What makes tarantulas "attractive"?

Python

Arachnolord
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Mar 21, 2005
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I'm sitting here looking through some pictures of T's and I began to wonder, what draws people to certain T's? Certainly size and color play a role but I've noticed that some of the more popular ones are not the largest nor most colorful. Some are not active and some aren't even visible. I guess what I'm wondering is, how is it that rosies, for example, have always been popular in spite of the fact that they spend most of their time pretending to be a rock, they don't spin intricate webs, they appear to have some sort of aversion to feeding properly, they aren't very colorful (I'm colorblind so my perception may be skewed on that one), and they have fiberglass butt fur. So what attracted you to your fuzzy little ball of drab colored inactivity? Ease of care? Handleability? The fact that you can feed it for a year with a dollar? Maybe you just like having an eight legged pet rock or pet hole. Whatever it is, I'd like to know what made you choose a lesser aesthetically pleasing T over a more colorful one.
 

magicmed

Arachnobaron
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Jun 4, 2016
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I think a lot of it comes down to personality, or what makes that T special from the rest. For instance some people may not like something that mimics a rock one week and goes psycho spider the next, but others may find it hilarious and adorable. Those little "quirks" Or traits we grow to love about each individual species.

There's also association, we grow fond to things like our first spider, first sling we raised from being a tiny little thing, etc. That becomes a bias whether you like to admit it or not.

Then of course temperament, activity level, coloration, the basic stuff

Then there's the fuzziness, this just cute I don't care who you are.
 

Tarantula20

Arachnosquire
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Oct 19, 2014
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To me the reason for most people having a lot of the more "drabbier". Is the fact that these are the most readily available and easiest T's to care for so they end up being peoples first tarantulas. Because of this many people including my self have a nostalgic feeling for them. My example for this is my G.rosea Rcf I guess now just G.rosea lol #Namechanges
 

Python

Arachnolord
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Beauty is in the eye of the holder. There's nothing universal about it.
I think the quote is beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that, I believe, would be a universal answer. Unfortunately, I was looking more for individual experiences and opinions rather than a blanket, covers everything answer.

You just ended a thread with two sentences.
I believe that every post after those two sentences would actually show that the thread has not ended.

That said, I think that the two previous posts were actually what I was looking for. I had really not considered the nostalgia angle. That does make sense. When I first got into T's many years ago, the two most common ones sold around here were rosies and striped knees. I use the common names that they were sold as at the time simply because information was a whole lot more scarce back then and the companies we bought from didn't offer scientific names. Time has faded the memory of a lot of those T's so I can't really remember what they looked like in detail. All I can remember is that neither one was particularly impressive to look at apart from size and the colors on each seemed to be rather similar to me. Of course I'm color blind so that didn't help set them apart very much.
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
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It's because they wear a cologne called Sex Panther . Ya know sixty percent of the time it works every time .
 

Vanessa

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I love the subtle and less flamboyant species and find them extremely beautiful in their understated way. You could say that I even prefer them to the more colourful spiders.
I see the beauty in every single one of them and I cannot think of even one who I would describe as being 'drab' or less aesthetically pleasing. They're all extraordinary little beings and I think they are all gorgeous.
 

shining

Arachnodemon
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I think the quote is beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that, I believe, would be a universal answer. Unfortunately, I was looking more for individual experiences and opinions rather than a blanket, covers everything answer.



I believe that every post after those two sentences would actually show that the thread has not ended.

That said, I think that the two previous posts were actually what I was looking for. I had really not considered the nostalgia angle. That does make sense. When I first got into T's many years ago, the two most common ones sold around here were rosies and striped knees. I use the common names that they were sold as at the time simply because information was a whole lot more scarce back then and the companies we bought from didn't offer scientific names. Time has faded the memory of a lot of those T's so I can't really remember what they looked like in detail. All I can remember is that neither one was particularly impressive to look at apart from size and the colors on each seemed to be rather similar to me. Of course I'm color blind so that didn't help set them apart very much.
He meant beauty is not universal but is in the eye of the beholder.

A thread never ends after the /Thread end thing. One day it will work...

To answer your initial post, I like all types of Ts, plain or colorful, pet rock, pet hole or ghost, puppy like docility or psychotic teleporting killer. They all have their positive qualities worthy of admiration.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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I love the subtle and less flamboyant species and find them extremely beautiful in their understated way. You could say that I even prefer them to the more colourful spiders.
I see the beauty in every single one of them and I cannot think of even one who I would describe as being 'drab' or less aesthetically pleasing. They're all extraordinary little beings and I think they are all gorgeous.
That's nice... I like that. You are correct of course and I didn't mean to imply that they are inferior in any way, they aren't at all. For me personally, when looking at price lists online, I'm drawn to intricate patterns and some of the brighter colors that I can see. I also look for more active species, although you can't really tell individual energy levels from a picture. I like them all though and they are all interesting in their own way
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
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Jan 28, 2016
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1,896
What makes them attractive to me is their differences. I really go in for T that does something that sets it apart from the others. Like the I.mira, it's behavior of building a trap door is interesting and makes it more attractive to me then just it's looks alone (which are pretty awesome too).
 

