tarantulas

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Anyone ever had any of these guys? There is a rose hair for adoption at the Petco I work at and I held a tarantula for the first time tonight. I must say that the rose hairs at least are actually really nice. We are selling a little blue legged one that is just a terror, so obviously they aren't all nice, but I don't think I'd mind having a rose hair.

Sadly, my mom drew the line at snakes, and tarantulas are so far beyond even that that it isn't funny

 

[droogievesch]

Anyone ever had any of these guys? There is a rose hair for adoption at the Petco I work at and I held a tarantula for the first time tonight. I must say that the rose hairs at least are actually really nice. We are selling a little blue legged one that is just a terror, so obviously they aren't all nice, but I don't think I'd mind having a rose hair.

Sadly, my mom drew the line at snakes, and tarantulas are so far beyond even that that it isn't funny

I kept many species of tarantula. Chilean Rose Hairs are extremely docile; however, they are a horrible beginner spider. They are almost always wild caught, especially if you find an adult in a pet store. Their native habitat has a lot of environmental cues that allow them to know when it's time to eat, and unfortunately they're really hit or miss in captivity. I bought mine in 2006 and had it for over three years, and in that three years it ate twice.

If you're really looking for a tarantula I'd go with a Brachypelma species (Mexican Red Knee, Curly Hair, Mexican Red Rump) if you're looking for a terrestrial species. If you're looking for an arboreal species go with Avicularia versicolor versicolor Those are beautiful and non-aggressive. No tarantula is good for being handled since they are very delicate.

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And as a completely different side note, if you know of a tarantula breeder you can buy a sling (comparable to a hatchling) and they are kept very comfortably in a small container (think if you ordered dressing on the side and it comes out in one of those black cups). VERY EASY to hide from mom I only say that because I hid my first spider from my mother (put it under my piranha tank mixed in with supplies).

 

[wellington]

That is too funny. As a mother of a 15 year old, that would be something I would love my kid to do. Not with a tarantula or any spider but any other reptile or animal. He's not that big on animals, not like me. I just used him as my excuse to get the different rodents and reptiles, but they were really for me

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

That is too funny. As a mother of a 15 year old, that would be something I would love my kid to do. Not with a tarantula or any spider but any other reptile or animal. He's not that big on animals, not like me. I just used him as my excuse to get the different rodents and reptiles, but they were really for me

We're the exact opposite around here. My mom is definitely not an animal person and the only reason we have any of these animals is because I begged to high heaven for them

 

[Tom]

I love them. I've had great luck with rose hairs, but Droogie...(What IS your name D? Droogievesch is just WAY too much to type out) ... anyway, Big D is right. They really are hit or moss. I have seen what she's talking about.

I keep two other members from that genus that I find to be just as nice. G. aureostriata and G. pulchra. I've got three of each. The chaco gold knees get pretty big, are active and very docile. The Brazilian Blacks are a gorgeous velvety deep black color and also very nice and neither one is prone to flicking their urticating hairs at you, which was my problem with the Brachypelma...

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

So the tarantulas do flick their hairs at you?? I was wondering what all that random hair was.....

 

[Tom]

So the tarantulas do flick their hairs at you?? I was wondering what all that random hair was.....

Are you joking?

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

No, I'm not... It just so happened that the same day, some guy wanted to hold one of the tarantulas we have for sale (I usually told them that I'd go and get another employee, but I'm not afraid of the rose hairs anymore ), and it was much more finicky. I tried getting it out of the cage and I finally did, but when I put it back I noticed there were a whole bunch of little hairs all over my shirt... I asked somebody else and she had no idea, I figured it was from a dog or something. Maybe it was, still, just kind of odd.

 

[Tom]

The urticating hairs are very very small. I don't think you'd see them on your shirt, but if you inhaled any or got them on your hands, you'd know it. They are irritating as heck. The spiders flick their back legs across their abdomen and it sends the tiny urticating hairs airborne so a sniffing predator will get a nose full. They are really hard to see unless the sun backlights them just right in the air. You can tell a temperamental spider because they will tend to have a bald abdomen. Or they could be a nice spider and somebody's just been messing with them too much... When they shed, they get a brand new batch of urticating hairs to flick at you.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Oh, well then it wasn't them then Shows how much I know about spiders, right?

 

[droogievesch]

Droogie...(What IS your name D? Droogievesch is just WAY too much to type out) ...

My real name is Jenna I'll add it to my signature.


I am going to apologize in advance if this comes out wrong, although I'm going to try really hard to make it not be incredibly rude. Please remember that you are the "expert" for so many people. If you watch newbies on any pet forum, one of the trending things they say is, "The person at the pet store said..." and 90% of the time it's incorrect information. A lot of that is because the stores themselves have incorrect information printed up, and sales people rely solely on that information. I understand that the job itself is more than likely minimum wage, and learning correct husbandry and care for every species you get (especially ones that aren't "staples") can be downright time consuming and not worth your while. But where I'm going with this is that you very well may be the last bit of information these pet owners ever hear about taking care of their animals, so knowing something about them will only benefit the owners, the animals, and themselves. I hope this didn't come off as rude or as a personal attack. I am glad you came on here asking about them, and I hope you continue to ask as many questions as possible about every animal in the store you're unsure about.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Oh no I completely understand. I am not one of the pet store employees that will make up random crap to tell you if I don't know. If I don't know I will downright tell you "I have absolutely no idea" and then direct you to an employee that does, or a website/person that does if we don't have any employees that know. I can't STAND people that give wrong info just because they don't want to come off as ignorant.

