Hello arachnoworld, I am looking to buy a T that I can hold, and that has the best coloration and patterning. I want some sort of ornamental spider, but one that isn't going to hurt me. What is your guys n' gals opinion of the most attractive, acquiescent arachnid?
What is the consensus on the most decorated and docile of the Theraphosidae
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I intended to use the typical meme of "ornamental" which means aesthetically pleasing, I wasn't referring to any specific spider. Like I said before though I want something that isn't aggressive, any ideas? Thats a negative I am not new I used to have tarantulas as a kid but I never studied all the different species.
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I would consider taking a look at the Brachypelma genus, lots of beautyfull colorations and mostly docile, tend to be hairkickers though.
Alright, gotcha! Well welcome back, I myself have come back into the hobby within the last 3-4 months. I as well had no idea there were SOOO many different tarantulas in the world and they are all quite fascinating in there own ways! One thing you will want to learn right away are the scientific names of each tarantula and the different genus' in which they reside. Only because some tarantula's have many different common names and are sometimes called the same thing.
I personally would recommend a Tarantula that requires the typical basic care to kind of help you get back into the groove of things. My top recommendations would be mainly terrestrials.
1. B. Smithi (My favorite)
2. G. Pulchripes
3. E. Campestratus (I think that's spelled right)
4. C. Cyanopeubescens (VERY colorful and extraordinary, but not as handleable as the rest)
5. G. Rosea (I like the Red Color Form)
6. L. Parahybana (Grow fast and GET HUGE)
There are many tarantulas suitable in both the Grammostola and Brachyphelma genus groups that would also be suitable as well.
If you are looking for an arboreal tarantula, most of them require slightly more care such as taller enclosure, and a usual misting to keep up the humidity. The best of these and in my opinion the best looking tarantula all around would be the A. Versicolor. It is very common, and with good reason! There is not a time in there life where their colors will not AMAZE you!!!
There are several others from the Avicularia genus that require virtually the same care and are also pretty amazing to look at. I hold mine quite a bit even though it's just a little 1" sling.
As a beginner, try and stay away from anything classified as OW (Old World) as they do not have hairs to kick in defense and are more prone to bite. They also have more potent venom than most NW (New World) T's do.
Just look through pics on the boards and try and find something you like. You have any questions, just let us know
. Whatever you decide to get, make sure you do PLENTY of research prior to purchasing (I did close to three months before my first order, but it was way overkill) and welcome to the boards.
I personally would recommend a Tarantula that requires the typical basic care to kind of help you get back into the groove of things. My top recommendations would be mainly terrestrials.
1. B. Smithi (My favorite)
2. G. Pulchripes
3. E. Campestratus (I think that's spelled right)
4. C. Cyanopeubescens (VERY colorful and extraordinary, but not as handleable as the rest)
5. G. Rosea (I like the Red Color Form)
6. L. Parahybana (Grow fast and GET HUGE)
There are many tarantulas suitable in both the Grammostola and Brachyphelma genus groups that would also be suitable as well.
If you are looking for an arboreal tarantula, most of them require slightly more care such as taller enclosure, and a usual misting to keep up the humidity. The best of these and in my opinion the best looking tarantula all around would be the A. Versicolor. It is very common, and with good reason! There is not a time in there life where their colors will not AMAZE you!!!
There are several others from the Avicularia genus that require virtually the same care and are also pretty amazing to look at. I hold mine quite a bit even though it's just a little 1" sling.
As a beginner, try and stay away from anything classified as OW (Old World) as they do not have hairs to kick in defense and are more prone to bite. They also have more potent venom than most NW (New World) T's do.
Just look through pics on the boards and try and find something you like. You have any questions, just let us know
. Whatever you decide to get, make sure you do PLENTY of research prior to purchasing (I did close to three months before my first order, but it was way overkill) and welcome to the boards. 
madamoisele
Arachnosquire
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I love the Avicularas because when they walk on your hand, its like little butterfly feet. I refer to my Pinky (just a regular Pinktoe!) as a kitten all the time.
There's a purple Aviculara (Peru Purple) that you might be interested in. I am too - keep waiting to find one at the right price.
