# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Invertebrates >  "Handleable" Tarantulas?

## Rapture

Hey guys, my boyfriend is really interested in getting a tarantula for himself. He does want one that he would be able to pick up and handle if he wanted to.

I myself have kept a couple of species... Rosehair, Red rump, and tiger rump. The Rosehair was by far the most calm, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any other species that have the same kind of temperment?

Thanks in advance!

----------


## Evan Jamison

I'd say one of the best handleable Ts are Grammostola aureostriata (Chaco golden stripe).  Calm and beautiful, plus they get pretty big at an 8"+ legspan.  Avics are also great if you want an arboreal, but a little jumpy sometimes.  Brachypelma smithi are great, but some individuals kick hairs pretty readily.  Grammostola albopilosum are generally calm also.  I would prefer any of the above to a rosie by looks alone.

-Evan

----------


## Rapture

Thanks for the info! Know of any breeders where I can see these or buy them from?

----------


## Evan Jamison

I've purchased from

Botar by eights
Krazy 8s
Todd Gearheart

All of which I would recommend.  They all have general info on most species, and a good number of pics.  Have fun!!  :Very Happy: 

-Evan

----------


## bodar

any avic is also a good choice  :Dancing Carrot:

----------


## Smulkin

> any avic is also a good choice


As handleable?  Mine are so fast I fear it would bolt right off me and plummet to the floor.

----------


## Evan Jamison

I handle our 3 A. versicolor regularly and have never had them bolt "off" me, but more "around" me.  Occasionally they will jump from hand to hand, or hand to shirt, but never from hand to floor.

-Evan

----------


## jglass38

Handling of Tarantulas..What is this world coming to?  :Smile:

----------


## ErikH

As posted above, you can't go wrong with grammostola aureostriata.  Also good would be grammostola pulchra (Brazillian Black), but they are more expensive unless you are looking at a sling.  Grammostola Rosea (Chilean Rose) is readily available and generally docile as well.  Of course, there are always risks with handling _any_ tarantula, because of urticating hairs as well as the potential for being bitten.  Also, dropping a tarantula is likely to prove fatal.

----------


## SPJ

Brazilian Black.

Mexican Red Knee.



http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/tarantulas.html

----------


## ErikH

> Brazilian Black.
> 
> Mexican Red Knee.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/tarantulas.html


I left out brachypelma smithi (Mexican Red Knee) because adults are hard (and expensive) to come by.  I don't own one, but by most accounts, they are docile and handleable.  Good call.

----------


## SatanicIntention

I have two Chaco Golden Knees(Grammostola aureostriata), one is around 2" and the other is around 1/2". Too cute for words and very nice to handle(the bigger one). I am REALLY wanting a Brazilian Black, and should hopefully have a female or a sling pretty soon(come on Austin Show!). They are just gorgeous and sweet as can be. 

A friend of mine just got a Pinktoe(which type of Pinktoe, I don't remember). But this T is so calm, you don't even have to make her get on you. Just pick her up and be done with it. She could care less. I also have 4 Texas sp. T's that I got in Austin from Zookeeper, a pet store there(I love freebies). One is from Lancaster county, I think and the other 3 are from another county. They are supposed to be pretty docile when grown. 

Also found an albopilosum sling, but it's still around 1/4", TINEENSY little thing. Eats like a pig though and will take down crickets about twice its size. I hope it grows up to be a nice looking T.

----------


## dr del

Hi,


Another vote for Mexican Red Knee - as long as you dont spook her mine is an absolute dream to handle. For total docility I'd have to say the white collars though, it would actually let you roll it onto its back with your thumb, but they are quite small. Oh and the zebra was also quite placid  if a little nervous at first.



dr del

----------


## ErikH

> Hi,
> 
> 
> Another vote for Mexican Red Knee - as long as you dont spook her mine is an absolute dream to handle. For total docility I'd have to say the white collars though, it would actually let you roll it onto its back with your thumb, but they are quite small. Oh and the zebra was also quite placid if a little nervous at first.
> 
> 
> 
> dr del


I am not familiar with a white collar.  What is the scientific name?

