Theraphosa stirmi husbandry, is it a beginner species? Also other beginner species.

[Steetsyeets]

I am thinking of buying a tarantula and am not sure about which species to get, the theraphosa stirmi is very appealing to me but i do not really know the husbandry/tempermant, since i would like to handle it. another species that is coming to my mind is the arizona blonde. The GBB is cool as well, but i do not know the tempermant and wether they like to be handled.

i am new to the world of tarantulas so please help me
thanks!

 

[Enn49]

Hello and welcome .
No tarantulas like being handled, it stresses them. If you're looking for a good beginner species you can't go wrong with a Brachypelma or Tliltocatl or a Lasiodora parahybana grows large.

 

[FishermanSteve]

I am thinking of buying a tarantula and am not sure about which species to get, the theraphosa stirmi is very appealing to me but i do not really know the husbandry/tempermant, since i would like to handle it. another species that is coming to my mind is the arizona blonde. The GBB is cool as well, but i do not know the tempermant and wether they like to be handled.

i am new to the world of tarantulas so please help me
thanks!

T. stirmi would be terrible to handle because their urticating hairs are one of the most irritating among all tarantulas. GBB also tend to be a little high strung and kick hairs. If you have your heart set on those 3, I would definitely choose the chalcodes. If I could make a suggestion it would be Grammostola pulchripes. Personally, I think they are beautiful. They are great eaters and have very good temperaments. Only downside is that they are slow growers so you may wanna pick up a juvenile if you decide to get one.

 

[ilovebrachys]

T. stirmi would be terrible to handle because their urticating hairs are one of the most irritating among all tarantulas. GBB also tend to be a little high strung and kick hairs. If you have your heart set on those 3, I would definitely choose the chalcodes. If I could make a suggestion it would be Grammostola pulchripes. Personally, I think they are beautiful. They are great eaters and have very good temperaments. Only downside is that they are slow growers so you may wanna pick up a juvenile if you decide to get one.

Totally agree with you @FishermanSteve excellent first choice T

 

[m0lsx]

My 3 pence worth. A Theraphosa stirmi as mentioned has some of the nastiest hairs available that they like to throw, so it makes a poor choice if you want to handle from that perspective. Now add in it's size. It will not only have some of the worst hairs available to throw. But as an adult it will have LOTS of them too, & as an adult it also has very large fangs..Think inch to potentially an inch & a half.

My Arizona Blonde is lovely, but it has also has some personality & regually hits out at the artificial ivy leaves that I have decorated it's enclosure with, if they move as I feed it, change water etc. My Arizona Blonde is my favourite T that I own, but I do not want it too close to my hand..No way.

I have 2 GBB's, both are very skittish. Neither are nasty & my mature GBB has hit my hand hard with it's front legs when I annoyed it getting an unwanted cricket out for it. So it is anything but timid or nasty. But from my experience a GBB would make a poor T to get if you want to handle it.

The Grammostola pulchripes would make an exellent T to handle. Another good choice would be a Grammostola pulchra, these are gorgeous black T's with (normally) a good temprament. Another would be a Grammostola rosea. My wifes rosea is a sling, but loves to get out for a walk & sometimes feeding it can be a total pain as a result, as it is far to happy to take a walk on you.

 

[Arachnoclown]

 

[Arachnoclown]

All tarantulas are individuals. Just because someone can hold their spider doesn't mean yours is going to allow it.
My Alphonopelma chalcodes will bite me if I get anywhere near her.
My advise is to own "a" tarantula (docile or not) for a period of time before even having the thought of holding one.

 

[Jess S]

Here's a little video to show why handling isn't a good idea, even with a so-called beginner species.
I personally don't agree with what this guy says about aggression (I personally think this G.rosea mistook the brush for food, but he says it's always trying to bite) but it's still a great video for demonstrating what could happen if you put your finger too near a defensive tarantula. Ouch!

Skip to 3:25.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Here's a little video to show why handling isn't a good idea, even with a so-called beginner species.
I personally don't agree with what this guy says about aggression (I personally think this G.rosea mistook the brush for food, but he says it's always trying to bite) but it's still a great video for demonstrating what could happen if you put your finger too near a defensive tarantula. Ouch!