What a lot of people don't realize, too, is that sometimes by giving people the correct information, we are sticking our necks out for you guys. When we are answering people's questions about animals, we are only "allowed" to tell them things that corporate has approved. That means things like saying it's okay to keep goldfish in bowls, and that birds will do fine on an all seed diet. A costumer came in just yesterday to buy some silicone sealant for their fish tank. They asked me if it was in any way safer for the animals than the 100% silicone sealant sold at hardware stores, since it was 5 dollars more expensive, and corporate policy was for me to basically make up some reason why they should buy the more expensive one instead, but of course I told them that I highly doubt there'd be much of a difference. Heck, I even got in trouble with my manager one time for telling a costumer to be careful when putting K9 Advantix on their dog because it could poison their family cat. It says so RIGHT ON THE LABEL, but it's not a "petco approved" fact. So next time you walk into a Petco or a Petsmart and an employee gives you the CORRECT information, and not just the most convenient for the store, you should give them a big thank you for putting their job on the line for you and your pets

 

[droogievesch]

I completely understand your point as well, and when working with big corporate stores it's hard to go against the scripts. I personally stopped purchasing animals at the stores because I know with enough investigation I can get whatever animal I want right from the breeder. When I was in college I supplied the animals to pet stores, and I will say it is very much a business. I worked for/helped a friend who produced thousands of bearded dragons a year, thousands of chameleons, ball pythons, and Lord knows what other species of snake (I can name some of them, but they were more for private/hobbyist trade. The first time I was told I had a box of cobras in my back seat was incredibly alarming! Granted, they were False Water Cobras, but still say "Cobra" in the name). I myself worked with a pet store and sold my cresties there. It seemed like every week or two I was giving them 50-80 animals. It got to the point where I couldn't produce enough animals to keep up with their demand and the demand of my direct customers. Sometimes I miss doing the breeding, but then I remember what it's like to have to house 100's of little geckos individually and feed every little bugger individually.

 

[NudistApple]

I have a rose hair, she is mean as hell. <3
I've honestly never tried to handle her, but I enjoy watching her.

 

[Josh]

I've always wanted a T but never had the guts yet. Maybe at the next reptile show...
I started TarantulaForum.com to help me get over my fear too - It's all about exposure

 

[Tom]

I've always wanted a T but never had the guts yet. Maybe at the next reptile show...
I started TarantulaForum.com to help me get over my fear too - It's all about exposure

Josh, as soon as you are ready, I will get one for you. My small gift to you. I'll even help with the set up. Say the word my friend.

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I have a rose hair, she is mean as hell. <3
I've honestly never tried to handle her, but I enjoy watching her.

I have seen a couple like that. For my purposes (the movie business), that works great. I use them in teams. I like to have a sitter, a runner, and one that will rear up, show his fangs and stand his ground. Those mean ones are like gold to me. Don't see them too often.

 

[Josh]

!!! Thanks Tom! I really need to upgrade my digs before I can start adding to 'The Collection' :-/
Did I understand correctly when I heard someone say you really shouldn't handle most tarantulas - they're just so fragile?

 

[Tom]

This is a matter of opinion. Some people think its fine to handle them, but you do have to be careful because if they jump or fall onto a hard surface their abdomen can break open and they will slowly bleed to death. Other people think it stresses them out, makes them flick their urticating hairs all off (which is cosmetically unappealing), and is potentially dangerous with some species.

I fall in the middle. I don't handle mine much most of the time, and each one is an individual with their own personality. I often get them in quantity and have to go through them to select the personalities that match the action I have to get them to do.

There are generalities between the species, but there are definitely individual personalities too. Just like our tortoises!

 

[droogievesch]

!!! Thanks Tom! I really need to upgrade my digs before I can start adding to 'The Collection' :-/
Did I understand correctly when I heard someone say you really shouldn't handle most tarantulas - they're just so fragile?

If you know what you're doing, then it's not so bad. I normally tell people that they shouldn't be handled because they are a "look but don't touch" type of animal, much like pet fish. If you're looking for a pet you can cuddle with, pet, and handle on a very regular basis, then tarantulas aren't really the right one to go with. Many people are okay with them as long as they're just sitting, but once they start moving they freak out.

 

[Floof]

I'm a reformed arachnophobe. My last job was at a privately owned pet store with a HUGE selection of inverts. I was in one day on my day off to pick up crickets. One of the managers was working on feeding and cleaning the inverts, and talked me into holding a big female Curly Hair. Didn't take long for me to get over that fear, LOL!

I ended up choosing a Chaco Golden Knee (is it G. aureostriata or G. pulchripes? I'm still not sure on that...) sling for my first T. S/he is wonderful. Growing quickly and very calm when I do handle her. She's been a GREAT beginner tarantula. Someday I might branch out.. At the top of the wish list are Brachypelma auratum and A. versicolor.