which tarantula???

monty_python

i have been thinkin of getting a tarantula for a while now and im looking for advice as to which 1 to get.. after doing some research i want to get a king baboon or a Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula but everything i have read says they are not for beginners. are they difficult to keep/get??

does any1 have any experiance with these spiders???or could any1 recommend an aboreal species?? all the ones i have researched seen to be ground dwelles

The Artist

i have a chilean rose tarantula and getting on well with him and imo is a starter for spider keepers.
the ones you have mention would imo need more attention.
A Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula and king baboon are huge spiders which i think youd need more experince with them.
Heres a list of starters
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/toptenspids.htm
The spider that you are thinking of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_birdeater
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/spiders/KingBaboonSpider.php
Heres a good site for spider lovers.
http://www.tarantulas.com/index.asp

Our man in Havana

Ok the spiders you have mentioned are so not for a first time tarantula owner!

They are considered very aggressive & are not handleable in my opinion!

Chile Roses are what I keep these are placid & friendly.

Pink toes are fairly gentle & are aboreal - I used to have one - I sadly lost is during a shed.

monty_python

i dont like the look of the chilean rose tarantula. the mexican fireleg looks nice but is pretty small. i have a 7ft python so i think i would be grand with a 10inich spider. is there any BIG less agressive spiders??

from researching the net there seems to be differant colour morphs of the golith tarantula so they must be captive breed and used to people? or am i wrong???is it possible to get these spiders "tame" by handling them gently from the time they are young???

Hellrazer

Goliaths are seriously not for the beginner.They are super aggressive and have half inch long fangs.Even the urticating hairs can cause agony if you get them in your eyes.

Baboons are also mental--They WILL bite and the thing is that they dont stop.They usually inflict more than one bite at a time.

As for taming them--Forget it--you cant even put your hand in the cage.


If you want a large tame arboreal google Avicularia Metallica.Its the largest of the pinktoes and grows to 8+ inches and is tame enough to handle.

monty_python

ill take your advice guys and go with a fireleg tarantula... maybe after 2 years or so of keeping a fireleg ill think about the golith again!!!

thanks for the advice

wibblebee

Brachypelmas are great beginner spids. Smithi would suit you well although they do urticulate their hairs (Brush hairs from abdomen into air directing towards you) So Brachypelma smithi's are known as A Mexican Red Knee ... many psycologists use this spid for phobia therapy. They are a terrestrial Spid which means they burrow. Avicularia Avicularia also known as the Pink toe are arboreal and make good spids ... need more humidity than say the red knee. Red knees prefer conditions slightly drier and spray a corner of their case is enough. Avics need more so spray substrate frequently but its best to have a humidity control telling you what level it is in the case.
Chilean Roses are nice too so i would say if its your first spid then red knee or chilean rose both terrestrials. If arboreal remember lifespan is shortened on avics compared to brachys.
Hope this helps. Cat xx

monty_python

can you give me the common name for the species you recommended (the scientific names are to hard to pronounce!!)lol

Hellrazer

monty_python wrote: »

can you give me the common name for the species you recommended (the scientific names are to hard to pronounce!!)lol

The Arboreal I recommended is the "Metallic Pinktoe" or another good one is the "Avicularia Versicolour" or "Versi" pinktoe is its common name" but to be honest most sellers/breeders use the latin names since there are species out there with maybe 4-5 different "common names" and theres a huge debate going on about solely using the latin names.

Look here for some pice:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spydawebb/pictures.html

On this page you can find a list of UK breeders who will ship to Ireland at a fraction of the cost that you`ll pay over here.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spydawebb/links.html

The Artist

Hellrazer wrote: »

Look here for some pice:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spydawebb/pictures.html

On this page you can find a list of UK breeders who will ship to Ireland at a fraction of the cost that you`ll pay over here.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spydawebb/links.html

Thanks rich for the website.
ive shortcuted the site onto my desktop and a very usefull one.