Which factors influence you choosing a new T?

[davidmmx]

Hi. I've got to develop a system for a subject at my college, which has to do something like classify or propose. I chose to make one which will recommend a new T to buy. It would make some questions about the desired characteristics of the tarantula, and it would try to say which species are the best matching your desires. To start with this, I must have clear what criterions may influence this decision. So far, I've found these to be some of the most relevant:

1º How docile are members of the species.
2º Urticant hairs. Some people don't mind about it, but I know there are people keeping only OW species because of this.
3º How fast may they move. There are people a bit scared about the fastest Ts and they want ( or at least prefer ) to keep slow Ts.
4º The grow rate of the species. Specially if you are going to get a ling.
5º Price, since there are great differences between the price of some adult T, ranging from a few dollars to more than a hundred.
6º The showines. It's not the same to have a pet hole ( as I've heard about H.lividum ) as having a Lasyodora which will stand visible most of the time, or as any heavy webber which will hide in it's nest.

I have doubts about the following criterions. Does anyone take this into account when choosing the species of the new tarantulas they buy?

7º Venom. I think we all believe that a pokie bite is really worse than a bite from a brachypelma, so, maybe this is a relevant factor, isn't it?
8º Humidity. If you live somewhere with a high humidity, perhaps you will prefer any T used to this kind of climate. If you live in a dry region and you don't want to keep an eye on the humidity of the enclosures of your tarantulas, you may prefer a tarantula used to dry climate, such as brachypelma.
9º Size of adults of the species.
10º Is there any dilemma on arboreal / terrestrial species?

If you know about any other relevant factor I'd love to know about it, and if you think one of the listed above should be removed tell me why. Please keep in mind that when using this kind of system it's not necessary to supply info on all mentioned subjects, you could just say that you don't mind about the grow rate or the urticant hairs, so it wouldn't influence the final recommendation.

 

[silverpenny]

Color!

It seems like one of the predominant variables for many in the decision to purchase new T's is Color. If all T's were brown, we probably wouldn't collect as many.

What other variable contributes as much to the large pricetags of P. metallica and C. "Singapore Blue"?

 

[davidmmx]

I think the colors are important, as you said, but perhaps it's too specific and subjetive to be solved with questions. I mean, what should it ask you? Something like "What colors do you want in your T?". There are too many possibilities. Perhaps it should be left to the final stage of the selection. For example, after all other questions there are pokies and other genre I can't think about just now ( I don't know about many species yet ). Then you could see some pictures (if you have answered enough questions there shouldn't be too many) and choose between them the one you like just taking the colors into account, knowing they all don't have urticant hairs and match your desires.

I'm just saying that I can't figure out how may the questions regarding the color be asked. Showing a list with all color combinations could be a hard work. Assigning a "colorful" level to each specie could be too subjetive. Perhaps you would give a 8 to a P.metallica, but other could say that it's just an all-blue unichrome T and deserves a 5.

BTW, I think A.versicolor is more colorful than a P.metallica, and A.metallica is not so different from P.metallica, so they must be so expensive because there are harder to find just now - and T.blondi are really expensive compared to more colorful Ts like B. smithi.

Anyway, thanks for the answer. It's true the color is important, but I don't see another way to let the user select without pictures, so perhaps it should be left to the user at the end of the process.

 

[Nerri1029]

The problem with this is that each person has a different hierarchy.

I myself place origin and behavior over looks.

My ideal T would be from Africa, have a strong attitude and not burrow too much.
I'd prefer that it stays out in the open but that's not real important either. .
Growth rate has NO influence on my decisions.
over all size - little influence
venom strength - little influence
If it's got nice colors then GREAT.

While others place a much higher importance on looks.

GOOD luck.

I think it will still work but it will be a "tool" for yourself.

 

[Varden]

I select which Ts I want according to how colorful they are. I am very much attracted to the colorful ones. But I also have Ts, like the T blondi, which aren't colorful but they do get huge. Basically, when I look at getting a new T, I look for a T that is unusual in either color or size or temperment or aggressiveness. I actually gravitate towards the aggressive, rather than the docile.

 

[Thoth]

1. Color / interesting morphology (things like leg iv of C.crawshayi oe E.pachypus, horned carapace etc.)
2. out in the open/pet hole
3. terrestrial/arboreal (I tend to gravitate towards terrestrials)
4. Cost
5. Size

 

[davidmmx]

I think it will still work but it will be a "tool" for yourself.

Then it wouldn't be really a nice job. Let me explain again that you can leave any question unanswered if you don't care aboute something. So, things like

Growth rate has NO influence on my decisions.

are considered too. Maybe I could let the user assign priority to the questions, I'm not sure about that just now.

To solve something like

I'd prefer that it stays out in the open but that's not real important either. .

I could let you answer
1º It must in the open, clearly visible
2º I don't care if it's a heavy webber, but I don't want a burrower.
3º I don't care if it's a burrower, but I don't like heavy webbers.
4º I prefer if it is clearly visible, but it's not a must.
5º I don't care about this question.

Do you think this kind of choices could make the system useful to other people?

 

[Nerri1029]

Then it wouldn't be really a nice job. Let me explain again that you can leave any question unanswered if you don't care aboute something. So, things like

are considered too. Maybe I could let the user assign priority to the questions, I'm not sure about that just now.

To solve something like



I could let you answer
1º It must in the open, clearly visible
2º I don't care if it's a heavy webber, but I don't want a burrower.
3º I don't care if it's a burrower, but I don't like heavy webbers.
4º I prefer if it is clearly visible, but it's not a must.
5º I don't care about this question.Do you think this kind of choices could make the system useful to other people?