----------


## Snakeman

yeah i have my G.aureostriata and she's definitely a good beginner species.also try some of the brachypelma species,they are docile and colorful.the Grammastola species are also good beginners.and the Avicularia species are also good species.

----------


## Kilo

I just picked up a m and f Rose Hair! They are so docile IMO it's crazy!

----------


## ErikH

> I just picked up a m and f Rose Hair! They are so docile IMO it's crazy!


Mine is just a sling about the size of a thumbnail.  I have heard stories about psycho rosies, though I think they are pretty few and far between.

----------


## bodar

yeah i have a psycho rosie not a way in hell would i handle him. i would handle my haplopelma  sp vietnam, before i would handle this rosie. but you cant win'em all and he is a awsome T to watch eat let me tell you. and yeah avics are incredibly fast but very handleable, you must take your time and read your spider. know what it is doing and how it will react in certain situations

----------


## dr del

Hi,


Whitecollared were reffered to as Eupalaestrus Weijenberghi on the lists I originally bought her from - had to go dig in the cupboard to find it  :Smile:  . This information is waay old though so check the scientific name hasn't changed.

The care sheet I got at the time say's they reach 4" legspan as adults but I have to say mine never seemed to get much above 3" - they also apparently change colour with their maturing molt, but again I didnt see that, - anyone else here thinking I sold her a little too early? :Embarassed:  

I've been quite lucky with how easy my T's have been to handle over the years but the best recomendation I can give is try and go for a docile species and if you are buying from a shop and it's well grown on try handling it before you buy.

theres a pic here;

http://giantspiders.com/E_weijenberghi.html 



dr del

----------


## Mina

Another good one is a B. emilia, although right now my two best handlers are my chaco juvie and my adult male rosehair.  Pink Zebra beauty is also a good handler, mine is docile and lets me know when she does not want to be picked up, she slaps my hand with her front legs.

----------


## Kilo

> Mine is just a sling about the size of a thumbnail. I have heard stories about psycho rosies, though I think they are pretty few and far between.


I bought a sub adult male and an adult female because I couldn't find a sling (not that I have any plans to breed them what so ever!). Do you know of any place online I could order myself a sling rosie and a sling that is blue (I want to say Blue Cobalt).

----------


## ErikH

www.botarby8s.com

http://krazy8sinvertebrates.com/catalog/


Are good ones.  There are many others.  I got my rosie sling for free when I bought an acanthoscuria geniculata from krazy 8s.  I assume what you are looking for is haplopelma lividium (cobalt blue).  I haven't checked either of the above catalogs recently, but I know they both have had them.

----------


## Schlyne

Swift Invertebrates is another good one.

http://www.swiftinverts.com/

or Southern Spider Works.

http://www.southernspiderworks.com/

----------


## MARCUS ANTONIUS

Sorry to hijack but I keep seeing this "sling" thing...  Is that slang for a male T or is that something altogether different...  Also I had 2 rosies when I was younger, the female was a dream to hold and could readily be picked up, but the male was the complete opposite!  So who knows I guess...  

Anyone know about the handling characteristics of the sweet-looking blue ones from Singapore?  Sorry I don't even know the common name, let alone the scientific!

----------


## bodar

spiderling = sling = baby spider

yup, thar she blows  :Rolleyes2:

----------


## ErikH

> Sorry to hijack but I keep seeing this "sling" thing... Is that slang for a male T or is that something altogether different... Also I had 2 rosies when I was younger, the female was a dream to hold and could readily be picked up, but the male was the complete opposite! So who knows I guess... 
> 
> Anyone know about the handling characteristics of the sweet-looking blue ones from Singapore? Sorry I don't even know the common name, let alone the scientific!


I think you are talking about cyriopagopus sp. singapore blue.  The are defensive/aggressive from what I understand, and definitely not for handling.

----------


## MARCUS ANTONIUS

Ahh...  Thanks for clearing that up Bodar...  I probably wouldn't have figured that out anytime soon!  

