# Tarantulas.... do you own one?



## KaaTom (Jan 3, 2009)

I was thinking about getting one and was wondering who here has one, what you like or dont like about them and id love to see piccies of them and your setups...


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## jessb (Jan 3, 2009)

Saw some at ARP yesterday - they had them all identified as "good pets", "good handlers" or "very aggressive" etc. Very cool to see the different temperaments!

Not for me I'm afraid...


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## KaaTom (Jan 3, 2009)

both mum and I want one.... they are so intriguing (sp?)


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Jan 3, 2009)

My friend used to have one, ive been wanting one, but im not quite sure if I could handle a big hairy spider 
Ive found some pics of basic setups for you though.



















Heres a website that I found
http://www.freewebs.com/cardifftarantulas/

Enjoy! Hope you love your new pet!


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## KaaTom (Jan 3, 2009)

the one in the 2nd last pic is awesome, look at that colouring


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## Kirby (Jan 3, 2009)

Yucky.


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## Dave (Jan 3, 2009)

And its a red-kneed tarantula? exotic :lol:



KaaTom said:


> the one in the 2nd last pic is awesome, look at that colouring


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## kakariki (Jan 3, 2009)

We now own 4 nebo babies & atm they are a bit hard to see cos they are so little. PM dreadrabbit or Hornet. I am pretty sure they have some. ( Mine came from dreadrabbit & I can recommend him!) Our setups are a bit bare atm so I'll spare you pics, lol.


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## kcaj_123 (Jan 3, 2009)

I've got a few... just remember we can't legally keep exotics

I like their eventual size, good looks, feeding response... I don't like their poo... and some individuals don't come out much

Here's a pic of one of mine, a Selenotypus sp.5 adult female






My setups are pretty plain, just coco peat. But i'm trading for another sp. and i'm going to try using a hide for it, just to see if it comes out more...

cheers,
Jack


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## paleoherp (Jan 3, 2009)

i have two and i never see them out


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## Sarah24 (Jan 3, 2009)

oooh..get a bird-eating spider!!!! they are sooo cool 
i would love one but there is no chance i'd be allowed on in the house!!


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## emmjay23 (Jan 3, 2009)

We had bird eating spiders living on our block. I was always on the lookout for them but you think I ever got to see one?! 13 years I lived there and my dad would spot them but I was never around  so unfair!


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## Kirby (Jan 3, 2009)

yuckyX2


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## KaaTom (Jan 3, 2009)

im definately going to have to look more into them... im just awestruck


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## LullabyLizard (Jan 3, 2009)

I have been wanting them for a long time. They are awesome


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## jessb (Jan 3, 2009)

kirby said:


> yuckyx2


 
x3

lol


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## KaaTom (Jan 3, 2009)

aawww come on they arent that bad...


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## bk201 (Jan 3, 2009)

i like that they live long, are easy to look after,require little space,and come in many types

ps:birdeaters are just australian tarantulas sold as "birdeaters" because the sellers aint got a clue what they are.
also not a good pet if you want to handle them...defantly not a smart idea...
s.townsville post moult


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## channi (Jan 3, 2009)

I have a Sarina and an sp. 2 they are very interesting when they are out and about but spend alot of time hiding.


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## Jay84 (Jan 3, 2009)

Are the Australian ones available in petshops venomous? what effect does it have on us?


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## Carcass (Jan 3, 2009)

I own seven, all but one are captive bred sub adult females, approx 5yo, just babies really! I am hoping to get at least 20yrs out of my girls The other one is only 17 months old but a very good eater!!! Also reasonably docile so she is becoming more & more easy to handle. I"m just glad our aussie Tarantulas dont have uraticating hairs like some O/S species:shock: Sorry if I sound like an ******* but can we NOT call them "birrd eating spiders" ? Throws them into a very large basket, besides, they dont eat birds!!!! Ground dwelling & all that Are those pics of the Redknee in Oz??? WOW!!!! Cant be..............


