How come people get bummed when they find out their t. blondi is a t. stirmi??

laurenkane

laurenkane

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What is the big difference that makes T owners want one over the other? I see lots of people only wanting blondi's and not stirmi's. Why is that? I am expecting to get a stirmi soon and am glad because I know that their humidity requirements aren't as extreme as the blondi's and that they are overall a simpler species to care for. Any thoughts?
 
cold blood

cold blood

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It comes down to rarity, which leads to price. Often they paid blondi prices only to end up with a stirmi, which is valued at about half that of a legit blondi. You fork out the bucks to get one, you don't want to be screwed by a mislabeled t.
 
laurenkane

laurenkane

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Ahhhhhh ok, I see. Thanks for clarifying! I always feel bad for the T when people are upset at the species of their poor unknowing stirmi!
 
R

RussoTuristo

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Not saying this is true in all cases, but many (often inexperienced) people want T. blondi because it's THE LARGEST T IN THE WOOOOORLD. Then some of those people get one without actually doing their research, and either fail to provide necessary conditions, thus killing the T, or grow disillusioned because of its highly potent urticating hair. Poor T. blondi, having to suffer so much because of their "biggest T" tag. The world would be a better place if, say, L. parahybana was considered the largest.

Sorry, that kind of turned into a rant.
 
skippydude

skippydude

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I think anytime you don't get the species that you ordered, it is just wrong and bad for business.

I ordered a female T apophysis and received a T stirmi male. It has been almost 2 years ago and I am still just as pissed about it, as the day I was scammed :(
 
cold blood

cold blood

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RussoTuristo said:
Not saying this is true in all cases, but many (often inexperienced) people want T. blondi because it's THE LARGEST T IN THE WOOOOORLD. Then some of those people get one without actually doing their research, and either fail to provide necessary conditions, thus killing the T, or grow disillusioned because of its highly potent urticating hair. Poor T. blondi, having to suffer so much because of their "biggest T" tag. The world would be a better place if, say, L. parahybana was considered the largest.

Sorry, that kind of turned into a rant.
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I know a guy that has a friend who keeps t's. Apparently he's hung up on having the biggest t in the world, but he's got no idea what he's doing. The goof has had 7 T. blondi die in a relatively short period of time, what a shame (I didn't see them, for all I know they were stirmi, but he certainly paid blondi prices)....he wouldn't listen to reason and go for another easier species (basically a noob), and he wouldn't take advice as to how to keep them alive and healthy....lost 7 and is convinced he knows what he's doing and thinks his set-ups are perfect....total lack of ventilation and soggy sub.:( Being known as the biggest has its downfalls for the species, that's for sure. Einstein's definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Unfortunately that mentality is not entirely uncommon in the hobby.

I actually suggested he just get an LP or a klugi, he wouldn't even consider it.
 
Poec54

Poec54

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Apophysis have the biggest legspan, and I've read that stirmi are as big as, or sometimes bigger than blondi. All three are huge, individuals vary. Stirmi is the easiest to keep alive and breed, so why spend the money on blondi? Don't forget, most of the people insisting on blondi are reading old sources, before apophysis and stirmi were described, and in those cases, they really don't know what they're doing.
 
BobGrill

BobGrill

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Never understood the appeal of this genus to be totally honest. Besides an LP, I'm not particularly fond of most of the REALLY large South American terrestrials. I'd rather just stick with an LV or a P.ornata or rufliata of I want a tarantula with a massive leg span. Not to mention, all three of those species are miles easier to care for.
 
vespers

vespers

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BobGrill said:
I'd rather just stick with an LV or a P.ornata or rufliata of I want a tarantula with a massive leg span. Not to mention, all three of those species are miles easier to care for.
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A T. stirmi isn't difficult to care for really. I wouldn't consider it to be any more difficult in husbandry than an L. violaceopes.
 
laurenkane

laurenkane

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Ok. All of these reasons are understandable! Getting my stirmi this weekend at a show!:alien:
 
BobGrill

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Technically a tarantula is about as close to a pet rock as you can get. Obviously that doesn't take away from their appeal in any way, but you get the point.
 
