What's the best first invertebrate "pet"?

I am getting so much joy from all our critters that I am always thinking about how to expand our collection next. Can you all give me your opinions on best HANDLEABLE invertabrate? By this, I mean about 10 minutes at a time and maybe a few times a week.

Thanks!

I like arachnids the best, and rosehair tarantulas are usually easy to handle. But then I haven't kept any arthropods, and for those I would do some research on mantids, not sure if they're handleable or not.

I prefer lobsters.... you can keep one in a 10 gal fish tank, they don't eat much, and you handle them as much as you want.

plus if you every get tired of keeping one as a pet he can just become dinner :)

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Originally Posted by Kagez28

I prefer lobsters.... you can keep one in a 10 gal fish tank, they don't eat much, and you handle them as much as you want.

plus if you every get tired of keeping one as a pet he can just become dinner :)

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remind me to not invite you over... my fish tank couldn't handle it...

If your looking for one of the best "in general" invertebrate pets, buy a small colony of Hissing Cockroaches Gromphadorhina portentosa. They run about $1-$2.50 a piece. If they breed, you can easily just feed off the babies to your reptiles, if you have insectivores. They're somewhat low maintenance, and are very placid. If they escape, they won't survive. The climate in your home is too different from what they need. They're large too, at 2+ inches long, or more depending on age.

If you decide on any other invertebrate, and lean towards tarantulas, just note that although they're listed as harmless; they are venomous, and you won't know how your body will react to the venom until bitten. 90% of bite reports are from the Chilean Rose hair Grammostola porteri. G. porteri was formerly listed as G. rosea, but they have been reclassified this year as two separate species. The true G. rosea is very rare.

Most people assume that just because certain species are docile doesn't mean they won't bite. They're very unpredictable. A fall could kill them as well....even the arboreals. Basically, if they jump, you could have very well lost your pet. Choose wisely and good luck :) There are thousands upon thousands of inverts to choose from.

Thanks, guys.

I have thought about hissing cockroaches, but I have a thing about roaches. I might be OK with them since they are large, don't fly, and look different from what you find anywhere in the states. However, it might be running the risk of nightmares. I love snakes, but can't handle roaches. Don't know why - maybe it started after a colony of German roaches stared me down (totally unafraid) from the ceiling as I showered at a friends house when I was 9 yrs old. We had them in our house, too, and used to have roach killing raids at midnight - flick on the light switch armed with shoes on feet and hands while mom was armed with the vacuum cleaner. Maybe I'm afraid they'll seek revenge on me one day? Anywho, enough about me... :rolleye2:

Tarantulas are a thought, but I have young children and am not sure about handling with the possibility of a bite or hair flicking.

The mantids are very intriguing. Can anyone speak for them?

Also, I read that it is not recommended to handle giant millipedes b/c of the risk of human hands removing a natural oil they need. Is this true? Also, do their naturally occuring mites have any relation to herp mites?

As a tarantula keeper myself I'd suggest several species as decent "pet" arachnids. Here are a few that I like:

Oklahoma Brown (Aphonopelma hentzi)
Guyana Pinktoe (Avicularia avicularia)
Curly Hair Tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosum) - I have three of these guys and they are as mild as they come. Great beginner T's!
Mexican Redknee (Brachypelma smithi) - Pretty, but can be a hair kicker.
Chaco Golden Knee (Grammostola aureostriata) - Another excellent beginner. Very hardy and docile.
Brazilian black (Grammostola pulchra) - Beautiful, hardy and docile. Can be expensive.

I strongly suggest going through a breeder that sells captive bred tarantulas. Krazy 8 Invertebrates and Botarby8's are both excellent dealers.

Stay away from spiders labeled "birdeater" or "baboon" as these spiders tend to be a little more nervous and are more prone to biting. Do a little homework and stick with species that are found in the Americas as they tend to be a little more gentle than old world species from Africa, Asia and Australia.

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The mantids are very intriguing. Can anyone speak for them?

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I've never had them as pets but they are cool in the wild. :)

Mantids are very cool, but there have been a lot of restrictions put on collecting and importing them, so specimens are very hard to find. If you would like a mantid, my suggestions is to collect one that lives in your general area.

Mantids don't last too long either.
I prefer scorpions over tarantulas any day, they're overated:D.
But T's and Scorpions get stressed easily.

Maybe a big Millipede.

I'm not sure about all T's getting stressed out easily. I suppose if you move them a lot, or handle them often you could be asking for issues, but that pretty much goes for any invert.

The mantids are protected in the wild, so I don't want to get one that way.

T's, millipedes, roaches, scorpions, what else is there? What am I missing in my list of possibilities?

Thanks!

I have scoprions, Ts, and mantids. Love em all!


and what people said is all true.

Mantids dont last more than 4-5 months, T's are fun to watch and interact with, my rosehair wouldnt bite if it had to i dont think.

Scorps are a little more edgy and skiddish, at least mine are!

Trap door spiders are cool, but small.
Centipedes
Beetles?

Each family has very different species, so if you pick one it will be hard to decided which of that to get.:P

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

The mantids are protected in the wild, so I don't want to get one that way.
Thanks!

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Are we talking about some specific native mantid? At many gardening sites you can buy an entire ootheca and get over a hundred to hatch for less than $20!

I have scorpions, T's and roaches. I've had milipedes before and that seems like it might be the best starter invert to get kids interacting with. Millipedes can secrete an oil onto your hands, so you will want to wash up after handling.

I keep dubia roaches myself as feeders. Hissers have a hard exoskeleton and as far as feeder roaches go, they don't make very good feeders.

