Any Tarantula owners out there???

Never seen it at the zoo. There tarantula's always hide but then again I would to with how many visitors they get out here in So Cali
 
a lot of tarantulas are nocturnal, so i guess it's not too surprising that there's nothing to see at a zoo. i'm surprised the zoo had a display unless they built a red-for-night environment with artificial "day" at night when there were no visitors
 
I dont know if they still have it but the LA Zoo had some before not sure what kind of tarantula's since I was easily 7-9yrs old but in the reptile house they had some arachnids.

Oh I just caught myself a Daring Jumping Spider. Saw it on the screen these guys get bigger then the normal jumping spiders im use to seeing out here. They are cool. I just got to remember to feed him. I had one before and it died after I forgot to feed it after a single day. Right now it is eating a fly I fed it was cool to see him catch it. May catch another fly to feed him in a bit.
 
I was kinda hoping to be able to avoid crickets though since once they get bigger they get annoying with all there chirping. Dubia roaches are cool since there nice and quiet. Ill have to do more research but I got to admit im not use to learning so much in such a short bit of time and now my head hurts lol.

Ok some people keep there tarantula in small containers like really small. Why is that? I know spiderlings or slings as they call them are cool in tiny containers but why such small containers for adults?

Well, because a spider in it's natural habitat has a very small range. At least the females. They stay within a very small space where their den is, so they can be kept in a small territory and they love it. They like small confined spaces. They feel safer, and if you give them a large space, they most likely won't use it. :grinyes:
 
Well, because a spider in it's natural habitat has a very small range. At least the females. They stay within a very small space where their den is, so they can be kept in a small territory and they love it. They like small confined spaces. They feel safer, and if you give them a large space, they most likely won't use it. :grinyes:

Thats what I ended up reading on another site after I posted that lol. Thanks for the info though.

not to derail but can anyone recommend a good arboreal tarantula for beginners?

HEY STOP TRYING TO STEAL MY THREAD!!!:duh:

Just kidding lol Pink Toed Tarantula's are suppose to be a good starter arboreal species.
 
Sorry I am jumping in here kinda late. The tarantulas that you list are good species. The Mexican red knees (b. smithi) are great but they are hair kickers and they tend to be on the more expensive side (only captive breed), Pink toes (A. avicularia) need more humidity and not as easy to handle since they do jump and they can shoot poop at you, and rose hairs (G. rosea) love to go months on end without eating and it's normal. The Oklahoma brown (A. henzi) is a nice docile spider and it is native to the US and the Honduras Curly Hair (B.albopilosa), we've used this species when we have done shows for the kids to see and handle.

On that note, they really don't like to be handled. Only handle if you must. If you do handle them do it close to the floor so that if it jumps out of your handle or you loose control you are less likely to harm the spider. Always keep a deli cup on handle to trap the spider safely. Pay attention to the spider if you are going to handle them, judge their temperment before picking them up and stay clam.

The tarantulas will be fine if you just feed them the roaches. We feed ours (145) only crickets. I can't do the roaches part. The only thing with roaches is that it is best to raise your own because it isn't as easily available in pet stores.

Regular room temp without extra heat works for must T, unless you keep your house very cold. Ours is between 72-74 now and they are in the basement. We keep ours on either peat moss or coco fibers, and feed 1-4 crickets depending on the size of the abdomen and tarantula. We also only feed every other week. All of ours are either in different size deli cups or shoe boxes from the Container Store. If you use a 5 gallon tank make sure that the distant between the top of the tank and the substrate is no more then 1 1/2 the leg span of the spider for a terrestrial species. If it is, add more substrate.
 
Thats what I wanted to ask but kept forgetting was the distance to the top of the container and the substrate. Ok cool. May have to wait till after winter to get her that tarantula.

As stated in a previous post I caught a Daring Jumping Spider yesterday and now it gots me wanting my own Tarantula lol. Although I think Ide stick to Terrestrial T's rather then Arboreal.
 
The Darings are cool little spiders. My neighbor caught one in his house and gave it to us. She laid an egg sac and when they hatched they left the cage and went off their own separate ways. Every once in awhile we see a little one and we wonder if it is one of the babies. Mom has since past on.

My son caught a grass spider and is taking care of it. It goes everywhere with him. He even took it to school. Now he is talking to his dad about getting his own tarantula. For Halloween, my hubby bought a fake pumpkin and it was a spider, so my son carved a scorpion in his real one.

Depends on the arboreal, I like the A. versicolor (blue when they are young and turns red as they get older) and they are pretty easy to take care of and aren't as temperamental about the humidity as the A. avicularia. My husband likes the old world tarantulas, the pokeys but I'm not a huge fan. I got bit by one... not fun! The only one that I like is the P. metallica (they're blue). It took us 3 years to get one but it was worth it.

Now the danger part. our whole collection started out with one Rose hair and then it was two and then 5 etc.... now I just say oh well is just another one. It's funny, there are two groups of people. There are those who have just one tarantula and then the other group that have large collection. You never just see a couple. They are addicting, just ask my husband.

The St Louis Zoo has a nice collection of tarantulas. It was funny we went though the exhibit and said we have that one and that one ooh we don't have that one.
 
LOL I fear that though cuz I have a very addictive nature. I started with 1 plant now I got over a hundred. I started with one fish now I got 30 something lol. 1 Tarantula and I may end up with several dozen lol. Im getting ready to let the Daring Spider go. Its cool but I dont feel right having it in a lil jar.
 
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