ErikH - Thanks, I think that's it...  They get almost dinner plate size (legs not body) right?  They look awesome!!  So they probably are bad for handling...  It seems like the best looking (most exotic, I guess) animals usually don't make good pets, as a general rule.

----------


## SPJ

Anyone have any experience with Avicularia mettallica (metallic pinktoe)?
Docile? Fast?

----------


## ErikH

> Anyone have any experience with Avicularia mettallica (metallic pinktoe)?
> Docile? Fast?


I don't have any experience with any avics, but I understand they are docile and fast, just like most avics.

----------


## bodar

i've been keeping avics for like 2 years and they are very nice. versicolors are my fav. pretty fast though, not pokie fast, but fast. but very beautiful

----------


## Rapture

Thanks everyone for the great info and links... I finally got him to pick out a few that he liked... Here's what we came up with:

Aphonopelma bicoloratum - Mexican Bloodleg (more for me than him... they are AWESOME IMO)
Brachypelma smithi - Mexican Redknee
Grammostola pulchra - Brazilian Black
Grammostola rosea

If anyone can give any info on these specific species that might help us out in deciding between these, I'd be thankful...  :Smile:

----------


## ErikH

They are all good choices IMO.  The bicoloratum and the smithi can be hair kickers, but they are generally calm and docile.  The rosea is a classic starter tarantula, some people claim they have more personality than other tarantulas, mine is just a tiny spiderling, so I couldn't say.  The pulchra has a reputation for being the most handleable of any tarantula, they are beautiful, they look almost like black velvet.  All of them like it fairly dry, the rosea likes it's substrate bone dry, just give it a water dish.  The pulchra likes it slightly more humid than the others, but just keeping the substrate moist around the water dish will probably suffice.  All are fairly slow growing.

----------


## ErikH

Here's a web site that may be of interest to you as well. http://http://www.arachnopets.com/tarantulas/tcss.htm 

Erik

----------


## Snakeman

i've been craving for an A.bicoloratum since i first laid eyes on it a couple of years back but finding large ones for sale is pretty hard.plus they're slow growers. but any of those species you mentioned are good beginners.

----------


## Rapture

Cool, thanks for the link.

And Snakeman, watching them grow is one of my favorite parts...  :Smile:

----------


## ErikH

You're welcome.  Good luck!

----------


## Schlyne

> Thanks everyone for the great info and links... I finally got him to pick out a few that he liked... Here's what we came up with:
> 
> Aphonopelma bicoloratum - Mexican Bloodleg (more for me than him... they are AWESOME IMO)
> Brachypelma smithi - Mexican Redknee
> Grammostola pulchra - Brazilian Black
> Grammostola rosea
> 
> If anyone can give any info on these specific species that might help us out in deciding between these, I'd be thankful...


These are all great choices.  The Aphonopelma will grow the slowest.  The pulchra will probably be the hardest to find and the G. rosea the easiest.  Don't get the smithi from a pet store, they like to jack the price up to $70 or more for a small individual.

----------


## Rapture

I was planning on getting either of these from one of the websites posted in this thread.  :Smile:

----------


## ErikH

Good luck!  Let us know how you make out.

----------


## bodar

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/index.php

this is the best forum i have found on the net for Tarantulas and all sorts of spineless wonders




Don't be shy hit the rep button
<--------------

----------


## recycling goddess

> I bought a sub adult male and an adult female because I couldn't find a sling (not that I have any plans to breed them what so ever!). Do you know of any place online I could order myself a sling rosie and a sling that is blue (I want to say Blue Cobalt).



kyle, there are lots of blue tarantulas. some avics are blue a. versi for instance  :Wink:  the cobalt blues are NOT friendly... and you almost never ever ever see them. you really have a pet hole when you have one of those and a nasty pet hole to boot!

