Best starter T

[ballpythonluvr]

I am looking into getting a T. What speices is best for a beginner? I know this has probably been asked before but I really want to make sure I get something is fairly easy to take care of and preferably something that does not get to big. And by the way, LGray23, all of those pics of your T's is what is getting me hooked!

[Skittles1101]

BAHAHAH welcome to the dark side!!

I'd say a Mexican Red Knee is a great starter T, they grow up to be fairly big and are known for being a docile species. I can hold mine and it's never been defensive. They are flighty like any other T as a sling, but mine's about the size of a quarter, maybe a little bigger and he only books it if I move too suddenly. I try not to handle him too often though. I also suggest pretty much anything in the Avicularia genus. A.Versi, A. Metallica, A. Avic...they are all fairly hardy once they get past the sling stage. They also have cute little pink feet

The ones I have all do fine in room temps. I keep the little ones in little acrylic boxes I found at Michael's Craft Stores for like .99 a piece, and my larger red knee I keep in a clear carry out container from a restaurant. I just used a metal hanger heated over my stove to solder holes for ventilation. I keep them on cocofiber or organic soil, throw in a couple small hides and a bottle cap for a water dish and viola! I can take pics when I get home if you'd like

[ballpythonluvr]

BAHAHAH welcome to the dark side!!

I'd say a Mexican Red Knee is a great starter T, they grow up to be fairly big and are known for being a docile species. I can hold mine and it's never been defensive. They are flighty like any other T as a sling, but mine's about the size of a quarter, maybe a little bigger and he only books it if I move too suddenly. I try not to handle him too often though. I also suggest pretty much anything in the Avicularia genus. A.Versi, A. Metallica, A. Avic...they are all fairly hardy once they get past the sling stage. They also have cute little pink feet

The ones I have all do fine in room temps. I keep the little ones in little acrylic boxes I found at Michael's Craft Stores for like .99 a piece, and my larger red knee I keep in a clear carry out container from a restaurant. I just used a metal hanger heated over my stove to solder holes for ventilation. I keep them on cocofiber or organic soil, throw in a couple small hides and a bottle cap for a water dish and viola! I can take pics when I get home if you'd like

Thanks Leah! This helped out a lot and yes, pics are a must!

[Alexandra V]

The ones I usually suggest for beginners are:

Brachypelma smithi (Mexican red-knee) or anything else from the genus Brachypelma because they are hardy, get to a good size and tend to be quite docile, a hobby classic!

Grammostola rosea (Chilean rose) because they stay on the smaller side and are ridiculously hardy. They've been reputed to have fairly complacent temperaments but there are quite a few exceptions to that and they can be prone to mood swings.

Eupalestrus campestratus (Pink zebra beauty) similarly to Grammostola rosea, they stay smaller and tend to be quite docile, but unlike the rosea they don't tend to have as many mood swings. A good option if you can find one.

Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco golden-knee) (a personal favorite) since they are very easy to keep, get to an impressive size and are extremely docile; my pulchripes is the only one of my T's that I feel fully comfortable handling.

Avicularia avicularia (Pink toe) and other Avicularia species tend to be hardy as adults ,but unlike the other T's I mentioned above, you'll have to mist the enclosure to keep humidity up. They stay relatively small and are usually pretty docile but can be easy to spook.

I'll probably come up with more, but those are the ones I've come up with off the top of my head. Welcome to the dark side >: D

[purplemuffin]

Another nice one is the Aponophelma hentzi! (Texas brown) One of our US natives, it isn't the most spectacularly colored, but after a shed their hairs look awesome! Known to be pretty docile, hardy, and both boys AND girls live forever and a day. But they are super slow growers--so you'll have a baby tiny T for a long long time! They get a fairly average size, but again, it takes them forever to get there.

I love mine! He was a rescue, so I got him for free. But they are pretty cheap.




They kind of have that classic tarantula look, like what we see when we run across them out in the wild! Now that I know how long it takes for them to reach maturity(8-10 years!!) I have a new found respect for the big ones outside my house!

They aren't the most common starter despite being docile and hardy, simply because they aren't quite as stunning. But it's kind of fun having a US native!