The WORST beginner species

[Volkswachter]

There are always "top 10" lists on the "Best beginner species" but there's never a list of the worst/most difficult to manage species. I'm pretty comfy with most of my Ts, I have a mix of old worlds and new worlds; but there are two I would 100% not recommend ANY newbie/beginner get involved with.

1. P. gigas.
They're new world so they're fine, right? WRONG. I just had 5 of them show up today and I had to run around my kitchen catch cupping all 5 of them. Now I'm not an idiot when it comes to unboxings. I use two sets of tongs, I pull the tissue wad out of the shipping tube directly into a large (16 oz deli cup) with holes in the lid to put the tongs into to separate the tissues and get the T ready for transfer into it's new enclosure.

These guys were the most stubborn little devils I've worked with yet (arrived at 1") and each and every one of them decided to ignore the paintbrush entirely and just wing themselves out of the cup, down onto the floor and attempt the great escape. It doesn't help that P. gigas is considered the fastest tarantula although I'm sure there are many who could challenge this title.

Definitely an intermediate/advanced species that should be bought when you have more experience with arboreal Ts with better temperaments. Cut your gums on an Aviculara speceis or a P. regalis

2: Heteroscodra maculata.

These guys are the devil incarnate, at least that's been my experience with 1/3"-1/2" slings. They are extremely unpredictable, extremely fast, and extremely hard to find when they escape; I've had 5 escapes now, 4 of which were never found and I presume (and hope) they're dead instead of waiting for my toes to enter my shoes, or my *cough* to enter my *ahem-garments*

Feeding these guys is a sweat inducing experience every time for me; and I have taken to doubling up on the protocols. Pill bottle inside a small terrarium inside a large terrarium just to contain them when they suddenly bolt from their hiding hole, up my arm, down my leg, and out the door. This is an advanced species; and again, I suggest cutting your teeth on a different arboreal species and getting comfortable with them before investing in these speed demons.


So what about you guys? What species would you absolutely never recommend to beginners?

​

 

[Thistles]

Some people will take this as a challenge and deliberately want these as starters.

 

[m0lsx]

I would personally add Cyriopagopus albostriatus to any list of not beginner friendly. When I got mine, an adult female, it happily sat in its transport tub looking relaxed & unconcerned. It even had room to move around & looked really chilled. But when I tried to very gently persuade it out of that transport container it went from relaxed to full attack mode in milliseconds. It gave no threat posture, no warnings at all. It just flew up the tweezers I was using to move the moist kitchen roll out of the way, I had not even touched it!! It then laid on it's back, holding the tweezers & ready to attack again. After the tweezers were finally removed it gave the hello, nice to meet you wave below.

 

[NorseDad]

Maybe it's a cop out, but I recommend against any beginner getting a tarantula species they don't actually like because it is labeled as a beginner. A species you're crazy about and interested in will always be better than a "stepping stone" imo.