First OWs.

[awiec]

P.regalis, not really defensive just very shy and tried to take off during a rehouse. Funny thing is I got her as a 3i and for the first 5 months did not molt at all. I always fed her well but she decided to wait the winter out and molt in early spring. She now is on a regular molt cycle and has caught up to one of my males. P.mets are a good entry into pokies as they are generally more calm and hardy. Mine I think is a male and he can be a little jumpy but he's always out all the time unlike my pet hole of a regalis. Also got a freebie KB sling very early in my ow career, really hope that some total beginners didn't get saddled with that type of freebie; at 1.25 inches he's a little handful.

 

[Mindibun]

You guys are so funny with the "first OW was an OBT." I have been keeping Ts for 4-5 years now and have not yet owned an OBT. That may be changing soon, thanks to a member here But my first OW was, strangely enough, E. olivacea. I was amazed by them and their habits and how gorgeous they were and decided I HAD to have one (or four). They are doing exceptionally well and have really sparked my passion for OWs. I highly recommend THAT species in particular due to their amazing color and relatively laid-back personality (compared to most baboons) in addition to their prolific webbing. And fully intend to start collecting as many baboon species as I can. I already have a group of M. balfouri and a list of other species I want to own.

 

[gobey]

I guess I was lucky enough that the OBT I worked with was very reclusive. He was easy to work around because of it
He was pretty grumpy though when disturbed for any reason. The new OBT we have is very calm actually. She would rather just get out of the way than threat posture or slap.

I'll see how my slings grow up.

 

[Ghost Dragon]

My first was a P. irminia sling - Have had him almost a year, and he has grown quickly, he must be 3 or 3.5 " DLS now. I also have 4 P. regalis and a P. subfusca Highland. Love the patterns on them.

 

[jigalojey]

Well since I live in Australia it's not like I had a choice not to get an Old world anyway but if memory serves me correctly it was a C.Tropix and a P.Strenuus at the same time.

 

[gobey]

Well since I live in Australia it's not like I had a choice not to get an Old world anyway but if memory serves me correctly it was a C.Tropix and a P.Strenuus at the same time.

So are local tarantulas all you can get? Without outrageous shipping I'm assuming? Does nobody breed new world tarantulas there? Or do they and they're real expensive?

Imagine having to start in the deep end immediately no matter what?

 

[jigalojey]

So are local tarantulas all you can get? Without outrageous shipping I'm assuming? Does nobody breed new world tarantulas there? Or do they and they're real expensive?

Imagine having to start in the deep end immediately no matter what?

Yep local old worlds are all we can get (and boy they're bad tampered, we are talking slings that threat posture haha) Native new worlds don't exist and overseas tarantulas are permabanned (every animal from overseas except for exotic birds I think are permabanned) I guess we just resort to handling our old worlds since we have no new worlds to mess around with and I never thought about it but now I realize when I see people handle king Baboons and stuff and people thinking these guys are legends for doing it I think you know us Aussie keepers are doing the exact same thing and not really caring at all so why am i sitting here shocked at someone handling an African species hahaha. View attachment 129965

 

[cold blood]

When you see people handling King baboons its a sure way to tell that they have a low IQ. Handling OW's is simply put, not the brightest idea and not something you see seasoned t owners attempting. Don't be a show-off, leave the OW's in the enclosure where they belong.

 

[jigalojey]

Meh old worlds are overated, get them out of their enclosure and they're fine.

 

[gobey]

I never ever want to touch ANY of my tarantulas. B. albopilosum slings were the last Ts on my hands. And even then I was afraid to sqoosh them. My Avic is the only one I'd never worry about biting me. But I'd rather not be pooped on or have him jump off and have to play catch the tarantula.

But man. The OWs I have. I'm buying 18" tongs. I know those Pokies are gonna hit 7" in a couple years. And the OBTs, I'd rather any maintenance I do is through the top latch without any part of my hand ever entering the enclosure. I use Turkey baster for water dish filling too now.

It's honestly OW slings that are tricky. Making sure the lid is only open so far to drop water or a cricket in. I can never find cricke remains usually either in their cups. But I know the OBT, H. Mac, and P. Regalis slings pack just as bad a bite as the adults, and are easier to lose in an escape! And trust me, in unpacking the OBT slings, they wanted on my hand.

 

[jigalojey]

I never ever want to touch ANY of my tarantulas. B. albopilosum slings were the last Ts on my hands. And even then I was afraid to sqoosh them. My Avic is the only one I'd never worry about biting me. But I'd rather not be pooped on or have him jump off and have to play catch the tarantula.

But man. The OWs I have. I'm buying 18" tongs. I know those Pokies are gonna hit 7" in a couple years. And the OBTs, I'd rather any maintenance I do is through the top latch without any part of my hand ever entering the enclosure. I use Turkey baster for water dish filling too now.

