Got my first T

[Rev SWIM]

[edit: I wish I could change the subject to "questions about my new a. avic"]

I didnt know where exactly to post this because I have pictures and questions. Here is my avic avic (common pink toe) named Wednesday.

Shes still really small but you cant tell from the picture. She is like an inch or two I think (not sure I know what that means for age, if its a sling or a juvi.) The lady at repticon said it was a female and seemed to sex her in front of me. One of the main driving points in my purchase, as she said all the tiny slings were unsexable.

Here is my setup. It's 12 x 12 x 18 exo terra, coir substrate mostly. I mist often, screen top. The sticks and plants (slowly dying and replaced) are real because I cant afford $20 for a fake stone stick and $10 for a plastic looking fake plant from petsmart.

And here is it looking all cool and goth

So here are the questions, I bought Wednesday to handle and I know many are against handling any T but I am looking for the opinions of those at least sympathetic to the idea.

In the booth after the woman took Wednesday out of her small container she was jumping everywhere and barely able to be caught as she fell from hand to hand. Will my T be like this forever or will she become more docile when she grow bigger? I've seen way more docile adult avics that I'm envious of but I am havent even tried to handle mine since seeing the professional trying to keep her from jumping out of her hands. Should I try to get her used to human touch? Should I start the handing now even though she is freaking out or wait until she is big and risk having her reactions to me locked into place (cant each an old dog new tricks?) She usually always stays up in the very top corner, will she be hiding in a corner or soon to be made web most of the time? I really wanted an animal I could see

I still love her I am just concerned about if the woman at the booth sold me on things I was specifically looking to avoid. Plus short life spans, I was expecting a lifelong companion. The other affordable option was an adult male rosie which I didnt want because of the psycho rosies and short male lifespans. I was expecting 20+ years of friendship. I guess I should have only picked a species I researched heavily (went looking for chaco golds, red knees, or brazilian blacks) but she did the hard sell and made the species seem perfect for what I wanted, and I do enjoy her as a pet. I just wonder if she will ever be that creepy crawler that I can invite my friends over to handle or at least observe her eat a cockroach. (Although she does seem to always want to eat)

Thoughts?

(in before "every tarantula is different")

 

[Tgirl1010]

Generally they do calm with age, but Avics tend to be "walky" LOL. They don't often just sit or walk slowly. One thing I'd like to mention just because I've been there is that you may want to cover part of the screen top that I think those enclosure have. What I did was use a stiff plastic folder and cut a piece to fit right on top, and punched some holes with a hole punch. That will help a lot with keeping humidity in. Congrats on your Avic. I love the way they walk!

 

[Nada]

Avics , and arboreals in general. Are bad handling Ts. Especially for a 1st time owner. She may mellow down as she gets older, but she'll never be truely ":mellow"

Your enclosure looks good, just a little big. The plants; did you get them from outside? your back yard? etc. If so, get them out of there. They could have pesticides on them and over time kill your new tarantula.

 

[Rev SWIM]

thanks for the replies, I know she will always be a mover during handling but I was just hoping the jumping would calm down and didnt know if she could "get more used" to handling if I started her early.The plants are good and clean. Do I still need to cover the screen halfway if I am spraying often and live in Florida? What about her staying out in the open, will she always be in the corner or in a web?

 

[Nada]

as far as covering the screen. it all depends on what the humidity in the enclosure is. 65%+ is optimum.
She'll likely pick an area, build a web, and that will be where she spends most of her time.

 

[Scoolman]

Your new T looks great. I must admit, though, I am quite disheartened to hear that this person put money ahead of the T. If she had not been so greedy she would have tried so hard to sell something that did not fit your criteria.

Avics are a more nervous species, and tend to be on the go when out of their environment, They do have shorter life spans, on average, and they will spend most of their time inside their silk retreats.

With a full screen top like you have the interior humidity of the enclosure will match the exterior humidity. Covering the top, as was mentioned, will help greatly to control humidity.

On the plus side, you now have an excuse to get T number 2

 

[Rev SWIM]

What should I be expecting with lifespan? I've seen people saying everything from like 4 years to 16 years. I was guessing 8, every site I look up has a different number. Anyone have an average off the top of their head for if nothing catastrophic happens or someone who has raised one, how long was it still kickin?

 

[Nada]

I'd say 10-12 years is good for most Arboreals

 

[Bast]

That enclosure is pretty large for the size of your spider, keep an eye on her to make sure she is able to catch the prey you put in for her to eat. If she has a hard time hunting her food, you may have to find a smaller container to use until she gets a bit bigger. I use saran wrap on the mesh top lid of my Exo, to help retain humidity. Also if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to pet store tank deco; dollar stores have a pretty good selection of silk flowers/plants