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## Carcass (Jan 3, 2009)

Jay84 said:


> Are the Australian ones available in petshops venomous? what effect does it have on us?


 All Australian Tarantulas are venomous, fortunatley not know to be deadly. Very painful bite, vomiting swelling & I"m told on good authority this goes on for roughly 6/9 hrs:?


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## kcaj_123 (Jan 3, 2009)

Venomous, but not dangerous.

They do eat birds, Selenotypus plumipes in particular have been found killing and eating young chickens and guinea fowl on more than one occasion


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## Crazy_Snake08 (Jan 3, 2009)

can you handle them??


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## johnboy (Jan 3, 2009)

they are good fun just remember grab the females as the live like 8 years longer, i had a male from the time he was the size of a pinkie nail and he only lived for 4 and a half years i thought i killed him but i spoke to a couple of people and they said that anything over 4 years is a bonus with the males


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## kcaj_123 (Jan 3, 2009)

Crazy_Snake08 said:


> can you handle them??


 
Sure if pain brings you pleasure :lol:


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## Crazy_Snake08 (Jan 3, 2009)

kcaj_123 said:


> Sure if pain brings you pleasure :lol:


 
 sometimes

I asked because a few posts back someone mentioned that they never saw the spider. So I asked because why keep a pet if you never see it :??


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## Crazy_Snake08 (Jan 3, 2009)

paleoherp said:


> i have two and i never see them out


 
here it is


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## kcaj_123 (Jan 3, 2009)

Selenotypus and Selenotholus are the ones that generally dont come out as much, Phlogius sp. however are quite surface actice


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## Carcass (Jan 4, 2009)

kcaj_123 said:


> Venomous, but not dangerous.
> 
> They do eat birds, Selenotypus plumipes in particular have been found killing and eating young chickens and guinea fowl on more than one occasion


 Who told you that????


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## Carcass (Jan 4, 2009)

johnboy said:


> they are good fun just remember grab the females as the live like 8 years longer, i had a male from the time he was the size of a pinkie nail and he only lived for 4 and a half years i thought i killed him but i spoke to a couple of people and they said that anything over 4 years is a bonus with the males


 & yrs for males,15/ 20 for Females, again, not bragging I just have this on the information I have learned from the most knowledgable person of Aus Tarantulas in the world Dr: Raven, Townsville Uni.


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## MrSpike (Jan 4, 2009)

I have several spiders. If you are interested in getting into them check out http://jazinvertebrates.net/phpBB3/index.php (for all invertebrates) and http://theata.org/forum/index.php (for all Australian tarantula's). They are great animals and get the same sort of treatment as reptiles do in some cases. Here are some pictures of some of my inverts. They are great to watch.


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## Harmony67 (Jan 4, 2009)

These are my sons' spiders.

The first is a Chilean Rosehair, the second a Brazilian Giant White Knee.







This is our first go 'round with spiders and it's been quite interesting up to this point. We do not handle our spiders. They are fed three times a week and the White Knee eats for three weeks then molts as they are very fast growers. the Rosehair has a fantastic appetite and grabs the prey items right off the forceps that I feed her with.

We now keep the Rosehair in a small glass aquarium. The White Knee is in a Sterlite at this point, but will be going into a glass tank in a few weeks as his growth rate warrants it. Neither of our spiders go to ground and the Rosehair will walk on the glass walls so they can be fun to watch.


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## KaaTom (Jan 4, 2009)

The information provided from everyone has been so interesting, Thank You! Im definately looking forwayrd to learning more before getting my very own


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## bylo (Jan 4, 2009)

here are a few pictures of my favourite species note the bottom picture of the Phlogius sp hirsutusis a new species of Tarantula just found less than a moth go 

cheers

Greg Bylund
*Aussie goliath Phlogius sp. *




*Phlogius Strenuus * 




*Phlogius sp. "rubiseta"*




*and a New species just forund less than a month agoPhlogius sp hirsutus *


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Jan 4, 2009)

I dont mean to be putting pics of exotics, I was trying to put pics of the enclosures.


