Poecilotheria regalis questions

[Avicularia Kael]

Hi guys! Here are my questions:

1. Would this be a good 2nd old world?

2. How easy is care?

3. Aggressiveness?

4. I have heard P. species are venomous, is this true? If so, how venomous?

 

[Logan D]

honestly doesn't matter what t you want to get as long as you've done your research and know what your getting your self into most of the poecilotheria species tend to run away rather than bite but they can bite and if they do you will most likely end up in the hospital in extreme pain and have effects that can last a decent of amount of time x amount of days p.regalis do not tend to be aggressive but it depends you can have one pokie that's pretty laid back and you can have one that will go straight into threat posture like said it just depends on that t itself
here is a link to a bite report section there are plenty of examples of what happens if you get bit by this genus http://arachnoboards.com/forums/bite-reports.16/ care is super easy for the whole genus I would say look up toms big spiders on youtube he has some great videos

 

[Whitelightning777]

Start with a small 1" sling. Put it in a larger then normal enclosure to minimize rehousing.

I'd suggest using a Terra Blue professional 2 gallon tall enclosure and then moving to an ExoTerra nano or something similar to that.

Crickets and hissing roaches are the best feeders. Avoid slow or burrowing feeders same as with any other arboreals.

Place the cage in a tote in a big sink or bathtub with the drains blocked off to prevent escapes when maintaining the cage.

Remember, the slower you move, the slower the tarantula moves. Cover your mouth and nose with some type of barrier so you don't sneeze or breath on the pokie.... really really bad idea.

 

[Avicularia Kael]

I may get one soon. My pink toe died and I am getting another arboreal tarantula or something.

 

[Whitelightning777]

Avics are considered to be rather delicate by some people & can be a challenge to keep alive. They are dry spiders that require an elevated waterdish and can be harmed by stagnant humid air far more then anyone might expect. It's a good idea to use a humidity gauge with avics and former avics as well as using a high quality very well ventilated cage.

Pokies are, in my opinion, far more resilient and grow much faster. My P striata is much bigger then my C versicolor even though it's my second arboreal. They are less sensitive to humidity and appreciate a bit of extra moisture. I don't really use any humidity gauges with my pokies, only a thermometer.

They ARE much faster & have much better vision then most other ones I have & I would definitely recommend working out containment to prevent escapes before you get one. I have never been seriously threatened by any of mine or bitten, BUT they can really put a hurt on you if you screw up. Having said that, none of my 3 pokies are mean spiders even though each really has quite different personalities. Always provide multiple "safe spaces" that they can use to refrain from confrontation or being cornered by the owner.

Another trait of pokies is that they move in a horizontal spiral pattern. Therefore, always open the enclosure from the top, never by means of a door in the side, which can increase the chances of escape. It's best to get a cage that doesn't even have a side door that is taller then wide as is the case with other arboreal species.

Your chances of fatalities or failure to thrive will be far less with pokies versus some others.

Having said that, C versicolor was my very first tarantula (formerly known as A versicolor) & he's doing fine. I struggled with crappy caresheets and even had to use a fan to remove humidity. I also had problems with some naysayers as well. Nevertheless, he's now beautiful and well on the way to adulthood.