Help!

[steepe99]

Hello,
I love snakes to death! But, I have this terrible fear of tarantulas! I really want to overcome this fear, and actually own one! But, every time I try to hold one and freak out and run out of the pet shop.. Its pretty bad, if anybody can help me it'll be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you
Billy

[Mephibosheth1]

Hi

I was afraid of the tarantulas for a while too

What I would recommend would be to find someone who has some little tarantulas and work on getting used to them first. The little ones are really cute, and can't really do much to ya.

Also, they aren't really touchy feely pets...they would actually do better without any human handling at all. So you don't have to feel obligated to hold them; they won't miss you

My little guy is the greatest...you should definitely get over the fear so you can get some!!

[satomi325]

I used to be afraid of tarantulas too. I hate spiders.
But one day I had a rose hair female as a lab partner in biology and it changed my views forever. (don't worry, no experiments, just handing and looking at their physical anatomy.)

She was really neat and sweet. Just sat in the palm of my hand for a few minutes. She was very gentle and soft to touch.

And while I still don't like the little tiny house spiders, I do like the big fuzzy tarantulas. It was just a matter of making that first step of holding one that let me overcome my fear. After holding her, it really wasn't as bad as I thought.

[Mike41793]

Basically what Nikki is trying to say is that shes a beer pong tarantula ninja master.

[Mike41793]

If you're thinking about getting one then definitely start off with a sling so its smaller and easier to work with. Go for a docile, slow moving species. As it grows, so will your confidence in working with it. I don't really handle my T's unless they come out to me or mayyyybe during a transfer. They're more look but don't touch pets. Especially the Old worlds haha. They make great pets because literally all you have to do for months on end is feed and water them. Rehouse only when they outgrow whatever you have them in. Easy!

Lmk if you have anymore questions.

[mues155]

If you're thinking about getting one then definitely start off with a sling so its smaller and easier to work with. Go for a docile, slow moving species. As it grows, so will your confidence in working with it. I don't really handle my T's unless they come out to me or mayyyybe during a transfer. They're more look but don't touch pets. Especially the Old worlds haha. They make great pets because literally all you have to do for months on end is feed and water them. Rehouse only when they outgrow whatever you have them in. Easy!

Lmk if you have anymore questions.

On the other end of the spectrum...
In my opinion I would stay away from slings as a beginner. They are small, delicate and sometimes very hard to keep alive. They can be very finicky when it comes to temps and humidity. They don't have the wow factor (small and most species are brownish colors) of an adult, they can be very fast and quick to escape. Some species take years to grow and mature. If it's a second or third instar you would need pinhead crickets or fruit flies which can be a pain to obtain and keep.

I honestly would buy a sub adult, at least 3-4 inches. This way it has a great chance of survival and also can be easily sexed at this stage by a breeder, and still has more growing to do. Females can live 20-30 years so take that into account, males mostly 5-10 years, all depending on the species.
I would go with most any of the Brachypelma species, Grammostola is another good beginner T species variety. Stay away from arboreal which is most of your old world T's. They are lightning fast, aggressive, and most have a more potent venom. Not quite beginner T's.

I used to have an irrational fear of spiders and some insects too but when i met my boyfriend he told me to pick out one I thought was really cool looking and care for it and i would change my mind. I did, and I still to this day have not held a T (seems ridiculous) but I've kept them for about 3 years now, and I have over 20 different species. You don't every have to hold them if you don't want to. Mostly I choose not to just in case one falls and hurts itself or escapes. I choose not to take that chance. But I assure you if you get a T as a pet you will grow to appreciate many different kinds of insects after that. You'll be hunting in the garden with a plastic vial looking for spiders in no time.

[Mike41793]

3-4inches is pretty intimidating to a first time T owner lol.

[mues155]

3-4inches is pretty intimidating to a first time T owner lol.

well a sling would eventually grow to that size and larger lol
If a 3-4 inch T is too intimidating then I would say don't get one.

[Mike41793]

well a sling would eventually grow to that size and larger lol
If a 3-4 inch T is too intimidating then I would say don't get one.

Yea but if you get something when its small and watch it grow, it isn't scary because you're used to it. That's my philosophy at least.

[Annarose15]

Totally outsider view, but I've always been more bothered by the creepy crawlies that are too small for me to watch body language than ones that are a little bit bigger. 3" really isn't that large (no matter what your mom tells you, Mike ). I agree with staying away from anything overly venomous or aggressive, but find one that just looks really cool to you so you maintain interest. Just like what I suggest to people thinking about getting their first lizard or snake.