Skip to 3:25.

The spider knows it's not food within seconds...they smell with the hairs on their feet. I'd agree that this spider is being aggressive.

 

[Colorado Ts]

I am thinking of buying a tarantula and am not sure about which species to get, the theraphosa stirmi is very appealing to me but i do not really know the husbandry/tempermant, since i would like to handle it. another species that is coming to my mind is the arizona blonde. The GBB is cool as well, but i do not know the tempermant and wether they like to be handled.

i am new to the world of tarantulas so please help me
thanks!

I applaud your interest in the species that you have selected. You've named several species that are personal favorites of mine, though I would caution you against handling any of your tarantulas.

Tarantulas are actually very fragile. They are much closer to an egg than they are a tank. Drop your favorite spider, from any, but the shortest height, and it could easily spell a slow painful death for your pet. Think of tarantulas as being in the same pet category as fish. Wonderful to observe and enjoy, but don't touch.

The T. stirmi is truly an amazing species, the shear size and proportions of an adult female can be impressive-a-licious. But species within the Theraphosa genus are on the temperamental side, and have narrow temperature and humidity requirements. Their irticating hairs are fierce...get haired by a Theraphosa once and you WILL remember it forever. Most T. stirmii seem to be...temperamental and they are known for kicking hairs. But with experience and basic husbandry skill sets, they are a cool species to maintain...definite show-case spider.

The Aphonopelma chalcodes is a darling of the tarantula hobby. They are known for having a docile temperament and disposition. They are noted as being slow growers, so if you buy a sling...expect to wait years before you have a spider of adult coloration. They are readily available, are much much cheaper than a T. stermi, and their care and maintenance is undemanding and basic. I like the Aphonopelma genus, and the A. chalcodes would be a wonderful spider to keep. Realize that for this species, there are stories of individual A. chalcodes specimens with less than pleasant dispositions...just something to keep in mind.

The Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is an eye catcher...there is no doubt about it. They web up their enclosures with a beautiful blanket of white silk, and they will often sit out in the open areas of their enclosure, making them a classic show-case species and a pleasure to own. Their growth rate is moderately fast, so in a year, you could easily go from little 1/2 inch sling to 3 inch adult colored spider. It's a blue spider that won't put you in the hospital if you are bitten. They are typically more defensive than an Aphonopelma chalcodes, but I would say that their irticating hairs are similar, between the two species. C. cyaneopubescens will kick hairs and usually won't settle down until they are at or near adulthood, so working with them can be a rodeo until they get older or you gain experience. But the greatest most significant detail about the GBB, is it’s speed. This is a SURPRISINGLY fast spider, there & gone...blamo...in the blink of an eye. And what's amazing...they are not the fastest spiders. There are species that can...unbelievably...run circles around GBBs. As a beginner the experience from keeping this species will be exciting most of the time, and heart pounding at others...until you gain skill, knowledge and experience. Not what I would class as a “Best 1st Spider”....but definitely a “Awesome 2nd or 3rd Spider” to own. In the interest of full disclosure, I have 5 GBBs. If your heart is set on a GBB, get them as slings, get a pair or trio...and learn as they grow.

 

[NorseDad]

I am thinking of buying a tarantula and am not sure about which species to get, the theraphosa stirmi is very appealing to me but i do not really know the husbandry/tempermant, since i would like to handle it. another species that is coming to my mind is the arizona blonde. The GBB is cool as well, but i do not know the tempermant and wether they like to be handled.

i am new to the world of tarantulas so please help me
thanks!

If you go with the A. Chalcodes, I recommend getting one that is out of the sling stage. I bought mine at 1/2" and it has only molted once in 3 months. It also seems to eat the least of all of my Ts. They are VERY slow growers. If you want a large spider and not a jellybean with legs, get an older one. They aren't expensive.

If you want something that will grow faster and gets large, look at the L. parahybana or the A. geniculata. I have a sling of each one, and they eat every time.

 

[The Sweet Escape]

Now here goes my advice, get anything from Brachypelma (and Tliltocatl ofc), Grammostola or Aphonopelma genera and be happy. Learn tarantula generic behaviour first. Don't think too much, Ts don't stay the only and singular very often