tarantulas for pets.

[normballpython2]

um can some one who has expeirience with tarantulas tell me which one is the best as far as temperament and also how long it will live and can u direct me to some good care sheets. i might get one my momsays they are cool becuz they are fuzzy. so she said i might be able to get one in a few months(which really means abotu 10 months) also can u tell me how often the species eats.

[UberAlice]

They're really not very fuzzy; their bodies are covered in urticary (I believe that's the word) hairs that can actually really hurt if you get them stuck in your fingers.
Just a heads-up...they're not that cuddly.

[mlededee]

chilean rose taratulas are great for beginners and pretty common. i have one and she is very sweet. never flicked hairs at me or bitten or anything. feed crickets, mealworms, etc. once or twice per week. if they do not eat the prey within 24 hours make sure to remove it so it doesn't cause stress. keep a shallow dish with water in it for them to drink from at all times. they like temps between 75-85 degrees and humidity of around 80%. use a red infrared bulb for heat--they are nocturnal spiders. i use toilet paper rolls and a half hollowed out coconut for hides and reptibark substrate in a 10 gallon tank. they like to burrow, so a good depth of some sort of loose substrate is needed. really they are very easy to take care of. just do a little research and you'll find all you need to know.

[normballpython2]

hey how much are they and what is flicking hairs sounds painful.

[mlededee]

they can rub their back legs together and "flick" hairs at you. it's not the most comfortable thing from what i have heard (this hasn't happened to me personally). maybe like little needles getting stuck into you all of the sudden. they only do it if they feel threatened or really stressed. like if a dog came up and was sniffing it, then it might flick or throw hairs at the dog's nose as a defense mechanism.

i'm not sure exactly how much they cost. i got mine from a friend who was moving and couldn't take her with him. maybe $30? rose hairs aren't expensive as far as tarantulas go.

[kavmon]

rose hairs cost around 10- 20 dollars. the urticulating hairs are hairs on their rump that they kind of flick at you when agitated. in nature these hairs get into the face area and nasal passages irritating the would be predator. some t's flick more than others. rose hairs are generally docile. but i would get the seller to hold it first to check the temperment. i would start with a rose hair or a pink toe tarantula. they are venomous, there have been no deaths recorded from tarantula bites. if you happen to be allergic to their venom you may have a problem. like people that are allergic to honey bees. tarantulas are low maintenance pets, you can hold them but they are best for display! hope this may help!


thanks

vaughn

[mlededee]

tarantulas are low maintenance pets, you can hold them but they are best for display!

that is a good point. i don't hold my tarantula much at all. they don't really enjoy handling the way other pets do. and they are so fast that you can lose them in a second. if they were to jump off of your hand (and they certainly can jump) and hit the floor or something hard their abdomen would probably burst, resulting in death. they are actually fairly delicate. so if you are looking for something that you can get out and play with, a tarantula isn't it.

[normballpython2]

oh heck no. i would never hold a tarantual unless it was for cleaning the tank oh yeah do they poo or pee or make any kind of mess in that matter and how often do i ahve to clean the tank.

[kavmon]

they have little white deposits kind of like urates in snakes. i keep mine in 5 and 10 gal. tanks. i completely clean out tanks 3 or 4 times a year., spot clean when needed. they aren't really messy, i only feed once a week. when doing tank maintenence i use a 2 liter bottle to catch the tarantulas. cut the bottom out of it, use it like a funnel to catch the tarantula then use a flat piece of cardboard or something similiar to cover the bottom up. you can tape the cardboard to the bottle to keep the tarantula in there while you clean. if you are wondering i don't do this for rose hairs or pink toes, i just hold them. this method is for the goliath birdeater,columbian blue bloom,indian ornamental, and the columbian red leg all are aggressive.

thanks

vaughn

[normballpython2]

hold up so the rose hair and pink toes are kinda small?