just some general advise for your resident noob.

[Kymura]

I check my T's no less then twice a day, keep their enclosures as clean as possible, try to give them a variety of foods to suit their tastes and needs, And continually watch them and learn from them. Hopefully they are all doing well, they all eat (even the G.rosea lol) and now seem happy with their enclosures. Each has their own little mannerisms that make them special in one way or another, The A.avic's little web dance when she eats, the G porteri insisting on waiting with its legs draped over the side of its enclosure when I feed it, then gracefully sneaking up and very gently taking its food. I seriously get so much enjoyment out of just watching them be spiders.

My question is, how long keeping T's should it be before getting either a Poecilotheria ornata or Avicularia versicolor? I realize they aren't considered beginner T's so I'm curious as to when you have enough experience to move up a step?

 

[Wg25]

Was thinking the exact same thing today. I've had a bunch of different species since I started the hobby but never anything extra exotic. I had an H.lividum for about 2 weeks....and after about 4 ecscapes I realised I wasn't ready for any exotic T's. After a few months I bought myself an avic avic which I only had for 2 months....only to find him being half eaten by a cricket one day after work. Still don't know how tf that happened. But after about a year I also feel the need to spice up my collection. But don't quite know what to get!

 

[Enn49]

It's really a case of when you feel ready to move on. My son's first T was a Poecilotheria vittata and my first 2 Ts were an OBT juvenile and a P. metallica sling before we both got some "beginners Ts". The main consideration is if you learn from your mistakes and hopefully won't make them again.

 

[Wg25]

It's really a case of when you feel ready to move on. My son's first T was a Poecilotheria vittata and my first 2 Ts were an OBT juvenile and a P. metallica sling before we both got some "beginners Ts". The main consideration is if you learn from your mistakes and hopefully won't make them again.

Wow crazy to think that you started with those species! I've always wanted an OBT ever since I started the hobby. Just don't know how I would handle his theat pose!

 

[Kymura]

Was thinking the exact same thing today. I've had a bunch of different species since I started the hobby but never anything extra exotic. I had an H.lividum for about 2 weeks....and after about 4 ecscapes I realised I wasn't ready for any exotic T's. After a few months I bought myself an avic avic which I only had for 2 months....only to find him being half eaten by a cricket one day after work. Still don't know how tf that happened. But after about a year I also feel the need to spice up my collection. But don't quite know what to get!

I just got my A.avic and it's an absolute favorite. Eats like a trooper. I'm exceedingly careful about leaving anything uneaten though. I have one (Brachypelma boehmei) hopefully coming in a couple weeks.
I'm know I'm overly protective of them. I have a very strict policy in my house of look don't touch regarding my T's. I just don't trust anyone else not to harm them somehow.

 

[Kymura]

It's really a case of when you feel ready to move on. My son's first T was a Poecilotheria vittata and my first 2 Ts were an OBT juvenile and a P. metallica sling before we both got some "beginners Ts". The main consideration is if you learn from your mistakes and hopefully won't make them again.

You have no idea how badly I want an OBT! I find them gorgeous, and I don't mind the piss attitude as I don't feel the need to handle them. (A couple of mine seem to feel the need but I'm perfect with not handling them. Not afraid but respectful)

 

[Enn49]

Wow crazy to think that you started with those species! I've always wanted an OBT ever since I started the hobby. Just don't know how I would handle his theat pose!

I've had mine for 20 months and never seen a threat pose from her but there again I rarely see her at all, she can go months without showing herself but wow, when she does it's always worth the wait.

 

[Kymura]

@Enn49 its definitely on my want list ^^

 

[Wg25]

@Enn49 its definitely on my want list ^^

Mine 2! They are just soo expensive in RSA!!

 

[Enn49]

@Enn49 its definitely on my want list ^^

Mine 2! They are just soo expensive in RSA!!

Well, just to whet your appetites here she is.

 

[Wg25]

Well, just to whet your appetites here she is.

Wow...sooo gorgeous!!!!☺

 

[Kymura]

Sooo beautiful, your teasing us with that! How much special care do they need as slings? They are cheap enough and I have plenty of substrate and enclosures....

@Enn49 ( I'm stealing that image for my wallpaper, to remind myself how lovely they are)

 

[Enn49]

@Kymura I've not reared a sling but their needs are pretty much the same as a rosea. Mine has never burrowed, that's not to say a sling wouldn't, but she ignored the hide I gave her and built her own cave round the base of her tree with web and substrate plus bits of her moults to add colour. They are semi-arboreal.

 

[Kymura]

@Enn49 Wonderful, treat it as I do my T.ockerti then
(S)he seems happy enough, (the ockerti) snotty thing, it comes down when I clean its water dish, investigates and slowly turns and flicks hair once with a single leg then calmly stalks back to her bark lol I adore her for the attitude lol

 

[Enn49]

@Kymura Just remember OBTs don't flick hair but they do have a venomous bite

 

[Kymura]

No issue @Enn49, I have zero desire to handle them,
and a healthy respect for the fangs alone,
add that to painful venom and that's more then enough to keep my paws away!
Other then rehousing it could happily stuff its face and show itself once in a while to make me smile ^^

 

[MassExodus]

OBTs are great spiders, they have a whole lot of character. As long as you respect them, and you're confident in keeping one, go for it! Both of mine are slightly defensive, but mostly just reclusive. And very fast for terrestrials. These little guys have nitrous oxide in their blood, and can be extremely skittish during a rehouse, but they aren't hard to handle in a bathtub, with a catch cup. I've found that a bathtub and a catch cup pretty much negates any fast, defensive spider, and puts you in control of any situation. They are very tough, hardy spiders, and absolutely gorgeous, when the little sh!%heads decide to show themselves...which is for about a second and a half while they snatch prey, then zoom, gone for another week or two..

 

[Kymura]

@MassExodus Defensive is ok, I don't have any intention of challenging them ^.^ I do find them beautiful,
Another one of those worth the wait spiders

 

[tarantulaguy1994]

P. murinus aka OBT are amazing tarantula to have I had mine about a year but after His first molt with me I found out he was a male. So he passed about 6 month later but the time I had with him was amazing.

 

[Rockpython]

I've always said "they are spiders, not lions". So, with that said, any spider can be kept by anyone with a modicum of sense. I know there are many who disagree with me, but that's my opinion