I was almost disappointed when I didn’t hear the curly haired til the end. I love the curly hair T. Thanks for explaining the Brazilian Black and the different with the 2. I was wondering.
I feel Tliltocatl albopilosum are very underrated. They are a type of spider that you cant see how awesome they are till you have one. Pics never do them justice for some reason. They are funny to watch with loads of character. I have a little hobby form called Ramone. I think everyone should have one, mine is very feisty but just a juvenile so may calm down as she grows xx
Great video! Lots of hard work i haven't made a comment in awhile but every time I watch your videos I really start fathoming ideas and other methods on husbandry and housing/rehousing Yada' yada' lol 🤣 however sweet video!!
Just got my first baby he is an A. Hentzi super chill and shy but with a curious personality. Unsexed but thought to be a boy topped with a gorgeous brown coloring got him the name Mudd
My first tarantula was a chilobrachy fimbriatus, hardy, fast growing, and amazing webber. I know it's a ow and is defensive but she was beautiful and I miss her😭
My favorite species is a purple pinktoe in terms of beauty, but my curly hair has the best personality of all in my collection, i named her shakira, and built a mini cork-hide for her, and she completely buried it!!! Instead she just kicks it out and about, and shes only like 1/2 an inch, best personality in a tarantula by far!!!!
Hi, Cole! That's one of the reasons I caution people who like to handle. Many spiders will have personality changes after a molt. She may go back to normal after another molt or two.
@@TomsBigSpiders I came across it a couple years ago late night while watching t.v.. I might have to go back and rewatch it. Its funny though I have never heard of it before or after,so your shirt stood out instantly, I paused and wrote the msg within the first 10 seconds of your video.
I just had to rehouse my juvenile B. Albopilosum yesterday...easiest rehouse ever. Every time I touched her she would slowly inch forward like "c'mon man...I moved already"...but no attitude at all. Great video as always...thanks.
Srsly, i cant thank you enough for all the time and huge efforrt u make for all of us. Keep up the awesome work, specially with ur podcast (i dont miss a single one, i dont even care what the main topic is, i know im gonna learn smth). I have chosen all my Ts following your advice and care sheets. I have started with slings, not a single adult yet but im sure they will get gorgeous in a few months / years. Thank you so much again and im srry if i have had some grammar mistakes with my eng, not my mother language.
All of them are super healthy, happy and have grown quite a bit! Except for my g pulchra... That one is healthy and happy but the growing... Not there yet hahaha specially in comparison with his neighbours, a Theraphosa blondi and a Phormictopus auratus 😁
@@reyparkeanthonyvega2382 so you have chosen death? Haha, just kidding. The P. Met is an amazing T……just always show respect and know exactly where it is when opening the enclosure. P. Met bite is no joke. Mine is usually pretty docile but every once in a while she acts like an OBT and charges the tongs a foot away when cleaning her enclosure.
I bought my first gbb from the hamburg reptile show a couple weeks ago; it was a .75" juvenile in premolt and molted a few days ago! Sadly the abdominal skin was ripped to shreds.
@@jimothyj2638 Hamburg - Farmsen is a good spider expo. A lot of space in that ice rink and lots of friendly sellers (got my ggb there as well). I`m going to travel to Hannover on Sunday, also a good expo but really crowded. I`m hoping to pick up an idiothele mira, Ephepopus Murinus and maybe a couple of slings. :-)
This is one of my top videos so far. I like the "ask the keeper" thing u been doing. I'm always curious to what others think about there T's. These videos are a great way to figure it out
I have not watched the video yet but I expect everyone’s favorite beginners, like the Pterinochilus murinus for its calm and friendly behavior, the T. Blondi with its easy care and cheap price and of course the Typhochlaena seladonia because of how easy it is to get a hold off, cheap to boot too and everyone knowing so much about it. Edit: saw the video. Horrified, B albopilosum as number one most beginner friendly. Completely disagree since one of them burned down my house and then kicked hairs in my face afterwards to show dominance, terrifying species still looking behind and hope it isn’t back for more
Bahaahhahaha! No joke, in the original cut, I started by saying the number one beginner was P. murinus, or the OBT as a joke. Then I realized that some people probably wouldn't get it. The OBT had four votes! Bahahahaha! I'm already getting a few folks who are arguing the results. I don't think they realized that I just tallied them up! As always, thanks for commenting!
Bobbi Merritt yea the more I observe mine the more I disagree with other keepers saying how aggressive/defensive they are. Seriously no threat postures, no bolting, no signs of pissed off bad day nothing.... I keep mine with adequate substrate, she ( hopefully ) has several entrances/exits to her burrow... she is super comfortable either just hanging out in the open or inside her burrow.
What's up Mr. Tom. Doing homework with one of our little ones..... I never understood or appreciated how incredibly difficult it is to be a teacher!!!!! Thank you for your service and thank you for the great videos!!!!!
HOLY CRAP! My comment made it! I had to go back and watch that part again I couldn't believe it! How freaking exciting! Now I gotta show everyone that I'm famous now 😂😂 jk. This is definitely one of your best videos so far! Thank you so much for the little shout out that was awesome!
Hahaha! I was hoping that folks would appreciate that! lol Thank you so much. This one took some effort to put together, so I'm glad that it's being well received! :)
I used to be afraid of snakes but my son wanted one. He was seven so I knew I would have to take care of it. My cousin raised king snakes and I got a baby from one of his clutches. It was the size of an earthworm. By the time he was 6’ I was totally fine with snakes. Same with the spiders, I now have 3 different types of so called bird eaters
Glad to see a geniculata here. Started in the hobby with one as a recovering arachnophobe and she's been great. A bit skittish, but so easy to rehouse. Not defensive as much, it's just that hair trigger feeding response. Would recommend starting with a sling for total beginners, since the growth rate is great and one gets gradually accommodated with the attitude and general behaviour. I'm a bit confused at the occasional insistence in some circles that a beginner T should never display any defensiveness. Tempers can vary so much between specimens of the same species, and these are wild animals. Any T can be defensive, and it feels like a wrong way to approach the hobby. Not saying a beginner should jump in and get an OW as their first.. an angry NW is still miles away from an angry OW, in terms of speed and venom. ;)
Hi, Rami! I'm glad it got included as well, as I didn't have it on my original lists (and it was one I wanted to add). For folks who don't mind a bit of attitude, they can be great. As for the defensiveness, I speak to a lot of new hobbyists, and many will become intimidated by a defensive tarantula, especially if it's their first spider ever. This can turn people off to the hobby. I've been approached by folks over the years who are trying to give away their tarantulas because they have become scared of them. Although some of us don't mind, a defensive tarantula can make or break some folks.
Awesome stuff. I am getting back into the hobby and have good advice for those doing the same. I started collecting "weird" pets in 1979. There was no such thing as "beginner" tarantulas back then. All "T"s were dangerous to keep as pets and many pet stores wouldn't sell unless you were an adult and could answer a few questions. In 1999 I was given a 30 minute care and handling class by a pet store owner and sent home with a "Korean Blue Tarantula"...LOL Cost me $800 and my wife was PISSED. It was common around the Navy base for Sailors to catch and bring back "T"s to sell to pet stores. I'm sure you all know what I really had... Cyriopagopus lividus. I followed the rules I was given (which included "never handle it" ) and had no problems. So my first T was an advanced old world T. It still died 3 years later...either a male or old female... If a person wants an Old World Tarantula I think it would be better to educate then to forbid...
Haha you got 10 points :) when I came into the hobby in 2001, my first was indeed a subadult g.rosea! She was one of the psycho rosies though, and sadly passed away in 2014 due to some funghi growing on her back (of which I never had heard before and never experienced since). Then the avics got me when I was in French Guayana and Martinique (c.versi was still one of them at that time) and most of mine are arboreals ever since. What I'm missing on this new list are dwarfs. Noone but me is thinking, how great beginner species especially the little ones are, since they take the fear out of the issue and replace it with cuteness? Candidates might be d.diamantinensis which is a bit hard to get and quite expensive, but the tiny sweethearts (literally!) cyriocosmus elegans and c. perezmilesi are available for a small price everywhere I look - at least over here in continental europe. Same goes for neoholothele incei olive and gold form. Yes I know, availability of species is quite different over here. One of my nieces (12 years) has read all my husbandry books and badly want her own T, now I'm considering a c.elegans as christmas present just to piss her mother off a bit :D Anyways, I'd love to hear or read from the voters why no dwarf made it to the list!
Hahaha! I think a lot of us started with that species. I got mine in 95, and I still have her. My girl was pretty chill overall. Avics are just gorgeous, especially the versi. I think it comes down to availability, price, and recognition. The D. diamantinensis, for example, is pricey and can be difficult to find here in the states. As for the other two species, they just aren't as well known. I AM working on a followup in which I'll talk about some of the other species that could make good beginners/intermediate spiders, and I'll have some of the ones you mention on it. Hahaha. Your sister is going to kill you. lol
I thought it would be fun to make a Top 20 Worst beginner T's do to care, attitude or other factors, as many are not difficult to care for as adults (seldom would you rehouse) but have quirks or something about them that beginners find out about because pet stores will sell them and don't know or don't mention lol
Just bought my very first tarantula yesterday, a C versicolor sling! I know I might be up for a challenge, but I’m very excited to finally join the hobby after having wanted a tarantula for years. Wish me luck, and thank you for this informative video!
