tARANTULA recommendations.. help appreciated

[DnKslr]

I'm not sure what your price range is but if you get them as spiderlings, you should be able to have a wide range of choices.
My personal favorites are the Mex. Red Knee, Brazilian Black and Chaco Golden Knee. I have these as spiderlings but they're great! Especially the Brazilian Black which is a little pig! It eats more than my Salmon Pink and it's quite the little hunter!

 

[Longbord1]

get an avic avic

 

[Earth Tiger]

Hi Jennifer,

haha, urticating hairs XD.

i put my article on M$ word to check
spelling and turned auto-correction on ...
resulting in urinating hairs the word
urticating is absent from M$ dictionary.

i am not a native eng speaker and so
pls forgive my wrong spellings/grammatical
mistakes in future I will give u a
big discount!

 

[Palespider]

If you're anxious like some of us are and you don't want to wait forever for it to reach adult size I would get one of these fast growers (these are all *normally* docile species):

Brachypelma vagans (Mexican Red Rump)
http://e-spiderworld.com/images/gallery/pages/Brachypelma vagans Fa.htm

Brachypelma albopilosum (Curly Hair)
http://e-spiderworld.com/images/gallery/pages/Brachypelma albopilosum F.htm

If how quick they grow isn't a factor:

Brachypelma smithi (Mexican Red Knee)
http://e-spiderworld.com/images/gallery/pages/Brachypelma smithiF.htm

Grammostola aureostriata (Chaco Golden Knee)
http://e-spiderworld.com/images/gallery/pages/Grammostola aureostriata F .htm

If you're feeling lucky and think you can handle one of the most psycho and highest strung beasties on the planet (which no collection should be without) and is also a VERY fast grower:

Pterinochilus murinus (Sunburst Baboon or Usambara Baboon)
http://e-spiderworld.com/images/gallery/pages/Pterinochilus murinus.htm

Jim B.

All pictures courtesy of John Hoke and e-spiderworld

 

[GoTerps]

Get a GBB! Was my first, and still my favorite!

 

[da_illest]

yea i know the prices of them but if i put up the prices it would be weird to read them... i don't know why, i tried... this is why i didn't put them up.... and i want one that preferebly doesn't kick hairs because i'm worried that if it kicks hairs they'll be flying around in my room and i'll breathe them in.... also i heard so far that only one can't kick hairs, or doesn't, the avicularia avicularia- french guyenese pink toe! can you guys tell me others that son't kick hairs.. my g roses don't and I BUG THEM by constantly cleaning their poop, changing their water, misting their tanks and even pushing their butt's with my finger to get them to move so i can clean or whatever without them ever rearing up on me or threating me, or even running into their retreats... i've realized thru all this that my spideys ARE THE NICEST ONES I EVER HEARD OF YET.. but i still don't have the confidence to hold them.... i'm taking my time..

 

[Venom]

Non-flicking, extremely docile T's :

G. pulchra
G. aureostriata
Eupalastrus campestratus.
Avicularia sp.

Pinktoes CAN give off urticating hairs, but they can't throw them, like brachy's and most NW T's can- then brush them off of their abdomens, so that they fall onto your hand/ shirt or whatever. But usually they're very docile and non-flicky. The brachypelma species all tend to be flicky to some extent, greenbottles also tend to flick, and some of the Aphonopelma. Basically, grammostola, eupalastrus, avicularia almost never flick hairs. For instance, I've had my E. campestratus 2 years now, and she's only flicked 3 times, and only when she was really stressed ( my dumb fault).

 

[MrFeexit]

Originally posted by Earth Tiger
Hi Jennifer,

haha, urticating hairs XD.

i put my article on M$ word to check
spelling and turned auto-correction on ...
resulting in urinating hairs the word
urticating is absent from M$ dictionary.

i am not a native eng speaker and so
pls forgive my wrong spellings/grammatical
mistakes in future I will give u a
big discount!

I am glad you are posting here! It is nice to see people from all over the world having the same interest.

 

[Earth Tiger]

Hi MrFeexit,

In Hong Kong arachnids keeping are not as popular as
in US or UK. We chinese used to think spiders are
carriers of most diseases, but of course they are not!
But it is difficult to correct their perception.

I've kept spiders since i was 3 yrs old. I was addicted
to them when the other day i saw a small garden spider
skillfully defeated a daddy long leg spider with a much
longer legspan ... When I came across more and more
spider species, I lost all my interests on most other
insects (except hornets, which appear quite smart)
since they all appeared dumb in comparison to the
brainy spiders, particularly jumping spiders. I've witnessed
a large mantis fell victim to a jumping spider being only
half of its length! I think the only spiders here that i have
never kept are the very dangerous funnel web spider
and the giant recluse spider here. Local crab spiders,
ant-like spiders, etc were all once my pets.

