hi there people, i would very much like to provide a home for a big spider / tarantula, i have always had dogs, fish and other pets but nothing of the arachnid type! can anybody point me in the right direction regarding living arrangments and types that are good for a first spider to have? i want one that can be easily handled occasionally(and big so i can see where it is!) cheers, Tom

hi m8, i started with a mexican red knee... these are the ones u see in films etc... great first pet, can be handled but too much will stress it out, chilian rose can be a nice first pet too... both of these are timid, but the red knee can be skittish.... they shud have a gd amount of substrait, a drinking bowl, and a few things(sticks) also, they like to burrow, so a little semi circle object or a tube can be a gd den for it. feeding is typically meal worms and brown crickets, these spiders grow up tp 8inch and can live up to 15 (females older off course)

if theres anything else.. let me know.

thanx mate will do

My first was a Rose hair where my daughters first are Euathus sp red (Chili Flame Red), A.Avic (Pink Toe) and B.Albopilosam (Curly Hair).

The best two to go for are Chile Rose very docile and the other is Euathus sp red which is ideal for novice.

Bit of info on the Flame.

Adults are a deep velvet black with small white hairs. There most attractive feature is the intense orange/red tuft of hair on the top of the abdomen and an orange ring around the spinnerets. These are a nice slow moving, docile species that will not bite or flick hair ideal for novices but unusual another to interest advanced keepers.

Pic of what my daughter sling look like and what it looks like a adult depending on what sex it is.

The male is the first attachment.

A word of warning once you get one it doesn't stop there i began with one Rose Hair who helped me with my fear of spiders and now there are 6 species which are.

Chili Rose, Chili Flame, Curly Hair, red Rumps, Pink Toe and Red Baboon.

Beginner Tarantulas

Chilean Rose (Grammostola rosea)
Costa Rican Zebra (Aphonoplema seemani)
Mexican Redknee (Brachypelma smithi)
Mexican Redleg (Brachypelma emilia)
Desert/Mexican Blonde (Aphonopelma chalcodes) can be aggressive at times
Curly Hair Tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosum)

Attached Images

	Chili Flame Male.jpg (61.7 KB, 7 views)
	Chili Flame Female.jpg (112.2 KB, 6 views)
	Chili Flame Sling.jpg (103.7 KB, 5 views)

__________________
Arachnids you gotta love them


My spider pics
http://www.petforums.co.uk/album.php?albumid=475

http://tarantulaguide.bravehost.com/

thanks Jen, much appreciated

i never realised there were so many interesting things to be learnt about spiders until i came on this site

yeah, ive just got my first spider and its the best thing i ever did! i love her to bits already!

What did you get for your first spider.

__________________
Arachnids you gotta love them


My spider pics
http://www.petforums.co.uk/album.php?albumid=475

http://tarantulaguide.bravehost.com/

a b. shithi, she is great

i mean smithi!