Hey Tom, I have heard the podcasts discussing this video and I know I'm 3 years too late but I'd still like to add my input. Just a thought about the Aphonopelma calchodes, and I believe you've touched on this in your podcasts at least, but I think A. calchodes is still something we pull a lot in from the wild and they end up at pet stores, so I think maybe some of the "whacky" behaviour can be attributed to "Just Wild Caught Things™" and probably the same with G. porteri. Pretty much all porteri were WC back in the day which is where the "psycho rosie" originated from and frankly they take so long to reach adulthood that I don't necessarily think the sample size for "behaviour of captive bred adult G. porteri/A. calchodes" is large enough to really affect it. I think it would be interesting to see what people who have captive bred adults they have raised of these species have to say about temperament. Not to say disregard what people experience but I think something being WC can pretty drastically change its behaviour. Basically, how much of the defensiveness that we are seeing is just due to them being WC? For the first ones I started with, I got a C. versicolor, OBT, and GBB and I wouldn't recommend any of those as beginners. I have two lists: One for someone who has had no experience with any sort of exotics, typically start with an adult specimen, and one for someone who has done their research extensively and may have some background in exotics, maybe starting with a sling Total Noob list starting with an adul t: T. albo (hobby form), B. hamorii, G. pulchripes/G. pulchra. I started with slings and I loved it but I came from centipedes so me not seeing my animal for months at a time was pretty normal for me, but I can definitely see how slow growing slings could be frustrating so typically I just recommend any of those 3 juveniles or adults. Also just a note I had an adult female Nicaraguan T. albo (someone got it at PetSmart then didn't want it anymore, so I am assuming WC) and she was very much not what I would consider a good beginner. She was quite defensive, 100% fossorial, and loved moisture. She was a T. albo that identified as a Haplopelma species. I chalk up most of this to likely being WC, but hearing you say a few people said the Nicaraguan are more defensive, I figured it was worth adding. A little experience, research, and starting with a sling: 1. Tliltocatl verdezi- wonderful beginner species in my experience, I raised mine kind of early on but I ended up with mine as a gift rather than something I picked up purposely, but I still think they would make great beginner species! They are not super slow growing, they hit like trucks, mine is extremely gentle if a little skittish, and they get to a nice size too, plus they have lovely colouration! You can find them pretty easily and for not too much. Mine went through some cool colour changes as she grew. They do burrow a bit as juveniles but mine is a stunning adult now and only goes into her burrow to moult. Super hardy; I kept mine moist as a sling, moist on the bottom and damp on top + water dish as a juvenile and adult. I moisten down a corner but I don't notice any difference in behaviour. 2. Acanthoscurria geniculata- I think this is the pinnacle of ""Not Beginner" beginner" tarantulas, if that makes sense. They are fast growing, amazing eaters, super beautiful, and not too hard to find. They are hardy as all get out and get to a decently large size. Even as a sling, mine was out in the open all the time. 3. Ephebopus uatuman- I had to fit an Ephebopus on here and be an Ephebopus spokesperson. Uatuman are on the smaller side, 4.5" or so, and they're much more shy than defensive, but I still see mine out quite a bit when I go in there at night. They are absolutely beautiful and a good first rung on the ladder if your end goal is Ornithoctonus or Haplopelma. I know Ephebopus get poo-poo'd for being ornery but I've kept numerous specimens of each species and have been fortunate enough to have zero behavioural issues. As slings and juveniles, all of my specimens acted almost arboreal, creating web tubes up the sides of the enclosures while also digging down to the bottom of the enclosure. As adults, they were moved into a more "traditional" fossorial setup, and since they are true fossorials and in my experience will clear out the bottom of the enclosure, I go in and scoop out the extra dirt they have brought up during the night every few days before they web over it so I can maintain the substrate depth without having dirt pressed up to the ceiling. I think some of the defensiveness, much like the P. murinus, could come from being kept in enclosures that are too shallow and then ripping up the webbing or being given not enough room to burrow. Anyway, any Ephebopus would work here (maybe not murinus since they get so big) but I believe if you give them plenty of space to burrow and web, they can be awesome beginners for someone with a little knowledge. Thanks for everything you do for tarantulas and the hobby! - Charlotte
So, I had a few pzb's and quite foolishly gave them away to friends. So many years later I buy a Mexican black velvet. As the sling started growing, I realized that this color was off. It ends up that the breeder mislabeled the tub and sold me a pzb. To make up for his mistake, he did offer me a mbv for free, but I refused. I am happy with the mistake as I now have a pzb again. This time, it will not be given to friends. It's all MINE lol
Ha! It's like fate wanted you to have one. haha I passed one up years ago, and was kicking myself later when I realized how difficult they are to find. Now, don't give that one up. haha
I was petrified of spiders. I’m still scared of “house” spiders but not tarantulas... I went into a pet shop my friend worked at and even though it took me like 3 hours, I conquered my fear and held a chilean rose. She was very tame and was a tarantula that was taken to schools for children to see and hold. I thought if children can hold her surely I can and I did! I conquered a fear even if I was scared lol. She was so light and I was so happy I held her. Best day ever! There was even a mexican redknee there that a guy brought in which was much bigger than the chilean rose but so beautiful and colourful! Now here I am looking at beginner tarantulas 🤣 because I held a tame chilean rose, I thought I wanted one of those but I’ve heard mixed views. I know the one I held was tame but there’s no way of knowing for certain if the next one would be. Now I feel really indecisive 😆. What does everyone recommend? Can I also ask why people don’t ever get them out and hold them?
Hi, Louise! When I got my first tarantula 24 years ago, I was terrified of spiders. It took me years to get over my fear completely (and house spiders too the longest!). haha That's an awesome story! The first I ever held was a H. chilensis. It was quite a profound experience. The fact is, temperament can differ from specimen to specimen and even from molt to molt. Chilean roses are either really laid back or a bit crazy. The species I've found that it almost ALWAYS tame is the H. chilenis. Those little guys will crawl right into your hand. And by get them out to hold them, what do you mean?
Tom Moran i think I’d be the unlucky buggar to get a crazy one 🤣 since my comment on here i am swaying more to the mexican red knee! What do you think? I will check out the other one you mentioned 😃 .. in terms of people never getting them out yes that’s what i meant. I’ve seen most on here limit the handling to a minimum if at all. However i would like to get mine out every once in a while.
Really enjoyed this video and guess what? I just purchased a 2 1/2 inch Curly Hair 2 days ago! I was tickled to see this. This is my second T besides a Chilean Flame that I've raised from a quarter inch sling. It's been 2 yrs now and he's an inch.
This consensus list was a great idea. It kind of avoids the problem of a specimen acting out of character for its species. My first T was an Arizona Blonde female. She is quite docile but a bit excitable. Once I merely spoke to her from a couple of feet away from the enclosure. She was sitting on a corkbark log on the opposite side of the enclosure from me. She reacted to my voice by jumping off the log backwards, spinning toward me, and running in my direction. She tried to climb the side so fast she slid back down. Finally she climbed to the top and pushed on the lid to get out. Explain that one to me if you can. Again, I think this may be the best video out there for those starting out in the hobby.
Thanks so much, Jeffrey! I REALLY wanted to revisit the beginner list idea, and this gave me the perfect avenue. I researched the heck out of the first one, but this time I opened it up to vote. I didn't want it to be just my opinion. Wow, she sounds like a trip! hahahah That's adorable! Thanks again!
She felt the vibrations from the sound of your voice. ;) My juvie B albo has come directly at me like that before (while I was sitting next to its enclosure) it was kind of creepy but in a really cool way.
Awesome video as always Tom. I’ve been looking forward to this since you first mentioned about revisiting best beginner species and you didn’t disappoint. Also I’m so happy to see my first tarantula, Avocado the Acanthoscurria geniculata, in this video. Thanks for featuring her and thanks for all the hard work you put into making this video.
Thanks so much once again for helping me out. I truly appreciate it!!! I'm so glad that this is being well received after how much I spoke about it. haha. There was a point where I was almost reluctant to post it. lol And Avocado (Love the name!) did great!
Omg those versicolor babies with their momma is so cute... you can tell she is very maternal by the way she’s so careful not to step on them... and then mom is a like a green disc with ridiculously fluffy noodle legs...too much cuteness in one photo...😍
I love Ts but even i was a little creeped out seeing that many tiny spiders. At that size, they are beyond harless to us but I guess it just conjures up my aversion to ants inside the house.
Awesome video tom as always 👍👍👍 it shows you how different many so called beginners species can be my g porteri who sadly passed away last year at 27 years old was the meanest girl ever I had her from about 3cm and boy was she spawn of satan 🤣🤣🤣 even all my old worlds were nicer than her 🤣 great list though tom and i agree the a seemani are another brilliant tarantula i have 3 and their all so chilled 👍👍
Thanks so much, Sam! Yeah, I wanted to open this up, as experience can vary from keeper to keeper. For example, my A. chalcodes are a bit nuts, but some say theirs are totally laid back. I figured this way, it would be general consensus. And so sorry to hear about your G. porteri! :(
I have an E. campestratus:) Fear Not was at te big reptile expo that happens at Tinley Park twice a year and for specal show pre order they had a confirmed female 2 and 1/2 inch E. campestratus and i got it. I also got a freebie B. albo sling That Makes my third Tarantula I also have a G. rosea red form sling that I got back in Mrch that has barely grown lol.
I wish the E. campestratus were more readily available. as they are awesome spiders. Fear Not rocks. Sounds like you have a great collection starting! :) So sorry to hear about the GBB, Charlotte. :(
Amazing video as always, very informative, congratulations Tom !!! B. albopilosum is indeed an amazing species to start with, easy to care for, calm, beautiful, what's not to like ! I must admit though that I am once again heartbroken not to see Brachypelma emilia getting more love… My girl is a sweetheart, eats like a pig, and what a stunning species ! As for the GBB, I was not expecting it to rank this high. Of course it is the easiest entry point to those coveted blue tarantulas, but I thought his reputation for being fast would play against this species. Although I must admit that I acquired a young female a months ago, who is pretty laid back and gentle, so who am I to go against popular opinion !