Ahh yes something like that would be more useful.
Include the spectrum of possibilities:
pet rock always visible --> always in burrow

AND an importance factor 1-10 (or rank) for this trait.
this way the traits will be organized in order according to that person's preferences
so yes useful

 

[davidmmx]

1. Color / interesting morphology (things like leg iv of C.crawshayi oe E.pachypus, horned carapace etc.)

I don't know about that kind of unusual things. I've heard about that horned carapace, but I don't know about that thing on the crawshayi. I hadn't thought about that, but I think it's a good point. I'll start a thread in a few days asking for unusual morphologies. Thanks for the idea.

My ideal T would be from Africa, have a strong attitude and not burrow too much.

I didn't considered about the place the come from because I thought it's really a matter of some other factors, like the fact that T's from Africa don't have urticant hairs and tend to be less docile ( more defensive ). Is that right?

 

[jojobear]

I definately have a "rhyme & reason" to what I buy. My preference is NW terrestrial with a fairly docile behavior. I had too many "defensive" T's in the past and got tired of having to wash my pants everytime I did anything with my Ts. My next criteria would be overall appearance, not neccesarily lots of color like a GBB but the overall look, for example G. pulchra imo is one of the best looking spiders out there but to some it is just a black spider. Hope this was of some help.

 

[GailC]

Lets see, when shopping for T's I usually consider the following.

1. Color or pattern, I like bright colors like blue or orange but I also like contrasting pattern like black & white banded or heavy markings like on pokies.

2. terrestrial or arboreal, I lean towards arboreal, I like the movement and habits better.

3. Visibility. I like to be able to see my T's or at least some nice webbing. I
hate my pet holes and plan on selling them soon.

4. Longevity/growth rate. I don't want something thats going to reach adulthood and die in a few years.

5. Venom is of little importance to me, it was when I first got into the hobby but not any more.

 

[gumby]

I would say that right now venom is one of the more importent things to me because I change roommates about every 6 months and im never 100% sure how dumb my next roommate will be most of my roommates I know but there always seems to be one I dont. and Id feel bad if one of my Ts got loose and bit an allergic roommate
scott

 

[BLS Blondi]

Factors

For those who know me, my number one factor is SIZE. After that comes coloration.

Perhaps this is better explained by the fact that my collection consists of T. blondi, T. apophysis, L. parahybana, A. geniculata, C. crawshayi, and various Pamphobeteus species.

 

[BigHairy8's]

I would have to say, for me, I buy T's if I don't have one particular species yet. I like ow, nw, arboreal, terrestrial, burrower, etc... I like to see the different T's personalities, as it were. If I don't have one of a genus\sp and I see it for sale, that's my influence.

 

[Code Monkey]

Any system is going to depend upon the individual's desires (I just hope that most people have some system better than the previously mentioned "if I don't have it" ;P).

Myself, I couldn't pin it down to a system beyond no obligate burrowers and no species that genuinely needs constantly moist substrate and high humidity. That said, I am extremely choosy about genera and species. My long term goals are more about building up breeding populations of a relatively small number of species, rather than lots and lots of different species (I tend towards multiples of almost everything in my collection).

 

[BigHairy8's]

Nice jab CM! And you said Ray was arrogant!:clap: I am not a scientist. Just a guy who likes tarantulas. Not some genius like yourself who has to think of a system to make my tarantula purchasing choices. Lets take this a little deeper, shall we?
1. Care required.( Hardy or sensitive genera/spec) I like hardy T's.
Humidity levels are not important. I have arrid to tropical T's
2. Lifespan
3. Overall look of the T. Not so much the color.
Those are the big three I use. Venom, speed, temperment, urticating hair, etc... Not factors. I own multiples of certain species also. But if I see one that I don't have yet, I buy it, no matter how STOOPID it may sound!

 

[davidmmx]

After some posts, I think nobody cares about humidity requirements, so that's out of the list. I didn't thought about it, but I'm taking into account that some species are considered harder than others.


About the lifespan, I didn't know it could vary significantly between species, since I didn't find anything about it. If I can find info on that subject I'll use it.


And the last thing ... I don't expect to do anything that people will be grateful for, or anything like that. I just have to do something for a subjet at college and I chose this.I know people don't really need this. I don't pretend to look like a genius. If I were, I would have done this in february, and not now. And I'm not sure just now if I will be able to met some requierements like the priority of the answers. I'm saying this because I'm not sure about the meaning of this sentence:

Not some genius like yourself who has to think of a system to make my tarantula purchasing choices.

Sorry if I misunderstood you, perhaps I'm just a bit picky, and as you surely have noticed, english is not my native language.

 

[Code Monkey]

Sorry if I misunderstood you, perhaps I'm just a bit picky, and as you surely have noticed, english is not my native language.

Nah, he's not directing it at you but rather me, even though I said I couldn't reduce my choosing methods down to any particular system. In short, don't really know what that guy was saying

 

[spid142]

For me, pattern and or color are important. I enjoy seeing different patterns
and colors in my collection. Venom strength is to keep aware of when I am
working in their enclosure. Will I need to be especially alert doing mainte-
nance. Webbing behavior is important, I enjoy observing different web
habits. Arboreal is more interesting to me than burrowing, but I do have both
kinds of Ts. Size of adults not important. Humidity not important. I try to make my Ts happy, so if it is a 'pet hole' thats ok too, I dont need to
constantly see them.

 

[Nate]

What I factor in:

1) Appearance (coloration/morphology)
2) Cost (Only because I live on a budget)
3) Terrestrial / Arboreal (Don’t want my collection to one sided)

The other factor you listed do not cross my mind when I’m going to make a purchase for myself. If I were advising someone with no keeping experience I would factor in urticant hairs, speed and venom though.