What are the slowest or nicest tarantulas?

[viper69]

but I've heard stories of some letting them be held and nice and all..

You have been severely misinformed. People who do the above w/P. metallica and other similar species are not smart at all, some words that are often used to describe these people: idiots, morons, careless, wreckless and a myriad of other accurate, negative terminology by people who are responsible owners that know a bite from these species can put you in the E.R. of a hospital.

If you want a pet that you can hold, cuddle etc, get a mammal. Ts derive no benefit from being held. They live a solitary life in the wild.

If you want a relatively docile T to observe get a G. pulchripes or a E. sp. Red (below).

E. sp. Red, Adult Female eating 2 of 2.

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

E. sp. Red, Adult Female- Recent Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016
• 1
• chilensis euathlus sp. "red" female homoeomma homoeomma chilensis

AF E. sp. Red, Post-Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

 

[Luke092601]

You have been severely misinformed. People who do the above w/P. metallica and other similar species are not smart at all, some words that are often used to describe these people: idiots, morons, careless, wreckless and a myriad of other accurate, negative terminology by people who are responsible owners that know a bite from these species can put you in the E.R. of a hospital.

If you want a pet that you can hold, cuddle etc, get a mammal. Ts derive no benefit from being held. They live a solitary life in the wild.

If you want a relatively docile T to observe get a G. pulchripes or a E. sp. Red (below).

E. sp. Red, Adult Female eating 2 of 2.

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

E. sp. Red, Adult Female- Recent Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016
• 1
• chilensis euathlus sp. "red" female homoeomma homoeomma chilensis

AF E. sp. Red, Post-Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

Well it's not me wanting to hold them, it's more I don't want them to be so fast they run out when I get the lid off or put food near them or try and fix their cage. I am not too interested in holding them I just want some that are calm

 

[viper69]

Well it's not me wanting to hold them, it's more I don't want them to be so fast they run out when I get the lid off or put food near them or try and fix their cage. I am not too interested in holding them I just want some that are calm

I thought it was for holding actually, because I see you own a GBB. As I've owned many GBBs that's certainly a species that fits your above description in the quote.

The two I mentioned are pretty slow. Esp the E. sp. Red. I've never seen slower to be honest. It's a dwarf T though. They max out usually at 3". G. pulchripes are much larger.

 

[Luke092601]

I thought it was for holding actually, because I see you own a GBB. As I've owned many GBBs that's certainly a species that fits your above description in the quote.

The two I mentioned are pretty slow. Esp the E. sp. Red. I've never seen slower to be honest. It's a dwarf T though. They max out usually at 3". G. pulchripes are much larger.

Yeah I have a half inch sling GBB, was 60$ and so far pretty cool to own. Thanks for the info

 

[Luke092601]

You have been severely misinformed. People who do the above w/P. metallica and other similar species are not smart at all, some words that are often used to describe these people: idiots, morons, careless, wreckless and a myriad of other accurate, negative terminology by people who are responsible owners that know a bite from these species can put you in the E.R. of a hospital.

If you want a pet that you can hold, cuddle etc, get a mammal. Ts derive no benefit from being held. They live a solitary life in the wild.

If you want a relatively docile T to observe get a G. pulchripes or a E. sp. Red (below).

E. sp. Red, Adult Female eating 2 of 2.

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

E. sp. Red, Adult Female- Recent Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016
• 1
• chilensis euathlus sp. "red" female homoeomma homoeomma chilensis

AF E. sp. Red, Post-Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

And you E. Sp. Red is cool looking I always wanted one

 

[viper69]

Yeah I have a half inch sling GBB, was 60$ and so far pretty cool to own. Thanks for the info

That's too much $$ for a GBB sling, unless you are including shipping?? Where did you get it.

As for my T, thanks. I love her! She's definitely one of my favorites. Check Swifts Inverts I think he has some now, slings of course.

 

[mistertim]

Yeah only major issue with E. sp red is they are SLOOOOOW growers so it's better to get an adult or sub-adult female if you can. Anastasia at net-bug actually has a couple for sale I think, but because they're so slow growing and not easy to come by it's gonna cost you some $$.


edit: nevermind, looks like she's sold out.

 

[Luke092601]

That's too much $$ for a GBB sling, unless you are including shipping?? Where did you get it.

As for my T, thanks. I love her! She's definitely one of my favorites. Check Swifts Inverts I think he has some now, slings of course.

Got mine at repticon.

 

[Andrea82]

I thought it was for holding actually, because I see you own a GBB. As I've owned many GBBs that's certainly a species that fits your above description in the quote.

The two I mentioned are pretty slow. Esp the E. sp. Red. I've never seen slower to be honest. It's a dwarf T though. They max out usually at 3". G. pulchripes are much larger.