Thank you so much, Lipton! I agree with the B. albopilosum! As for the B. emilia, it got a few votes, but one of the issues with it (at least here in the states) is availability. We get slings for sale every once in a while, but they quickly sell out. They are also quite pricey, which can be a deterrent. I agree, though...that species could make for an awesome beginner. The GBB thing shocked the heck out of me. haha. I'm with you!
@@TomsBigSpiders You are absolutely right, a species that is quite rare and expensive might not be the ideal entry point in the hobby. I always feel like B. emilia is stuck in limbo between the ever popular hamorii, and B. boehmei, who seems to hold the crown when it comes to straight up black and orange species… But yeah, if available at a reasonable price, I can't recommend this species enough !
I'm starting off with a 1" GBB sling but I'm definitely eyeing a few of these species. However, I want my GBB to get out of its sling stage first. I'm not sure when I would want to get an Old World but its harder to find good lists on which ones make a good start. I hope the Chilean Flame can gain more traction it looks adorable. I will say the very active community of RUclipsrs makes this a lot easier now. Being able to see how the Ts react has made them certainly more approachable.
A Mature female cobalt blue was my first T. Bsck when they were Haplopelma lividum. I traded her for a couple of scorpions and 17 year old me had no business trying to package an adult female cobalt blue for shipping in my bathtub.
Never any love for the Aphonopelma hentzi XD Also, I swear my albi is broken. She's extremely prone to striking and hair flicking, and makes my OBT look like a pleasant gentleman. Still love her nonetheless.
I’ve been doing a bunch of research and am considering: C. Versicolor L. P (probably what I’m going to get) GBBs Mexican Fireleg And a few more. I don’t plan on handling
Honestly, that could easily be the #1. I just think that they are more expensive and more difficult to come by. That might have caused the lower rating.
Nice video. My list has grown larger much to the chagrin of my wife. I've been keeping for 2 months. She thinks 4 T's is enough. I just nod my head and continue to browse vendors lol.
I've recently got my first tarantula: B. Albiceps. It's still a juvenile so it's a little bit shy, but it seems to have a docile temperament. A bit of an inconsistent eater but it's worth it because they look so freaking awesome!
Good for you,mine is quite skittish most of the time and big hair kicker,so i don´t even tried to handle her :D . My second T is Plesiopelma Iongisternale, tiny girl ,super chill :)
I think it's sad that there are quite a few NW species that because of availability, don't make the cut. E. camp. PZB would be my #2 behind T. albo. somewhere around #8 would be Euthlus scrofa ex. Paraphysa aka the Chilean copper. Honorable mention for A. hentzi, another US species as well as couple other Aphonopelma from the US. Cyriocosmus dwarf species are cute, and easy care, but short lifespan. C. elegans or C. leetzi might be #16. Oh I can't forget to mention Tliltocatl verdezi, aka Mexican Rose Grey are slow growing but smooth temperament even from 1.25" they have adult colors and always out as large slings, these will become readily available and become very high on the list in the next few years. keep an eye out!
I did an list year ago and included some harder to get ones. It proved to be a bit of a nightmare as two of the species were very difficult to locate. I agree...there are other species that would be great (I'm in 100% agreement with the E. campestratus), but you just can't find them. And let's hope that the T. verdezi does become more readily available. Thanks!
@@TomsBigSpiders I will live vicariously. If GBB's can live up to 20 years, I am not even sure I will BE HERE for that much longer. At my age you try not to look too far into the future. But if I could be sure to get a male of the AZ Blonde (They are all over the desert) and there is no restriction on capture and keeping at the moment. But I am gettin a bit long in the tooth for that. I am happy with our dog. And maybe something l like a lizard. But anything else I may not be able to maintain myself. This has to be family affair or it won't work. I do love your videos. They are my way of "keeping" a T. Hugs to your and your amazing wife, JJ
Hi Tom and the camera woman. You have a Doubles. Please check dem out. The camera woman, is allso giggling behind the camera. And your a bit alike. Charlie and Jessi. BlueBearFlutes Best wishes from Bo.
I love you even more now lol. Yeah that is a Rotten Cotton design and I believe and the late , Chas Balun, designed it. If you like monster masks, check out my site www.creaturecrypt.com and follow us on IG @creature_crypt_masks. I think you’ll like my stuff.
@@fulcifan6946 Rotten Cotton! YES! I was trying to figure out the name. I have a bunch of shirts from them. I used to go to the horror expos, and they always had the coolest t-shirts there. And I'll go check out the site right now. Thanks!
Hi Tom. I have three H.Chilensis slings and, by the love of God, they are so small! Like under 1cm. Prob 0.4cm. I do my best feeding them springtails and locust legs, which they happily take down the springtails when they like, but, any tips? Was my first tarantula adult, and, yes, an adult to buy here is like hens teeth, although i've offered to pay ridiculous amounts for a FM. Thanks! And, thanks for another great vid! (all CB btw)
Yeah, the really tiny ones still freak me out a bit. haha It sounds like you're doing what I'd do. The problem with those little buggers is, not only are they tiny, but they grow so slowly.
I just picked up my first two, a B. Albopilosum an a L. Parahybana. My LP is 3/4", and is out an about all the time. The Albopilosum has closed up his burrow. I love these tarantulas, and I want more. My roommates want to kill me and told me no more. Ha, yeah right.
Congrats, James! Two great species there! The B. albos will burrow until about 3-4" or so, especially when in premolt. :) Your roommates are going to lose that battle. haha
Cool to see a list that has been made by many. Instead off the A.avicularia I have the A.variegeta because it's red behind I don't have a G.rosea/porteri :( .. I should be ashamed :D Instead off Lasiodora parahybana I have a L.striatipes. I had C.versicolor but the sling didn't make it :( .... The H.chilensis is something to think about. The Aphoneplma species are hard to find here. Just found 5 tiny slings off the A.chalcodes so I took them all :D. My first was a B.auratum .... then the A.geniculata .... I do miss the G.iheringi .. but it's hard to find, and if you find it it's expensive. Thx again for all you do for us / me.
Thanks for chiming in, Marc! Sorry to hear about your C. versicolor. :( You have some awesome species there! The H. chilensis are awesome if you can find them.
My first is a sweet little curly girl I named Frieda. My second is a Guatemalan Tiger Rump sling. Beautiful little baby but reclusive and skittish right now. Can't wait until she/he grows some more. It's gonna be a beautiful spider.
Really interesting and great footage. Getting a G.pulchripes in a couple of weeks as a first tarantula ❤ your videos are really informative and helpful - thank you 🙂
Ohoho I feel so clever. I'm pretty new to the hobby and for months I was trying to hunt down a B. albopilosum. In the end the tarantula guys at a pet expo clocked my enthusiasm and showed me a teeny baby Davus pentaloris which I immediately fell in love with. He's growing well and I love him so much
My B.Albo Nicaragua was my second Tarantula and my first Adult one (had a c.fimbriatus sling as my first) and shes something else. Really bipolar but overall sweetheart. Shes damn well knows where to draw the line and that can vary from "dont you dare open the enclosure" up to " its fine if you want to cut down the plants, i`ll just chill here" Almost moody like a human lmao. I love her!
When i started with Tarantulas i dont know much about them only heard things like a bite is comparable to a sting of a bee and jeah it sounds a bit stupid but at this time i thought this counts for every Tarantula so i dont take much care of things like defensive behavior and all th things for me it was important to get beatiful Tarantulas and some heavy webbers! So i started buying 4 slings: Ideothele Mira, Pterinopelma Sazimai, Caribena Versicolor and a Chilobrachys fimbriatus and all works great even rehouse wasnt a Problem so i started buying more Tarantulas: OBT, some more Chilobrachys fimbriatus because i really love them, Psalmopoeus Irminia, Chilobrachys electric blue, Hysterocrates Gigas & Hercules and some more... Some of them are typically not recomended for beginners but i can only talk from my case i really dont know why!! In all the years i keep Tarantulas i have never getting any signs of agression from them or have been bitten but i keep them with maximum of repect and care and when i work with them i ensure absolute silence for not disturbing them more as needed and as i said all works great and i am very happy with them! From beginning i was more afraid of the hairs then of a bite because for me it appears easier to prevent a bite from my Tarantula than it is to prevent tiny flying hairs to get breathed in or jus get in contact with your skin! i got a L. Parahybana as freeby and second rehouse leaves me with days of itching hands so never work without gloves in their enclosure even if the T is rehoused in a new enclosure i never got things like this from my "agressive" Tarantulas!!:)))
Sounds like you have an awesome collection there! And I've never had any aggressive behavior from mine either. I think that it's all in the way that you set them up and treat them. Thanks for chiming in!
I still don't really think A. Geniculata is a good beginner. They will aggressively chase down anything that moves and I can easily picture a new keeper getting stressed out just from trying to do basic maintenance. I know I would have if it was my first T after seeing all the things mine has done.
Great video as always. Too much work lately and not enough time to browse my favorite T peeps. Have 4 out of your list. Tom, you are too modest. You are the go to guy for T husbandry. You were the first person I found while researching how to take care of my daughter's Avic Avic 4 years ago. Time flies. I see you mentioned on forums all the time as to where to go for questions. Thanks for all you do for the hobby and hobbyist 😀
I know this is an older video, I imagine much hasn't changed. We're considering our first T, but my wife asked if there were any species to consider that don't have urticating hairs?
Hi, Ripper13F1V! Unfortunately, there aren't too many species that don't have the hairs that I would classify as beginners. The majority of species that lack urticating hairs are old world species, which can be faster, more defensive, and pack potent venom. As for the ones on this list that have them but don't use them, I would recommend Avicularia Avicularia and Caribena versicolor.
I watch the video all the way through... can you simplify something for me though.?.. I want one that's very handleable not prone to being aggressiveness. ...basically I want one I can take out the tank every now and then and not worry about it hurting somebody or myself personally...thx
Hello! Most of the ones on this list are known to be pretty laid back. The curly hair (#1) is usually quite docile. That said, many in the hobby do not handle because spiders can be calm one minute and defensive the next. Just be aware of that.
Its sad that here in the phil. Not so many picks albo and other common NW Ts...they become freebies and giveaways...here in the phil pmet and other good looking Ow Ts are their 1st to go to Ts when buying
I know a lot of people would say all Old World species are not good beginner tarantulas but for me personally I feel safer working with some of my Old World species than I do with some of my New World ones. I think Cerotogyrus Darlingi and Harpactira Pulchripes would both make good beginner tarantulas, as long as the owner doesn't handle them and uses caution. I just personally would rather have a spider that's more venomous but has to actually get on me and bite me to hurt me, rather than a less venomous species that can fling venomous hairs at me. I've had Urticating hairs in my eyes before and it sucked.
Thanks for chiming in, David! I can definitely appreciate both sides of the debate. And I just mentioned in a podcast that I usually have an easier time rehousing my old worlds, so I get it.
I'm glad G. Rosea is not #1. I got my first one in 2002 and she was a psycho rosea, got a second one and it was another psycho! My third one turned out to be a male and he was so chill and would never kick hairs or showed fangs. I miss them all but age got to them, now I have a A. Avicularia who is chill and definitely a nice beginner T.
Hi, Bryan! Yeah, there are some crazy ones out there. Mine's pretty chill, so I lucked out. We forget sometimes that temperament can differ from specimen to specimen. :)
I used to have a Honduran curly. She had an interesting disposition in character to be on the gentle side at times, but the other side of her personality was this prissy little hair kicker. Seriously she'd use any excuse of slight disturbance to kick some hairs at me. Her name was "Priscilla", and I probably would have gotten to know her better if my damn nosy cat didn't kill her. I swear I wanted to throttle him that day.😬
i have a cyanepubescence and the almighty curly albopilosum. Both great and easy to take care of. I think my next will be a arboreal, then i have 3 that have quite the different "lifestyles" to look at :D
Hamorii are not slow growing they are very quick to reach adult colouration easily within 6 to 12 months. I had 2 from a sack and they both reached adult colouration by 4 months and they just had a small cricket once a week.
I like to recommend slings. Seeing something grow up seems to make people more tolerant of defensive or skittish behavior. What makes me say this? Out of all my tarantulas (ow and nw) the only one I'm not that attached to(yet) is the only one I bought as an adult. A female monocentropus balfouri.
I LOVE growing ups slings myself, and I generally only buy slings. Some folks do fine with them, but they can cause those new to the hobby some stress. I leave it up to the individual! :) Thanks for chiming in!
Thank you for your video. This helped a lot. I want to start out with either an Arizona Blond or a Green Bottle Blue. What type of substrate would you suggest?
I'd love to have an Aphonopelma chalcodes, but I guess they are actually hard to get over here across the pond. Does anyone have information about that? Are they being bred in Europe?
That was one of the points brought up when I started taking votes...the fact that some species are easier to find depending upon which country you live in. I believe many of the ones that you guys end up with are imported from the US. I know a dealer who just sent a bunch of slings to Europe.
(Sees name on screen for less than a second)
“MY GOD I’VE MADE THE BIG TIME”
HAHAHAHAHAHA! I was hoping that people would like that! lol
I was the same for a moment 😂
ME TOO!!!!
Haha me too! Screenshot and sent to my friends! 😂🤘
Christopher Nolan will be calling you any day now.
I was almost disappointed when I didn’t hear the curly haired til the end. I love the curly hair T. Thanks for explaining the Brazilian Black and the different with the 2. I was wondering.
Hahaha. I was wondering if folks would think that it didn't make it to the list. It was the overwhelming #1. Thanks!
It's albo
I feel Tliltocatl albopilosum are very underrated. They are a type of spider that you cant see how awesome they are till you have one.
Pics never do them justice for some reason. They are funny to watch with loads of character.
I have a little hobby form called Ramone.
I think everyone should have one, mine is very feisty but just a juvenile so may calm down as she grows xx
I agree, Laura...although they are still quite popular. I'll be posting a video of my Nicaraguan later today. :)
Great video! Lots of hard work i haven't made a comment in awhile but every time I watch your videos I really start fathoming ideas and other methods on husbandry and housing/rehousing Yada' yada' lol 🤣 however sweet video!!
Hi, Malachi! Great to hear from you! Hahaha Thank you so much, bud!
@@TomsBigSpiders of course! Apologies for commenting on an older post i just had to give my love for this one lol
Just got my first baby he is an A. Hentzi super chill and shy but with a curious personality. Unsexed but thought to be a boy topped with a gorgeous brown coloring got him the name Mudd
My first tarantula was a chilobrachy fimbriatus, hardy, fast growing, and amazing webber. I know it's a ow and is defensive but she was beautiful and I miss her😭
Gorgeous species. I'm still trying to get pics of mine! haha
Great video Tom! Even better is your C.H.U.D. Tee. super dope!
I'm SO psyched some people actually recognized C.H.U.D. hahaha! Thanks, bud!
I loved the number 1 sir thank you for the tip... 😁😁😁
Hi, Sheen! You're most welcome!
I think my next T i might look for iether a pink birdeater or the versicolor pink toe
That's awesome, Timothy!
My favourite one is the g.pulchripes
I love that species as well.
My favorite species is a purple pinktoe in terms of beauty, but my curly hair has the best personality of all in my collection, i named her shakira, and built a mini cork-hide for her, and she completely buried it!!! Instead she just kicks it out and about, and shes only like 1/2 an inch, best personality in a tarantula by far!!!!
Love the name, Philip! She sounds adorable!
I love brachipelma smithy
It's a great species.
I would love to know what happened with my Curly! She was a baby doll at first. Then, shortly after a moult, she turned into an absolute demon!
Hi, Cole! That's one of the reasons I caution people who like to handle. Many spiders will have personality changes after a molt. She may go back to normal after another molt or two.
Which tarantula is better to keep, The Caribena versicolor or The Avicularia avicularia?
They are VERY similar species. Folks seem to find the A. avicularia to be a bit more hardy.
Has anyone mentioned your shirt?
Oh yeah. hahaha
@@TomsBigSpiders one of the craziest movies I have seen, did you know there is a sequel?
@@Agent-cy5yb I was obsessed with that movie when I was a kid...and I still love it. You mean C.H.U.D. II - Bud the Chud? Hahaha. Heck, yes!
@@TomsBigSpiders I came across it a couple years ago late night while watching t.v.. I might have to go back and rewatch it. Its funny though I have never heard of it before or after,so your shirt stood out instantly, I paused and wrote the msg within the first 10 seconds of your video.
Hahaha cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers love the shirt
YES! hahaha Thank you!
I just had to rehouse my juvenile B. Albopilosum yesterday...easiest rehouse ever. Every time I touched her she would slowly inch forward like "c'mon man...I moved already"...but no attitude at all. Great video as always...thanks.
Hahaha. What a cutie. That's awesome! And thank you!
Srsly, i cant thank you enough for all the time and huge efforrt u make for all of us. Keep up the awesome work, specially with ur podcast (i dont miss a single one, i dont even care what the main topic is, i know im gonna learn smth). I have chosen all my Ts following your advice and care sheets. I have started with slings, not a single adult yet but im sure they will get gorgeous in a few months / years.
Thank you so much again and im srry if i have had some grammar mistakes with my eng, not my mother language.
Thank you so much, Borja! I truly appreciate it. And your English is fantastic! :)
Are there any updates on your tarantulas? Hopefully they are happy and huge
All of them are super healthy, happy and have grown quite a bit! Except for my g pulchra... That one is healthy and happy but the growing... Not there yet hahaha specially in comparison with his neighbours, a Theraphosa blondi and a Phormictopus auratus 😁
@@borjagamarradelalamo2744 That's amazing! Glad to hear it's working out well for you!
13. Homoeomma Chilensis "Chilean Flame:
12. Caribena Versicolor "antilles Pinktoe"
11. Lasiodora Parahybana "Salmon Pink Birdeater"
10. Grammostola Porteri/rosea "rose hair"
9. Acanthoscurria geniculata "brazilian whiteknee"
8. Brachypelma vagans "mexican redrump"
7. Brachypelma hamorii "mexican redknee"
6. Avicularia avicularia "pinktoe tarantula"
5. Grammostola pulchripes "chaco golden knee"
4. Aphonopelma chalcodes "arizona blonde"
3. grammostola pulchra/quirogai "brazilian black"
2. Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens "greenbottle blue"
1. brachypelma albopilosum "curly hair tarantula"
Michael Hill thank you for this 💕🤓🤩 list!
Thank God a Bought a Curly Hair tarantula
Thank you
My god I Got Gooty Sapphire Ornamental
@@reyparkeanthonyvega2382 so you have chosen death? Haha, just kidding. The P. Met is an amazing T……just always show respect and know exactly where it is when opening the enclosure. P. Met bite is no joke. Mine is usually pretty docile but every once in a while she acts like an OBT and charges the tongs a foot away when cleaning her enclosure.
