- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,047
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS... How many times has this been asked here?
Alright all you keepers. Chime in here, but let us set the rules of the road. Way too many novices ask things but don't know the particulars. It is no different than asking what my third cousin twice removed favorite soup should be.
All too often the novice ends up with A, a pet hole or B, a dead spider. Or C, a pet hole containing a dead spider.
So how about we establish a fixed criteria a novice can get a firm handle on?
1. Ease of containment.
-Adaptable spider that is in it's comfort zone in the widest variety of circumstances.
-Rule out must dig a 14 inch deep bomb shelter in alluvial clay bearing sandy loam stuff.
2. Availability of food.
-Eats anything that doesn't eat it first.
-Rule out exotic foods from hard to get or expensive sources.
3. Animal durability and longevity.
-Highly tolerant of differing environments and lives X years on average.
-Rule out an animal that is expected to live outside it's comfort zone as excess humidity or only lives a few months.
4. What the novice expects.
-Gets to see the spider in action on a regular basis
-Rule out, as example, me spending 2 1/2 years to get a peek of that Minax.
5. Problems expected to arise.
-As in average Salticid that is is more or less problem free.
-Rule out a spider that fits the above criteria but cranks out slings regularly that can escape any novice style containment.
6. Ease of feeding and maintenance.
-Cleaning containment with minimal problems.
-Rule out that T that can fill a large terrarium with web in a week or the sparassid that is gone the moment the lid is lifted.
7. What the novice expects of the animal.
-Fits all the above criteria but is nocturnal and never seen.
Suggestions and ideas?? We can get things hashed out here then redo the thread.
Alright all you keepers. Chime in here, but let us set the rules of the road. Way too many novices ask things but don't know the particulars. It is no different than asking what my third cousin twice removed favorite soup should be.
All too often the novice ends up with A, a pet hole or B, a dead spider. Or C, a pet hole containing a dead spider.
So how about we establish a fixed criteria a novice can get a firm handle on?
1. Ease of containment.
-Adaptable spider that is in it's comfort zone in the widest variety of circumstances.
-Rule out must dig a 14 inch deep bomb shelter in alluvial clay bearing sandy loam stuff.
2. Availability of food.
-Eats anything that doesn't eat it first.
-Rule out exotic foods from hard to get or expensive sources.
3. Animal durability and longevity.
-Highly tolerant of differing environments and lives X years on average.
-Rule out an animal that is expected to live outside it's comfort zone as excess humidity or only lives a few months.
4. What the novice expects.
-Gets to see the spider in action on a regular basis
-Rule out, as example, me spending 2 1/2 years to get a peek of that Minax.
5. Problems expected to arise.
-As in average Salticid that is is more or less problem free.
-Rule out a spider that fits the above criteria but cranks out slings regularly that can escape any novice style containment.
6. Ease of feeding and maintenance.
-Cleaning containment with minimal problems.
-Rule out that T that can fill a large terrarium with web in a week or the sparassid that is gone the moment the lid is lifted.
7. What the novice expects of the animal.
-Fits all the above criteria but is nocturnal and never seen.
Suggestions and ideas?? We can get things hashed out here then redo the thread.