How old where you when….

[siege]

How old were you when you got your first T and what was it?

I think I was 35 and it was a red knee.

 

[Enn49]

I was 64 when I bought my first beautiful female OBT (she's the one in my avatar) although I had spent many years before that breeding snakes.

 

[RickyC]

32 ️ there name is Cubone. Yours?

 

[m0lsx]

Around 19. I had just finished my apprenticeship & was working away from home on my first contract. A friend of a friend was a herpetologist & took in reptiles from private individuals, as well as via the Police, RSPCA etc. It was a few years after DWA & working with snakes etc, appealed. But occasionally he took in things like tarantulas & scorpions & I discovered I loved tarantulas & needed to know more about them & how to care for them.

So my first T's were not mine & were only cared for until a decent home could be found for them.

 

[Josh]

Maybe 25 ish? I can't recall tbh!

 

[Mudring76]

How old were you when you got your first T and what was it?

I think I was 35 and it was a red knee.

17yrs old was a rose hair female lived 28

 

[WolfieKate]

55, I had just retired and naturally everyones favourite beginner spider, a GBB. She’s called Ingrid after Ingrid Pitt.

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

I was still in my teens and I believe it was around 1980 ish! They labeled it as a Mexican brown but due to its size I now believe it to be a Lasiodora Parahybana. I was a kid and had no clue what I was doing! I was getting haired like crazy and didn't even know it! She was huge! Would easily take big full grown grasshoppers (2 or 3 sometimes) with ease. Kept her on sand from the yard. Didn't realize what I was doing could harm her! Hardly no info on them and how to properly care for them! Think she got parasites and passed! Move on 10 years or so and I got another " Mexican brown" and what was labeled a " Mexican Rose Hair! How long ago it's been. Everything seemed to come from Mexico but now I know better! Move on 35 years or so and now I'm back with a vengeance! Have 50 or so guys and gals and raised up several males that have passed and absolutely adore my T's! And I know a heckava lot more than beforehand. Happy Spoodering all you wonderful folks here at Tarantula Forum! Peace!

 

[Reptisect]

I was 9 nearing 10 years old when I got my T. albopilosus, Curly, sometime during 2014. She is now 10 years old and 16-17cm from toe to toe, still the largest tarantula I have (for now at least). Got her from a pet store that I no longer go to. They told me to get a heat pad and I did, If it were not for my teenaged laziness she might not be with me today. I am also thankful to my mother and father for (still) allowing me to fill their house with (mostly) giant hairy spiders.

 

[siege]

My avatar is a pic of me and my first T. 30

I was still in my teens and I believe it was around 1980 ish! They labeled it as a Mexican brown but due to its size I now believe it to be a Lasiodora Parahybana. I was a kid and had no clue what I was doing! I was getting haired like crazy and didn't even know it! She was huge! Would easily take big full grown grasshoppers (2 or 3 sometimes) with ease. Kept her on sand from the yard. Didn't realize what I was doing could harm her! Hardly no info on them and how to properly care for them! Think she got parasites and passed! Move on 10 years or so and I got another " Mexican brown" and what was labeled a " Mexican Rose Hair! How long ago it's been. Everything seemed to come from Mexico but now I know better! Move on 35 years or so and now I'm back with a vengeance! Have 50 or so guys and gals and raised up several males that have passed and absolutely adore my T's! And I know a heckava lot more than beforehand. Happy Spoodering all you wonderful folks here at Tarantula Forum! Peace!

years ago no one used scientific names, just common. I still struggle with the proper names! I quickly graduated to a rose hair, baboon of some sort, I think a GBB. But then we had a massive power failure in our entire county, in the middle of below freezing weather. It lasted more than a week. I couldn’t keep my menagerie alive. I lost a five foot iguana, a few corn snakes, a Rosie boa and a blood python. My heart broke seeing them die one by one and being able to do nothing. I didn’t start keeping again until five years ago. And yes, it was a red knee. I’m up to 35 now and love each one of them! I also now have a generator.

 

[Cnidarianfarmer]

I got my first T , G.porteri / Rose hair when I was 10 or 11 years old, I had been obsessed with spiders since I was like 5yrs old ( see my avatar lol) so back in 1997 or 1998 I think is when I got my first T. I then acquired a few Avicularia avicularia when I was 15 or so. I had those and that original rose hair until I had to give them all away when I was 18 and going off to College

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

My avatar is a pic of me and my first T. 30

years ago no one used scientific names, just common. I still struggle with the proper names! I quickly graduated to a rose hair, baboon of some sort, I think a GBB. But then we had a massive power failure in our entire county, in the middle of below freezing weather. It lasted more than a week. I couldn’t keep my menagerie alive. I lost a five foot iguana, a few corn snakes, a Rosie boa and a blood python. My heart broke seeing them die one by one and being able to do nothing. I didn’t start keeping again until five years ago. And yes, it was a red knee. I’m up to 35 now and love each one of them! I also now have a generator.

My heart breaks just reading your story. Can't imagine having to go through that. Truly crushing situation.

 

[siege]

My heart breaks just reading your story. Can't imagine having to go through that. Truly crushing situation.

Thank you. It was heart wrenching. I still remember carrying my iguana out to the woods to bury her, but the ground was frozen solid. I picked a lovely tree and laid her on the branch in the sun. My neighbor who was watching me carry them out one by one on different days met me coming back with tears streaming down her face. She gave me comfort.

 

[Reptisect]

Thank you. It was heart wrenching. I still remember carrying my iguana out to the woods to bury her, but the ground was frozen solid. I picked a lovely tree and laid her on the branch in the sun. My neighbor who was watching me carry them out one by one on different days met me coming back with tears streaming down her face. She gave me comfort.

I had a hard time dealing with my young B. hamorii passing away due to a stuck moult. I can't imagine what you must have felt after that experience.

 

[Ratmosphere]

I was 21!

 

[WolfieKate]

My avatar is a pic of me and my first T. 30

years ago no one used scientific names, just common. I still struggle with the proper names! I quickly graduated to a rose hair, baboon of some sort, I think a GBB. But then we had a massive power failure in our entire county, in the middle of below freezing weather. It lasted more than a week. I couldn’t keep my menagerie alive. I lost a five foot iguana, a few corn snakes, a Rosie boa and a blood python. My heart broke seeing them die one by one and being able to do nothing. I didn’t start keeping again until five years ago. And yes, it was a red knee. I’m up to 35 now and love each one of them! I also now have a generator.

That would have killed me. I’ve lost two cats in recent years and one was really young, he had kidney failure and deformed organs, nothing we could do. Crushing. I’m so glad you love your new family. Mine are very healing. Like new life.

 

[PanzoN88]

I was a most 20 when I got my first which was a T. albopilosus. I just turned 30 a week ago, so I’ve officially been in the hobby for a long time now.

 

[siege]

That would have killed me. I’ve lost two cats in recent years and one was really young, he had kidney failure and deformed organs, nothing we could do. Crushing. I’m so glad you love your new family. Mine are very healing. Like new life.

I always say my spiders are my Zen. I do find peace in them and can spend hours watching them.