Im always interested in finding good T's for my grandsons. Ive given them 5 so far but id like to give more.
That's awesome, Sherry! Grandmother of the year! :)
@@TomsBigSpiders agreed
That’s so awesome
Im your long lost grandson also
@@kirkvj8330 😂
“the white stuff” lmfaoo, that shit got me every time
You are officially the first person to call me on that. Billie just read this to me while laughing. hahaha Thanks, Luis! :)
😂😂
o o o ohhoO o Oreo, whats in the middle, The white stuff!- werid Al
Right in the feels, my MM GBB died this weekend. RIP Neptune
I bought my first gbb from the hamburg reptile show a couple weeks ago; it was a .75" juvenile in premolt and molted a few days ago! Sadly the abdominal skin was ripped to shreds.
Oh, man Quinn...I'm so sorry to hear that. Awwww... RIP Neptune. :(
Congrats, Jimothy! LOVE that species.
Sad because i have one and i love it. It must be a loss for you Quinn
@@jimothyj2638 Hamburg - Farmsen is a good spider expo. A lot of space in that ice rink and lots of friendly sellers (got my ggb there as well). I`m going to travel to Hannover on Sunday, also a good expo but really crowded. I`m hoping to pick up an idiothele mira, Ephepopus Murinus and maybe a couple of slings. :-)
This is one of my top videos so far. I like the "ask the keeper" thing u been doing. I'm always curious to what others think about there T's. These videos are a great way to figure it out
Thanks so much, Damien! I'm glad that I got to revisit the topic in this way. It's SO much better not just being one person's opinion. :)
I have not watched the video yet but I expect everyone’s favorite beginners, like the Pterinochilus murinus for its calm and friendly behavior, the T. Blondi with its easy care and cheap price and of course the Typhochlaena seladonia because of how easy it is to get a hold off, cheap to boot too and everyone knowing so much about it.
Edit: saw the video. Horrified, B albopilosum as number one most beginner friendly. Completely disagree since one of them burned down my house and then kicked hairs in my face afterwards to show dominance, terrifying species still looking behind and hope it isn’t back for more
Bahaahhahaha!
No joke, in the original cut, I started by saying the number one beginner was P. murinus, or the OBT as a joke. Then I realized that some people probably wouldn't get it. The OBT had four votes!
Bahahahaha! I'm already getting a few folks who are arguing the results. I don't think they realized that I just tallied them up! As always, thanks for commenting!
That could have been fun, but just have bunch of clips contradicting what you are saying would probably help get the joke across
My OBT is a pet hole, she's never postured or tried to escape. She just sits in her burrow and waits for food to show up.
@@TomsBigSpiders the OBT was actually my 3rd Tarantula, right after my 2 Lasiodora Parahybanas. It's fast but not defensive at all.
Bobbi Merritt yea the more I observe mine the more I disagree with other keepers saying how aggressive/defensive they are.
Seriously no threat postures, no bolting, no signs of pissed off bad day nothing.... I keep mine with adequate substrate, she ( hopefully ) has several entrances/exits to her burrow... she is super comfortable either just hanging out in the open or inside her burrow.
What's up Mr. Tom. Doing homework with one of our little ones..... I never understood or appreciated how incredibly difficult it is to be a teacher!!!!! Thank you for your service and thank you for the great videos!!!!!
Hi, Mike! Indeed! I truly appreciate that. It's been a tough school year, but the kids are great. Thank you!
HOLY CRAP! My comment made it! I had to go back and watch that part again I couldn't believe it! How freaking exciting! Now I gotta show everyone that I'm famous now 😂😂 jk. This is definitely one of your best videos so far! Thank you so much for the little shout out that was awesome!
Hahaha! I was hoping that folks would appreciate that! lol Thank you so much. This one took some effort to put together, so I'm glad that it's being well received! :)
Omg a birdeater?! No I'm good lol. I got my three to over come my fear of spiders. I'm not dinner plate sized tarantula level yet XD
Hahahaha! Yeah, a spider that size can be quite intimidating! :)
I used to be afraid of snakes but my son wanted one. He was seven so I knew I would have to take care of it. My cousin raised king snakes and I got a baby from one of his clutches. It was the size of an earthworm. By the time he was 6’ I was totally fine with snakes. Same with the spiders, I now have 3 different types of so called bird eaters
You are missing out so hard lol
Its not the size of the spooder it's their disposition. T. Blondis are huge but can be incredibly gentle and calm
Very happy to see B. vagans in the top 10. I feel like it's one that almost everyone overlooks, and they're great.
I was very glad to see that one make it as well. That was a species that was not on my original list but that I wanted to include on any update!
Tarantula Focused subbed!
Glad to see a geniculata here. Started in the hobby with one as a recovering arachnophobe and she's been great. A bit skittish, but so easy to rehouse. Not defensive as much, it's just that hair trigger feeding response. Would recommend starting with a sling for total beginners, since the growth rate is great and one gets gradually accommodated with the attitude and general behaviour.
I'm a bit confused at the occasional insistence in some circles that a beginner T should never display any defensiveness. Tempers can vary so much between specimens of the same species, and these are wild animals. Any T can be defensive, and it feels like a wrong way to approach the hobby.
Not saying a beginner should jump in and get an OW as their first.. an angry NW is still miles away from an angry OW, in terms of speed and venom. ;)
Hi, Rami! I'm glad it got included as well, as I didn't have it on my original lists (and it was one I wanted to add). For folks who don't mind a bit of attitude, they can be great.
As for the defensiveness, I speak to a lot of new hobbyists, and many will become intimidated by a defensive tarantula, especially if it's their first spider ever. This can turn people off to the hobby. I've been approached by folks over the years who are trying to give away their tarantulas because they have become scared of them. Although some of us don't mind, a defensive tarantula can make or break some folks.
I tell my friends yeah I held that T
But they don’t know it was when the T were slings
And I was unboxing them
Lmao
Hahahaha. Good point!
Awesome stuff. I am getting back into the hobby and have good advice for those doing the same. I started collecting "weird" pets in 1979. There was no such thing as "beginner" tarantulas back then. All "T"s were dangerous to keep as pets and many pet stores wouldn't sell unless you were an adult and could answer a few questions. In 1999 I was given a 30 minute care and handling class by a pet store owner and sent home with a "Korean Blue Tarantula"...LOL Cost me $800 and my wife was PISSED. It was common around the Navy base for Sailors to catch and bring back "T"s to sell to pet stores. I'm sure you all know what I really had... Cyriopagopus lividus. I followed the rules I was given (which included "never handle it" ) and had no problems. So my first T was an advanced old world T. It still died 3 years later...either a male or old female... If a person wants an Old World Tarantula I think it would be better to educate then to forbid...
Haha you got 10 points :) when I came into the hobby in 2001, my first was indeed a subadult g.rosea! She was one of the psycho rosies though, and sadly passed away in 2014 due to some funghi growing on her back (of which I never had heard before and never experienced since). Then the avics got me when I was in French Guayana and Martinique (c.versi was still one of them at that time) and most of mine are arboreals ever since.
What I'm missing on this new list are dwarfs. Noone but me is thinking, how great beginner species especially the little ones are, since they take the fear out of the issue and replace it with cuteness? Candidates might be d.diamantinensis which is a bit hard to get and quite expensive, but the tiny sweethearts (literally!) cyriocosmus elegans and c. perezmilesi are available for a small price everywhere I look - at least over here in continental europe. Same goes for neoholothele incei olive and gold form. Yes I know, availability of species is quite different over here.
One of my nieces (12 years) has read all my husbandry books and badly want her own T, now I'm considering a c.elegans as christmas present just to piss her mother off a bit :D
Anyways, I'd love to hear or read from the voters why no dwarf made it to the list!
Hahaha! I think a lot of us started with that species. I got mine in 95, and I still have her. My girl was pretty chill overall. Avics are just gorgeous, especially the versi.
I think it comes down to availability, price, and recognition. The D. diamantinensis, for example, is pricey and can be difficult to find here in the states. As for the other two species, they just aren't as well known. I AM working on a followup in which I'll talk about some of the other species that could make good beginners/intermediate spiders, and I'll have some of the ones you mention on it.
Hahaha. Your sister is going to kill you. lol
I thought it would be fun to make a Top 20 Worst beginner T's do to care, attitude or other factors, as many are not difficult to care for as adults (seldom would you rehouse) but have quirks or something about them that beginners find out about because pet stores will sell them and don't know or don't mention lol
Hahaha! That's actually a hysterical idea! lol
Just bought my very first tarantula yesterday, a C versicolor sling! I know I might be up for a challenge, but I’m very excited to finally join the hobby after having wanted a tarantula for years. Wish me luck, and thank you for this informative video!
Congratulations, Katelijn! It's a beautiful species.
Hey Tom, I have heard the podcasts discussing this video and I know I'm 3 years too late but I'd still like to add my input.
Just a thought about the Aphonopelma calchodes, and I believe you've touched on this in your podcasts at least, but I think A. calchodes is still something we pull a lot in from the wild and they end up at pet stores, so I think maybe some of the "whacky" behaviour can be attributed to "Just Wild Caught Things™" and probably the same with G. porteri. Pretty much all porteri were WC back in the day which is where the "psycho rosie" originated from and frankly they take so long to reach adulthood that I don't necessarily think the sample size for "behaviour of captive bred adult G. porteri/A. calchodes" is large enough to really affect it. I think it would be interesting to see what people who have captive bred adults they have raised of these species have to say about temperament. Not to say disregard what people experience but I think something being WC can pretty drastically change its behaviour. Basically, how much of the defensiveness that we are seeing is just due to them being WC?
