P. scrofa - good idea or not

I visited a pet store while out of town today and came across a P. scrofa tarantula. I read that these are dwarfs, not positive on this so wanted to ask here along with a few other questions. What is their disposition like, potency of venom and can these be paired or not at all? If so, would it be worth it market value wise. Are they in demand or are they plentiful since the pet shop had a price of $13? The store had a lot of tarantulas marked down in price today. The P. scrofa being one of them.

I personally don't consider them dwarfs as they get above 3 inches generally but they are a very relaxed species from what I've read about them. As for breeding that's really up to you I see them given out as freebies often but they are more desirable than rosea slings. I don't think their venom is particularly potent either and are pretty easy to care for.

awiec said:

I personally don't consider them dwarfs as they get above 3 inches generally but they are a very relaxed species from what I've read about them. As for breeding that's really up to you I see them given out as freebies often but they are more desirable than rosea slings. I don't think their venom is particularly potent either and are pretty easy to care for.

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+1 to everything

Are you the guy who's always worried about venom potency?

No, first time I asked that I remember.

Very cool little spiders, I like fast arboreal and big bold ts but I received one of these as a freebee and it has secured a place in my collection forever..
Mine is always visible, slow to take flight and has started to color up wonderfully! Its showing hints of its adult coloration at about half an inch!
I keep mine very dry..originally I kept the sub a little moist because its a sling and it was hanging on the wall...I let the sub dry out and now it acts more terrestrial... It does like to climb occasionally though..
I'm sure the venom is relatively benign...my specimen is very calm but I have heard that they can be skittish...
The only "problem"that I have with mine is that its not a big eater...it only eats once every week and a half or so..its my problem though not the ts I'm just used to fast growers with heavy feeding responces. I can't help on the breeding aspect because mine is still tiny...this is a beautiful, hardy and calm species so I will definitely pair mine when it matures...I honestly dont know that I would call them a dwarf species, I have seen pics of females around 4 inches DLS.
With a price tag of $13 buy it!!!! Keep it dry with a water dish and a hide...simple to keep beautiful ts, you can't go wrong!

Thank you for the information! There's a reptile expo next weekend near me so I'm going to see what I find there first. If I decide on the P. scrofa the pet shop isn't too far from there.

awiec said:

they get above 3 inches generally

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Quick correction, they can get up to 4 inches.

But +1 to everything else, if I handled my t's, my scrofa girl would be the only one I would handle. She's the only tarantula that I would actually call 'docile'. As even seemingly 'docile' tarantulas always have bad days ect, but every since I got my p.scrofa she's never threatened me, never kicked hairs, and when I used to handle her, she never bit or showed signs that she was about to bite. I don't handle now as I don't see the point but P.Scrofa are all around sweet tarantulas. (Obviously keeping in mind that individuals do vary.)

Technically 4" IS "above" 3".

I think she was using 3" as a guideline for a dwarf, saying they aren't a dwarf because they get bigger than what's considered a dwarf.

cold blood said:

Technically 4" IS "above" 3".

I think she was using 3" as a guideline for a dwarf, saying they aren't a dwarf because they get bigger than what's considered a dwarf.

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Oops, I didn't read the 'above' part. The sleep deprivation is getting to me. Apologies Awiec

Tcks123 said:

Oops, I didn't read the 'above' part. The sleep deprivation is getting to me. Apologies Awiec

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No problem and cb got at what I was saying by the above 3 inch thing. I'm dyslexic so I have to re-read things a few times to make sure I catch everything, so I understand.

cold blood said:

Technically 4" IS "above" 3".

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You're such an ELITIST- showing off your high powered mathematical mentalism

viper69 said:

You're such an ELITIST- showing off your high powered mathematical mentalism

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Ah touché my good man. :5: