After searching upon the forum and seeing several threads about people asking what T they should get, i decided to sit down and write a small simple guide for you "beginners". This guide only covers 3 different genuses and 4 different species.
If there is anything you want to add or change, please send me a PM or post it in the thread and i will update it as soon as possible.
What species should I get?
I recommend the following species for beginners:
Grammostola rosea (Chilean Rose)
Grammostola rosea is the most common first tarantula. This is because it is docile and generally easy to care for. This specie are ground-dwellers.
It's natural habitat is in Northern chile, Bolivia and Argentina.
Grammostola rosea are common in most pet stores but i recommend that you buy from breeders or private users of this forum for an example. Look for a female in a relative young age.
You can feed them with crickets or smaller ****roaches or other insects (see links below). An adult Grammostola rosea has a tendency to stop eating for a long period of time so dont freak out if it just suddenly stops eating! They can grow to be 15 cm (6 inches) and live up to be 5+ years (male) or 20+ years (female).
Do not believe everything care sheets say. Most caresheets says this species need a higher humidity than it actually does. They dont like high humidity - 50-65% is ideal.
Caresheet:
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/caresheets/grammostola_rosea.htm
Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee)
Grammostola pulchripes (formerly Grammostola aureostriata) is also a good ground-dwelling beginner tarantula.
It's natural habitat is in tropical south america.
It's the fastest growing specie in the Grammostola genus and it can grow up to be over 20 cm (8 inches) and live up to 5+ years (male) or 20+ years (female) which is desirable for beginners. It's also a very docile tarantula and it rarely flick hairs. You can feed it with crickets, coackroaches etc.
I do not know how rare this specie is, but it should not be hard to find one. Remember, always try to buy from breeders or people on this forum..not pet stores!
As apposed to most beginner tarantula species who shows little activity, this specie is busy. For instance, my specimen is more active than my Lasiodora parahybana (Salmon Pink Birdeater).
They are also very good eaters.
Caresheet:
http://pokernightswithtarantulas.blogspot.no/2011/12/care-sheet-grammostola-pulchripes-chaco.html
Avicularia versicolor (Antilles Pink Toe)
Avicularia versicolor is a beautiful tree-dwelling tarantula which are great for beginners.
It's natural habitat is in the three island named Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica which are located in the Caribbean Sea.
It's an arboreal tarantula and they grow up to be 13 cm (5 inches). They are docile but they are a bit skittish/nervous. This specie needs high humidity and good ventilation. It lives up to 3-5 years+ (male) and 12+ years (female). This tarantula is on the same "diet" as the others above.
As im from Norway and they are very uncommon in pet stores here I don't know how common they are in the US pet stores. They are however not rare to find from breeders. Again - always try to buy from breeders and not pet stores.
Caresheet:
http://care-sheet.com/index/Avicularia_versicolor
Brachypelma smithi (Mexican Red Knee)
Brachypelma smithi is probably the second most common tarantula for beginners.
It's natural habitat is in the Mexican Desert. They can grow up to be 13-15 cm (5-6 inches). They are slow and docile but can seem a bit nervous and can flick hairs. It's very long lived and females have been known to grow as old as 30 years.
These should not be too hard to get, but i assume if you find them in a pet store they can be a bit pricey (?).
Caresheet:
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/caresheets/brachypelma_smithi.htm
What size should my tarantula's enclosure be? (Thanks to Kurt Nelson)
Terrestrial-
1-2 times the tarantula's leg span in substrate depth
2-3 times the tarantula's leg span in enclosure width and length
1.5 times the tarantula's leg span from substrate to enclosure top
No décor needed, however a small piece of cork bark can be used as a hide and a water bowl
Arboreal-
1 times the tarantula's leg span in substrate depth
2 times the tarantula's leg span in enclosure width and length
2-3 times the tarantula's leg span from substrate to enclosure top
A small sprig of fake plant or a small piece of cork bark can be provided and a water bowl
Additional helpful links:
RobC's tip for Grammostola Rosea
Grammostola rosea care & tips!
STANS'S RANT - A Little Nudge in the Right Direction
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html
Jon3800's T recommendations
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL98A32AEF390AAE40&feature=plcp
Jon3800 - Tarantula handling
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAEC354FA9F38D540&feature=plcp
Jon3800 - Mythbuster series - detailed information about various tarantula genus/species
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3DC46229486A7D6&feature=plcp
If there is anything you want to add or change, please send me a PM or post it in the thread and i will update it as soon as possible.