For the first ones I started with, I got a C. versicolor, OBT, and GBB and I wouldn't recommend any of those as beginners.
I have two lists: One for someone who has had no experience with any sort of exotics, typically start with an adult specimen,
and one for someone who has done their research extensively and may have some background in exotics, maybe starting with a sling
Total Noob list starting with an adul t: T. albo (hobby form), B. hamorii, G. pulchripes/G. pulchra. I started with slings and I loved it but I came from centipedes so me not seeing my animal for months at a time was pretty normal for me, but I can definitely see how slow growing slings could be frustrating so typically I just recommend any of those 3 juveniles or adults. Also just a note I had an adult female Nicaraguan T. albo (someone got it at PetSmart then didn't want it anymore, so I am assuming WC) and she was very much not what I would consider a good beginner. She was quite defensive, 100% fossorial, and loved moisture. She was a T. albo that identified as a Haplopelma species. I chalk up most of this to likely being WC, but hearing you say a few people said the Nicaraguan are more defensive, I figured it was worth adding.
A little experience, research, and starting with a sling:
1. Tliltocatl verdezi- wonderful beginner species in my experience, I raised mine kind of early on but I ended up with mine as a gift rather than something I picked up purposely, but I still think they would make great beginner species! They are not super slow growing, they hit like trucks, mine is extremely gentle if a little skittish, and they get to a nice size too, plus they have lovely colouration! You can find them pretty easily and for not too much. Mine went through some cool colour changes as she grew. They do burrow a bit as juveniles but mine is a stunning adult now and only goes into her burrow to moult. Super hardy; I kept mine moist as a sling, moist on the bottom and damp on top + water dish as a juvenile and adult. I moisten down a corner but I don't notice any difference in behaviour.
2. Acanthoscurria geniculata- I think this is the pinnacle of ""Not Beginner" beginner" tarantulas, if that makes sense. They are fast growing, amazing eaters, super beautiful, and not too hard to find. They are hardy as all get out and get to a decently large size. Even as a sling, mine was out in the open all the time.
3. Ephebopus uatuman- I had to fit an Ephebopus on here and be an Ephebopus spokesperson. Uatuman are on the smaller side, 4.5" or so, and they're much more shy than defensive, but I still see mine out quite a bit when I go in there at night. They are absolutely beautiful and a good first rung on the ladder if your end goal is Ornithoctonus or Haplopelma. I know Ephebopus get poo-poo'd for being ornery but I've kept numerous specimens of each species and have been fortunate enough to have zero behavioural issues. As slings and juveniles, all of my specimens acted almost arboreal, creating web tubes up the sides of the enclosures while also digging down to the bottom of the enclosure. As adults, they were moved into a more "traditional" fossorial setup, and since they are true fossorials and in my experience will clear out the bottom of the enclosure, I go in and scoop out the extra dirt they have brought up during the night every few days before they web over it so I can maintain the substrate depth without having dirt pressed up to the ceiling. I think some of the defensiveness, much like the P. murinus, could come from being kept in enclosures that are too shallow and then ripping up the webbing or being given not enough room to burrow. Anyway, any Ephebopus would work here (maybe not murinus since they get so big) but I believe if you give them plenty of space to burrow and web, they can be awesome beginners for someone with a little knowledge.
Thanks for everything you do for tarantulas and the hobby!
- Charlotte
And here I was all set to get a G. Pulchripes as my first T. Then I remembered how many others I want. 😆
Hahahaha! Get them all! lol :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Yes! ♡
I want ever Specie
I don’t have one but am very interested in getting one, was thinking of an Arizona blonde
Not a bad one to start with! :)
Depends on how prepared you are. Myself, Im currently looking for my first one. I have read lots about Ts, best recommended are most from Mexico.
Chilean Flame, Mexican Red Knee, Arizona Blonde and the Honduran Curly Hair. I'm learning all I can about starters... a lot of choices. Great video.
Awesome, Jeff! There are some really cool ones out there. :)
So, I had a few pzb's and quite foolishly gave them away to friends. So many years later I buy a Mexican black velvet. As the sling started growing, I realized that this color was off. It ends up that the breeder mislabeled the tub and sold me a pzb. To make up for his mistake, he did offer me a mbv for free, but I refused. I am happy with the mistake as I now have a pzb again. This time, it will not be given to friends. It's all MINE lol
Ha! It's like fate wanted you to have one. haha I passed one up years ago, and was kicking myself later when I realized how difficult they are to find. Now, don't give that one up. haha
I was petrified of spiders. I’m still scared of “house” spiders but not tarantulas... I went into a pet shop my friend worked at and even though it took me like 3 hours, I conquered my fear and held a chilean rose. She was very tame and was a tarantula that was taken to schools for children to see and hold. I thought if children can hold her surely I can and I did! I conquered a fear even if I was scared lol. She was so light and I was so happy I held her. Best day ever! There was even a mexican redknee there that a guy brought in which was much bigger than the chilean rose but so beautiful and colourful! Now here I am looking at beginner tarantulas 🤣 because I held a tame chilean rose, I thought I wanted one of those but I’ve heard mixed views. I know the one I held was tame but there’s no way of knowing for certain if the next one would be. Now I feel really indecisive 😆. What does everyone recommend? Can I also ask why people don’t ever get them out and hold them?
Hi, Louise! When I got my first tarantula 24 years ago, I was terrified of spiders. It took me years to get over my fear completely (and house spiders too the longest!). haha That's an awesome story! The first I ever held was a H. chilensis. It was quite a profound experience. The fact is, temperament can differ from specimen to specimen and even from molt to molt. Chilean roses are either really laid back or a bit crazy. The species I've found that it almost ALWAYS tame is the H. chilenis. Those little guys will crawl right into your hand.
And by get them out to hold them, what do you mean?
Tom Moran i think I’d be the unlucky buggar to get a crazy one 🤣 since my comment on here i am swaying more to the mexican red knee! What do you think? I will check out the other one you mentioned 😃 .. in terms of people never getting them out yes that’s what i meant. I’ve seen most on here limit the handling to a minimum if at all. However i would like to get mine out every once in a while.
I'm a noob, but it seems Honduran curly hair T's are less furry / fluffy.
I would agree with you completely. My Nicaraguan is MUCH more fuzzy than my three Hondurans.
Really enjoyed this video and guess what? I just purchased a 2 1/2 inch Curly Hair 2 days ago! I was tickled to see this. This is my second T besides a Chilean Flame that I've raised from a quarter inch sling. It's been 2 yrs now and he's an inch.
Congrats on your Curly Hair! They are such awesome spiders. And those Chilean flames grow soooo slowly. haha Thanks again!
This consensus list was a great idea. It kind of avoids the problem of a specimen acting out of character for its species. My first T was an Arizona Blonde female. She is quite docile but a bit excitable. Once I merely spoke to her from a couple of feet away from the enclosure. She was sitting on a corkbark log on the opposite side of the enclosure from me. She reacted to my voice by jumping off the log backwards, spinning toward me, and running in my direction. She tried to climb the side so fast she slid back down. Finally she climbed to the top and pushed on the lid to get out. Explain that one to me if you can. Again, I think this may be the best video out there for those starting out in the hobby.
Thanks so much, Jeffrey! I REALLY wanted to revisit the beginner list idea, and this gave me the perfect avenue. I researched the heck out of the first one, but this time I opened it up to vote. I didn't want it to be just my opinion.
Wow, she sounds like a trip! hahahah That's adorable! Thanks again!
She felt the vibrations from the sound of your voice. ;) My juvie B albo has come directly at me like that before (while I was sitting next to its enclosure) it was kind of creepy but in a really cool way.
Woo hoo!!! My girl in the top spot 🕷🕸 Tliltocatl albopilosus (curly hair). I’ve had her for a week and am in love. She’s such a awesome first T
Hahaha That's awesome, John!
Awesome video as always Tom. I’ve been looking forward to this since you first mentioned about revisiting best beginner species and you didn’t disappoint.
Also I’m so happy to see my first tarantula, Avocado the Acanthoscurria geniculata, in this video. Thanks for featuring her and thanks for all the hard work you put into making this video.
Thanks so much once again for helping me out. I truly appreciate it!!! I'm so glad that this is being well received after how much I spoke about it. haha. There was a point where I was almost reluctant to post it. lol And Avocado (Love the name!) did great!
Omg those versicolor babies with their momma is so cute... you can tell she is very maternal by the way she’s so careful not to step on them... and then mom is a like a green disc with ridiculously fluffy noodle legs...too much cuteness in one photo...😍
I LOVE that footage (which is why I keep using it. haha). She was a great mommy! :) Thanks!
I love Ts but even i was a little creeped out seeing that many tiny spiders. At that size, they are beyond harless to us but I guess it just conjures up my aversion to ants inside the house.
Hi I'm new at this so I'm looking for a purple leg spider
Awesome video tom as always 👍👍👍 it shows you how different many so called beginners species can be my g porteri who sadly passed away last year at 27 years old was the meanest girl ever I had her from about 3cm and boy was she spawn of satan 🤣🤣🤣 even all my old worlds were nicer than her 🤣 great list though tom and i agree the a seemani are another brilliant tarantula i have 3 and their all so chilled 👍👍
Thanks so much, Sam! Yeah, I wanted to open this up, as experience can vary from keeper to keeper. For example, my A. chalcodes are a bit nuts, but some say theirs are totally laid back. I figured this way, it would be general consensus. And so sorry to hear about your G. porteri! :(
I have an E. campestratus:) Fear Not was at te big reptile expo that happens at Tinley Park twice a year and for specal show pre order they had a confirmed female 2 and 1/2 inch E. campestratus and i got it. I also got a freebie B. albo sling That Makes my third Tarantula I also have a G. rosea red form sling that I got back in Mrch that has barely grown lol.
