How to choose your first spider.

Incubuss · #1 (**permalink**) 21-07-2007, 02:35 PM

We get a lot of people asking for information on what spider is good for beginners, so I wrote this.

It would be nice if a mod could make it a sticky.

How to choose your first spider.

When choosing your first spider, you need to take your level of experience into consideration. The chances are you have not dealt with spiders in the past if you have never owned one, so you will be best off getting a spider that is not too aggressive, not too skittish, doesn’t have very potent venom, and also doesn’t get too big.

The best spiders to start off with are all in the Theraphosidae family (tarantula). You then need to choose the species of tarantula that will be best for you.

The best species to begin with are either in the Grammostola or Brachypelma family, as they are none aggressive, have weak venom and very hardy. These tarantulas include the Chilean Rose Hair (Grammostola Rosea), the Brazilian black (Grammostola pulchra), the Honduras Curly Hair Tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosa) and the beautiful and most popular pet tarantula in the world; the Mexican Redknee (Brachypelma smithi). All these tarantulas are terrestrial/burrowers.

If you fancy an arboreal spider to begin with then I would suggest starting with one from the Avicularia family. If you do choose an arboreal species then you must take into consideration that these tarantulas need more care then the ones above. They require much higher humidity, more height then ground space, and more tank decorations (for them to attach their webs to)

It is wise to stay away from the more aggressive Asian species such as the cobalt blue (Haplopelma lividum), the Thai black (Haplopelma minax) and any of the Poecilotheria (Ornamental) family as they are super fast, have very potent venom (for a tarantula) and are very aggressive. You should also beware of all the tarantulas with baboon in their name until you have a lot of experience with the lesser aggressive species, as these tarantulas are VERY fast, will quickly adopt the strike pose and will not hesitate to bite if felt threatened.

Now you have chosen the spider that best suits you; its research time. Research is the most important thing to do before buying a tarantula; you will need to know everything from what tank and bedding to use to what humidity and temperature it should be kept at.

Handling: Tarantulas are display animals and should not be handled, they do not like or need it, yet some species such as the Grammostola Rosea will tolerate it for short periods of time.

NOTE: Please remember that all tarantulas carry venom and can bite! Their venom is not medically significant, but can cause pain ranging from that of a bee sting to possible paralysis. And can kill if you’re illergic to the venom. Also, most tarantulas have the ability to flick urticating hairs from their abdomen, these hairs can cause itching, irritation and in some species, temporary blindness.

Good luck and enjoy your new pet.

Thanks for reading,

Incubuss.

mike mc · #2 (**permalink**) 21-07-2007, 07:20 PM

good guide,i personally think any 1 can own 1 of the more aggressive species aslong as they are aware of the consequences.i got an p.regalis as my second t and give it the respect it deserves and dont mess with it and it wont mess with you.its common sense really ie dont put your hands in the enclosure,maintenance should be done with forceps etc.follow the correct procedures when rehousing and you wont go far wrong.

wohic · #3 (**permalink**) 21-07-2007, 07:52 PM

good guide, stuck as requested.

Mez · #4 (**permalink**) 22-07-2007, 02:17 AM

i particularly like mike_mc's comment.
If i got a T, i'd get a baboon, but only because i know how they act

monitorfan666 · #5 (**permalink**) 22-07-2007, 01:27 PM

nice one incubuss
how potent is the cobalt blue's venom??

SiUK · #6 (**permalink**) 22-07-2007, 02:49 PM

old world taratulas ie baboons and colbalt blues tend to have more potent venom but they wouldnt cause a medica emergency, well unless you were severly allergic, but the same could happen from a bee sting.

Personally I think the only experience that will suffice is keeping an aggressive tarantula, keeping a chilean rose will not prepare you for a pokie, as long as you are careful then theres no reason IMO why you shouldnt keep a more aggressive spider, without silly risks you wont get bitten. I will probably get some stick off certain people but thats the way I see it.

mike mc · #7 (**permalink**) 22-07-2007, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiUK

old world taratulas ie baboons and colbalt blues tend to have more potent venom but they wouldnt cause a medica emergency, well unless you were severly allergic, but the same could happen from a bee sting.

Personally I think the only experience that will suffice is keeping an aggressive tarantula, keeping a chilean rose will not prepare you for a pokie, as long as you are careful then theres no reason IMO why you shouldnt keep a more aggressive spider, without silly risks you wont get bitten. I will probably get some stick off certain people but thats the way I see it.

i agree with you mate

Incubuss · #8 (**permalink**) 23-07-2007, 10:52 AM

I agree too (well, to a certain extent, lol). I just wrote this for people who are new to spiders and want an easy species to start off with. My second spider was also a P. regalis and I never had any trouble from her, but some people like a T that they can hold, or a T that they don't need to worry about too much while doing tank maintainance ect.

Mez · #9 (**permalink**) 22-08-2007, 09:16 PM

reading my post again, i thought that i'd let others know ive bought an orange baboon

spider_mad · #10 (**permalink**) 22-08-2007, 10:17 PM

sweet we could do with a few stickys in the invert section

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