Things you never thought you’d have

AphonopelmaTX

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I never thought I would have Aphonopelma mooreae and Aphonopelma sp. "Diamondback" in my collection. I knew of both species for years before they were first imported into the U.S., and when I first saw them for sale it was a record skip, spit-my-drink-all-over-the-computer-screen type of moment. I'm proud to have three of each species in my collection. :)

But to answer the questions. I have always been interested in all tarantulas so I never sought out any of one type in particular. Over the years I have kept and raised just about any type you could imagine from arboreal, obligate burrowers, old world, new world, docile, hostile, etc. These days I mainly keep ground-dwelling species from the Americas that are either unknown to science or have a confusing or unresolved taxonomy. The tarantula hobby to me now-a-days is more of a science/ natural history hobby and less of a pet hobby.
 
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magouilles

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They're fun spiders and great for getting your feat wet with old worlds. (If you haven't yet)
My C.darlingi is by far the most difficult t to rehouse and even feed that i own
I know they're usually rly good for beginner OWs keepers but mine is just cranked up 24/7 and will bolt out of its enclosure randomly idk what i've done to make her hate me so much😂
 

DomGom TheFather

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My C.darlingi is by far the most difficult t to rehouse and even feed that i own
I know they're usually rly good for beginner OWs keepers but mine is just cranked up 24/7 and will bolt out of its enclosure randomly idk what i've done to make her hate me so much😂
Never had a darlingi.
It could just be you got one that's high strung.
You could try increasing the enclosure size.
Worst case, it will give you more time to close the lid. Lol
 
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LucN

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I never intended on getting a T. albopilosus. When I first got into the hobby, I just didn't see the appeal. It took for me to have one falling on my lap (not literally) and see them before my own eyes. At that moment, I understood the appeal. Lacking in colour, but making up for it big time in appetite, personality and FLOOF.
 

QuinnStarr

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Believe it or not, it was the exact same thing for me! Fossorials. I never thought I'd really want to buy another (I only bought the c. darlingi because of the adorable freaking horn) but it's become the MOST fascinating spider I have. And I drop this comment on other threads a lot but a) it uses the entire enclosure as a burrow, having fluffed the substrate to fill the space so it could tunnel and utilize the lid and sides of the deli cup as part of its' burrow, and b) because of point a it is out and on display all. the. time. It's cool to watch burrow, web, hunt. I'm struggling to combat the fact that it refuses to let me give it a water dish. Every time I do, the poor bottle cap gets dragged into the burrow to die and be buried, webbed into the substrate. Think "Alien" in the room where the Xenomorph has glued people to the walls like tasty decorations. But see, even that behavior is so incredibly fascinating!

That's what drew me to exploring more fossorials, and it has led me to a hypothesis that obligate burrowers will be more on display and utilize more of their enclosures if the enclosure is a cylinder.
This whole thing is super cool. My O. philipinus is burrowed in its cup, but not to where I can see it, sadly. But my Pterinopelma sazimai has done similar. If I shine a flashlight into the side or bottom of the cup, I can see clear into its burrow. It’s really interesting! I don’t shine a light in there for giggles or anything, I was trying to see if it took a hunk of mealworm down there because I don’t feel like rehousing an itty bitty burrowed spider because of mold and gross bacteria.


Never thought I’d own a T that I could eventually put a leash on. A tea cup poodle harness should work perfect for my P. muticus. Thats right, more poor humor, I’m ready for the ban and exile!
Craig, the more dad jokes you make, the more I realize that we are eventually going to be best internet friends.

When I first started I wasn't interested in OWs species and really didn't want to acquire one
After 2 years of t keeping, I kinda wanted a new "challenge" and gave it a try
Now rehousing spicy spoods is my guilty pleasure😂
I honestly had no intent of getting into OW’s either. But then I did and, while mine are still small, I’m excited to watch them grow and learn as they grow.

My C.darlingi is by far the most difficult t to rehouse and even feed that i own
I know they're usually rly good for beginner OWs keepers but mine is just cranked up 24/7 and will bolt out of its enclosure randomly idk what i've done to make her hate me so much😂
This makes me nervous for the marshalli that I’m picking up next week 😂

I never intended on getting a T. albopilosus. When I first got into the hobby, I just didn't see the appeal. It took for me to have one falling on my lap (not literally) and see them before my own eyes. At that moment, I understood the appeal. Lacking in colour, but making up for it big time in appetite, personality and FLOOF.
I just got two and they’re so tiny but I’m excited to watch them grow into their floof 🤣
 

viper69

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I'm hungry! You cook? 😉
I do!

Fossorial or obligated burrowers which ever you want to call them are absolutely the best, i have preached this the whole time being on Arachnoboards. Glad to see more people enjoying them as much as i do.
Happy keeping!!!!
True, though my A minatrix web tube/home rivals that picture

Aphonopelma mooreae
I remember seeing these many years ago. I didn't know the species name. Then poof never saw them again until recently from the single breeder in MX Im aware of. Glad someone has them here.
 

MeanBean

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I got an obt sling as a freebie! ... two months after I turned 14. Decided to keep the little fellow anyway and raised him up but it was the scariest unboxing I had up till that point!
 

QuinnStarr

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I got an obt sling as a freebie! ... two months after I turned 14. Decided to keep the little fellow anyway and raised him up but it was the scariest unboxing I had up till that point!
First of all, I’d 💩 my pants if I wasn’t expecting a sassy species like an OBT as a freebie 🤣
Second, good on you! I’m still a bit apprehensive about opening my Theraphosa enclosure because mine is bolty and wicked fast, so I applaud you for raising up an OBT starting at 14!
 