as a first t (this is to the thread creator) - i highly recommend a GBB - very beautiful, will get you good and addicted  :Wink:  

i don't agree personally with holding Tarantulas much like i don't agree with housing snakes together. it's a potential accident waiting to happen. i've heard too many stories about Ts jumping and splitting themselves open.... or bolting and then your knee goes down and "crunch". so i keep mine in a clear container so i can enjoy them alive and well in their ecosystem of choice. if we need to remove them, we do so in the tub with a blanket in the bottom and we carefully move them to their new enclosure.

brachys is a species i don't recommend for holding as they are major hair kickers and once you've been hit with those hairs once, you won't want to again. very itchy... and if you got it in the face... that wouldn't be much fun. 

some people do hold their Ts... and of course it's their choice, just as some people house multiple snakes together... it's just not my recommendation is all.  :Wink:

----------


## Rapture

Thanks for the advice, Aleesha.

My view on holding T's is comparable to the way I go about handling which snake I keep. I think that every individual can be different. My rosehair was completely docile, but then again, I can undoubtfully say that I was good at handling it also. I treat all my animals with respect and handle them accordingly. I could pick up my rosehair, turn it over, and feel its soft belly with little to no movement from it. I had a couple other T's of different species that were too skittish for me to handle comfortably, so I never did.

I am hoping to be able to find a T for my boyfriend that is docile enough for him to hold, but I know a lot of it is going to depend on him and if he has or can learn that good sense of handling an animal.

----------


## recycling goddess

> I think that every individual can be different.


i totally agree with you. when i was a lot younger LOL - about 18 - there was a guy who had a T and would bring it out at parties. he'd walk around with it on his shoulder... it went all over the place with him... and never jumped off... 

 :Wink:

----------


## bkirchner81

.
.
did that get him laid?  My money is on.... yes.

!!  :Bolt:

----------


## Rapture

Ho-kay....

----------


## jessie_k_pythons

I have only had one kind of T and I would most recomend it. Hard to find though.  Unless your in Arizona and its summer. I have yet to find any for sale but I really didnt look all that much. I do not know the true name of this kind. It stays small roughly 4 to 6 inches (legspan) is not known to kick it's hairs, and is calm.

I only  know it by the common AZ names of Arizona Blonde, Mexican Blonde, and American Blonde hair.

Mine was a female and I always had her out and that is with my extream fear of spiders.

----------


## Shadowspider

> I only know it by the common AZ names of Arizona Blonde, Mexican Blonde, and American Blonde hair.


Aphonopelma chalcodes
They are not extreamly easy to find in the hobby, but are available, more so in the warmer months though and generaly in liminted number.

I have to agree with Aleesha on the handling issue.  I too think it is a matter of personal choice, however, I also think that every keeper should use a bit of common sense when it comes to keeping tarantulas.  They are *not* kittins or puppies.  They *are* fragile and can be injured and/or killed *very* easily.  In addition, they are prone to stress more so than most reptiles.  Every time a tarantula is removed from it's home and "played with" it stresses the spider out.  Did y'all know that tarantulas *can* die from a heart attack?  Yes, they can and *over handling* is one way to cause such a demise. It is not a matter of being "good at handling" tarantulas, it is a matter of *the tarantula is good at tollerating being handled*.  :Wink: 

On the *other* hand....I also take the stand that *every* keeper who intends to keep tarantulas for any length of time *should* know the proper and safest ways to pick up and hold *any* tarantula.  Why?  Because, if you are in this hobby long enough, the occasion WILL arise where handling a tarantula will make its self necessary.  
For example, if you have an adult H. lividum or Poeclithera sp. that has a severe case of mites or a bit of mold on it....how are you going to get it off so it doesn't end up killing the spider?  You *need* to know the methods of handling, securing and working with tarantulas, no matter what species they are, docile or not.

----------


## Monty

i had a giganto bird eating tarantula who loved being held he was the size of a normal dinner plate by the time i got rid of him and eating small finches for breakfast a mouse for lunch and a baby chick for dinner

----------


## Shadowspider

> i had a giganto bird eating tarantula who loved being held he was the size of a normal dinner plate by the time i got rid of him and eating small finches for breakfast a mouse for lunch and a baby chick for dinner


Why is it that I am not very inclined to believe this?
Hmm, perhaps the name "giganto" has something to do with it and perhaps the menu.

