Why did you get into spiders?

TheTsupreme

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
164
You are really missing out if you don't get into scorps too.
They are so different and amazing creatures.
Paul
Yea im getting more and more fascinated by them but still, my mom is scared to death of em, even if i told her the imperator poison isnt that dangerous.
 

Inguan

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
17
whe i was kid i liked spiders and inset and from there is my love to this one :)
 

Avicularia Man

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
171
I got into spiders to break my fear of them. I got my first 5 Tarantulas on 12-17-09. I have been into reptiles for 24 years now. I don't have any now, but when I finally move, I plan on starting my snake collection back up. I also like lizards, but not as much as I like snakes. I mainly only like owning monitors when it comes to lizards, but I think I may get into geckos this time around as well. I want to get back into breeding snakes and would also like to get into breeding T's as well. But the whole breeding thing won't be for a few years. Especially with T's. Right now I just want to make sure I can raise the 5 slings I have now. I know slings are harder to care for than adults, so if I can raise these 5 little ones, then I will feel I can breed. After all, not point in breeding if I can't keep the slings alive.
 

kagols

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 27, 2010
Messages
0
I used to love the outdoors. when i was young i used to spend the large part of my summer vacation days out in the mountains here in the philippines looking for spiders so i can make them pets. I literally came home covered in mud with cuts and bruises, that all changed when i got to high school... i saw Nephilas making webs around the woods outside my school.
They were massive, one i saw had a body of 12 inches i think.. after that i got scared of spiders :( .. i love animals and i miss that feeling so now i'm planning to get a spider for a pet....preferably a nephila....which species do you think would be best? :)
 

Kirsten

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
205
at first i thought spiders are just spiders....i was always an animal lover since im a child but spiders arent my thing it was dogs,turtles and mice......then when i started growing up i started feeling freaky things about exotic animals..like i need to get one of all of them then i saw this show that shows Ts then i said to my self "this where i will start my dream of getting one of all of them"......then now i have 2Ts,1 snake,2rhino beatles(they died sometime ago due too age),1 hermit crab(died a month ago due to age too) and a water dragon.......but Ts are my favorite..they got freakingly awesome body and hunting skills....{D {D {D i like how they devour their food alive....drinking,yummy juice and insides{D {D
I was like that too, except I didn't want one of all of them, just the ones that interested me the most.
You must have had that hermit crab a loooong time. They can live to +/- 30 years:eek:
 

Kaleb

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
1
Have been terrified of spiders my whole life, but my GF really wanted one. She was terrified of snakes when we started dating and I had 10 of those, and she learnt to deal and eventually got some herself. So I thought it would be fair to let her get one(B.smithi), after 2 weeks I bought her 2 G.Pulchra slings. I got more and more fascinated by the little critters, and then I thought, what the hell. So I got a couple of A.Versicolor, and now I have 16 Ts and several incoming. Highly addictive hobby and somewhat cheaper than the boa and ball python morphs I was into before :D

Thats my little story

-Kaleb
 

Autonerd

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 16, 2008
Messages
28
My wife responded to an ad for a dog that was looking for a home. My wife went to meet the dog, the folks really liked her, and in the course of the conversation they asked my wife if we wanted a tarantula, too. "Sure!" My wife figured I did well with the two goldfish our kids won at a school carnival (4 years and several hundred dollars later, they're still thriving) so I could figure out a spider. She called me and said "Start reading up on tarantulas!" When we went to pick up the dog, Fifi the Rose-hair came with her. So far as I know, the dog and the spider still aren't aware of each other's existence.

A few months ago we added a gecko -- friend's aunt was dying and she needed to find a home for several poorly-cared-for animals. That's how Frankie Four Fingers joined the family. Thank goodness my wife took a pass on the 18' boa constrictor.

Aaron
 

Toirtis

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
316
When I was but 5, I had a consuming fascination for bugs of all kinds...my best friend and I hunted down all we could, and kept many as long as we were permitted (not terribly long, as my mother was fine with just about everything except bugs, which she was none too fond of, for the most part). My first spider memories were when I was 2-5, and came from the huge, black ugly house spiders that had a habit of ending up in the bathtub with you when you were having a nice soak. Then there was a couple of incidents when I was 6, and some older neighbour kids dared me to eat a spider that was residing on a windowsill outside...I did...twice, actually. Long story short, I grew up keeping virtually everything under the sun (snakes, lizards, turtles, rodents, birds, beetles, slugs, snails, fish)...but spiders. Then, as a complete surprise on my birthday in 1979, my parents gifted me with a huge female B. smithi (they were relatively inexpensive and plentiful back then)...apart from a brief break from keeping Ts (2001-2010), I have never looked back.
 

Evil Seedlet

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
42
Right so, every few months my boyfriend and I for whatever reason end up looking up pictures of huge spiders online (usually true spiders) just to freak ourselves out. One of the last few times we started looking at tarantulas too and even though thery still kind of make my hair stand on end, i just really, really wanted one. So many of them are just beautiful and amazing to look at, I love the way they walk and clean themselves.. I never had any life long love affair with bugs or spiders, it just kind of hit me one day when looking at pictures and video of them.

True spiders still kind of freak me out, I'm not deathly afraid or anything and if I see one in a web inside I'll leave it alone, but the ones that like to wander and float through the air get tossed outside. Unless maybe it was a brown recluse, I've never actually seen one but if I did I think I'd kill it. Just not worth the risk, heh.
 

