Arachnid Keepers

[crhoads18]

Wow-what a collection! I used to have a Pink-toed trantula I called Grissom, and I am kicking myself now because I gave him away to a friend several years ago and never got him back. I am actually on the hunt for another one. I really like the look of your H.longipes-beautiful colouring. Is there one you could recommend that is good for a beginner like me?

We have 4 avic slings right now. I like them, but they aren't my husband's favorite. As far as the H. longipes goes, I would not recommend it as a beginner Tarantula. The only reason that she is visible in that picture is because we were unpacking/moving her into a new enclosure. They are basically an aggressive pet hole. When we went to unpack the H. lividum when we purchased her, she ran up the tongs and bit them trying to get at Will. All of our Haplopelma stay burrowed for the most part.

As a beginner spider, I would still go with the Avic avic (pink toe) or a Lasiodora parahybana (Salmon bird eater). The parahybana has been a fairly quick grower, if you were considering getting a sling instead of an adult. However, if you have time on your hands (years) to watch one grow, I would recommend something from the Brachy's, such as a smithi or boemhei. I really love the Brachy's.

One thing I would want to mention before you make a final decision on what type of Tarantula to purchase is urticating hairs that some T's kick as a defense. These cause my husband to breakout. You can remove them with scotch tape though (from you, not the T, lol).

We have a lot of slings right now that are not pictured. As far as adults go, I don't think I posted any pictures of our pokey's. We're also about to get a mature female Green Bottle Blue in (it's for my husband's birthday).

Beautiful pictures and tarantulas.


Used to keep a few New World tarantulas and local jumping spiders. Might want to try Old World tarantulas if I do decide to keep again.

Side note one of my brother still has the Rosehair I bought him for Christmas 4 yrs ago lol.

I have 4 jumpers right now. One of my females just laid an egg sac a few days ago.

My first T was actually a rose hair. She has already passed. However, my husband bought an adult male 5-6 years ago and it is still alive!

Is Ogelthorpe a Recluse? He kind of looks like one. (And is he named after Oagie Ogelthorpe from Slapshot?)

No, he wasn't a recluse. I think we determined he was a type of grass spider, though no one ever properly identified him for me while he was alive. He was a native spider to TN that I caught. He molted 3 times for me and then died of old age after a while. He was my favorite true spider and I miss him.

As far as his name, it is one of the Plutonians from Spacecataz (The orange one).