Seeing as how tarantulas are not fed 3 times a day and *no* tarantula, even my 10" Theraphosa blondi (she's pretty "giganto"  :Wink:  ) would not eat that much in one day, must less every day.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Monty

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...lr%3D%26sa%3DG


sorry its goliath his name was giganto

----------


## Monty

but he is the size of a dinner plate and he did eat 3 times a day trust me i owned him i raised him and i know him

----------


## Monty

amending the last 2 posts

i dont know where he is now since i gave him up for adoption and i dont know exactly where he is right now or if hes dead

----------


## Shadowspider

LOL
Well, aside from the information being incorrect, the picture is decent.


> The Goliath Bird Eating Spider feeds on frogs, small snakes, beetles, lizards, and even bats. Occasionally, these spiders will take young birds from the nest giving them their name "bird eater". The goliath sneaks up on its prey and pounces on it injecting it with poison from its venomous fangs.


Wrong!  Or, rather should I say, misleading.  While Theraphosa blondi *can* eat the prey types listed, they are *not* the spider's typical diet.  Also, birds live in nests in the *trees* and blondi are *terrestrial*...and...they are *not* good climbers, thus, they do *not* "take young birds from the nest"...unless of course it is some ground dwelling bird.  Neither do they "sneak up on its prey" they are ambush predators who lay in wait for prey to come to *them*.


> The goliath is a very aggressive spider


 Actually, with the rare exception, no, they are not "very aggressive".  They are rather quite calm, all things considered.  However, if they are in a stressful environment or are being bothered a lot then, yes, they will show more aggression.
My blondi is actually quite calm as far as blondi go.  I can do whatever I want in her tank and she just saunters off to the other end...if she even bothers to move at all.


> injecting it with poison


 Don't even get me started on the poison vs. venom thing.  :Very Happy:

----------


## recycling goddess

> On the *other* hand....I also take the stand that *every* keeper who intends to keep tarantulas for any length of time *should* know the proper and safest ways to pick up and hold *any* tarantula.  Why?  Because, if you are in this hobby long enough, the occasion WILL arise where handling a tarantula will make its self necessary.  
> For example, if you have an adult H. lividum or Poeclithera sp. that has a severe case of mites or a bit of mold on it....how are you going to get it off so it doesn't end up killing the spider?  You *need* to know the methods of handling, securing and working with tarantulas, no matter what species they are, docile or not.



now don't you get started with me on this one denise  :Giggle:  i will NOT hold them. as you already know it's my hubby who has all the courage when it comes to handling our Ts. 

So girl... how many do you and Duke have now?

----------


## recycling goddess

monty, i tend to agree with denise on this one... i don't have any Ts who would eat daily, much less three times a day.  :Razz: 

kinda like feeding your snakes three meals a day...

----------


## Rapture

Wasn't that photo of a Rosehair?

----------


## Smulkin

> Wasn't that photo of a Rosehair?




It was indeed - nice catch!!

You can google image search for some big blondi pics 



http://images.google.com/images?q=%2...sa%20blondi%22

----------


## Shadowspider

> now don't you get started with me on this one denise  i will NOT hold them. as you already know it's my hubby who has all the courage when it comes to handling our Ts. 
> 
> So girl... how many do you and Duke have now?


LOL that's ok, as long as one of you is insane...it works!  :Very Happy:  


> So girl... how many do you and Duke have now?


At last count 102 I think. 


> Wasn't that photo of a Rosehair?


  :Wink:  good eye.  Dontcha just loooove Google's accuracy.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):   Blondi aren't that "fuzzy" or that pink and they "don't" have a mirror patch. :lol:
This is what a blondi looks like one week post molt.  Sorry the pic is so lousy.

----------


## recycling goddess

> At last count 102 I think.



well i have 012 approx. does that count!  :ROFL:

----------


## Shadowspider

> well i have 012 approx. does that count!


