Why did you get into spiders?

[kurisute_hasu]

I got my 1st T. about two months ago. A G. Rosea. I adopted her from a friend who couldn’t take her into the dorms and no one else would take her. I have always been afraid of smaller spiders, the kind that can hid in your shoes and bed and if bitten take chunks out of flesh. *shivers* I had a big case of arachnophobia. Which has become manageable.

When I first took the Rosea home I could barely put my hand in the cage to change the water without getting a huge adrenalin surge. I still get nervous (because my rosea is a little psycho, docile by butt) but am able to do more now. And I don’t handle her too often...unless I have to.

I got into tarantulas by accident, started doing research because I was (and still am) clueless and am very glad I did. But people who play with wolf spiders and keep black widows, I think your nuts!

 

[BasementJungle]

I was probably 7 years old, my dad came back from a business trip in arizona with a little hitchhiker he had found outside his hotel. If I can remember correctly, it was a Mexican Redknee. This was 14 years ago, and a 20 page tarantula book is all we had for reference. It was an amazing experience for me, although far from my first invert pet. I probably kept it alive for about 6 months. I'm not sure why it died, probably a few reasons.

 

[maarrrrr]

saw one a T at a petshop and i bought it. Then, i bought another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one,......................

 

[Joe Xavier]

I killed a T 6 years ago... I was young... and it was the first time I saw a tarantula...

To make up for it, I wanna keep them now...

 

[rice_smuggler]

I got a free sling when I bought a scorp to add to my collection and now I'm hooked on these little buggers too.

 

[The Shadow]

up until a year or so ago i was frightened of all spiders. i would not go into the local pet store cause they may have had Ts in there. My best bud has a G. rosea and I forced myself to look at it in his room. interest grew, and i quit being a pu$$y. Just a few months ago i would look at Ts online and sometimes have to look away cause they were so scary looking. Arachnophobia at its finest. Many nights of sleeplessness cause i thought a spider was in the room. I love my T, I let it crawl on me and im over my past problems. cant wait till i get a room full of these things.

 

[LeilaNami]

I got my first T because my mother wouldn't let me have the 8-foot albino burmese python (only 300 with the cage too!) so I "settled" for my second choice, the rosehair. I must say the T is definately better than any snake although now I have an addiction

 

[Doezsha]

I always had some kind of pet sense i was able to take care of them on my own mostly reptiles and amphibians, I was always attracted to inverts but didn't have much experience with them. A high School Buddy had a mature female Rose Hair and allowed me the pleasure of watching her make a meal out of a hopper, from that point on i was sold. I wanted a T but wanted to start with something a little smaller so I went to a local pet store The East Bay Vivarium and purcheded my first T a Avicularia avicularia named Sticky Fingers awww I miss Sticky Fingers

 

[ShadowBlade]

Ever since I was 4 I'd hold every 'bug' I could find. I've been raising and handling spiders ever since. I raised true spiders in jelly jars and ice cream tubs in my dad's garage for years. Then I finally graduated to tarantulas, and moved everything to my room.
That's why I handle all my T's so easily, because thats what I've done my whole life.

 

[Mina]

My addiction is my husbands fault. I knew someone about 12 years ago that had a very old rosehair female, and I always thought it was really neat. I thought that someday I would like to have one. I mentioned this to my husband, and so for our anniversary he got me a female rosehair tarantula. Now I have 31. He likes them himself, and knows better than to complain, if he does all I have to say is, Well you started this!

 

[wollywoo]

I have always had respect 4 spiders cause i am afraid of flys and spiders eat um, i have been rescued from horrible great buzzy things by spiders many times so I like um. I was whining cause I didnt have a Tarantula and was informed I could have one! :razz: so, I looked into it and got a G. rosea who is the love of my life. sorta. now i'm looking forward to my 2nd T which is gunna be a B smithi with any luck. Know someone with a very young spiderling!! yeay!!

 

[Uehling]

we got four at once. i seen a add on a computer site, a guy in the air force was going over seas and he couldnt take his T's with him so he was giving them away. i went down and picked up......
1-Avicularia avicularia
1-Haplopelma lividum
1-Paraphysa scrofa
1-Grammostola rosea
my wife was not happy at all with me for bringing home 4 T's but after she started to understand them a little she is now into them just as much as i am!
now 5 1/2 months later we are up to 33 T's

 

[PoPpiLLs]

Ever since I was 4 I'd hold every 'bug' I could find. I've been raising and handling spiders ever since. I raised true spiders in jelly jars and ice cream tubs in my dad's garage for years. Then I finally graduated to tarantulas, and moved everything to my room.
That's why I handle all my T's so easily, because thats what I've done my whole life.

pretty much the same story here plus I always feed all the spider around my house when I was growing up

 

[Midnightrdr456]

i was drunk one night at college and saw a special on animal planet on tarantulas and thought how cool they are. I decided to get one, waited like 2 weeks to see if it was just a passing feeling, which it wasnt, and i bought a rose hair. Then increased from there.

 

[Sunar]

I actually started out with a scorpion. I've always wanted one...and finally had talked the wife into not freaking out about me getting one. After reading the boards and learning more about T's though I got interested in T's...so I bought my first one *G. aureostriata* and...it's been an addiction ever since. I actually only own 2 scorpions now but 11 T's.

~Fred

 

[tarangela2]

amazingly, my ex husband got me started on them, fortunately for me HE is gone but the Ts remain!

i had a T when i met my new husband and he likes them too

 

[raven89]

i got into scorps first btu find them ratehr boring kepp hiding and not that fun, then i saw a fire leg and was hooked i bought him for $100 a costly peice but he look fine and very sociable , dont mind me handling him at all ha think getting a female pretty soon

 

[raywells]

thought the rosea would be a change now i got 7 Ts an makeing a wishlist.now im addicted

 

[LeilaNami]

Let me also just say I too have always been interested in inverts and reptiles since I was very little girl. The thought of owning one had never really crossed my mind until the rosie.

 

[Mallard]

I have always been fascinated with spiders.I could watch them all day, specially when they feed.
I just purchased my first T. An avicularia avicularia. When she crawled up
my arm in the pet store I was hooked. I cant believe how much this site has taught me in just a few days
Thanks ALL!