MichiganReptiles

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
407
My Story

I started looking at YouTube videos to see how people kept their Dubia roaches because I needed them for my reptiles. I came across Robc's video, started going through some of his other videos, became completely addicted, three hours later.. went to bed. Woke the next morning wanting to watch more. Found this board from him talking about it. Now I have two T's (G. Pulchra, A. Genic) even though only 2 months ago at a local reptile show I walked right by a T table and even shivered as I quickly scurried past. I believe I even told my 12 year old son that he would NEVER have to worry about having one in our house! I'm thankful to robc for changing my outlook and happy to be a part of the hobby! (although now I'm completely addicted and talking to my husband about building shelves in our 6 foot bedroom closet to make space for all the T's I plan to get). ;)
 

mikkwa

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
3
Like a few people here I never imagined I would ever bring a spider into my home on purpose. I've been bitten by brown recluses & stung by scorpions from accidental encounters with them. I believe in letting them be in their enviorement, but come into my home...gone! As a child I chased & caught everything that moved. Mom would make me turn them loose. I still left the arachnids alone. I live at a lake in Texas & we have these fat, round spiders outside that make new webs every night. I work at night & one decided my V.W.'s mirror was the place for her web sessions. In the mornings when I started home I would have to slow down so she could hide in the mirror before the wind force blew her away.On my last night of work this week, I caught a roach & a moth for her. She had only mosquitos caught in the web. It was really fun watching her prepare the treats then eat. I decided right then I wantd a tarantula. Went to my local pet shop & bought the only one they had, a sub-adult female Chilean Rose Hair. I didn't have any info' on that species in my reptile books ( I mainly keep snakes) so I went to the web and found Tarantulas.com. They had lots of good info' & suggested 2 books (I ordered both today) and suggested this forum for more help. While in their site I saw the next T I want to get. Never say never as they say, People change!! Her name is Tessa Tarantula & she is right next to my laptop where I can get used to her. Funny thing, since I got her yesterday she seems to like staying in the corner closest to me. That is endearing even if it is really a one sided love affair.
 

TarantulaTeen

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
11
How i got to the tarantula hobby

Well ever since I could remember I have always loved spiders and tried to protect and hold them.:p When I was 5 I saw a rose hair in a pet shop i got my mind blow away by how huge and cool looking there were.:D When it was my 6th bday i got a rose hair.{D Today im 14 and i got a obt and a chaco golden knee. Now trying to get a red cameroon tarantula.{D
 

nolan

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
7
It started when my 10 year old son wanted a t for his birthday so we took him to a local pet store that sells exotic pets and we talked to one of the employees that had t's of his own we got the info and bought a g.rosea and everything needed after a week my son lost all interest of course so i started caring for it and became infatuated with them so i found another pet store with a large variety of t's and bought a big salmon pink and once more experiance is gained i plan on having many more lol
 

desireewolfgang

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
15
You know, I really have no clue what got me interested in them. It's like I just decided one day when I was like 17/18 that I wanted one, did a lot of research, went for it, and then I just fell in love with them. And that's the whole story.
 

Dravensmom

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
86
My mother had a rosea while I was growing up so I always loved tarantulas. About a month ago I went to rodent fest to get a yellow mouse and there was a little girl maybe 11 or 12 who hatched her own rosea slings. They were $5 a piece so I asked her if she would do 3 for $10(I figured they would not live I just wanted someone to buy them from her because I thought it was pretty cool that she did it all by herself). I gave one to my brother, one to my bf and i had one. My mother was upset that I did not get her one so while looking online for a store in my area that sells tarantulas I found paul. I never knew there was anything other than brown.. or that they could be sent through the mail. I bought every family member that likes tarantulas a cool one. now my family and I just cant seem to stop ourselves:8o Now I have a rosea, tiger rump, 3 Lps and 5 OBTs on the way from Cbarr. My mother has a new river my brothers gf bought her and versicolor and lp I gave her. My brother has a rosea and aviculara amazicona(sp?) from his gf and his Gf has a greenbottle blue she bought and the curley I got her and my bf has the rosea and an Lp I gave him. All these were bought within the last month so I am pretty worried the tarantulas will take over soon..
 
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Vespula

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
706
My entire life, I've been into insects and spiders. I'd talk about them endlessly. I read every book I could from the time I could read about them. When I was about 7, one of my teachers brought a G. rosea to a halloween carnival our school was hosting. I stared at it for a long time, then started asking my parents for one. They said "NO". so my young heart was broken. But i was a stubborn kid, and kept asking for the next 10 years.

My efforts paid off when I was a senior in Highschool, earlier this year. I told my mom that a tarantula would be a great companion when i moved to college in the fall. I told her that it would "keep me company during the long nights of studying, when I wouldn't have an animal friend to spend time with." She actually said OK this time! I was thrilled. Before she could change her mind, I was on the Computer ordering a B. smithi sling from KenTheBugGuy. I got my Catastrophe a week later, and the addiction began. That was in march. In May, for my birthday/graduation present, I got a B. vagans. Right before the fall semester of college started, I was able to order a G. rosea. Right after I ordered her, I found another one in a pet store that needed rescuing. I bought him, as well. Now, just last week, I got an OBT and two B. vagans slings! It's become an addiction! {D
 

clam1991

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2008
Messages
971
You know, I really have no clue what got me interested in them. It's like I just decided one day when I was like 17/18 that I wanted one, did a lot of research, went for it, and then I just fell in love with them. And that's the whole story.
so awkward but ditto {D down to the period
 
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