Absolutely!
I wish you didn't live in Canada....I'd send you some of my extras.
Actually, come to think of it, that P. metallica of yours counts as 3 just in its self.  :Very Happy:

----------


## recycling goddess

heehee... ya she does  :Razz:

----------


## Rapture

I thought Birdeaters were too aggressive to hold?

----------


## Shadowspider

> I thought Birdeaters were too aggressive to hold?


Any tarantula can be too aggressive to hold.  :Wink:  (ok, I'll stop being so nit picky  :Very Happy: )
As a general rule of thumb, no, you don't want to handle a Theraphosa blondi.  Not necessarily because they'd try to eat you (that's what Haplopelma are for :lol :Smile:  but rather because of the urticating hair they have and because of the "possibility" that you *could* get bitten...and 1" fangs sinking into your bones is not a pleasant thought. :eek: 
In all honesty (and from my *own* point of view) I would feel more comfortable handling my blondi or any of my Lassie's than I would *any* Haplopelma, Poecilotheria or baboon species.  Mostly because, as far as blondi go, they have a tendency toward *not* being aggressive/defensive to the extent that some other species do.

The term "aggressive" is one that is tossed around freely with tarantulas and, in most cases, is not an appropriate discription of them.  "Defensive" is, IMO, a much better adjective to use that better describes their attitudes, temperaments and personalities.  My Chromtopelma cyaneopubscens is by far more "aggressive" (defensive) than my blondi and my C. cyan. is half my blondi's size.

Ok, I'm rambling.  :Smile: 
Should "bird eaters" be handled, to be on the safe side, no.  But then again, to be on the safe side, *no* tarantula should be handled...unless necessary.
(no, transferring is not a "necessary" reason to handle any tarantula.  :Wink:  )

----------


## bodar

Shadow spider: you pic of your T.Blondi is also incorrect. im not trying to start a fight or anything but i have had lots of experiance here. seriously though this is a 7.5" inch T.Blondi 1 week post molt.

and a shot of her fangs and my ugly fingers


although it is impossble to ID with only pics. your T is far to black and has a redish tinge it seems on it abdomen. and this is a great excuse to show my prize
specimen my P.Ornata, i know it has nothing to do with anything but hey take what you can get!!!!!  :Dancing Carrot:  
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/Bodar/Tiny1.jpg

----------


## recycling goddess

i'm guessing it was her crappy pic bodar. 

niiiiiice p. ornata!!! it looks to be around 3"???

----------


## Shadowspider

LOL yes, the picture is lousy isn't it?  :Very Happy: 
I assure you, she IS a Theraphosa blondi.  I'm assuming you've never seen an adult blondi right after a molt...they are very dark brown nearly black right after a molt, they DO have pink-ish highlights and that picture was taken 3 days after she molted.  She measured 9 inches after that molt and that was last year.
I have been in this hobby for many years (between my husband and I, it's been over 25 years, me personaly, 9 years) and *do* know my tarantulas....trust me, I know a blondi when I see one and I know what my blondi looks like.  I also know what my male blondi looked like when I had him and mated him 3 different times with my female.  :Wink: 
Nice P. ornata, BTW.  It is still a s'ling or is it a male?

----------


## Shadowspider

I'm not trying to argue either, but that pic you posted is not one week post molt of a 7.5" blondi.  That is a pre molt blondi...the abdomen its self gives that away as does the cinnamon color.
Let's take a look at Theraphosa blondi 
Notice the pink:
T. blondi  9 inches 
11 inch T. blondi 
Male T. blondi 
Young T. blondi 

Notice the color:
Most of these "freshly molted" blondi are 2+ months post molt.
Freshly molted T. blondi There is also a picture in the same thread of the same spider before it molted.
Freshly molted T. blondi 
Freshly molted T. blondi 2 You may have to scroll down
6 inch T. blondi 
Pre molt T. blondiNotice the cinnamon color as opposed to the nearly black coloration of a freshly molted and newly post molt blondi