And the first arachnid that bought from a pet store
is the Sun spider. This has been my long time favorite
since I saw a documentary showing one of these
warm blooded fastest running invert devouring a bird
when i was 12 yrs old. Trapdoors were also my
favorites, but my taste switched to T's when i grew
up. I particularly like: Costa Rican Stripped Knee,
Bloodleg, Curly Hair, Chilean Rose, Brazilian Black,
Chaco Golden Knee, Brazilian Giant Black and White,
Brazilian Giant Red and White (L. cristata), Golden
Earth Tiger, Black Earth Tiger, Cobalt Blue, etc. I
also like H. spinifer (Malaysian forest scorp) since
I think it is more handsome than Emperors.

 

[Jekka25]

I'd go with a Acanthoscurria Geniculata, I have one and she's huge, easy to take care of, eats like a tyrannosaurus rex, won't freak out on you like a H. lividium (or escape as soon as you open the cage). She lets you pet her or hold her, but she loves to kick up the hairs, which haven't bothered my skin at all, and she's not bald on her butt, so she's hearty and , oh yea, can grow 7-9inches, which is awesome for such a docile species. And she's not always in a cave either.

 

[Dragoon]

Earth Tiger,
that's a great story, thanks for taking the time to share it. I am very curious as to who are the people who keep inverts, since we are the minority. We are 'freaks' for sure, but we are all so different. I've noticed there is everyone from young kids to old kids, and many women on the boards. I'm surprised at the diversity of people who like their bugs.
Your enthusiasm is great to hear, and I never thought of spiders as 'brainy' before, but I will look at them differently now.
How big is your collection, may I ask? Are there species you cannot find in Hong Kong?
Just curious, D.

 

[vulpina]

Try Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, any Brachypelma species, Grammastola pulchra or aureostriatum, or A. geniculata. Geo, did the Euathlus pulcherimaklaasi get a name change?

Andy

 

[Earth Tiger]

Hi Dragoon,

thanks~ it's my pleasure to share and meet all you
folks here.

haha, actually there is nothing wrong to be a
"freak". I always ask those who reject tarantula
keeping a question - Is it a perfect world if everyone
is the same and keeps doggies as the only pets? And
being the minority is also nothing to be ashamed of -
geniuses are also the minority!

Spiders are intelligent, and at least one group of
spider shows unparalleled intelligence:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18627

I have many T's in total number, but since I also
sell them, usually each species I have several to
dozens. Spiderlings aside, currently I have over
80 adults and subadults T's and 1000+ scorps
in my house (mainly golden scorps). In fact there
are only 5 shops selling arachnids left in HK, and
certainly we are lacking lots of species here. Those
in CITEII list are hard to find since captive breeding
is uncommon here and must rely on imports. Theraphosa
spp, Lasiodora spp, Eupalastrus campestratus etc
also rarely show up here.

In fact many species are mislabelled and dehydrated
in most shops here and instead I would get my
desired ones from trusted sources - usually from
oversea.

The most common species that are quite readily
available here are white knee, pinktoe, and Costa
Rican Zebra. Even Chilean Roses are considered
rare and very hard to find due to its popular demand~

 

[MizM]

A note on "Chilean Flame", that is aslo a common name for the Paraphysa scrofa, a brilliant little guy that often comes in shipments with the G. rosea. They are a much smaller species, but look strikingly similar to a juvenile red-phase rosea.

 

[da_illest]

thanx peeps but i think i'm going to get an avic... not sure which one but whatever i do decide to get it's goint to be an inch or under.... I really want to nurse a spider from it's beginning stages and watch it grow while i stuff the molts and put them on a shelf in plastic containers... I'm going to get it this weekend most likely so i'll let you guys know!

 

[Bearskin10]

Originally posted by da_illest
thanx peeps but i think i'm going to get an avic... not sure which one but whatever i do decide to get it's goint to be an inch or under.... I really want to nurse a spider from it's beginning stages and watch it grow while i stuff the molts and put them on a shelf in plastic containers... I'm going to get it this weekend most likely so i'll let you guys know!

Forget the Avic. you NEED one of those monkey eating T's I keep heraing about ;P ;P Really though you can't go wrong with an Avic. I would say go with a Versi, but some say then are not as hardy as other Avics but I have had no problems rising mine from a little 1/2" s'ling to what is now about 2-1/2" Whichever you decide on good luck bro. Greg

 

[da_illest]

Originally posted by Bearskin10
Forget the Avic. you NEED one of those monkey eating T's I keep heraing about ;P ;P Really though you can't go wrong with an Avic. I would say go with a Versi, but some say then are not as hardy as other Avics but I have had no problems rising mine from a little 1/2" s'ling to what is now about 2-1/2" Whichever you decide on good luck bro. Greg

LoL... thx B

 

[Bearskin10]

Originally posted by MizM
A note on "Chilean Flame", that is aslo a common name for the Paraphysa scrofa, a brilliant little guy that often comes in shipments with the G. rosea. They are a much smaller species, but look strikingly similar to a juvenile red-phase rosea.

Love those little T's. I am looking for a mature male right now, Can you say hum breeding project.... Greg

 

[da_illest]

how big does it grow???

 

[nemesis6sic6]

Originally posted by vulpina
Try Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, any Brachypelma species, Grammastola pulchra or aureostriatum, or A. geniculata. Geo, did the Euathlus pulcherimaklaasi get a name change?

Andy

Yes it did

Paraphysa to Euathlus

current name is : Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi