Your First Tarantula?

What was your first tarantula?

  • A. seemmani (Stripe Knee)

    Votes: 9 3.1%
  • Avicularia sp. (Pinktoe)

    Votes: 34 11.8%
  • B. albopilosum (Curlyhair)

    Votes: 15 5.2%
  • B. smithi (Red Knee)

    Votes: 24 8.3%
  • E. campestratus (Pink Zebra Beauty)

    Votes: 3 1.0%
  • G. rosea (Rosehair)

    Votes: 123 42.7%
  • Poecilotheria sp. (Pokie)

    Votes: 6 2.1%
  • T. blondi (Goliath Birdeater)

    Votes: 9 3.1%
  • Other (aggressive sp.)

    Votes: 16 5.6%
  • Other (docile sp.)

    Votes: 49 17.0%

  • Total voters
    288

kellygirl

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
1,055
Just for fun and to hear people's stories:

What was your first tarantula and how did you end up with it? List the next 4 or 5 spiders (if you have that many) and why you picked the ones you did.

kellygirl
 

kellygirl

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
1,055
Here's my own story.....

My first tarantula was your typical adult rosehair. I was helping two of my friends out at the petstore and at the end of the day, they repaid me for my work by giving me a tarantula and a set up for free. :) I had Zion for about a year before I went to my first Exotic Animal Show where I picked up my next 4 tarantulas.

Before I went to that show, I never would have imagined that I would own a collection as extensive as the one I have now. The 4 tarantulas I got at the show were 3 spiderlings: B. albopilosum, B. smithi, B. vagans and a juvenile A. avicularia. I picked them for price, appearance, and ease of care. Plus I recognized the names because the night before I went, I found this website and did lots of research before going.

That was not even a full year ago and I have expanded my collection to include 22 species of tarantulas, 1 species of scorpion, and 3 species of millipede. I'm also currently attempting to breed my adult pinktoes--one of which was the juvenile I bought at the show last September who ended up molting out as a male a few months later.

This is definitely a one-of-a-kind hobby! :)

kellygirl
 

chid

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
273
My first was G.rosea because you do!
Next B smithi for its looks .B.emilia & bohemi after the smithi cause i like the red legs:)

Chid
 

rapunzel

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Messages
750
my very first T

wasn't really my T, it was my boyfriends,
but I bought the crickets for it, cleaned its cage, and gave it its water...
I was seventeen, that smithi passed to the great web in the sky..
I married that boyfriend and we had about a dozen rosehair and smithis come and go...
fast forward ten years...
next one was my sons...the g. pulchra recommended by all of you here at this board. That was in January.
Since then I have added:
a b. smithi
curly
l. parahybana
a. versicolor
cinnamon avic.
chaco goldenknee
Giant whiteknee
rosehair
and the Goliath pinktoe

Why? cuz its an addiction! I based my third, fourth, five,sixth on looks and size when mature. The rosehair was given by the neighbor, and the goliath because I like the big ones and seem to have a "thing" for the arboreal ones and the large t's.
Who knows what the next show will bring?
 

conipto

ArachnoPrincess
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 27, 2002
Messages
1,256
My first was a juvenile B. smithi, because after doing the research, I was totally amazed with them. Next up, was a pet-shop rosey, then came a P. formosa, a C. fasciatum, a C. fimbriatus, and after that.. I've tried to repress the memory of buying so many..

Bill
 

TheWidowsPeak

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
64
my first was a G. rosea that a friend of mine gave me because he caught his son smoking pot. and he gave me the spider to punish him? ever since ive been hooked.
 

LPacker79

ArachnoSpaz
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
1,054
My first T was a G. rosea that my younger brother gave me. I woke up one morning a few days before Thanksgiving of 2002 to find a T in a petpal on my kitchen counter. Since my brother's friend had spent the night I figured it belonged to his friend. I was wrong. When my brother was drunk, someone gave him a tarantula that he had become "bored" with. He didn't even know what species it was, and was not interested in finding out. His words were, "it's just a regular tarantula." Um....what?
After searching on the net, I discovered it was a G. rosea. My brother also remembered after his hangover was gone that he's scared of spiders and has yet to be responsible for any pet he's had. He gave it to me, thinking that since I have frogs I would know how to care for it. Let me tell ya, T's are whole lots less maintenance than my frogs could ever be! I was fascinated with her and would spend hours just observing her.
A month later I bought another, smaller G. rosea. I was hooked! My birthday was in January, so of course I used my birthday money to buy more T's. I bought a L. parahybana, C. cyaneopubescens, and L. striatipes from E-spiderworld. I'll never forget the feeling of opening my first package of slings. I ordered those T's mainly because I liked their appearance and they were a little more challenging than my two roseas.
In February I went to my favorite pet store to buy crickets (you know where this is going....) and I knew that they had a H. lividum and in fact they had been holding it for me for a week so I knew I was getting it. They had also got in a very tiny A. avicularia, about 1/4". Well I came home with my lividum and avic and hopped onto the internet. I was interested in the "sunburst baboon" they had and wanted more info before deciding if I wanted it or not. After finding out it was a P. murinus and reading more about them, that little 3/4" sling came home with me the next day.
In March, on another cricket buying trip, I bought a 1.5" A. avic they had.
Right now I'm suffering from a severe "must buy new spiders" craving......but alas I'm broke. My family thinks I'm crazy, I brought pics of all the T's to the Mother's Day get together just like the proud parent I am.

Wow, I'm long winded! If you guys actually get through all that, then you're to be congratulated =D
 

skinheaddave

SkorpionSkin
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
4,341
I got a rose hair when she was moved to the top shelf of the back room of a pet store and forgotten for a year. My friend who worked there though she had been stolen. He was shocked to find her a year later .. anyhow, I took it off his hands and named her Mary Jane (spiderman's girlfriend). I had her for quite a while before getting T number two ... a male G.rosea. Shortly after that, the whole lot started pouring in. ;)

In terms of selection, there are a few Ts I got just because they came with some that I wanted. We also have some other species that I'm not a huge fan of but that Tamara loves (the two A.avicularia, for example). The three major T species that I actualy carefuly selected for myself are:

G.rosea -- love these Ts. Not only are they easy to care for and full of personality, they are also, in my opinion, beautiful. And I don't mean just the red phase or anything. I have all just "normal" G.rosea and I think they look quite nice.

P.murinus -- Now these guys have personality!!!! Actualy, the real selling point on this species is their webbing. It is absolutely phenomenal the masses of webbing they can construct. After a few months, ome of their enclosures are true works of art.

A.geniculata -- My latest aquisition. They get big and beautiful. 'nuff said.

I also have lots and lots of B.vagans, but while they make for an interesting breeding project, I don't know if I would have picked this species had the opportunity not presented itself. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the species. They are still an integral part of the collection.

Cheers,
Dave
 

stu

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2003
Messages
263
My first T was my curly hair (b. albopilosum). I been interested in and keeping lizards for a while and saw these guys in the shop I buy locust from. After checking out sites such as this and chatting to a few mates who also keep T's I got one.

He is cool, I also got 3 rosie slings recently (just had to get em as they seem to be so unpredictable from what people say) but i really want a Salmon Pink (l. parahybana) and maybe a avic next

ack, and my addiction all started from buying a few locust :(

Stu.
 

Weapon-X

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
774
re

uhh a Chilean rose named rosie,lol then i went and got an adult female P. regalis:)
 

Tarantula Lover

Psalmopoeus Lover
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 21, 2002
Messages
1,373
My Story

My first tarantula was a Pinktoe (Avicularia avicularia) it came from Mark (mebebraz) for free :)
The next 3 were curlyhairs from Jeremy (JWB....) because he had them up for free, so i said what the heck! ;)
My 5th T was a B.smithi won that from name that spider on petbugs.com. So my first 5 t's were FREE! Pretty cool eh? Now i have a big collection! and more to come!