I also ad a GBB sling that sadly for unknown reason died :( I think it was a bad molt, but have been unable to confirm.
I wish the E. campestratus were more readily available. as they are awesome spiders. Fear Not rocks. Sounds like you have a great collection starting! :) So sorry to hear about the GBB, Charlotte. :(
So glad curly hair is number one as I've just got my first T today a sling curly hair
Yeah, that one is easily the most recommended. Congrats on your new spider!
Thanks as always Tom. Seeing the baby blue versicolor slings with your mother is so cool.
Hey, Noah! Thanks so much, bud! Yeah, that's some of my favorite footage of anything I've captured. haha
My first is a pink toe it is the only one I have
That's a great place to start! :)
Amazing video as always, very informative, congratulations Tom !!!
B. albopilosum is indeed an amazing species to start with, easy to care for, calm, beautiful, what's not to like !
I must admit though that I am once again heartbroken not to see Brachypelma emilia getting more love… My girl is a sweetheart, eats like a pig, and what a stunning species !
As for the GBB, I was not expecting it to rank this high. Of course it is the easiest entry point to those coveted blue tarantulas, but I thought his reputation for being fast would play against this species. Although I must admit that I acquired a young female a months ago, who is pretty laid back and gentle, so who am I to go against popular opinion !
Thank you so much, Lipton! I agree with the B. albopilosum! As for the B. emilia, it got a few votes, but one of the issues with it (at least here in the states) is availability. We get slings for sale every once in a while, but they quickly sell out. They are also quite pricey, which can be a deterrent. I agree, though...that species could make for an awesome beginner. The GBB thing shocked the heck out of me. haha. I'm with you!
@@TomsBigSpiders You are absolutely right, a species that is quite rare and expensive might not be the ideal entry point in the hobby. I always feel like B. emilia is stuck in limbo between the ever popular hamorii, and B. boehmei, who seems to hold the crown when it comes to straight up black and orange species… But yeah, if available at a reasonable price, I can't recommend this species enough !
I'm starting off with a 1" GBB sling but I'm definitely eyeing a few of these species. However, I want my GBB to get out of its sling stage first. I'm not sure when I would want to get an Old World but its harder to find good lists on which ones make a good start. I hope the Chilean Flame can gain more traction it looks adorable. I will say the very active community of RUclipsrs makes this a lot easier now. Being able to see how the Ts react has made them certainly more approachable.
Great choice, Cody! I'm working on a beginner Old World video now. There are a few species that can make for good starters. Thanks again!
A Mature female cobalt blue was my first T. Bsck when they were Haplopelma lividum. I traded her for a couple of scorpions and 17 year old me had no business trying to package an adult female cobalt blue for shipping in my bathtub.
Oh man...I bet that was NOT fun. haha
Never any love for the Aphonopelma hentzi XD
Also, I swear my albi is broken. She's extremely prone to striking and hair flicking, and makes my OBT look like a pleasant gentleman. Still love her nonetheless.
So true loved my A hentzi dearly.
They got a few votes, and I love mine. I think that there just isn't the same awareness for that species as there is for the A. chalcodes! :)
@@TomsBigSpiders I'm little miffed that a Grammostola didn't take top place, but then again you can't expect great taste from the plebs. :p
My B. albo is also a devil spawn! I love her dearly but she's an asshole lol
THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORT :)
I DID A THUMB-UP ABOUT THE VIDEO AND SUBSCRIBED TO THE CHANNEL :)
THANK YOU FOR SHARING :)
THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)
Greeting from the States! Thank you so much for subscribing and for the comments! :)
YES!!! Love your videos!!! Always hit the Like at the beginning and never regret it!
Ha! Thanks so much, Meyer!
I’ve been doing a bunch of research and am considering:
C. Versicolor
L. P (probably what I’m going to get)
GBBs
Mexican Fireleg
And a few more. I don’t plan on handling
Hello, Amber! Sounds like a great list of potentials you have there! :)
I would've thought the adorable and gentle Grammostola Pulchra would've been at number one... But great list. All of them so BEAUTIFUL
🕸️💕💜💕🕸️
Honestly, that could easily be the #1. I just think that they are more expensive and more difficult to come by. That might have caused the lower rating.
@@TomsBigSpiders expensive but worth it 😁
Nice video. My list has grown larger much to the chagrin of my wife. I've been keeping for 2 months. She thinks 4 T's is enough. I just nod my head and continue to browse vendors lol.
Thank you! Hahaha She has NO idea, does she? haha
I've recently got my first tarantula: B. Albiceps.
It's still a juvenile so it's a little bit shy, but it seems to have a docile temperament. A bit of an inconsistent eater but it's worth it because they look so freaking awesome!
Awesome species and one that actually got a few votes. They are STUNNING spiders! :)
Good for you,mine is quite skittish most of the time and big hair kicker,so i don´t even tried to handle her :D . My second T is Plesiopelma Iongisternale, tiny girl ,super chill :)
I think it's sad that there are quite a few NW species that because of availability, don't make the cut. E. camp. PZB would be my #2 behind T. albo. somewhere around #8 would be Euthlus scrofa ex. Paraphysa aka the Chilean copper.
Honorable mention for A. hentzi, another US species as well as couple other Aphonopelma from the US. Cyriocosmus dwarf species are cute, and easy care, but short lifespan. C. elegans or C. leetzi might be #16.
Oh I can't forget to mention Tliltocatl verdezi, aka Mexican Rose Grey are slow growing but smooth temperament even from 1.25" they have adult colors and always out as large slings, these will become readily available and become very high on the list in the next few years. keep an eye out!
I did an list year ago and included some harder to get ones. It proved to be a bit of a nightmare as two of the species were very difficult to locate. I agree...there are other species that would be great (I'm in 100% agreement with the E. campestratus), but you just can't find them. And let's hope that the T. verdezi does become more readily available. Thanks!
That GBB is still the most beautiful T ever. Just my opinion.
I was SO glad that I finally got some good shots of mine. I agree, Joyce...they're stunning.
@@TomsBigSpiders I will live vicariously. If GBB's can live up to 20 years, I am not even sure I will BE HERE for that much longer. At my age you try not to look too far into the future. But if I could be sure to get a male of the AZ Blonde (They are all over the desert) and there is no restriction on capture and keeping at the moment. But I am gettin a bit long in the tooth for that. I am happy with our dog. And maybe something l like a lizard. But anything else I may not be able to maintain myself. This has to be family affair or it won't work. I do love your videos. They are my way of "keeping" a T. Hugs to your and your amazing wife, JJ
Hi Tom and the camera woman. You have a Doubles. Please check dem out. The camera woman, is allso giggling behind the camera. And your a bit alike. Charlie and Jessi. BlueBearFlutes
Best wishes from Bo.
I just did! haha. I have to work on my flute skills. :) Thanks, Bo!
I love the CHUD shirt, bro. Underrated film.
YES! And I love your screen name! I'll have to wear my "Fulci Lives" t-shirt in a future video!
I love you even more now lol. Yeah that is a Rotten Cotton design and I believe and the late , Chas Balun, designed it. If you like monster masks, check out my site www.creaturecrypt.com and follow us on IG @creature_crypt_masks. I think you’ll like my stuff.
@@fulcifan6946 Rotten Cotton! YES! I was trying to figure out the name. I have a bunch of shirts from them. I used to go to the horror expos, and they always had the coolest t-shirts there. And I'll go check out the site right now. Thanks!
Hi Tom. I have three H.Chilensis slings and, by the love of God, they are so small! Like under 1cm. Prob 0.4cm. I do my best feeding them springtails and locust legs, which they happily take down the springtails when they like, but, any tips? Was my first tarantula adult, and, yes, an adult to buy here is like hens teeth, although i've offered to pay ridiculous amounts for a FM. Thanks! And, thanks for another great vid! (all CB btw)
Yeah, the really tiny ones still freak me out a bit. haha It sounds like you're doing what I'd do. The problem with those little buggers is, not only are they tiny, but they grow so slowly.
Hey I got to see my name in the video 🤣😂, sweet
I was hoping people would like that. lol :)
Thank you. I will be get my first trans this week. Choco golden Burmese. I am so excited.
Congrats, Sherry!
I just picked up my first two, a B. Albopilosum an a L. Parahybana. My LP is 3/4", and is out an about all the time. The Albopilosum has closed up his burrow. I love these tarantulas, and I want more. My roommates want to kill me and told me no more. Ha, yeah right.
Congrats, James! Two great species there! The B. albos will burrow until about 3-4" or so, especially when in premolt. :) Your roommates are going to lose that battle. haha
Cool to see a list that has been made by many.
Instead off the A.avicularia I have the A.variegeta because it's red behind
I don't have a G.rosea/porteri :( .. I should be ashamed :D
Instead off Lasiodora parahybana I have a L.striatipes.
I had C.versicolor but the sling didn't make it :( ....
The H.chilensis is something to think about.
The Aphoneplma species are hard to find here. Just found 5 tiny slings off the A.chalcodes so I took them all :D.
My first was a B.auratum .... then the A.geniculata ....
I do miss the G.iheringi .. but it's hard to find, and if you find it it's expensive.