Emperor scorpions and flat rock scorpions are often recommended as beginner scorpions. Both can be handled. The sting of a flat rock scorpion is very mild compared to a beesting. However, flat rock scorpions have larger claws and a pinch may be painful. (I keep flat rock scorpions, but I have never attempted to hold mine.)

I have never been a tarantula handlers and the species that make good handlers have urticating hairs. Since I react to urticating hairs, I choose not to handle the more handleable species at all.

ias far as tarantulas go, I've only handled my rosea, and she was calm and it went well. I've heard they can be quirky and unpredictably, not all are nice.
My A hentzi is wacky, and took her quite some time to adjust when i first got her. She's a lot of fun to watch, but not something I plan on holding anytime soon because she seems easily stressed.

I think that hissing cockroaches are great. They are really low maintainance, easy to handle, and harmless. I have two females (no breeding there). I rarely see them, they like to hide all day. But I can get them out and hold them, and they are fun to show off. They don't stink, don't bite - I'd recommend them over a hamster for a child's pet any day!

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Originally Posted by Fini

I strongly suggest going through a breeder that sells captive bred tarantulas. Krazy 8 Invertebrates and Botarby8's are both excellent dealers.

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Botarby8's is no longer in business. Botar sold his business to Ken the bug guy.

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Originally Posted by Schlyne

Are we talking about some specific native mantid? At many gardening sites you can buy an entire ootheca and get over a hundred to hatch for less than $20!

I've had milipedes before and that seems like it might be the best starter invert to get kids interacting with. Millipedes can secrete an oil onto your hands, so you will want to wash up after handling.

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Cool about the mantises. I'll look into it.

The millipedes - does it harm them in any way when our hands remove some of their natural oil?

Thanks all! I love reading all your responses. I am starting to warm up to hissing cockroaches, but only very slowly. I saw them at a pet store for $8 the other day. How much are they at shows usually? $2?

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

Cool about the mantises. I'll look into it.

The millipedes - does it harm them in any way when our hands remove some of their natural oil?

Thanks all! I love reading all your responses. I am starting to warm up to hissing cockroaches, but only very slowly. I saw them at a pet store for $8 the other day. How much are they at shows usually? $2?

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eight dollars is a bit high... I generally see them listed at $2 each. I got my two for free from someone who had a colony.

Emperor Scorpion. My buddy has one and he's a sweetheart.

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Originally Posted by V1L3 DiaL3cT

Emperor Scorpion. My buddy has one and he's a sweetheart.

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Sweetheart like friendly?

Of it's for a kid, I would say millipedes all the way. Super easy care, totally handleable, and dirt cheap for the giant blacks. I had one on mine live for seven years..:O. And they're a cinch to feed. Don't worry about the oils. It looks (and smells) like iodine. JUst make sure you wash yer hands real good after handling.

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

Of it's for a kid, I would say millipedes all the way. Super easy care, totally handleable, and dirt cheap for the giant blacks. I had one on mine live for seven years..:O. And they're a cinch to feed. Don't worry about the oils. It looks (and smells) like iodine. JUst make sure you wash yer hands real good after handling.

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What price should I expect to pay?

You really have to upset an Emperor to get it to tag you. Usually they only sting if you pinch their claws. My buddy tried getting stung for like 2 hours and "ares" was having nothing to do with it.

Melissa, It depends on where you go. I've seen them at shows for $10,but at a pet store expect to pay up to $20 :O

a nice big funnel web!! no no no just kidding! pink toes are sweet, docile. some get nice blue tone to them...and they are reasonable too, try a sling you won't regret it.

Dumb question, but I have to ask. I've seen the giant millipedes at shows and pet shops. They always have those tiny mites crawling all over them (I was told this is their natural state). These aren't the same kind of mites that can affect reptiles are they? And why are they there? Is this a symbiotic relationship? Tell me more. Thanks!

I finally did it and dove in. I was getting two Northern Leopard Frogs from a rescue and she offered me the hissing cockroaches w/out even knowing I had been meditating on it. So there ya go! I got a few and hope they breed for me.

I am no longer afraid of them since they showed me that they each have their own personality. And I saw a male courting a female with a whistley-hissy song and attempting to copulate with her. Fear melted away with deeper understanding.

All these worlds around us are so amazing!

Preying mantis!! I love them so much and they are so much fun! The chinese ones are huge!

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

Dumb question, but I have to ask. I've seen the giant millipedes at shows and pet shops. They always have those tiny mites crawling all over them (I was told this is their natural state). These aren't the same kind of mites that can affect reptiles are they? And why are they there? Is this a symbiotic relationship? Tell me more. Thanks!

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I know this is late and you got the roaches but I just wanted to answer this since the thread popped back up.

The mites that live on the millipedes are supposed to be there, they keep the bugs clean and get a meal out of it, it is a symbiotic relationship and the mites should not be removed from the millipedes.

As for it effecting the reptiles - I do not think that the type of mites that are found on millipedes would be able to thrive for long off of one. They live off millipede waste, not reptile blood. They are definitely not the same mites I that I have seen on my snakes.

Got some pictures too

Nice little brown millipede mites

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/142...smites1wh5.gif

Gross black snake mites that are crunchy when you pop them

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6784/mites3vf6.jpg

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Originally Posted by edie

I know this is late and you got the roaches but I just wanted to answer this since the thread popped back up.

The mites that live on the millipedes are supposed to be there, they keep the bugs clean and get a meal out of it, it is a symbiotic relationship and the mites should not be removed from the millipedes.

As for it effecting the reptiles - I do not think that the type of mites that are found on millipedes would be able to thrive for long off of one. They live off millipede waste, not reptile blood. They are definitely not the same mites I that I have seen on my snakes.

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Thanks for the info. I figured they would be OK around reptiles, but it's nice to know exactly why - what they eat, etc.

Great photo!