James ;)
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
my first was a G. rosea. i'd read a lot about their docility and calm nature and excellence as a first pet. they were readily available and not as quick as the pink toes i could find (A. avic).

sooo, she was a pet store purchase and i LOVE her. the only one not doing any defensive displays she would run and curl up into a T ball and exhibit shyness but nothing else.

i LOVE her. she is my most favorite and will probably remain that way forever. :)

the next i chose were an B. smithi (gorgeous) and an E. campestratus (beauty and sweetness).

my freebie (www.swiftinverts.com) was a G. aureostriata which surprised and delighted me!

i plan to stick with beginner's species for a while, gentle and calm.

my ultimate T at this point will be when i get an A. versicolor. i cannot wait! |D
 

pronty

Haunting Spider
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Messages
323
I bought my first T on December 7 1992.
It was a G. rosea. I had been thinking of getting a tarantula for a pet and when I saw this small T in the window of a pet shop I just had to get it. After two molts it turned out to be a male.
My next T's were:
G. rosea female (1994)
G. rosea female (1996)
A. seemanni female (1998)
B. albopilosum male (2000)
A. aurantiaca female (2001) This year I also learned to use the Internet and found a breeder/importer from who I ordered slings 4 times. Before this I had only been dreaming of B. smithis and others...
The next year (2002) he went out of business so I had to order from abroad myself. I ordered 3 times. And I got GBB's and Pokies! =D
This year (2003) I have only had one order so far...
 

Bry

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 22, 2003
Messages
773
Wow, a lot more people started with Rosies than I predicted. Anyways, I started with a G. pulchra from invertepet, and then a B. albopilosum shortly after. I've had my eye on the pinktoes for my next T. A few chicks I've talked to seem to like the pinktoes best because they think the pink toes are cute.

Bry
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
being a chic (grin) i personally think the pink toes are ADORABLE!!! however...i also think they're gorgeous Ts.

in my mind, few can compare with the beauty of the A. metallica and A. versicolor. both are tops on my list of amazingly incredibly beautiful Ts to swoon over and spoil rotten. ;)

(it also doesn't help that people like swifty label them 'superfuzzies'...i mean, what chic can resist THAT?)
 

skinheaddave

SkorpionSkin
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
4,341
Now I'm not a chick, so I suppose my two cents doesn't really matter, but I find them too fuzzy. Incidentaly, I often have the same criteria in dogs. I like short-hairs. Come to think of it, I apply the same criteria to myself. Hmmm ... I'll have to think this over.

Cheers,
Dave
 

SpiderTwin

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Messages
910
My first T was an A. versicolor, it was a christmas present from my family after I was fascinated with them in the pet store. My next few consisted of an A. chalcodes, an B. smithi, a B. albopilosum and a Female A. versicolor. (My first one ended up being a mature male). My collection currently consists of 26 T's of many species, including 8 different types of Avicularia.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
interestingly enough, i also tend to prefer fuzzy/furry dogs, cats, ferrets, etc. too.

hmmmmmmmm...perhaps we have accidentally stumbled upon some deep and meaningful fact in human nature.

somehow though...i doubt it.
 

skinheaddave

SkorpionSkin
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
4,341
I have been told that long hair is a sign of indulgance, excess etc. and that short hair is a sign of self-denial, reservation etc. Who knows.

Perhaps my aesthetic preference for the sleek is a small part of why I like scorpions better than tarantulas.

Cheers,
Dave
 

stu

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2003
Messages
263
wow - meaningful debates and T's...

Maybe because im a long haired scruffy b**tard is why i prefer the 'furry' tarantulas more?

maybe the psycologists should look into it?
 
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