What species should I get?
I recommend the following species for beginners:
Grammostola rosea (Chilean Rose)
Grammostola rosea is the most common first tarantula. This is because it is docile and generally easy to care for. This specie are ground-dwellers.
It's natural habitat is in Northern chile, Bolivia and Argentina.
Grammostola rosea are common in most pet stores but i recommend that you buy from breeders or private users of this forum for an example. Look for a female in a relative young age.
You can feed them with crickets or smaller ****roaches or other insects (see links below). An adult Grammostola rosea has a tendency to stop eating for a long period of time so dont freak out if it just suddenly stops eating! They can grow to be 15 cm (6 inches) and live up to be 5+ years (male) or 20+ years (female).
Do not believe everything care sheets say. Most caresheets says this species need a higher humidity than it actually does. They dont like high humidity - 50-65% is ideal.
Caresheet:
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/caresheets/grammostola_rosea.htm
Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee)
Grammostola pulchripes (formerly Grammostola aureostriata) is also a good ground-dwelling beginner tarantula.
It's natural habitat is in tropical south america.
It's the fastest growing specie in the Grammostola genus and it can grow up to be over 20 cm (8 inches) and live up to 5+ years (male) or 20+ years (female) which is desirable for beginners. It's also a very docile tarantula and it rarely flick hairs. You can feed it with crickets, coackroaches etc.
I do not know how rare this specie is, but it should not be hard to find one. Remember, always try to buy from breeders or people on this forum..not pet stores!
As apposed to most beginner tarantula species who shows little activity, this specie is busy. For instance, my specimen is more active than my Lasiodora parahybana (Salmon Pink Birdeater).
They are also very good eaters.
Caresheet:
http://pokernightswithtarantulas.blogspot.no/2011/12/care-sheet-grammostola-pulchripes-chaco.html
Avicularia versicolor (Antilles Pink Toe)
Avicularia versicolor is a beautiful tree-dwelling tarantula which are great for beginners.
It's natural habitat is in the three island named Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica which are located in the Caribbean Sea.
It's an arboreal tarantula and they grow up to be 13 cm (5 inches). They are docile but they are a bit skittish/nervous. This specie needs high humidity and good ventilation. It lives up to 3-5 years+ (male) and 12+ years (female). This tarantula is on the same "diet" as the others above.
As im from Norway and they are very uncommon in pet stores here I don't know how common they are in the US pet stores. They are however not rare to find from breeders. Again - always try to buy from breeders and not pet stores.
Caresheet:
http://care-sheet.com/index/Avicularia_versicolor
Brachypelma smithi (Mexican Red Knee)
Brachypelma smithi is probably the second most common tarantula for beginners.
It's natural habitat is in the Mexican Desert. They can grow up to be 13-15 cm (5-6 inches). They are slow and docile but can seem a bit nervous and can flick hairs. It's very long lived and females have been known to grow as old as 30 years.
These should not be too hard to get, but i assume if you find them in a pet store they can be a bit pricey (?).
Caresheet:
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/caresheets/brachypelma_smithi.htm
What size should my tarantula's enclosure be? (Thanks to Kurt Nelson)
Terrestrial-
1-2 times the tarantula's leg span in substrate depth
2-3 times the tarantula's leg span in enclosure width and length
1.5 times the tarantula's leg span from substrate to enclosure top
No décor needed, however a small piece of cork bark can be used as a hide and a water bowl
Arboreal-
1 times the tarantula's leg span in substrate depth
2 times the tarantula's leg span in enclosure width and length
2-3 times the tarantula's leg span from substrate to enclosure top
A small sprig of fake plant or a small piece of cork bark can be provided and a water bowl
Additional helpful links:
RobC's tip for Grammostola Rosea
Grammostola rosea care & tips!
STANS'S RANT - A Little Nudge in the Right Direction
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html
Jon3800's T recommendations
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL98A32AEF390AAE40&feature=plcp
Jon3800 - Tarantula handling
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAEC354FA9F38D540&feature=plcp
Jon3800 - Mythbuster series - detailed information about various tarantula genus/species
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3DC46229486A7D6&feature=plcp
