doubt anything will be done about it.

The Lividum is going to surprise someone if the pet store employees fail to give them any info about it's...solitary nature.

 

[BigJ999]

So do they just get these T's and set them up the same way everytime?

 

[kevin91172]

So do they just get these T's and set them up the same way everytime?

The petcos around here do and the keep several live crickets in the enclosure also

 

[BigJ999]

Yeah thats a reason im not buying from petco im getting my T's from Swift's.

 

[B8709]

Lividum was a burrower and that they had only provided it about an inch of substrate.

If they provided it with enough substrate to burrow then they would probably never sell it because no one could see it. Also, It would take a while to dig out.

 

[bicky]

the petco in Humboldt County CA sells G. Rosea's, and I went in there to look at it and when I asked a girl to help me she unlocked the cage for me and when i went to open the lid to lift the T out, she RAN away and was like "youre not really going to take it out are you!?" it was quite amusing as i lifted the 4" girl outta there. but I still wouldnt buy from Petco, theres a locally owned pet store here that sells a bunch of different types so Id rather stick with the locals

 

[veisbier]

When it comes to care, Petco employees have their hands tied at the corporate level how the animals are displayed, how many are in each enclosure, how and what they're fed, care instructions to customers, etcetera. When my ex worked there, she used to butt heads fairly frequently with the manager over the animal care, which is a reason she doesn't work there anymore.

About all I've seen at the local Petco at Fairbanks have been Chilean roses and the occasional Emperor as far as arachnids go. I'm familiar with the employees there and they're actually fairly knowledgeable as far as what they have. If they ever got any Cobalt Blues in I certainly hope they familiarize themselves with the difference in attitudes from the roses they've been stocking.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

Pet smart and tarantulas dont mix. Id prefer they stay out of the hobby,

 

[Toirtis]

Pet smart and tarantulas dont mix. Id prefer they stay out of the hobby,

I agree...their information and care of the small handful of reptiles they stock in their Canadian stores is pretty awful at best...I am sure that they will do tarantulas no better.

 

[Mina]

Petsmart just started within the last year selling snakes as well. So far I haven't seen anything but corn and king snakes, so I hope they leave it at that.
Our local Petsmart has a long time employee who has 2 Ts of her own, hopefully they will listen to her and do as she suggests. They do seem to have paid attention to her advise on how to keep the snakes.
As far as the rest of the Petsmarts selling Ts, I think its as bad an idea as Petco selling Ts.

 

[Tokendog]

I checked yesterday and the Cobalt Blue had already been sold. The Avic. avic was still there but the CB was gone. 60$, a juvie, and gone within a couple of days.

I'm sure they will get some more in if it sold that fast.

 

[Versi*JP*Color]

Petsmart just started within the last year selling snakes as well. So far I haven't seen anything but corn and king snakes, so I hope they leave it at that.
Our local Petsmart has a long time employee who has 2 Ts of her own, hopefully they will listen to her and do as she suggests. They do seem to have paid attention to her advise on how to keep the snakes.
As far as the rest of the Petsmarts selling Ts, I think its as bad an idea as Petco selling Ts.

My petsmart has been keepin' snakes for the past as long as I can remember.

 

[NikiP]

So I stopped in today to look at the tarantulas since I was over in the other town.

Am very happy to report back on the setup. I should have gotten pictures. Clean containers, a mesh vent ontop, with a couple of inches of what looks like jungle bedding (moistened), each had a hide, & they had a water dish the was filled to the top with water, with a sponge in them (although if the T pushed, they could easily roll them out.)

Really not bad as far as some of the setups i've seen Didn't see any prices. If i'm over there again with money, I might consider picking something up just to support that store.