Spiders spiders everywhere

[Twitchet]

Soooo continuing the Chameleon forums sub forum for spider keepers
Today I got my new Tarantula which is amusing because I am terrified of spiders, but one of the things for me is not knowing one is there and being startled so I’m hoping that studying this animal under a more controlled environment will help me face my fears,
I’m very proud that I unpacked it and moved it to its new home, so it does actually measure 1cm but I decided that was plenty big enough to start off with but I can see even now it is beautiful, I could see its eyes and I liked how it looked so the therapy begins!
It’s a Grammostola pulchripes, a Chaco golden knee, adult size 20-22cm and will take 3.5 years to become adult and females can live for 15 years.
@AZChamFan i couldn’t locate an Arizona woolly beetle so went for this instead, aren’t you proud?
I’ve decided it’s a she and she is called Aurelia which means golden.

Do not scroll down further if you do not like spiders as I have added a picture of an adult and it’s

 

[Miss Lily]

Awwww! Well done hun, I'm so proud of you! Exposure therapy definitely worked for me. What a little cutie and I love her name! All their eyes are all together so it looks like they just have two and that also helps! They are really calm and gentle giants, I still haven't ruled out getting one and I probably will at some point. It's a shame they grow so damn slowly, but for me that's good as it buys me time until I can have them upstairs in the spare room.

 

[Fireborn]

I picked out my husbands tarantula so I wouldn't be afraid of it and could get used to it... still freaks me out and I won't touch it. Even though I made sure I got a non agressive tarantula I've fed it, watered it, and helped care for it but that's as far as it goes. I do like to look at it though.

 

[Twitchet]

Thank you Tiff, she was very calm and walked out of her travel box and didn’t run and frighten me so it is off to a good start.
So they have lots of eyes but it looks like two, I didn’t know that, I think I’m not wishing to dwell on studying a picture that closely I guess at the moment.
Immediate reaction was good though, it’s kind of calm and sweet so I’m bonding. I see what you mean about ‘ getting’ why people keep them, they are something very different.

 

[Twitchet]

Thanks Fireborn, I think you are very brave to get that far, that’s super, I don’t think I’d ever touch this one either, behind Glass is good! but nice you can work with it and observe it.

 

[Miss Lily]

Tarantulas don't gain anything from being handed, and doing so carries risks to both human and spider. A fall from a height can be fatal for a spider. The only time I will ever handle mine is if any should climb out onto my hand whilst I'm feeding, cleaning or whatever. I certainly won't be actively encouraging it!

Different spiders act differently, and that in itself is fascinating! My C. Versicolor slings are arboreal and have both made tube like webs high up. B. Hamorii is terrestrial and sits in the open on its cork bark. They tend to make 'moult mats' on the ground which they lay on to moult. Other than that they will hide under things. Not seen mine go in his hide yet and he's been here two weeks.

 

[Twitchet]

I think these like making tunnels in the substrate, they said they were like little bulldozers, guess I won’t see her much either, but no I don’t think I’ll be handling this one in a hurry! I checked on her earlier and she was sitting there calmly so nice to see her, she’ll need to settle in though. I’m really pleased I got her.

 

[AZChamFan]

I am VERY proud of you and also shocked! It took how many days?! just for you to look at the picture of the AZ tarantula and I'm not sure you ever would have until I said it was an Arizona Wooly Beetle! That one you have is really a gorgeous tarantula when full grown - I haven't seen that species! Looks quite large too! I'm anxious to watch her grow! Very exciting - thanks for sharing!​

 

[Twitchet]

Thank you AZ, so this means if I can’t cope with a tarantula as a pet I can send her to live with you?

 

[Andee]

I love the femur markings on varieties that have "knee" in the generalized names. My Grammostola Pulchra juveniles are already so big.

 

[absolutbill]

I greatly appreciated you warning note not to scroll down further until you were prepared (as I thought I was). I found myself saying that the little new girl wasn't so bad, and then I saw that last photo. I nearly dumped the cat out of my lap!!!

 

[Andee]

My G Pulchra juveniles would probably be best if you wanted to start with something larger but not massive @absolutbill. They are only about 4-4.5 in leg span right now. Just under half their adult size. But they are all black and super fat/fuzzy. However I do not take pictures of their fangs for people who get unnerved by arachnids XD

 

[absolutbill]

There's not a snowball's chance in South Florida that I'm ever going to even slightly think about considering having a spider as a pet I do like giving the gals from across the pond a hard time about their newfound love of arachnids, but that's the extent of things!