It's honestly OW slings that are tricky. Making sure the lid is only open so far to drop water or a cricket in. I can never find cricke remains usually either in their cups. But I know the OBT, H. Mac, and P. Regalis slings pack just as bad a bite as the adults, and are easier to lose in an escape! And trust me, in unpacking the OBT slings, they wanted on my hand.

Yeah I wouldn't want anything to do with Arboreals, they're just too fast but everything else is cake.

 

[cold blood]

Many terrestrial OW's are just as fast, like the aforementioned OBT.

 

[jigalojey]

Many terrestrial OW's are just as fast, like the aforementioned OBT.

I dunno, OBT's are probably the meanest Terrestrials but Australian species are pretty dam speedy and leggy as well but I have watched some videos of the aboreals darting around all over the place and that is just a little too ridiculous for me.

 

[kovsejr]

My first OW was a adult female P. ornata (my 3rd T, after a B. smithi and A. versicolor). Since then i had every common pokie and an H. lividum. Not ONE pokie did a threat pose ever, except the lividum lady...she was VERY calm for a Haplo..she did a gentle threat pose, but didn't strike once...she just stood there and waited for me to leave her alone

I'm would really like to get my hands on a balfouri, but i really wouldn't like a T, that strikes a threat pose every time i open the lid :/

 

[gobey]

Yeah I wouldn't want anything to do with Arboreals, they're just too fast but everything else is cake.

I'm honestly most worried about my fingers in my rose hairs enclosure. She has such an immediate feeding response. My larger L. parahybana des too. But he usually at least gets spooked off into his hide after.

The 3 OW species I have are about all I want. I'd rather have had the P. metallica than the regalis, but I'm not spending that kind of money on my first pokies.

I didn't want an OW at ALL. After seeing my buddy's OBT flip out at a pencil I really didn't want one. But then I started to work with that T. And it bean to fascinate me. I was soon offered an H. mac sling as a freebie. I again saw such an amazingly gorgeous animal and decided I wanted to get into OW. So I had it ordered and my friend let me keep it there and get my feet wet working with his OBT while caring for that sling. If it's male he wants to breed it with his. Now I have 2 H. macs, 2 OBTs, and the 2 P. regalis'.

I don't mind the speed. I'll deal with the rehousing when time comes. One at a time on days off lol. But from what it seems many old world arboreals make terrestrial Burrows or setups bear the ground. And rather retreat there than run. There of course are exceptions and we'll see what mine grow into.

The problem is I'm already half contemplating adopting the adult OBTs we're going to breed for this pet store project. The male we can't sell obviously because his time on this earth is short anyways. And the female is so calm I've just fallen for her. My slings are cool, but not display Ts yet lol.

 

[jigalojey]

Yeah, Terrestrials are more stand their ground and fight to death while Aboreals just want to dart all around the place like grease lightning and I'm really not up to chasing a tarantula around the house every rehouse hahaha (Not that the Aboreals found in Australia have even been introduced into the hobby anyway) and New worlds are just pigs so I really don't have anything to say about them and their huge abdomens haha.

 

[gobey]

Many terrestrial OW's are just as fast, like the aforementioned OBT.

Yeah, Terrestrials are more stand their ground and fight to death while Aboreals just want to dart all around the place like grease lightning and I'm really not up to chasing a tarantula around the house every rehouse hahaha (Not that the Aboreals found in Australia have even been introduced into the hobby anyway) and New worlds are just pigs so I really don't have anything to say about them and their huge abdomens haha.

I can't say much for rehousing. The only rehousing I've done was an H. mac sling at 1/2". All I did was pick up his hide and put it in the new bin. Bingo. All the others have been just unpack i Nguyen and initial housings. All went fine. I rehoused an adult OBT as well as unpacked and housed an adult one too Also no problems. But I'm aware it doesn't always go that way.

Is rehousing a terrestrial OW that much easier though. Like say a P. muticus? Or cobalt blues? Scientific names escape me for most OW that I haven't had interest in owning or at least found more keen to keep. (Not pet dirt.)

Also I watched a documentary all on Australian tarantulas on YouTube a while back. Cool stuff. None of them looked freidnly to own lol.

Anyways right now I'm rehousing an L.p. It's easy so far. But she's my calmer more shy one. My bigger one is more keen to mistake you for food, and then when he learns you're not he'll hide. But when I unpacked him and housed him. He ran right out of t he enclosure and gave me my first urtricating hair.

So yeah again. Terrestrials and arboreals and new worlds vs old worlds.... now I'm starting to see why some people are split or prefer one or the other or collect all.

 

[Storm76]

Bottom line: If you're unsure and uncomfortable when thinking about owning a species - don't. Chances are a mistake will remind you of that else.