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Rayenicole

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BobGrill said:
Never understood the appeal of this genus to be totally honest. Besides an LP, I'm not particularly fond of most of the REALLY large South American terrestrials. I'd rather just stick with an LV or a P.ornata or rufliata of I want a tarantula with a massive leg span. Not to mention, all three of those species are miles easier to care for.
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Both of my T. stirmi appeal to me because they are incredibly massive compared to just about every other T I have of similar legspan. They appear to be of absolutely monstrous size.
They also have an amazing feeding response and are very easy to lure out. I just poke with a little twig and mine come flying out something akin to a silverback gorilla stomping through the bush. It's loud, violent, and fantastic to observe.
I even had a twig yanked out of my hand once and broken in half. Last week I had one of them leap after prey and smack flat against the side of the enclosure like some kind of horror movie, it sounded like somebody just punched a box.
 
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gobey

gobey

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Lol wow. I like the idea of having a LARGE T. I don't know if I'd ever want to deal with the humidity requirements or hairs of a T. Stirmi or Blondi though. That's why I got L.P.s.
I took my first hair from my biggest L.P. and that was minorly irritating, but irritating enough that I don't want to experience it again or ever worse than that.

I'm also new to Ts.

But from what I've seen, there's very little physical difference in Theraphosa (sp?) species aside from some minor details in where hair is located and leggy appearance in the pinkfoot (Aphophysis? or am I mistaking that for something else?).

I wouldn't be inclined to shell out any extra cash on a Blondi if I were to ever get a T. genus. Do they all "hiss"? I forget the scientific term for what that's called.

That's pretty cool.
 
Poec54

Poec54

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gobey said:
I like the idea of having a LARGE T. I don't know if I'd ever want to deal with the humidity requirements or hairs of a T. Stirmi or Blondi though.

...from what I've seen, there's very little physical difference in Theraphosa (sp?) species aside from some minor details in where hair is located and leggy appearance in the pinkfoot (Aphophysis? or am I mistaking that for something else?).

I wouldn't be inclined to shell out any extra cash on a Blondi if I were to ever get a T. genus. Do they all "hiss"? I forget the scientific term for what that's called.
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Theraphosa humidity requirements aren't extreme. I keep them as moist as Hysterocrates and slightly moister than Asian terrestrials.

All three Theraphosa species are similar and not easy to distinguish, however MM apophysis stand out from the others, with tibial spurs and purple coloring. Females have much more subtle differences.

Many tarantula species have the 'equipment' to stridulate, although it's usually not used often. Theraphosa tend to kick hairs more than stand and stridulate. The species of mine that stridulate the most are Hysterocrates gigas, Pelinobius muticus, & Monocentropus lambertoni.
 
gobey

gobey

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Cool, I'm not familiar with any of those except for Pelinobius muticus. I've seen videos of it stridulating though. It's pretty cool. Part of me kind of wants one of those guys lol. But I'm still trying to get the hang of old worlds by feeding and doing maintenance for my friends OBT periodically at his pet store, and we're co raising an H. Mac sling that I'm going to adopt when I'm good and ready. I'm assuming the other 2 are OW's as well?

Again though as for those Theraphosas, I'm just not to keen on breathing in a cloud of the worst hairs in the hobby lol. they're awfully cool Ts, but I'm content to say I own 2 of the 3rd largest Ts in the world. Especially since they have the potential to maybe hit 10'.

Maybe one day when the L.P.s pass away I'll try it out.
 
Poec54

Poec54

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gobey said:
I'm content to say I own 2 of the 3rd largest Ts in the world. Especially since they have the potential to maybe hit 10'.
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LP's aren't in the top 3 of the biggest (the top 3 are all Theraphosa!), or even in the top 10. Adult female LP's average 7-8" (I had an AF LP max out at 7"). There are South American terrestrials and Asian arboreals that average 8" and larger, in addition to some of OW terrestrials like Phlogius sp Goliath and Hysterocrates sp. Don't forget there's other species of Lasiodora too. People automatically assume that their LP is going to be a giant, when many of them would be lucky to make it in a 'Top 50' list.
 
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