----------


## recycling goddess

amazing how different a T can look pre and post moult  :Wink:

----------


## Shadowspider

Yes, it is.
While with some tarantulas, it is more difficult to determine the difference between inter molt, pre molt and post molt, others, like Theraphosa blondi, it is very easy, especially once they mature.   I have seen many times, people who aquire a blondi who freak out once it molts because they think they got duped because the spider sitting in the container is NOT the spider they bought...the difference is *that* severe, especially because the vast majority of photos we see of blondi are of the spider at intermolt or pre molt.  Also, like with B. albo. it can be difficult to determine when they are entering pre molt until we have had them for quite a while and have actually had the opportunity to see the subtle changes they go through until they reach their next molt.  Did y'all know that an adult B. albo. has *very* pink seate right after a molt.  The longer seate is almost as pink as a freshly molted G. rosea.  :Wink: 

With species like blondi, as well as pretty much all other Theraphosa spp. it is by far easier to tell when a molt is approaching.  The exoskeleton will gradually become lighter in color during intermolt, the seate on the abdomen will get thinner and more ragged looking, (which is evident in the photo above) generally from kicking hair.  As well, the skin color of the abdomen is clearly visible where the bald spot is (again, very visible in the photo above).  It will first look pink-ish and, as molt approaches, that area will get darker and darker until it is nearly black (which is the new exoskeleton underneath showing through). When a blondi is in imminent pre molt, the entire spider will tend to look "ragged" in it's appearance and will be a rather light, dull cinnamon color with the abdomen looking grey/black where the bald spot is.  Once they have molted, they, like *all* freshly molted tarantulas, will look "all fresh and new".  The new exoskeleton will be nearly black in appearance, the seate on the abdomen will be shiny, lush, thick and well laid along the abdomen, coming to a gentle point at the end of the abdomen.  They are quite shiny (for as much as a blondi shines), the pink highlights on the leg striping and above the chelicerie is quite distinct.  The hair on the legs and abdomen is a white/pink color that is easy to see under the right light.
My picture is, indeed a baaaadddd representation of T. blondi because it does *not* show their true color very well. 
I would venture to guess, based on the photo above, this blondi has a few more months before it molts, as the abdomen is still brown/pink where the bald patch is, the seate on the abdomen is quite ragged, as is the hair on legs IV, the ragged look of the carapace, and the lightened, dulled colors over all suggest that it has a while to go before it molts.

----------


## recycling goddess

:Cool:  i learned something but ... oh man now my head hurts

----------


## Shadowspider

Well, you just c'mon over and Shela will explain all there is to know about her to you.  :Very Happy: 
Heck, she'll even sit in your lap while she does it.  Just don't take her mouse away...then she'll show you what one inch fangs can do to a hand and the bones therein :eek:

----------


## recycling goddess

no thanks  :Bolt:

----------


## Shadowspider

> no thanks


Aww, c'mon!  She's a sweetheart!  She'll climb right up on top of her bark, over the side of the tank and right into the hands, sit there and be happy as can be.
She's actually a very good girl....that U hair of hers though....that's a bit of a different story.
Or....you could come over and we can let Zoe (AF P. irminia) out and chase her thorugh the house....no, better yet, you can help me rehouse Reggie, my 5" P. ornata...yeeeaaahhhhh :eek:

----------


## recycling goddess

did i say i liked you? cause i think i had you confused with someone else  :Bolt:

----------


## Shadowspider

> did i say i liked you? cause i think i had you confused with someone else


Hmmm, umm, no, you never have...that I recall. :Very Happy: 
You've made comments as to "odd" "goofy" "strange" and the like, but "like".....nope.

