Hello, looking for information

C L Coles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
13
Hello

I trust i'm doing this right; I don't use any other forums, and so don't know much about them. I am doing research on tarantulas to decide if I would like to keep one. I can't find a reference to legspan (ie: what is it?). When spider sizes are given on dealer sites and care sheets, are they legspan? I don't want to buy an animal from a pet store, and thus am looking into Canadian mail order dealers; is this a good way to get an animal? I'm looking at the Exo Terra 12x12x12 terrarium system for a ground dwelling species; does that sound good? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
Leg span is generally given as the distance from the tip of the back leg on one side of the tarantula to the tip of the front leg on the opposite side when it is in a relax, normal position. It isn't always easy to get an exact measurement so generally the sizes given are the rough approximations. And yes, the dealer sites are giving the size in terms of leg span.

Being in the U.S. I have never dealt with any of the Canadian dealers but I don't see why it wouldn't be similar to the U.S. dealers. Purchasing through a reputable dealer is a good way to go. Check the reviews forum for which dealers are good. You might also want to join the Canadian forum where your fellow countrymen can be of more assistance to you.

I would not recommend the Exo-terra enclosures for anything other than an arboreal tarantula. A good rule of thumb for terrestrial (ground dwellers) is to limit the height from the top of the substrate to the top of the enclosure to be roughly equivalent to the leg span of the tarantula. Tarantulas are actually quite fragile and can be seriously injured or even killed from a short fall.

If you haven't already taken a look, you might want to read through the beginner's thread. You might also want to consider picking up a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide[/i] by Schultz and Schultz.
 

mr_jacob7

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
222
well. i saw there was only one reply, and thought i'd help, but I guess your post just about sums it up! :D Good luck with ur new spidder, Coles!:cool:
 

spid142

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
492
research

Good for you being willing to come here and learn proper care first before getting your first T. As mentioned, Ts are measured diagonally for leg span, but its generally agreed to be only an approximation, due to different resting poses eg. some Ts scrunch up a lot, some spread out more. Generally, you measure the T doing its most normal pose, better to understate its leg span than exaggerate it.
 

C L Coles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
13
Thanks for the help! I also meant to ask wether I need to buy many, small enclosures, to allow for growth with the spider ( I will likely start with a spiderling ), or if I can buy one, permanent, larger home. I will definitely check out the Canadian and beginner posts.
 

goferris

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
26
probably if you are going to start with a sling. it would be hard to find the food for a .75 in sling in a 10 gal tank. with slings i have seen them kept in deli cups until they are larger than moved as they out grow them. personally i didn't want to start with a sling because i don't know too much about t's yet. from what i hear they can be very hard to keep alive due to how fragile they can be.
i would suggest to start with a little more mature spider, maybe a 2" or 3" sub adult. there are plenty of posts on good starter t's so you should check them out so you can know what to expect.
well there you go that is my 2 cents on the topic.
 

Sterlingspider

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
417
Thanks for the help! I also meant to ask wether I need to buy many, small enclosures, to allow for growth with the spider ( I will likely start with a spiderling ), or if I can buy one, permanent, larger home. I will definitely check out the Canadian and beginner posts.
Generally when you buy from a breeder you'll be getting a very small spiderling, sometimes there are larger specimins available but unless you go out of your way to get one of them you can expect to go through a number of enclosures before you hit their final home. Trying to find a 1/2 inch s'ling in a five gallon tank will be frustrating to put it lightly, trying to feed them will be downright impossible. You'd be surprised at how little room they need, I think the usual guideline is about 2 legspans of space in at least one direction and one and a half in the other and limit vertical space (for terrestrials) to one legspan so they can't climb and fall.

A lot of people like pill vials and acrylic display boxes for spiderlings, you can get them in all manner of sizes, I'm sure a search on this board should get you a couple of links for distributors. I find that condiment shakers (like the ones they use in pizza places) are good enclosures as they have ventilation already and are available in a number of sizes as well.

I find once they get to a couple of inches Kritter Keepers seem to be the best way to go. They're relatively cheap, well ventilated, and after they grow out of them they store well for your next little one :D I even keep my adults in larger "Herp Haven" tanks (same basic thing as the kritter keeper) because the low profile means I don't have to put 8 inches of substrate in a 5 gallon tank to make it safe.

If this is your first you may want to look for a larger spiderling or adolescent. They get considerably easier to deal with once they can eat full sized crickets but you still get the excitement of somewhat rapid moults and watching them get adult colouration.
 

Mushroom Spore

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 14, 2005
Messages
4,588
The fragility of slings also depends on the species. Avicularia babies seem WAY more prone to death than, say, G. aureostriata (described by Swift as "bulletproof") or L. parahybana. T. blondi seem pretty death-prone at all ages, I imagine that's another sling you wouldn't want as a beginner.
 
Top