MeanBean

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First of all, I’d 💩 my pants if I wasn’t expecting a sassy species like an OBT as a freebie 🤣
Second, good on you! I’m still a bit apprehensive about opening my Theraphosa enclosure because mine is bolty and wicked fast, so I applaud you for raising up an OBT starting at 14!
haha thanks but it was not pretty! Good luck with your t! I keep meaning to pick up a stirmi but havent managed it yet
 

QuinnStarr

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haha thanks but it was not pretty! Good luck with your t! I keep meaning to pick up a stirmi but havent managed it yet
I have an apophysis. If you get any of the Theraphosa species, let me tell you. This one was 2 inches when I got it and, based on what little bit I can see of it while it’s still in its hide, it’s pushing 2.5-2.75 easily after a single molt.
It hasn’t come out post molt yet, so I’m unsure, but it has gotten super leggy. So be prepared to see a comparatively massive spider where your sling once was after one or two molts.
 

spideyspinneret78

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For years I avoided some of my dream species, specifically S. calceatum and C. schmidti due to some of the bite reports and horror stories I'd read about them. I was afraid of having something that venomous in my house. But S. calceatum was one tarantula that always caught my eye. The fact that it's an African arboreal, has incredible camouflage, etc. always really appealed to me. Eventually I saw a sling for sale and after much deliberation decided to go for it. She's been one of my favorite spiders so far. I've learned not to be fearful, but to instead to be cautious and use common sense. Hard to believe that I used to be absolutely terrified of spiders a few years ago.
 

QuinnStarr

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For years I avoided some of my dream species, specifically S. calceatum and C. schmidti due to some of the bite reports and horror stories I'd read about them. I was afraid of having something that venomous in my house. But S. calceatum was one tarantula that always caught my eye. The fact that it's an African arboreal, has incredible camouflage, etc. always really appealed to me. Eventually I saw a sling for sale and after much deliberation decided to go for it. She's been one of my favorite spiders so far. I've learned not to be fearful, but to instead to be cautious and use common sense. Hard to believe that I used to be absolutely terrified of spiders a few years ago.
If you told me two years ago that I’d someday own and love 15 tarantulas, I’d have laughed in your face. I despised insects and arachnids of all kinds. Just utterly terrified. But then I started helping my father take care of his Brachypelma sling that he didn’t realize was as tiny as it was when he bought it (and the person who sold it to him led him to believe it was a juvenile) and I fell in love with it so I bought my own and didn’t stop. My point is - I understand 😂
 

magouilles

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I’d 💩 my pants if I wasn’t expecting a sassy species like an OBT as a freebie 🤣
obts really aren't as bad as people make them up to be, they're definitely spicy but not more than any other OWs imo
amazing colors, great eaters, great webbers, a sprinkle of spice, they really do have everything for them😂
 

spideyspinneret78

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If you told me two years ago that I’d someday own and love 15 tarantulas, I’d have laughed in your face. I despised insects and arachnids of all kinds. Just utterly terrified. But then I started helping my father take care of his Brachypelma sling that he didn’t realize was as tiny as it was when he bought it (and the person who sold it to him led him to believe it was a juvenile) and I fell in love with it so I bought my own and didn’t stop. My point is - I understand 😂
There's a fine line between fear and fascination!
 

QuinnStarr

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obts really aren't as bad as people make them up to be, they're definitely spicy but not more than any other OWs imo
amazing colors, great eaters, great webbers, a sprinkle of spice, they really do have everything for them😂
The only OW‘s left on my “gotta have it” list are Birupes, P. metallica, and C. darlingi. But I’m sure that will change as I grow in the hobby.
 

MeanBean

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I have an apophysis. If you get any of the Theraphosa species, let me tell you. This one was 2 inches when I got it and, based on what little bit I can see of it while it’s still in its hide, it’s pushing 2.5-2.75 easily after a single molt.
It hasn’t come out post molt yet, so I’m unsure, but it has gotten super leggy. So be prepared to see a comparatively massive spider where your sling once was after one or two molts.
Nice! Might have to push theraposas a little more up the list! I've got a little group of psalmopeous babies im raising up and thats my favorite thing about them. Grow in leaps n bounds!
 

Liquifin

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I'm truly grateful for having some Poecilotheria ornata in my collection. If I could have 100 specimens, I would be fulfilled with my desire for them then.

Now, one genus I'm truly grateful for is the Theraphosa genus. It took me some time, but the moment I had all three species in the genus I knew it was time to reproduce them. Then I recognize males were desolate and now I have females with no males for the T. blondi and T. apophysis. For the T. stirmi, I just had another go at it since the last one resulted in an eaten egg sac. But I'm truly grateful for the tarantulas I do own and desire.
 

spideyspinneret78

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I'm truly grateful for having some Poecilotheria ornata in my collection. If I could have 100 specimens, I would be fulfilled with my desire for them then.

Now, one genus I'm truly grateful for is the Theraphosa genus. It took me some time, but the moment I had all three species in the genus I knew it was time to reproduce them. Then I recognize males were desolate and now I have females with no males for the T. blondi and T. apophysis. For the T. stirmi, I just had another go at it since the last one resulted in an eaten egg sac. But I'm truly grateful for the tarantulas I do own and desire.
I got a P. ornata sling that turned out to be male, but I am thankful for him. I think it's amazing to have the chance to keep such a rare, beautiful animal, even though I'll only have him for a few years. I've noticed that too about Theraphosa species....it seems like there are so many females and so few males available. Kind of the opposite of other genera like Poecilotheria. I've read that they can be challenging to breed in captivity. I think it's great that you're willing to take on that challenge and make a contribution like that to the hobby. We need captive bred animals now more than ever.
 
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