Why did you get into spiders?

johnharper

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
456
For it was simple fascination with them that turned into an obsession. One of the first tarantulas I ever saw was a b.smithi in a book after that I knew I had to have some someday. But my first tarantula was not a smithi it was a g.rosea. I love tarantulas.

John Campbell
 

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
1,423
i have been into insects since i was oh... 4 years old. at the age of 6, i caught a black widow, carried it home restrained by its legs so it couldnt bite me

-josh
You sir, have some nerves of steel.

Props to you.
 

queenandimarie

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
5
My first T was an Lasiodora parahybana sling. My b/f bought a H. Lividum form Swift's and he sent a freebie!
 

Necrosis

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
2
i was soooooo scared of spiders :eek: So when i got married to my husband ni 2001 , i found out that he had a rose t at one time and his ex girlfriend killed it because he broke up with her wile he was at work , she filed the tank with h2o all the way to the top , so being scared of them , but love my husband the most i bought him one for v -day it was a mexican red leg
with 6 locks on the cage. and time i began to learn alot about them and then after 4 years i wanted one , so for mothersday i got a ( gray smoke )
she is a trip love her to death , she loves to be held , we now have 3 t in the house
 

GootySapphire

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
654
I was pretty frightened of spiders because all I knew about them is what they show you on movies, and that made me freaked out, haha. My buddy ending up buying a A. Avic which almost looked black and I went to his house to check it out well he decided it would be funny to bust it out of its cage and put it on my shoulder when I didnt know and so I could do nothing but eventually have to grab it. Realized it wasn't that bad and became instantly obssessed.
 

JayzunBoget

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
331
Necrosis, that was not a Mexican Red Leg you had. There are like many Brachy species that are easy to confuse, but you had my favorite, Brachypelma boehmi or Mexican Fire Leg.
He was an amazing Tarantula. Not only is he the one that got me to forever give up guessing gender based on abdomen (by having the biggest bootay* I have ever seen on any male tarantula), but he got me back into T keeping by being one of the most beautiful Ts I had ever seen.
After getting to know "Gluttony", I knew that I had to have a boehmi of my own. Then one thing led to another, and thus I find myself in my current, hopelessly addicted state.

* when there is that much junk in the trunk, it is not "booty" but has graduated to "bootay"
 

presurcukr

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2008
Messages
646
My first T's were B.smithi and A.avic.got them at the same time that was 25years ago.:eek: If I only knew of the addiction that Attilla and Charlotte would start. Just have to have more and more and more !!!!!!!:drool:
 

Kamikaze

@baboonmanila
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
309
It's probably a fascination of these misunderstood creatures that got me into the hobby. :)
 

5thPhantom

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2008
Messages
94
I'd always wanted a pet spider since I was a young child. I had to small house spiders that frequented a corner of my bedroom in my early teens, and that was the closest I could come to owning a spider whilst I lived at home!

Several relationships later, I have finally found a gem of a man who, amongst many other wonderful things, shares my love of all things 8-legged. He bought me a G. rosea for my birthday, and it was the start of a very very slippery slope ...!!! :)
 

Buckshot

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
107
I´ve had aquariums for many years, and wanted something diferent.
I thought of several animals including snakes and lizards, but the low maintance, small space and exclusivity made me decide for spiders. :cool:
Also, i had to renovate my apartment and a 2,35 m aquarium is not easy to move around.:razz:
 

crpy

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
I´ve had aquariums for many years, and wanted something diferent.
I thought of several animals including snakes and lizards, but the low maintance, small space and exclusivity made me decide for spiders. :cool:
Also, i had to renovate my apartment and a 2,35 m aquarium is not easy to move around.:razz:
You could fabricate a cool little jungle in that:D
 

D-back

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 5, 2008
Messages
186
I bought my first T because I wanted to treat my arachnophobia....The treatment was a success!!..:) Do you think I'm healthy now?...Nope!....I'm an arachnoholic....{D
 

Twitch Boy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
26
I met a friend in college who had a ball python. I wanted a cool and unique pet as well, but there was no way I had the space, money or resources to handle a python or other snake. Then one day I happened across the infamous "clock spider" picture...THAT'S IT! A tarantula!

I did some quick research online and found that most were inexpensive, required very little in the way of resources and were extremely low maintenance. I lurked forums and Googled all the info I could find for a few months just to make sure I was ready, then in summer of 2007 I welcomed Quinne into my home.
 

Tarantula_man94

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
280
last year for my science fair project
wanted to do it on something exotic
parents wouldnt let me do snakes
thought bout tarantulas and got my first G. rosea{D
 

ttula

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
56
I used to be a bank teller and across from the bank there was this pet store, and one day when I was on break I went in and they had this lovely big a. mod there. I'd never seen a tarantula before in my life, but I thought she was beautiful and wanted to learn all about them. I ended up getting her a few weeks later and they delivered her to me right at my teller window. :D
 

JDeRosa

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
501
I was always interested in them but growing up in NYC had never seen any...except on TV. So when I moved I saw a Rosehair in a pet shop. The kid that worked there put it in my hand and I was nervous, which she sensed so she took off up my arm. I screamed and cursed and the kid grabbed her off me. I was hooked.
 

johnnyb9999

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
15
I was 10 when I got my first T like most people it was a G. rosea which I named Harry. I started with herps (cool parents) but then kinda fell more and more into T's and now only own T's :)
 

gvfarns

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
1,579
I had several chances to hold tarantulas growing up but I had always been too much of a sissy to do it. Then my girlfriend (now my wife) goes on a trip and takes some pictures of her holding a friend's tarantula, which makes me realize just how much of a weenie I had been and i wanted a chance to hold one. I lived in a small apartment alone and wanted a pet and realized a tarantula would be perfect. Did a bit of research to figure out what kind was best and bought myself a G aureo.

Well, the research and subsequent efforts to be a good owner were so fascinating that I have been reading up on tarantulas and tarantula keeping ever since. I like keeping them, but I'd be fine without them if I had to. Reading about them online is probably even better for me.
 

ThistleWind

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 2, 2008
Messages
252
I was terrified of spiders growing up. The movie Arachnophobia gave me INTENSE insomnia and "itchy" feelings all night after a viewing. Even when I went into pet stores and saw tarantulas, I felt like they were NUTS for having those things in their stores (G. rosea) and I swore I felt it get out of its cage and climb on my back in the store. lol.

Well... after a while, I realized that every time I went into the store I went straight for the T. I then decided to get one.. after much debating with myself. I can't be happier with T's... they are the perfect companions.. and terrifically fascinating!
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
At the University of Illinois I took an entomology course (GREAT class) that also covered arachnids in the curriculum. One of the course requirements was that we participate in a rearing project and keep a journal of our observations. Most of the students opted for caterpillars, roaches, etc, but went for a T. I've had my G. rosea ever since. She's a beaut!
 
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