Thx again for all you do for us / me.
Thanks for chiming in, Marc! Sorry to hear about your C. versicolor. :( You have some awesome species there! The H. chilensis are awesome if you can find them.
My first is a sweet little curly girl I named Frieda. My second is a Guatemalan Tiger Rump sling. Beautiful little baby but reclusive and skittish right now. Can't wait until she/he grows some more. It's gonna be a beautiful spider.
Sorry for the late reply, Lori! LOVE the name. :)
I've been keeping for six years now, but my partner is now showing interest. Thanks for the video it made it easy to give her plenty of options.
That's so awesome!
Really interesting and great footage. Getting a G.pulchripes in a couple of weeks as a first tarantula ❤ your videos are really informative and helpful - thank you 🙂
Congrats...you picked a great one to start with. The G. pulchripes is one of my favorite species! :)
Curly hair is like having a stoner with the munchies who just wants to chill...My #8th. Definitely would recommend
Hahaha Well put.
Ohoho I feel so clever. I'm pretty new to the hobby and for months I was trying to hunt down a B. albopilosum. In the end the tarantula guys at a pet expo clocked my enthusiasm and showed me a teeny baby Davus pentaloris which I immediately fell in love with. He's growing well and I love him so much
Congrats on your D. pentaloris!
My B.Albo Nicaragua was my second Tarantula and my first Adult one (had a c.fimbriatus sling as my first) and shes something else. Really bipolar but overall sweetheart. Shes damn well knows where to draw the line and that can vary from "dont you dare open the enclosure" up to " its fine if you want to cut down the plants, i`ll just chill here" Almost moody like a human lmao. I love her!
Hahahaha. She sounds amazing, Tobi! I love when they have individual personalities! :)
When i started with Tarantulas i dont know much about them only heard things like a bite is comparable to a sting of a bee and jeah it sounds a bit stupid but at this time i thought this counts for every Tarantula so i dont take much care of things like defensive behavior and all th things for me it was important to get beatiful Tarantulas and some heavy webbers! So i started buying 4 slings: Ideothele Mira, Pterinopelma Sazimai, Caribena Versicolor and a Chilobrachys fimbriatus and all works great even rehouse wasnt a Problem so i started buying more Tarantulas: OBT, some more Chilobrachys fimbriatus because i really love them, Psalmopoeus Irminia, Chilobrachys electric blue, Hysterocrates Gigas & Hercules and some more... Some of them are typically not recomended for beginners but i can only talk from my case i really dont know why!! In all the years i keep Tarantulas i have never getting any signs of agression from them or have been bitten but i keep them with maximum of repect and care and when i work with them i ensure absolute silence for not disturbing them more as needed and as i said all works great and i am very happy with them! From beginning i was more afraid of the hairs then of a bite because for me it appears easier to prevent a bite from my Tarantula than it is to prevent tiny flying hairs to get breathed in or jus get in contact with your skin! i got a L. Parahybana as freeby and second rehouse leaves me with days of itching hands so never work without gloves in their enclosure even if the T is rehoused in a new enclosure i never got things like this from my "agressive" Tarantulas!!:)))
Sounds like you have an awesome collection there! And I've never had any aggressive behavior from mine either. I think that it's all in the way that you set them up and treat them. Thanks for chiming in!
I still don't really think A. Geniculata is a good beginner. They will aggressively chase down anything that moves and I can easily picture a new keeper getting stressed out just from trying to do basic maintenance. I know I would have if it was my first T after seeing all the things mine has done.
Yup, I didn't have them on my first list, but a lot of folks swear by them.
Great video as always. Too much work lately and not enough time to browse my favorite T peeps. Have 4 out of your list. Tom, you are too modest. You are the go to guy for T husbandry. You were the first person I found while researching how to take care of my daughter's Avic Avic 4 years ago. Time flies. I see you mentioned on forums all the time as to where to go for questions. Thanks for all you do for the hobby and hobbyist 😀
Thanks, Meg...I really appreciate it! I don't want to come across as a cocky jerk. lol
I know this is an older video, I imagine much hasn't changed. We're considering our first T, but my wife asked if there were any species to consider that don't have urticating hairs?
Hi, Ripper13F1V! Unfortunately, there aren't too many species that don't have the hairs that I would classify as beginners. The majority of species that lack urticating hairs are old world species, which can be faster, more defensive, and pack potent venom. As for the ones on this list that have them but don't use them, I would recommend Avicularia Avicularia and Caribena versicolor.
@@TomsBigSpiders Thank you Sir! \\m//
Look into the Tapinauchenius genus. Just be prepared for speedy little ninjas, lol.
I watch the video all the way through... can you simplify something for me though.?.. I want one that's very handleable not prone to being aggressiveness. ...basically I want one I can take out the tank every now and then and not worry about it hurting somebody or myself personally...thx
Hello! Most of the ones on this list are known to be pretty laid back. The curly hair (#1) is usually quite docile. That said, many in the hobby do not handle because spiders can be calm one minute and defensive the next. Just be aware of that.
I’m lucky, I have 5 of these of the 9 in my first year having spiders. But my curly hair has an attitude & is nicknamed Killer. 🤣
That's awesome, Alaina! And love the name! haha
Its sad that here in the phil. Not so many picks albo and other common NW Ts...they become freebies and giveaways...here in the phil pmet and other good looking Ow Ts are their 1st to go to Ts when buying
That is sad indeed! I know that the P. metallicas have a lot of admirers, but there are some GORGEOUS new world species as well.
I'm pretty new to this I only have 3 at the moment
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Cyclosternum schmardae
Hysterocrates laticeps
You've got some great species there!
I’m surprised Brachypelma Emilia (Mexican red leg) isn’t in the list. My first T and she’s great!
It got a couple votes, but unfortunately not enough to make the list. I agree...they make great beginners!
I know a lot of people would say all Old World species are not good beginner tarantulas but for me personally I feel safer working with some of my Old World species than I do with some of my New World ones. I think Cerotogyrus Darlingi and Harpactira Pulchripes would both make good beginner tarantulas, as long as the owner doesn't handle them and uses caution. I just personally would rather have a spider that's more venomous but has to actually get on me and bite me to hurt me, rather than a less venomous species that can fling venomous hairs at me. I've had Urticating hairs in my eyes before and it sucked.
Thanks for chiming in, David! I can definitely appreciate both sides of the debate. And I just mentioned in a podcast that I usually have an easier time rehousing my old worlds, so I get it.
I'm glad G. Rosea is not #1. I got my first one in 2002 and she was a psycho rosea, got a second one and it was another psycho! My third one turned out to be a male and he was so chill and would never kick hairs or showed fangs. I miss them all but age got to them, now I have a A. Avicularia who is chill and definitely a nice beginner T.
Hi, Bryan! Yeah, there are some crazy ones out there. Mine's pretty chill, so I lucked out. We forget sometimes that temperament can differ from specimen to specimen. :)
I used to have a Honduran curly. She had an interesting disposition in character to be on the gentle side at times, but the other side of her personality was this prissy little hair kicker. Seriously she'd use any excuse of slight disturbance to kick some hairs at me. Her name was "Priscilla", and I probably would have gotten to know her better if my damn nosy cat didn't kill her.
I swear I wanted to throttle him that day.😬
Awwwwwww...that story didn't end well! haha
i have a cyanepubescence and the almighty curly albopilosum. Both great and easy to take care of. I think my next will be a arboreal, then i have 3 that have quite the different "lifestyles" to look at :D
That's a great way to build a diverse collection. I like that! :)
Hamorii are not slow growing they are very quick to reach adult colouration easily within 6 to 12 months. I had 2 from a sack and they both reached adult colouration by 4 months and they just had a small cricket once a week.
What temps are you keeping them at? What size did you get them at? From .3" to adult colors in four months would be absolutely astonishing growth.
I like to recommend slings. Seeing something grow up seems to make people more tolerant of defensive or skittish behavior. What makes me say this? Out of all my tarantulas (ow and nw) the only one I'm not that attached to(yet) is the only one I bought as an adult. A female monocentropus balfouri.
I LOVE growing ups slings myself, and I generally only buy slings. Some folks do fine with them, but they can cause those new to the hobby some stress. I leave it up to the individual! :) Thanks for chiming in!
Hi I'm just new in tarantula keeping and thiz video total help me a lot so I got myself 2 Albopilosum Slings
Congrats on your T. albopilosum slings and welcome to the hobby! And thank you!
Very helpful video... thank you for sharing
I'm so glad that this was helpful. Thanks!
Where is the "Top 13 skittish demon bitch spiders you don't want out of the enclosure" list?
I'm still working on that one. Hopefully before Christmas.
Jesus Loves all of you guys
Thank you!
Thank you for your video. This helped a lot. I want to start out with either an Arizona Blond or a Green Bottle Blue. What type of substrate would you suggest?
I'm so glad that this was helpful! :) Those are two great species. I would say either start with coco fiber, top soil, or peat.
I'd love to have an Aphonopelma chalcodes, but I guess they are actually hard to get over here across the pond. Does anyone have information about that? Are they being bred in Europe?
That was one of the points brought up when I started taking votes...the fact that some species are easier to find depending upon which country you live in. I believe many of the ones that you guys end up with are imported from the US. I know a dealer who just sent a bunch of slings to Europe.
I have 2 curly hairs. One is super chill and sweet. The other is crazy.
Hahaha Yeah, they can definitely have their own personalities. Some will also calm down with age.
Great video. I just got my first T, a itty bitty GBB sling but now I want a Antilles pinktoe tarantula next.
Thanks so much, Mia! And those are two great species! :)