Was I sent a different species than what I ordered?

Gutpile

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So back in March I order three .5 to .75 inch G. pulchras from one of the "big" online sellers.

Everything is going good with all three spiders but one is growing faster than the other two and, well, it looks different. It's almost 2 inches now and looks like this:




I understand that slings, juveniles and adults of the same species sometimes look different from each other. I would like to know if I have a different species than what I assumed I had from the standpoint of caring for it and not getting a psycho venomous demon instead of the gentle G. pulchra I thought I had.

So what do you guys think? Is this a G. pulchra? If not, what might it be? If it's not what I ordered what should I do in regards to the seller? Has anyone ever gotten something other than what they ordered from a seller?
 

Flexzone

Arachnodemon
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Definitely not a G. pulchra, It appears like that specimen is a juvenile Brachypelma auratum.
 
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johnny quango

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I agree it looks like a Brachypelma auratum and I don't know about prices or how you feel about each species but me personally I have 1 of each and I prefer the B auratum juvenile i have at feeding time as I've witnessed it go from a wimpy run away spider to an absolute animal when it comes to feeding on the other hand my adult female G pulchra is my favourite species I think but as I've said I love my auratum also don't get me wrong it isn't perfect as it's a major hair flicker.
As for receiving the wrong species if you aren't happy you need to contact the seller and sort it out between you
 
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Andy00

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Yes it looks like a b Auratum. If so then you should contact the seller and just tell them what happened. Send them pictures if you can. If I'm not mistaken, pulchras and auratums go for around the same price. Hopefully they let you keep that Auratum because I love that species and it's been on my wish list for a while.
 

Venom1080

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Yes it looks like a b Auratum. If so then you should contact the seller and just tell them what happened. Send them pictures if you can. If I'm not mistaken, pulchras and auratums go for around the same price. Hopefully they let you keep that Auratum because I love that species and it's been on my wish list for a while.
they cant tell him to send it back, it their fault. its his now. better @EulersK ?
 
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Gutpile

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Yeah, I'm not really concerned about sending it back. I'm more concerned about knowing what I have and how to care for it.

I'm also just curious if getting the wrong tarantula is common as this was my first ever order.
 

Andy00

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It's never happened to me, but I've heard of it happening a couple times. It's not something that's common though, unless you buy from a pet store like petco, petsmart or others they usually id their specimens wrong. The b Auratum is pretty easy to care for. Dry substrate with a water dish and a hide is all it needs. If you have any questions on how to set it up or anything just ask and post pictures.
 

Venom1080

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Yeah, I'm not really concerned about sending it back. I'm more concerned about knowing what I have and how to care for it.

I'm also just curious if getting the wrong tarantula is common as this was my first ever order.
keep it like a Grammostola. very rare to get the wrong species if youre ordering from a good dealer.
 

Gutpile

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I agree it looks like a Brachypelma auratum and I don't know about prices or how you feel about each species but me personally I have 1 of each and I prefer the B auratum juvenile i have as I've witnessed it go from a wimpy run away spider to an absolute animal when it comes to feeding, Don't get me wrong it isn't perfect as it's a major hair flicker.
As for receiving the wrong species if you aren't happy you need to contact the seller and sort it out between you
You're not wrong about the feeding. This thing tackles prey like a monster.
 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
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Yeah, I'm not really concerned about sending it back. I'm more concerned about knowing what I have and how to care for it.

I'm also just curious if getting the wrong tarantula is common as this was my first ever order.
I'm not very long into the hobby really, I've been keeping for about 3 years now but in my experience (admittedly limited compared to some others), it doesn't happen often but it DOES happen. And it's understandable. If you bought from a big seller then likely they get shipments of slings regularly that number in the hundreds at a time. Sometimes, I'm sure, with multiple species in the same shipment or maybe multiple shipments in the same day. Each shipment will need to be cataloged, labeled, listed for sale then shipped to their new homes. People make mistakes and I'm sure there are multiple opportunities along the way for a container or two get mislabeled. :) It's a happy coincidence in this case that you received one that is the same general value with the species you ordered, and hopefully your other two are the correct species. That being said, it's nice to hear you say that you are wanting to provide for it's needs anyways and are going out of your way to research how to care for it. ;)
 

antinous

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Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've ordered two pretty valuable (both to me and price wise) slings and was wondering what is the proper course of action if they the seller does end up sending one, or both, different. Would I get a refund, credit or get the ones I ordered shipped to me (have to pay shipping again of course though)?
 

Venom1080

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Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've ordered two pretty valuable (both to me and price wise) slings and was wondering what is the proper course of action if they the seller does end up sending one, or both, different. Would I get a refund, credit or get the ones I ordered shipped to me (have to pay shipping again of course though)?
if its a good dealer, i think you would keep whatever he sent and he has to send the correct spiders. i dont think you would have to pay shipping either.
 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
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Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've ordered two pretty valuable (both to me and price wise) slings and was wondering what is the proper course of action if they the seller does end up sending one, or both, different. Would I get a refund, credit or get the ones I ordered shipped to me (have to pay shipping again of course though)?
honestly, I really don't think it happens that often. :)
 

antinous

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honestly, I really don't think it happens that often. :)
I know, I'm just a paranoid person sadly haha. Especially since it's with my favorite species and the first time I'm ordering from this dealer, I'm a bit nervous lol
 

Venom1080

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I know, I'm just a paranoid person sadly haha. Especially since it's with my favorite species and the first time I'm ordering from this dealer, I'm a bit nervous lol
whats the spider youre nervous about?
 

KezyGLA

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Apr 8, 2016
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G. pulchra and B. auratum are quite similar in ways. The only difference apart from appearance is that it is common for auratums to kick (none of mine do), they also tend to have less of an appetite. They can be super flighty, even for a Brachy.
 
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