I remember when I started out with my "Phaedra" (P. irminia ~3" at that time) and my B. smithi, that quite some people told me "If you can handle a P. irminia right from the get-go without any issues, you'll be fine with a Poecie". However, it took nearly 1.5 years before I decided that I would give it a try. Truth be told: I have a lot of respect for OWs and really wouldn't want to get tagged by one. In the end, the P. subfusca I raised to a MM was a breeze as he was so chill that he never once threw threats, ran or did anything of that sort. Even when I packed him to ship him out to a breeder friend to do his deed, I had to literally lift him into the transport container with the tongs. He wouldn't move, just huddle up and stay put.

Now, having raised a couple C. fimbriatus and transferred them a number of times, I'm seriously impressed just how much their personalities differ. The male is high-strung, outright defensive, stridulating and really not wanting a part in being messed with at all. The female would threaten, slap, but not bite and rather vanish back into her burrow left the chance. All three Poecie juvies now are somewhat skittish, but none has given me any trouble so far either. Looking back, I am still certain that if I would've gotten any of the aforementioned earlier than I actually did - I would've run into trouble.

It is for that very same reason, that besides others guessing I'd be alright with it, I don't get an H. maculata, yet. I truely love the T, but I simply don't feel "ready" for it. And I have all the time in the world for when I do eventually decide to order one. I'm sure, it'll be a sling, too. I love raising T's, you can grow with them, learn their behavior and adjust your own when dealing with them. I'll say that OWs require more common-sense than NWs, but in the end it's all about getting a rehouse or the like over with, without "fearing" it. If you're scared - don't get the species and give it time. Seriously the best advice mentioned by the long-time people on here and I took and still take that to heart.

 

[shawno821]

I dunno, OBT's are probably the meanest Terrestrials but Australian species are pretty dam speedy and leggy as well but I have watched some videos of the aboreals darting around all over the place and that is just a little too ridiculous for me.

I've got 2 of the Austrailians,S.spEbony. They scare the hell out of me.IMO they are faster than OBT's,with a bite to match.I think there's just so many people with fast OBT stories as opposed to the relatively few who keep Australians that they don't get the "credit" they deserve for speed.They come out of their hole,grab a cricket,and get back incredibly fast.I almost can't see it.As for your original question,my first OW was a P.regalis,some 25 years ago.

 

[gobey]

Bottom line: If you're unsure and uncomfortable when thinking about owning a species - don't. Chances are a mistake will remind you of that else.

I remember when I started out with my "Phaedra" (P. irminia ~3" at that time) and my B. smithi, that quite some people told me "If you can handle a P. irminia right from the get-go without any issues, you'll be fine with a Poecie". However, it took nearly 1.5 years before I decided that I would give it a try. Truth be told: I have a lot of respect for OWs and really wouldn't want to get tagged by one. In the end, the P. subfusca I raised to a MM was a breeze as he was so chill that he never once threw threats, ran or did anything of that sort. Even when I packed him to ship him out to a breeder friend to do his deed, I had to literally lift him into the transport container with the tongs. He wouldn't move, just huddle up and stay put.

Now, having raised a couple C. fimbriatus and transferred them a number of times, I'm seriously impressed just how much their personalities differ. The male is high-strung, outright defensive, stridulating and really not wanting a part in being messed with at all. The female would threaten, slap, but not bite and rather vanish back into her burrow left the chance. All three Poecie juvies now are somewhat skittish, but none has given me any trouble so far either. Looking back, I am still certain that if I would've gotten any of the aforementioned earlier than I actually did - I would've run into trouble.

It is for that very same reason, that besides others guessing I'd be alright with it, I don't get an H. maculata, yet. I truely love the T, but I simply don't feel "ready" for it. And I have all the time in the world for when I do eventually decide to order one. I'm sure, it'll be a sling, too. I love raising T's, you can grow with them, learn their behavior and adjust your own when dealing with them. I'll say that OWs require more common-sense than NWs, but in the end it's all about getting a rehouse or the like over with, without "fearing" it. If you're scared - don't get the species and give it time. Seriously the best advice mentioned by the long-time people on here and I took and still take that to heart.

Can I just say I like the way you put this perfectly? And I'm one of those people who did decide that an OBT, H. maculata, and P. regalis were 3 OW species I wanted. Really probably some of the only ones I'll ever want. But I made that decision without doubting myself or the spider or how it's housed, or where it stays, or who else supervises it or it's future.

Idk I'm new to Tarantulas still. It's only been 3 and a half months. But I've worked around wild animals that require quick reaction time and common sense. I felt up to these spiders. So I seek out experiences from those who Keep them and study them. And I will s are mine with those who are interested as well.

That's how it should work right? No matter how you want to approach the hobby?

Anyways Storm bravo +1 for good sportsmanship