Green Bottle Blues are spectacularly colored and I don't know about others, but mine is extremely docile - perhaps if you start with a sling and work with handling it then, you may have some luck.
I have heard (please chime in, fellow Arachnophiles) that the P. Subfusca are the more docile of the Pokies. That doesn't mean it won't tag you, but its probably less likely. Robc has one - hopefully he will post about it here for you. Be sure you watch his bite videos before you decide whether or not you are prepared for that kind of pain in the event it does nip you.
One of my personal favorites is the Arizona Blonde. It's pretty much an array of brown and blonde colors, but I swear, mine is so exceptionally gorgeous, I think if there were "Spider Shows" mine would win in its type! I would never have thought something brown and blonde could be so striking, and mine is exceptionally docile and always out of its hide.
Nothing is going to be as spectacularly marked as a Pokie - but with that beauty comes the possibility of terror and pain. Be prepared!
There's a purple Aviculara (Peru Purple) that you might be interested in. I am too - keep waiting to find one at the right price.
Green Bottle Blues are spectacularly colored and I don't know about others, but mine is extremely docile - perhaps if you start with a sling and work with handling it then, you may have some luck.
I have heard (please chime in, fellow Arachnophiles) that the P. Subfusca are the more docile of the Pokies. That doesn't mean it won't tag you, but its probably less likely. Robc has one - hopefully he will post about it here for you. Be sure you watch his bite videos before you decide whether or not you are prepared for that kind of pain in the event it does nip you.
One of my personal favorites is the Arizona Blonde. It's pretty much an array of brown and blonde colors, but I swear, mine is so exceptionally gorgeous, I think if there were "Spider Shows" mine would win in its type! I would never have thought something brown and blonde could be so striking, and mine is exceptionally docile and always out of its hide.
Nothing is going to be as spectacularly marked as a Pokie - but with that beauty comes the possibility of terror and pain. Be prepared!
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Brachypelma emilia- both docile and ornamental.
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Too bad Fran's suspended. He'd have an earful for you regarding his views on handling.
I tend to share his views - handle only when necessary. It can cause the animal unnecessary stress and risks injury to both you and the spider.
That being said, I'm sure you don't want a debate on whether or not we think you should handle (there are plenty of other threads regarding handling [and even on this topic, for that matter], take advantage of this site's search tool) in this thread.
Brachypelma spp., in my opinion, are not the best candidates for handling. They have some pretty itchy u-hairs, and most aren't afraid to kick them at you at the slightest disturbance.
G. pulchripes are pretty docile, and tend to be reluctant to kick hairs.
What you define 'ornamental' to be, however, may not be what others define it to be. For example, I'd bet P. metallica has fewer colors on it than B. emilia...it's just that the pattern is different (not to mention P. metallica is arboreal and B. emilia is terrestrial).
Run some searches, look at pictures, and decide for yourself.
Lastly, to all those who keep capitalizing the species name (i.e. P. Metallica), this is incorrect. Species name should not be capitalized, only the genus should be.
I tend to share his views - handle only when necessary. It can cause the animal unnecessary stress and risks injury to both you and the spider.
That being said, I'm sure you don't want a debate on whether or not we think you should handle (there are plenty of other threads regarding handling [and even on this topic, for that matter], take advantage of this site's search tool) in this thread.
Brachypelma spp., in my opinion, are not the best candidates for handling. They have some pretty itchy u-hairs, and most aren't afraid to kick them at you at the slightest disturbance.
G. pulchripes are pretty docile, and tend to be reluctant to kick hairs.
What you define 'ornamental' to be, however, may not be what others define it to be. For example, I'd bet P. metallica has fewer colors on it than B. emilia...it's just that the pattern is different (not to mention P. metallica is arboreal and B. emilia is terrestrial).
Run some searches, look at pictures, and decide for yourself.
Lastly, to all those who keep capitalizing the species name (i.e. P. Metallica), this is incorrect. Species name should not be capitalized, only the genus should be.
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i also agree Brachypelmas may not be the best, they are incredibly itchy (to the point i am looking to get rid of many Ts i bought starting out) and not all are always as docile as claimed, imo. i hesitate to reccomend Avics as well (what i've seen has been kind of twitchy and spazzy), but the colour and docility requirements from the OP are there.
fear, no. healthy respect, yes. being terrified of a tarantula you own is going to lead to a screw up along the way, imo. i think pokies get kind of a bad rap, mine are way easier to deal with (and more polite) than a good majority of my brachys actually.
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Great Basin Ben
Arachnosquire
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I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "decorated", but if you're speaking about coloration, then I think I understand. If you are indeeed speaking about color, AND docile nature, I would recommend an Aphonopelma bicoloratum if you had the money and were able to find one. They are quite beautiful spiders, and like MANY of the othe Aphonopelma species, tend to be more docile in nature. That said, I would almost certainly have to agree with xhexdx, and encourage you to "handle" your T's only when ABSOLUTELY necessarry. Here's a pic from the web:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2627/bicoloratum.jpg
The females of this species, have been reported to live as long as 20+ years beyond maturity. They rarely kick hairs. The move at VERY managable speeds. Their offspring are QUITE sought after in the hobby, and like many of the other Aphonopelmas, they are excellent beginner's species. All you gotta do now, is actually find one for sale!
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2627/bicoloratum.jpg
The females of this species, have been reported to live as long as 20+ years beyond maturity. They rarely kick hairs. The move at VERY managable speeds. Their offspring are QUITE sought after in the hobby, and like many of the other Aphonopelmas, they are excellent beginner's species. All you gotta do now, is actually find one for sale!
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Blackbeard
Arachnopeon
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The most spectacular species all tend to be poor choices for handling I'm afraid.
I was going to suggest the good old Brachypelma smithi or Brachypelma auratum but since that isn't quite what you are looking for...
If you want crazy colors maybe you should look into Avicularia versicolor or even Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens?
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I still maintain that B. albopolilosum -the Honduran Curly Hair- is one of the very best starter tarantulas. They are quite strikingly beautiful but in an understated way. They are notoriously docile and thay grow relatively quickly for a Brachypelma. They are terrestrial so cage setup is a breeze. They have a slow metabolism so it's very difficult to starve them to death. Also, they are so populous in the captive market that almost any specimen you buy at this point (except some large, mature adults) will be captive bred/born. That's one reason I don't often buy adult Aphonopelma, because they're likely Wild Caught and I don't want to contribute to potential overcollecting that may become a serious problem.
I'm a vociferous partisan of handling and I heartily endorse the B smithi and GBB for vibrant color and ease of hands-on (or hands-under) bonding ... here are examples of both (my photos, by the way - and they really don't do justice to the coloring ...) -
For handling and color, it's hard to go wrong with an Avicularia, imo. Some individual tarantulas may be exceptions. They're easy to keep here in the Pacific northwest (high-ish humidity), your mileage may vary.
Here's a couple that might also fall into the ornamental category, (as in "having ornament).
http://www.birdspiders.com/gallery/p.php?id=910
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26238310@N05/3461396046
Here's a couple that might also fall into the ornamental category, (as in "having ornament).
http://www.birdspiders.com/gallery/p.php?id=910
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26238310@N05/3461396046
Ok after reading everything and looking at dozens of pictures I am torn between Avicularia versicolor & Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
From what I read the cyan webs its entire dwelling while the versicolor makes a smaller tube web. I prefer more webbing but which of the two is the least likely to dispense urticating hairs? Which of the two grows bigger? Which of the two is generally cheaper? I found a versicolor adult for $100 and a $150 adult GBB, are those good prices? Which of the two species do you think is easier to breed?
Thanks for all your help cyberspiderclan
From what I read the cyan webs its entire dwelling while the versicolor makes a smaller tube web. I prefer more webbing but which of the two is the least likely to dispense urticating hairs? Which of the two grows bigger? Which of the two is generally cheaper? I found a versicolor adult for $100 and a $150 adult GBB, are those good prices? Which of the two species do you think is easier to breed?
Thanks for all your help cyberspiderclan
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Least likely to u-hair: About the same
Bigger: About the same
Cheaper: A. versicolor
Easier to breed: A. versicolor
Bigger: About the same
Cheaper: A. versicolor
Easier to breed: A. versicolor