Omgtarantulas!

[pinkspore]

Spiders seriously creep me out. The bigger the spider, the creepier.

I just adopted 2 pink-toed tarantulas.

I'm teaching a kids' class starting Monday about animals. When I walked into Petco this afternoon there were two tanks on the front counter with "Free to good home" signs. Apparently someone dropped them off. They have really nice 10 gallon naturalistic terrariums.

I'll take them into the classroom and send them home with someone who knows exactly what they're getting into and will appreciate them. If they don't find a home in 3 weeks I'll drive them to the reptile specialty shop an hour away and let them rehome them.

So I have until Monday to become an expert on pink toes. Where to begin?

[Smulkin]

Nice!

I like pinktoes!

General T care and info: http://www.arachnopets.com/tarantulas/ti.htm

Avic info: http://www.arachnopets.com/tarantula...iculariacc.htm

Of course we have quite a few folks here who keep T's as well (self included). If you have any specific questions shoot em out.

They are pretty fast and sometimes jumpy but in general usually not too agressive (unless you are crickets being lobbed through the air). While you might find a rosehair reasonably easy to handle an avic can up and bolt - I've chased mine across the walls down here a couple of times just transferring cages. What age are the kids in the class? I'd be kind of hesitant giving it away without parental permission - moreso because they are on the faster side and the speed can sometimes unnerve people. People have on occasion had allergic reactions to bites from species that otherwise aren't known for significant venom. I'm not trying to be alarmist but having spent time teaching as well I can appreciate the precautions you sometimes have to take to CYA (school boards can be strange beasts).

Bottom line though they are gorgeous tarantulas.

For an excellent in-depth read on tarantulas in general The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" is hard to beat - but please feel free to fire away with any questions!

[pinkspore]

Thanks! So glad to have people interested in spiders on hand!

The protocol for rehoming tarantulas goes like this: myself and several other teachers make an announcement that the tarantulas need homes and interested kids should bring their parents to the classroom. I hand parent a caresheet details feeding, housing, longevity, etc and ask them to read it and let me know tomorrow. I am hoping to properly rehome them rather than handing the tank to any kid who wanders in.

First question: I think the poor kids are being bedded on cedar shavings. I have some reptibark-junglebed-type substrate on hand. Is this appropriate.

Mor importantly: how the heck do I change the substrate without having a heart attack and dying? I need to remove them from their tanks to change it out and...spiders frighten me.

[pinkspore]

Second question!

If I take pictures of the little creepies, can you tell me what they are? The store claimed they were pinktoes, but I'd like to know for sure.

[Smulkin]

Thanks! So glad to have people interested in spiders on hand!

The protocol for rehoming tarantulas goes like this: myself and several other teachers make an announcement that the tarantulas need homes and interested kids should bring their parents to the classroom. I hand parent a caresheet details feeding, housing, longevity, etc and ask them to read it and let me know tomorrow. I am hoping to properly rehome them rather than handing the tank to any kid who wanders in.

Cool deal! I was picturing the next Samuel L Jackson movie with him as the driver in SPIDERS ON A BUS lol

First question: I think the poor kids are being bedded on cedar shavings. I have some reptibark-junglebed-type substrate on hand. Is this appropriate.

Mor importantly: how the heck do I change the substrate without having a heart attack and dying? I need to remove them from their tanks to change it out and...spiders frighten me.

Yank the cedar it's bad news. The main benefit from substrate these guys will enjoy is humidity - they like spending most of their time aloft. I keep mine in a vertical anclosure with the "lid" (a sliding deal) facing the front and have some cork bark attatched to the walls. It has a good deal of webbing up ni the corner and I haven't seen it touch the floor in a year so i toss the crickets up and it catches them and I mist it for humidity and drinking. Theres a big bowl of water in the bottom of the cage solely for humidity (abandoned substrate as a source) and that's about it.

I have more trouble moving the pinktoe than I do the terrestrials but have only had to do it twice. I removed all the decoration and following Schlyne's advice used a 2L bottle (you could use a 3L for a bigger legspan) I had cut about 2/3 of the bottom from. I chased it out of the web with a chopstick, plopped the bottle over it while it was on the wall (mind the legs) then put a piece of sized cardboard on the wall below it and slowly moved the bottle until it was on top of the cardboard. Holding them together I had it safely out.

Here's a shot of our Avicularia avicularia bolting up the wall:



Do post a picture as I'd hate to be giving you info on the wrong species.


(EDIT: here's Schlyne's much clearer description of the process though she's talking about slings - spiderlings http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...86&postcount=5 )

[pinkspore]

I put a big wide-mouthed mason jar on it's side in the tank and herded the spider into it with a chopstick, and screwed the lid on and removed it from the tanks. Same with the other.

I posted the pics on an other thread. If they are indeed pinktoes they certainly need more climbing stuff.

[Mina]

Pinkspore,

Get on arachnoboards.com. They are just like here, but are all about tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and millipedes.
They can help you with any questions or problems you have. Feel free to PM me also if you wish, I have 22 tarantulas and 5 scorpions and would be happy to help if needed.
Take a deep breath and relax. Both of the spiders you have are docile and don't tend to bite or be aggressive.
Thank you for overcoming your fear and helping them.
Mina