Poec54

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I was looking more for individual experiences and opinions rather than a blanket, covers everything answer.

That's where a more specific title helps. You know what you mean, we need to know what you mean.
 

Ceymann

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Jul 3, 2016
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To me I think spiders in general are just majestic, fascinating creatures. T's are the largest and readily available ones to keep and can exhibit some awesome coloration. That's what does it for me at least.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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To answer your initial post, I like all types of Ts, plain or colorful, pet rock, pet hole or ghost, puppy like docility or psychotic teleporting killer. They all have their positive qualities worthy of admiration.
That is a true statement my friend. I have certainly been fascinated with the diversity of quirks with the T's I've kept over the years. The burrowers have always gotten my attention, at least till they disappeared down the hole never to be seen again. The super fast ones have a special place in my heart as well. They amaze me the way they are able to move all those legs so fast without tripping up. I can barely manage the two I have some days.


What makes them attractive to me is their differences. I really go in for T that does something that sets it apart from the others. Like the I.mira, it's behavior of building a trap door is interesting and makes it more attractive to me then just it's looks alone (which are pretty awesome too).
I'm the same way, I do enjoy watching a T manipulate their environment. Digging a burrow, moving a rock , filling in the water dish, etc. Definitely makes them more interesting.

That's where a more specific title helps. You know what you mean, we need to know what you mean.
The post itself comes in quite handy for explaining the title. It would appear that no one else had any trouble figuring out what the post was about. If they did, they either moved on to another thread or got clarification without trying to derail the conversation. If it's that much of a problem, I apologize but maybe this isn't the thread for you. I just posted a question to invite some friendly chat and get some insight on why people choose the animals that they do. If there was one "universal" answer, there wouldn't be a need for discussion but since everyone has their own appreciation of these animals, I thought it might be a great way to open a discussion on, not only the animals, but the people who keep them. That said, let's keep the momentum up and here from some more folks.
 

Arcana

Arachnopeon
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May 14, 2016
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I don't value colors much but patterns and shapes are more interesting to me. Docile Ts are just so... Plump and fluffy, they're big and their fascinating behaviour... I feel privileged to have and care for them.

First when I chose my first T I chose it by color and overall look that pleased me and suits for a starter, of course. After that I bought few more :) So now I own Ts that aren't that colourful because I don't like colours much, but they will be big, plump and fluffy creatures. In the end the beauty is the bond I have with my Ts and that's what make them so beautiful and special :)
 

gypsy cola

Arachnoknight
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Jan 16, 2014
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192
It honestly depends what you are looking for in a tarantula.

Some people only want an Aphonopelma species because they want something that comes from their homeland. Some people buy due to attitude.

The great thing about tarantulas is that there is a variety. You simply need to ask yourself... what are you looking for?

Most popular species are usually easily breed or available a lot more "drab" species would be more popular if there was abundant information or availability.

LPs are ugly yet almost everyone has one whether they like it or not.
 

Kymura

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Oct 1, 2015
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Personally, I love spiders in general and have always found them fascinating. Be it watching a common house spider (any sort) build a Web or simply watching my psychotic porteri bury her glass beads. (An ongoing thing. I periodically drop a few in there for her to hide)
They are such total individuals. My two adult female porteri are as different as day and night. Some are lively, others 'pet rocks' all are beautiful.
I tried for a decent variety of tarantulas just for this reason and none of them have ever disappointed me.
 

MoonWeaver

Arachnopeon
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May 27, 2016
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For me, all tarantulas are fascinating. Even though I know I'll never own a P. murinus, I still find them to be beautiful creatures. The thing that I really enjoy is exactly what @Kymura said:
They are such total individuals.
For me, this is the most "attractive" part of tarantulas - the individuality they show. My G. porteri is a sweetheart (usually), my T. ockerti is incredibly protective of the water dish, etc.
I don't know that I could pinpoint what makes me like a specific species. My A. chalcodes is beautiful for her blond carapace and dark brown legs, while my T. ockerti is gorgeous because of her coloration, as well.
 

bluocean

Arachnopeon
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Aug 13, 2016
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4
It's almost like preferences in a woman or man as a partner. It really depends on the individual and what you personally like. For me, the "attraction" is the T's in general. They are magnificent creatures and are not given enough credit for their uniqueness in the pet trade. Not to mention the colors and patterns they are able to produce. :)
 
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