Advice for getting my first aboreal

[Gizalba]

Hi, I am looking to get my first aboreal T soon and one of them I am wondering about is the Psalmopoeus Cambridgei, largely because it seems to be frequently stocked in the UK. I have been searching for info on it, watched a fair few youtube videos and see it can be fast and aggressive. However I wanted to clarify - is the P Cambridgei a new world or an old world? And would it be too fast to be recommended as a first aboreal?

Another option I was thinking of is an Avicularia, however they seem to disappear out of stock quicker. Has anyone got any other suggestions? Unlike terrestrials I can't seem to find many aboreals that are more 'beginner friendly'. Basically I am wanting something faster and climb-ier than my terrestrials; the aggression doesn't worry me too much as long as the venom isn't potent.

 

[Enn49]

All of the Psalmopoeus are NW but unlike most NWs they don't have urticating hairs but are venomous.
They can all be very fast but I find the cambridgei to be the least skittish of the bunch and probably a very good introduction to arboreals and as a stepping stone to the OWs.

 

[ilovebrachys]

I agree with @Enn49.. Although psalmopoeus iriminia are a favourite of ours as they are usually out and about and one of the most beautiful of the arboreals
If you are considering Avics and alike I'd recommend a Caribena versicolor as an ideal starter arboreal.. Very beautiful and if housed correctly will do just fine - they require plenty of cross ventilation as they cannot tolerate stuffy humid conditions - dry sub and a decent water dish along with hides /plants and you are good to go.. Given the correct care they will thrive

 

[Arachnoclown]

Psalmopoeus cambridgei are great spiders. Like already mentioned they are not that skittish but they will stand their ground however. Beautiful spiders.

 

[Gizalba]

Thanks very much for the info!

I agree with @Enn49.. Although psalmopoeus iriminia are a favourite of ours as they are usually out and about and one of the most beautiful of the arboreals
If you are considering Avics and alike I'd recommend a Caribena versicolor as an ideal starter arboreal.. Very beautiful and if housed correctly will do just fine - they require plenty of cross ventilation as they cannot tolerate stuffy humid conditions - dry sub and a decent water dish along with hides /plants and you are good to go.. Given the correct care they will thrive

Thanks! A Caribena versicolor is another one I am indeed considering, I have been looking into an enclosure with good cross ventilation

 

[ilovebrachys]

Thanks very much for the info!



Thanks! A Caribena versicolor is another one I am indeed considering, I have been looking into an enclosure with good cross ventilation

It depends on what size versi you are getting - I presume a sling as they are easier to come across than juvie or adults-
You can use rearing jars that spidershop sell or if its really small use a specimen pot or something similar and put the ventilation holes in yourself either melt holes in or drill them - the more the merrier and make sure they are small enough so your sling cannot get out of them though

 

[Seekeroftruth]

If you decide to get an avicularia or c versicolor, i would make sure to have appropriately sized feeders for it as some dont like pre killed. This is just my own experience. It can be hard to find tiny feeders but they can be found online. Also i would not get feeders that burrow as mine don't hunt hunt at the substrate level. I use flies and moths, although i have tricked mine into eating dead prey with tongs/ tweezers or dropping the feeder near them. If you plan on using the ''drop it near them method' , a top open enclosure is needed. You can also ask the vendor what feeders they are used to, incase they are already eating pre killed. It's much easier that way.

 

[Gizalba]

If you decide to get an avicularia or c versicolor, i would make sure to have appropriately sized feeders for it as some dont like pre killed. This is just my own experience. It can be hard to find tiny feeders but they can be found online. Also i would not get feeders that burrow as mine don't hunt hunt at the substrate level. I use flies and moths, although i have tricked mine into eating dead prey with tongs/ tweezers or dropping the feeder near them. If you plan on using the ''drop it near them method' , a top open enclosure is needed. You can also ask the vendor what feeders they are used to, incase they are already eating pre killed. It's much easier that way.

Thanks very much for this info! I have now got both a versicolor and a peru purple avicularia. I haven't yet tried them with pre-killed anyway, as indeed with them being aboreal it is harder to just leave it there at the right level for them to find it. The avicularia has so far been fine eating micro-crickets I drop in. The versicolor I have only had a few days so she hasn't eaten yet. However she is quite a bit smaller than the avic so if she doesn't want the micro-crickets (they have grown a bit past 'micro' now) I am going to order some bean weevils.

 

[Miya sishairy]

Thanks very much for the info!



Thanks! A Caribena versicolor is another one I am indeed considering, I have been looking into an enclosure with good cross ventilation

If you're local to Cardiff they have c versicolor slings £9 in the reptile cymru bred by the lass that works there ive got one and its doing fab ive only got it in a cracker tub put plenty of air holes around the top section and plenty of stuff for it to climb.