Your first interaction with your first T?

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
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96
Besides first ever putting the tarantula from its shipping container into its enclosure, what was the reason for interacting with your tarantula for the first time and how did it go? All I have to say about my first interaction with my tarantula is "I could probably do it again without fear," after realizing that my personal tarantula isn't so aggressive. But then again, he/she is a curly hair tarantula. Known to be gentle yet unpredictable.

My first interaction was for a picture to sex it by, which you can check out that post here if you want to help >> http://arachnoboards.com/gallery/brachypelma-albopilosum-boy-or-girl.41553/

It threw up a slight spook (and web) while I was prodding it, but everything turned out fine! If you want to see a video of my first interactions with the tarantula you can see that here, there, or anywhere!
How was your first interaction with a tarantula?
 

PanzoN88

Arachnodemon
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Sep 15, 2014
Messages
713
Feeding time a week after I got my B. Albopilosum. I gave her a dubia roach cut in pieces.
 

nicodimus22

Arachnomancer
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Sep 26, 2013
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I got home with a 1/4 inch G. pulchripes sling, sat down, and let it walk on my hand for a while (right over my table.) Even when they are tiny, they don't move like, say, house spiders. They have that slow and steady "feeling ahead" walk that they keep their whole lives.




Legs is now a 4" beauty:




For those about to freak out out about me handling, you can relax. I'm not a handler. This was a one-time thing for a new keeper.
 

Cordialis

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
4
First off, I'd say all tarantulas can be considered "unpredictable" to some extent. Over time keepers learn to recognize signals in their specimens behavior but that doesn't mean the T can't surprise us anymore.

Secondly, my vote is on using exoskeleton (molt) for sexing rather than ventral sexing. To do this, take out the next molt from your T, soften it up if needed and then open the abdomen part of the exoskeleton and very gently flatten it. You'll see four white spots which are the booklungs. In between the anterior booklungs (the two closest to the carapace) is where you can look to sex your T. If there are "flaps" it's a female and if not it's a male. When this species turn mature you'll see clearly if they're male without needing to wait for a molt since their pedipalps will have little "boxing gloves" at the end and the front legs will have small hooks called tibial hooks.

On a third note, I have as a general rule to not disturb the spider (no handling and no prodding) unless absolutely necessary since I don't want to cause any unnecessary stress. I know opinions differ in this matter, but that's my five cents in this.

Finally, to answer the question you actually asked :angelic:: my first encounter was with my C. versicolor (my first T). I had just fed her and was going to do some maintenance, but accidentally spooked her so she ran out of her enclosure onto my desk and came to a rest on my computer keyboard. I got a catch cup to get her back in but she quickly dashed down under my desk and from there I got her safely into the catch cup and then back into her enclosure. Had no incidents since and this one was all on me for spooking the poor little girl.
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
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Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
Besides first ever putting the tarantula from its shipping container into its enclosure, what was the reason for interacting with your tarantula for the first time and how did it go? .... My first interaction was for a picture to sex it by... How was your first interaction with a tarantula?
My first few dozens 'interactions' were feedings and water bowl refills.

(I'm confused -- if it were MM (assume you didn't really mean "post-ultimate male") but couldn't you tell when you purchased it? Or, if ordered online, when unpacking it? I may have misunderstood video. The video shots were too quick for me to be sure of gender).
 

Cordialis

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
4
I got home with a 1/4 inch G. pulchripes sling, sat down, and let it walk on my hand for a while (right over my table.) Even when they are tiny, they don't move like, say, house spiders. They have that slow and steady "feeling ahead" walk that they keep their whole lives.




Legs is now a 4" beauty:




For those about to freak out out about me handling, you can relax. I'm not a handler. This was a one-time thing for a new keeper.
Oh my, look at that wee baby T! How cute is that?! :D Amazing how they grow! Also like the disclaimer about handling :angelic:
 

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
96
My first few dozens 'interactions' were feedings and water bowl refills.

(I'm confused -- if it were MM (assume you didn't really mean "post-ultimate male") but couldn't you tell when you purchased it? Or, if ordered online, when unpacking it? I may have misunderstood video. The video shots were too quick for me to be sure of gender).
I ordered it CB from LLLReptiles and I asked for a female. They said it isn't guaranteed but they would send me one with female characteristics. So I'm not entirely sure. I saw the video was pretty awful So I had some still shots, which were still awful. But if you have any guesses from the still shots go ahead, I'll probably get clearer pictures soon.
 

Leila

Arachnobaron
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Feb 7, 2017
Messages
525
I ordered it CB from LLLReptiles and I asked for a female. They said it isn't guaranteed but they would send me one with female characteristics. So I'm not entirely sure. I saw the video was pretty awful So I had some still shots, which were still awful. But if you have any guesses from the still shots go ahead, I'll probably get clearer pictures soon.
Wouldn't 'female characteristics' be those of confirmed sexual organs though? I could be wrong, but those are the only tell tale signs I know of when determining whether a tarantula is male or female?
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
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Sep 14, 2014
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2,009
So I had some still shots, which were still awful. But if you have any guesses from the still shots go ahead, I'll probably get clearer pictures soon.
I mostly meant that a mature male would be obvious -- no need for ventral shots (my referring to mature male is based on you calling it "post-ultimate male" in your video - I assumed you meant mature male). So, I guess I didn't understand the point of cupping a MM -- it would obviously be male just looking at it without cupping 'him' if 'he' were mature.
But I hope you got a female!