----------


## recycling goddess

oh that's good cause i wouldn't want to mislead you  :Wink: 

 :ROFL:

----------


## Shadowspider

> oh that's good cause i wouldn't want to mislead you


LOL
As long as you keep it honest (no saying things about or to me that aren't true like...."you're such a well manaered, soft spoken, decent person"....or...."she loves everyone") and keep it PG (on the public boards) it's all good!  :Cool:

----------


## recycling goddess

:ROFL:  i'd never say such things about *you!* denise... i may say things like that about others... but never you  :sploosh: 

now, quirky, honest, REAL, knowledgable and addicted (to critters) - those are words i'd use to describe you  :Giggle:

----------


## bodar

yeah shadow, it think i wrote post molt cause i just read your reply. pre-molt is what i meant. ummmmmmmmmmmm the ornata is a female. in that pic its a sling has since molted twice. dam do they grow fast, i bought her at about .5" and now she's about 4" 5". in a year, and i do not power feed.   have  few questions for you, you feed mice to you blondi?  has it ever affected its molts? i feed mice and no it has never affected anyting. what humidity and temp do you keep you T's at? are they in one room or spread out. the reason i ask is i recently put all mine in one room with my snakes and centi's and scorps. i then bought a humidifier and a oil filled heater. now my room is a constant 75degrees and about  60 - 70 humidity. since doing this i have noticed a startling change in behaviour. everthing in the room is way way more lively now and every T i have has turned to a prolific webber!!!!!!   i know that they are really loving it, so i must ask if you have the same sort of temp and humidity. or how you are controlling your conditions.   i apologize for my reply also i swear i could see pattern on the legs in you pic  :Confused:  .     oh well, live and learn i suppose.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Shadowspider

> yeah shadow, it think i wrote post molt cause i just read your reply. pre-molt is what i meant. ummmmmmmmmmmm the ornata is a female. in that pic its a sling has since molted twice. dam do they grow fast, i bought her at about .5" and now she's about 4" 5". in a year, and i do not power feed.   have  few questions for you, you feed mice to you blondi?  has it ever affected its molts? i feed mice and no it has never affected anyting. what humidity and temp do you keep you T's at? are they in one room or spread out. the reason i ask is i recently put all mine in one room with my snakes and centi's and scorps. i then bought a humidifier and a oil filled heater. now my room is a constant 75degrees and about  60 - 70 humidity. since doing this i have noticed a startling change in behaviour. everthing in the room is way way more lively now and every T i have has turned to a prolific webber!!!!!!   i know that they are really loving it, so i must ask if you have the same sort of temp and humidity. or how you are controlling your conditions.   i apologize for my reply also i swear i could see pattern on the legs in you pic  .     oh well, live and learn i suppose.
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!


I feed my large (6+ inch) tarantulas pinks every once in a while but roaches are their main diet.  I've never had any problems with my blondi or any of my others molting as a result of eating the occasional vertebrate prey, but I would not feed it as the only food source.  As far as humidity, I don't keep all of my inverts at the same humidity levels.  I have over 100 tarantulas and scorpions of various species and they require different environmental conditions.  I have my inverts in 3 different rooms in my home:
The living room, my bedroom and the bathroom.  My shelving unit in the living room is for my desert species in which I keep the humidity at pretty much nil, the shelving unit in my bdr. is for my tropical species and I mist them on a regular basis and the bathroom is for my gravid females.  I do not keep my temperatures and RH at a constant as it does not allow for the natural instinctual changes that inverts go through during the course of the seasons.  I like to mimic their natural environmental conditions and seasonal changes as it is more natural for them and helps greatly with breeding.

Shela (my blondi) *does* have leg striping, all blondi do.  The reason it shows so much in my pic is because of the pic its self.  The camera that was used was a piece of junk, the lighting biffed and, well, it just made the pic come out funny.
Yes, P. ornata (as with most Poecs.) do tend to grow quite rapidly.  I got my girl around .75" about a year and a half ago (maybe 2, I don't remember) and she's 5+ inches now...and mean as all get out!

No probs man, it's all good!  :Smile:  



> i'd never say such things about you! denise... i may say things like that about others... but never you now, quirky, honest, REAL, knowledgable and addicted (to critters) - those are words i'd use to describe you


 You know me so well!  :Dancing Carrot:

----------


## recycling goddess

i do i do i do!  :Razz:

----------