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Jan 4, 2009)

Heres some links to some the green scorpian has for sale

http://www.thegreenscorpion.com.au/shopshow.toy?catnid=130462
http://www.thegreenscorpion.com.au/shopshow.toy?catnid=44092


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## redbellybite (Jan 4, 2009)

mmmmmm as much as I am trying to be really brave and show enthusiasim IT BRINGS ME TO A WEEPY MESS AND THE FEAR IS IN MAJOR OVER LOAD ....but as much as I feel and fear spiders,I would never want to see such amazing mini beasts dead .....


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## junglepython2 (Jan 4, 2009)

Anyone here know how to sex them and how old they need to be to be sexed?


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## Crazy_Snake08 (Jan 4, 2009)

they're not cheap either by the "looks' of things


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## emerald_taipan (Jan 4, 2009)

I went to a site near broken hill in nsw and found some selenocosmia sterlingi. they live in fairlily deep holes with a chamber at the bottom. I dug one up to have a look at it, but the soil was very hard, it took ages.
I found a better way of getting them out of their burrows. you dig the shovel into the soil on an angle about 15cm deep, not crossing through the spider burrow, then poor water down the burrow and the spider will run up to the entrance but not come out, so tthen you dig the shovel in the rest of the way and lift the soil and entrance of burrow out. unfortunately this wrecks the burrow and I do not recommend digging up or worse, poaching tarantulas in from wild. 
I wouldn't be surprised if stirlingi eat birds if they had the opportunity. I found the remains of some kind of small mammal in a burrow. It was a leg of some sort and seemed surprisingly large for a spider to be eating.


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## bylo (Jan 4, 2009)

junglepython2 said:


> Anyone here know how to sex them and how old they need to be to be sexed?


this can depend on many factors including availability of food etc ,you can find down loadable PDF on the AIF which will help with sexing your Spiders
its quite easy to sex your spider once it has reached a leg span of 70 mm or more by eye a scope is usually needed if the spider is any smaller

cheers

Greg


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## kcaj_123 (Jan 4, 2009)

Carcass said:


> Who told you that????


 
http://thedailylink.com/australiantarantulas/species/plumipes.html

I wouldn'y be surprised at all if many, many more accounts were found from many, many more species. Tarantulas will eat anything they can, young birds are not safe.


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## hornet (Jan 6, 2009)

Males are short lives after maturity which can range from 11months up to 6-7years. After maturity males normally live less than a year but some species can make it 2 years as mature males. Females live alot longer, anywhere from probably 10 years for C. tropix to over 20 for most of our larger species. Slow growing arid species may live over 30years. Sexing is easy once the spider reaches about 50-60mm. Need pics to know what i mean but your looking for a cresent shapped patch of hairs above the epigastric furrow which indicates a male. When mature its easy for even the novice, males are very leggy, small abdomen, generally quite different in color to females and on the palps the males have "boxing gloves" which are used to trasfer the sperm packet from male to female. I'd put some pics up to make it easyer but currently have no internet access at home. Hope i was some sort of help.


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## PhilK (Jan 6, 2009)

I have 9. 7 of which are quite small. Got another 3 coming.

I like their behaviour and their looks and feeding response. Just remember, a lot of the time what you're getting is a pet hole. They aren't the most active of pets.

I get all mine from www.thegreenscorpion.com.au and couldn't be happier with them. Bylo from this site runs that shop. Join the Australian Invertebrate Forum too, lots of very good knowledge on that site.

Greg, love that hirsutus.. Are they for sale?


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## Harmony67 (Jan 7, 2009)

Thought I would throw on a pic that was taken right before the White Knee molted, which he has done twice in two months as they grow rather quickly...


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