going for it!

thanks for clearing that stuff up. like i said before,,, im just trying to gather all the info i can to make an educated decision..... well as educated as im able. LOL
spooky

First off, welcome to the addiction :D I'm going to echo Boanerges in saying that I don't think an old world for a first is the best idea, even if it has been done before.

I can't speak for Boanerges, but my reasoning is that even though you have kept hot snakes and potentially others (I don't know what you've kept haha), it's wiser IMO to get used to the body language of less venomous spiders first, so that you can more easily read the T's that really count. Just because you've kept hots doesn't necessarily mean that you're ready for a hot tarantula if you've never kept or observed any tarantulas at all before.

I've sat through YouTube video after YouTube video of old worlds, and it really bore no comparison at all to dealing with them in the flesh. Its completely different. If you're really set on an old world as a first, maybe try to find local enthusiasts who are willing to show you how they deal with theirs and let you give it a shot before you commit to one.

i understand what your saying... i guess that iv never thought of a spider as having body language. are the old worlds really that much different than others??? or is it an individual type thing? one of my first snakes was a blood,,, i got this because people were saying that there arent beginner snakes,, "there agressave",,,and i thought that would be something that might get my blood pumping a little more. 4 or 5 years later,, my BP's keep me on my toes more than my bloods. i can count on one hand how many times my bloods have struck at me, but i have a cinnabee that tries to nail me everytime i open the cage.
i do apreciate your input though,, and it will help me make a good decision as to what my first T will be.. theres no stopping me now:colbert: im going to have one of these as soon as i gather enough info as to what id be most comfortable with.
thanks again.
oh BTW,, what would YOU sudgest?????
spooky

but,, just to let it be known that im not one sided,,, i have been looking at the avics...
spooky

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mr.spooky

i understand what your saying... i guess that iv never thought of a spider as having body language. are the old worlds really that much different than others??? or is it an individual type thing? one of my first snakes was a blood,,, i got this because people were saying that there arent beginner snakes,, "there agressave",,,and i thought that would be something that might get my blood pumping a little more. 4 or 5 years later,, my BP's keep me on my toes more than my bloods. i can count on one hand how many times my bloods have struck at me, but i have a cinnabee that tries to nail me everytime i open the cage.
i do apreciate your input though,, and it will help me make a good decision as to what my first T will be.. theres no stopping me now:colbert: im going to have one of these as soon as i gather enough info as to what id be most comfortable with.
thanks again.
oh BTW,, what would YOU sudgest?????
spooky

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The old worlds all tend to be really skittish and jumpy, and since their venom is their only defense, they're more apt to resort to biting than a new world. That's not to say that you might not find an individual that is pretty calm, but just that they're very uncommon. There are new worlds that behave like old worlds, minus the strong venom, so that's really the main difference between them. Every time you interact with them (cage maintenance, feeding, rehousing) you risk being bitten, which kind of goes for every T, but these guys have way more punch behind their bite.

If you go find Boanerges' most recent thread in the invert section, about confirming a female M. mesomelas, he posted a video from Rob C on the second page, with his reaction to a mature female Poecilotheria ornata bite.

Personally, for a first T knowing you want to get into old worlds, I'd suggest going for one of the new worlds that are known to have a bit of a temper or to be a bit more nervous - like anything from the Ephebopus genus, or if you want bigger sized T's there's the genus Nhandu or even the Theraphosa's, or you could go the arboreal route with some Avicularia's, they can be rather skittish at times too. There are a lot of choices for more nervous NWs, those are just ones from off the top of my head.

if any of the NWs strike your fancy, I highly suggest getting to know tarantulas through them first, then picking up an OW when you feel comfortable with the NW. Really though, pick something you like. If you find yourself looking up New Worlds and not seeing anything you like, then go for the one you've wanted - just be really careful until you get to understand it.

I also say get a NW T first. And learn what you can about whatever specie you decide on.

Much like snakes, each T has it's own personality. Our first versi my wife thinks is trying to kill her and is plotting to attack her in her sleep. But our newer one is pretty chill.

For arboreal species, it is recommended you use cork bark for a climbing surface.

Here is my versi's setup
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...56534281_n.jpg
the lid is off, but you get the picture.
this is because cork bark does not mold, but other things may.

Avics are great starters, if you do your research and are careful. They are a bit more fragile but would lead you into the OW nicely.

Heard OBT's are good start OW T's. All the OW attitude, venom and beauty, but almost impossible to kill with a ferocious appetite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AK907

Heard OBT's are good start OW T's. All the OW attitude, venom and beauty, but almost impossible to kill with a ferocious appetite.

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thanks,, i checked them out, but it seems that they are terrestrial. from what i understand, the terrestrials "hide" more,,,, is this true??
thanks
spooky

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

For arboreal species, it is recommended you use cork bark for a climbing surface.

Here is my versi's setup
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...56534281_n.jpg
the lid is off, but you get the picture.
this is because cork bark does not mold, but other things may.

Avics are great starters, if you do your research and are careful. They are a bit more fragile but would lead you into the OW nicely.

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crap,, i knew i forgot something,,, the cork bark. today i got a few different size cubes. it looks like you have the cube upside down? is this because its aborial and theres less substrate needed?
thanks
spooky