Been "thinking" about getting a Taranchula

[bshmerlie]

I haven't gotten one yet because I'm using that tank for my two baby red eyes. When they get big enough to go in with my adult red eyes I'll be getting a T. What can you tell me about the one you recomend?

[poison beauties]

Arachnids make great display critters. Tarantula's come in as many sizes and colors and nearly 1/3 of them are handleable. If your wanting a nice calm beginner species there are many to choose from. The Brazilian Black is a bit more pricey than many of the others but it is a great one to learn with. Other choices are the Rose Hair, Chaca Golden Knee, Red Knee, Red Rump, White Knee, Flame Knee and many others. The Avicularia family are a bit flighty and fast though usually unaggressive like Avicularia Avicularia, Avicularia Amazonica, Avicularia Purpurea and my fav Avicularia Minatrix. None of these have ever shown me any signs of aggression.
I woud avoid the Chylobrachys, Poecilotheria, Pterinochilus, Theraphosa family's as they are mostly aggressive species that do not tolerate much handling if any at all. Many of them have a nasty bite and are venomous enough to but you in some pain.
I have a few Paraphysa Scrofa spiderlings left that are a great species to start with. Right now they are around the quarter sized area. If you want them let me know and they are yours.

Michael

[JimO]

There's a site dedicated to arachnids and other critters that I was referred to when my son expressed an interest in a taranchula or giant scorpian (it's a looooong shot as to whether my wife will agree. Here's a link http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/. You might want to browse there a bit. But, it's a huge site with tons of posts and more information than I could possibly absorb.