Wouldn't 'female characteristics' be those of confirmed sexual organs though? I could be wrong, but those are the only tell tale signs I know of when determining whether a tarantula is male or female?
Agreed - for accurate gender you need an exo or be very good at visually ventral sexing. To say one has 'female characteristics” sounds a bit dodgy – as if they said “hey – plump rump and not too leggy - must be female.” Which can sometimes be the case, but is risky method indeed -- we don't make a true gender determination on general appearance of rump and legs for a B albo.

[edited to add: my assumption is this is a B albo OP has -- so I am referring to gender determination based on a B albo -- not generalized for all Ts, some of which are sexually dimorphic when mature]
 
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Charlottesweb17

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
34
My first interaction with my Ts was getting them into their enclosures. The funniest of the two was Kronk posturing me at the size of a dime while I was trying to get him off the paper towel into his enclosure.
Imagine what your T looks like posturing and then it being that small doing it.
Kronk is now my one T that comes out regularly to see mama
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
Besides first ever putting the tarantula from its shipping container into its enclosure, what was the reason for interacting with your tarantula for the first time and how did it go? All I have to say about my first interaction with my tarantula is "I could probably do it again without fear," after realizing that my personal tarantula isn't so aggressive. But then again, he/she is a curly hair tarantula. Known to be gentle yet unpredictable.

My first interaction was for a picture to sex it by, which you can check out that post here if you want to help >> http://arachnoboards.com/gallery/brachypelma-albopilosum-boy-or-girl.41553/

It threw up a slight spook (and web) while I was prodding it, but everything turned out fine! If you want to see a video of my first interactions with the tarantula you can see that here, there, or anywhere!
How was your first interaction with a tarantula?
I was a fourteen/fifteen year old moron. Luckily my A.Seemani was docile. I held her often
 

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
96
Wouldn't 'female characteristics' be those of confirmed sexual organs though? I could be wrong, but those are the only tell tale signs I know of when determining whether a tarantula is male or female?
I believe they sent me one with a fat rump and assumed it to be female. I looked for hooks or boxing gloves, I didn't see them. Also, I thought "post ultimate" meant he was about to mature, correct me if I'm wrong because I'm here to learn! Lol I've been researching for four years (before owning one) and my favorite source of knowledge is through other hobbyists experience. I love it when people come together and share and learn ^_^
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
I believe they sent me one with a fat rump and called it female. I looked for hooks or boxing gloves, I didn't see them. Also, I thought "post ultimate" meant he was about to mature, correct me if I'm wrong because I'm here to learn! Lol
Post ultimate is the molt after a male matures out. The molt where a male gets his boxing gloves and hooks is the ultimate molt. 9/10 it's his final molt and he dies, either being eaten after breeding or attempting another molt. If he survives another molt after the ultimate molt, he's post ultimate
 

SkittleBunny

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Post ultimate is the molt after a male matures out. The molt where a male gets his boxing gloves and hooks is the ultimate molt. 9/10 it's his final molt and he dies, either being eaten after breeding or attempting another molt. If he survives another molt after the ultimate molt, he's post ultimate
Ohhhh I understand, good explanation :)
 

SkittleBunny

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
96
I got home with a 1/4 inch G. pulchripes sling, sat down, and let it walk on my hand for a while (right over my table.) Even when they are tiny, they don't move like, say, house spiders. They have that slow and steady "feeling ahead" walk that they keep their whole lives.
How long between the pictures?



Legs is now a 4" beauty:




For those about to freak out out about me handling, you can relax. I'm not a handler. This was a one-time thing for a new keeper.
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
Ohhhh I understand, good explanation :)
Glad I could help. If you've got a Grammastola or a Brachypelma, there's a good chance(well higher than other species but still a loooooong shot) that, if it's a male, it may go post ultimate. I've seen quite a few g.rosea/porteri post ultimate males. I've seen a couple of post ultimate B.Hammori and B.Klassi. But I have never seen a psalmopoeus, poecilotheria, or any baboon male go post ultimate
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
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Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
I was trying to get him off the paper towel into his enclosure.
I know! I guess that paper towel is familiar and who knows what kind of journey they had during shipping.
I've literally had to tear off surrounding paper towel and set Ts into their new homes, still sitting atop their paper towel raft... twice. One was an OBT sling. lol
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Secondly, my vote is on using exoskeleton (molt) for sexing rather than ventral sexing.
I don't think it's as unreliable as people make out, I've only been proved wrong 3 times out of 16 unsexed specimens (all females that I initially thought were male, 2 of those were species that are known to be tricky to vent sex), so I'm currently operating at 82.25% accuracy so far :borg:

My reason for learning to vent sex is that I basically didn't trust people to send me what they'd advertised, allow waiting several months for a moult to find out you've been duped.

I do, however, agree that spermathecae sexing is pretty much foolproof provided you get an intact exuvia.

Also, I thought "post ultimate" meant he was about to mature, correct me if I'm wrong because I'm here to learn!
I believe you mean "penultimate", @Grimmdreadly explained "post ultimate" already so I'll leave it at that.

To answer the original question, other than housing/feeding her, I did handle* my little juvie B. albopilosum, she just calmly wandered around on the palm of my hand and then she just crapped on it, I chuckled to myself and put her back in her enclosure, fun times.

* I don't handle now unless a T bolts out of its enclosure when I open it and runs up my arm :rofl:
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
Glad I could help. If you've got a Grammastola or a Brachypelma, there's a good chance(well higher than other species but still a loooooong shot) that, if it's a male, it may go post ultimate. I've seen quite a few g.rosea/porteri post ultimate males. I've seen a couple of post ultimate B.Hammori and B.Klassi. But I have never seen a psalmopoeus, poecilotheria, or any baboon male go post ultimate
Philth had a stirmi make it! http://arachnoboards.com/threads/theraphosa-strimi-survives-a-post-ultimate-molt.231060/
 
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