New Cobalt Blue from Petco

[KhaleesiMae]

Give him a high five, you've just left him hanging!!! Poor guy!
In all seriousness I've heard of some really bad experiences with PetCo and last time I was in there there was a poor little gecko dead at the front of his tank, I had to walk away, I don't like that nonsense. They also sold soemone I know a "Blood Python" and on the sheet they had labeled it something else that wasn't Borneo but I think thats what they meant, but after doing some research my friend discovered they had sold him a Sumatran Short Tail...TOTALLY different and when he took her back and showed them the proof and research a week later, they argued with him but ultimately took her back. I went back a week later to see the same snake labeled as a Blood Python, and it took everything not to say a word.
Now after that vent, GIVE HIM A HIGH FIVE ALREADY!

 

[leaveittoweaver]

Give him a high five, you've just left him hanging!!! Poor guy!
In all seriousness I've heard of some really bad experiences with PetCo and last time I was in there there was a poor little gecko dead at the front of his tank, I had to walk away, I don't like that nonsense. They also sold soemone I know a "Blood Python" and on the sheet they had labeled it something else that wasn't Borneo but I think thats what they meant, but after doing some research my friend discovered they had sold him a Sumatran Short Tail...TOTALLY different and when he took her back and showed them the proof and research a week later, they argued with him but ultimately took her back. I went back a week later to see the same snake labeled as a Blood Python, and it took everything not to say a word.
Now after that vent, GIVE HIM A HIGH FIVE ALREADY!

They shouldn't even sell Blood Pythons. They tend to be a much more aggressive snake and can pack an attitude.

Petco has been expanding its tarantula selection since I would say the beginning of the summer. I've seen A.Seemani there, H.Lividum, and B.Vagans now. Used to just be G.Rosea and A.avicularia. I think whatever distributor they use must have them on their list at a good price. Absolutely ridiculous that they sell such a defensive species and don't educate on it but at the same time I also put the blame on the consumer. People should research first. But as a manager of an independent pet store, I would never send home an animal without giving the customer all of the information and making sure they were a qualified home.

 

[KhaleesiMae]

They shouldn't even sell Blood Pythons. They tend to be a much more aggressive snake and can pack an attitude.

Petco has been expanding its tarantula selection since I would say the beginning of the summer. I've seen A.Seemani there, H.Lividum, and B.Vagans now. Used to just be G.Rosea and A.avicularia. I think whatever distributor they use must have them on their list at a good price. Absolutely ridiculous that they sell such a defensive species and don't educate on it but at the same time I also put the blame on the consumer. People should research first. But as a manager of an independent pet store, I would never send home an animal without giving the customer all of the information and making sure they were a qualified home.

Truthfully I have to agree with your statement about Blood Pythons, they can be OK as babies but when they grow up they tend to be pretty snarky.

All I've seen at our local PetCo is the G. Rosea and A. Avicularia but I've been hearing a LOT about other stores selling some more interesting, albiet defensive Ts, and I wouldn't have just anyone take one home without proper education for sure. Before I got my two babies I did a LOT of research and I STILL have questions so imagine someone who doesn't have that drive to find out what they're getting into and they just get one because it's "pretty". Sadly at the big box stores all they want to do is move product. Now there's a G. Rosea at the local PetCo I'm most likely taking tomorrow and the reason behind that is that I have wanted a G. Rosea thats not a sling still and they've had HER there forever and no one has so much as touched her outside of cleaning her tank (in which they destroy her web every morning) and I just feel bad for the little girl. I am getting the tank all set up for her cute butt and putting her in when I pick her up tomorrow and she will not have another web touched like that and she'll be able to eat and enjoy life outside of that TINY little tank that she clearly isn't a fan of, she doesn't even use her hide!!!

 

[Entity]

Yeah around here all i see is g. rosea and avic avics. But the sad thing is whenever u "rescue" one. they just put another in its place.

 

[Therasoid]

Don't know of any Petco locally, might be, but do have Petsmart stores and haven't seen tarantulas in them.
On the plus side, ****'* Aquarium and supplies carry a variety of tarantulas. Apparently someone working there is knowledgeable in their care and housing requirements. Have bought in the past a B. smithi juvenile, correctly housed and labeled (binomial), from them.

 

[MassExodus]

You would think that they wouldn't but I've seen quite a few posts on other forums lately where people have got them from petco,we can only hope that they don't end up selling one to any under age kids as that would be a disaster for the hobby if they ended up getting bitten...

In Corpus Christi, they have about 6 petcos, I've seen H lividum at all of them, in fact it's where I bought mine, years ago. Every year their tarantula stock seems to consist of G rosea, A avic, and H lividum..The one I purchased actually bit the girl who ran the reptile department. She reaches in and pinch grabs the spiders when someone buys one. She also keeps them correctly. I did convince her to use a catchcup with the cobalts. She's about 4'8, a petite little 23 year old (cute, too ) When I asked her how it felt, she said "It just burned a little bit for awhile"...lmao. She shrugged it off like a boss...ahhh, from the mouths of babes..

 

[Aint]

I see this is from 2015. It cam up in a search on "petco".

My dad and I had a cobalt in the 1990s. Bought it at an independent pet shop. Man! That thing was ferocious! Very cool to watch. Not so cool to handle.