Yes, E.sp.Red is slow. But what mine lacks in speed, it makes up for it by determination. It's always fun to see it react to me opening her deli. She starts for the nearest rim to walk out.
When i gently nudge her from the edge with a brush, she retreats, but as soon as i remove it, she tries again. It is slow, but hilarious

 

[Jeff23]

Yes, E.sp.Red is slow. But what mine lacks in speed, it makes up for it by determination. It's always fun to see it react to me opening her deli. She starts for the nearest rim to walk out.
When i gently nudge her from the edge with a brush, she retreats, but as soon as i remove it, she tries again. It is slow, but hilarious

I wonder how E. Sp. Red act out in the wild. I don't know if someone has described it somewhere on one of the scientific sites. The desire of this T (including the female) to wander away from their home makes me wonder if we are all doing something wrong on the husbandry or if they just naturally wander around a lot in the vicinity of their homes. Maybe they can detect better that they are being held captive? I purposely gave mine an over-sized container and it still waits by the side near lid opening quite often waiting for me to open it. I also don't handle mine but I found out real quick it isn't afraid to walk across my hand to go somewhere.

 

[Andrea82]

I have wondered as well how they hold out in the wild, being the curious and no-fear creatures they are. I wonder how they react to threats in the wild. Not sure if I made that post here, but maybe walking headfirst into a potential predator works as a defense? When I still kept rats, I quickly found out why my cat didn't ever go after them. The rat would initiate contact by boldly walking up to my cat, and scaring her awa
My 'theory' is by no means founded in science or fact or knowledge, just a random thought.
I doubt they have more sense about them being held captive and aware of that, since they don't seem to care whether they are on my hand, in the enclosure, or elsewhere. But your theory is as good as mine, @Jeff23

 

[Vanessa]

I've heard some P. Metallica are mean and fast and all but I've heard stories of some letting them be held and nice and all, some even not caring if you mess around in their cage with them in it.

There is only one species on the planet capable of being mean... and that's us.
Every individual will have their own threshold of tolerance in addition to some species having more of a tolerance overall than others.
Those who have a lower tolerance level can quickly act defensively. I prefer to call them 'reactive' tarantulas - whether they are reacting in a prey drive manner or a fearful, or defensive, manner towards your invasion of their space... reactive works for me. Poecilotheria are at the top of the reactive tarantula list.

 

[Vanessa]

I purposely gave mine an over-sized container and it still waits by the side near lid opening quite often waiting for me to open it. I also don't handle mine but I found out real quick it isn't afraid to walk across my hand to go somewhere.

I did the same with my little 1.5" dude. I put him in an enclosure that I would reserve for someone twice his size because he is constantly on the move and exploring. He is in no way stressed from all the space.
I can't keep him contained at all. He just heads right over the edge the minute the lid is off. Not in a panicked, running for his life, kinda way... just with adorable determination.
He takes walks over me all the time when I do maintenance. I would just be fighting to contain him and that would probably stress him out more.
View media item 36572

 

[Venom1080]

Poecilotheria are at the top of the reactive tarantula list.

Poecilotheria are the calmest asian spiders in my collection. skittish, yes, but not defensive very often. Lampropelma and Cyriopagopus are much more reactive than Poecilotheria.

 

[Vanessa]

Being skittish is being reactive. Reactive is not synonymous with defensive - it means reactive. Being skittish is a reaction too.
Definition of reactive...
1. showing a response to a stimulus.
2. acting in response to a situation rather than creating or controlling it.
It does not have to be defensive.

 

[Venom1080]

Being skittish is being reactive. Reactive does not necessarily mean defensive - it means reactive. Being skittish is a reaction too.

they depend on their camouflage to hide them from predators in nature. I've had trouble rehousing some of mine because they refused to move. all of mine except my rufilata dont move when i open their cages, and stay that way unless i bother them.

 

[Vanessa]

Poecilotheria are the calmest asian spiders in my collection. skittish, yes, but not defensive very often.

 

[Venom1080]

let me rephrase that a bit.
ahem, Poecilotheria are not the defensive lightning bolts some people make them out to be. in my 3 years of raising and owning multiple Poecilotheria, i have found that they are more inclined to bolt rather than strike, and even more inclined to sit there and hide as long as they are not disturbed further. they are Asian tarantulas, and like all Asian tarantulas are defensive and fast but not as much as other Asian arboreal genera.

 

[Bugmom]

As far as A. seemanni temperament goes... well... here's mine earlier today. I took his water dish away cause he filled it with substrate and I thought I'd be nice and refill it with water and give him some more dirt to dig in. This was the thanks that I got

 

[MrsHaas]

Generally, certain Ts are ranked by level of "meanness" according to species or genus. But remember, each t is an individual and the attitude of some don't parallel their categories.