Category Archives: Q & A

So you are a teen wanting a tarantula, but mom says “OH HELL NO!!”

Okay, maybe you are a spouse wanting a tarantula….or a roommate, and the counterpart of your household is vehemently opposed to your demands.  Here are a few tips to help you on your way that may or may not help you, but will at least get you hooked up with fellow spider enthusiasts (who according to your housemate are probably tattooed freaks and certified crazies.)  I assure you, and them, however, that there is nothing certifiable about your fascination with the hairy, 8-legged creatures of the night.  They are rather striking, and some are even handleable!  So, check out my latest article ‘How to convince your parents to let you have a tarantula’ and let these tips send you on your way to being a star keeper in no time!

Caution: there may be normal folks mentioned in this article!

C. fasciatum after a molt named Zero

C. fasciatum after a molt named Zero

A madagascar hissing roach

Roach

A nice little book on keeping tarantulas
Tbook

Me and a G. rosea who later turned out to be male (pictured as mature and pink towards the top of this blog.

Tia and Sarva

Me and another G. rosea whom I sent to be the first tarantula of a 13 year old girl.  An amazing event that has fueled my career as an invertebrate dealer.

Tia and Nata

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Central Valley Herpetological Society

I have recently done an interview with the founder and president of the CVHS here in California.  Although the group does not necessarily pertain to tarantulas, I thought it would be neat to showcase the hobby that goes hand in hand with tarantula keeping- reptiles.  Even better is that this guy not only founded the CVHS, but also has started a BUG CLUB here in California!!!  I think I am in love (with critters!)

 

The article on CVHS can be viewed HERE

My lovely little Sarva on a book about spiders.

My lovely little Sarva on a book about spiders.

 

Related articles

To my followers

Image

Dear fine people of WordPress and beyond,

Thank you for the time you have taken to stop by, like, and comment on my blog.  I appreciate it very much.  If you are new, please bare with the shameless promotion of my Examiner articles, as I am a new contributor to the site, and have not yet gotten my legs.

Also, in case you have noticed, a lot of my older posts here are missing their photos and have expired links.  This is due to the hosting website, which is no longer available.  I apologize for this, and have been working (slowly) to get the photos back up.  The computer that had the originals is also down, so I have to comb through my multiple social media sites to see if back-ups were saved. Please bare with me during this painstaking process, and thank you, in advance, for your patience.  If you are looking for something in particular, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me using the form in the sidebar.

To piggyback on the photos issue, I also must warn that I have incredibly bad luck with cameras.  If I have not posted in a while, it is probably to do a broken piece of equipment.

I am happy to have you aboard, and would love to hear from you!

Thanks again, and I look forward to helping you along your journey into the world of invertebrate hunting and keeping.  See you around!

Sidnata

Questions Answered

I had a few more hits on my blog today than expected.  Being a blog about tarantulas, you can probably imagine that the stats are not stunning.  However, the same questions and searches seem to keep coming up.  Today, I will use the search terms from this blog today, along with some recurring questions/searches to get you to the right info.

Remember that if you do not find an answer here, you can always join InsectGeeks, visit forums, or ask around your social networks to see what their experience is.  Although most information is useful, you will find outdated or unusable info around the web, so SEARCH WISELY!

The FIRST THING I would recommend is to get a copy of the TARANTULA KEEPERS GUIDE by Stanley A. and Marguerite Schultz.  This is considered the “bible” of the keeping hobby, and is recommended by most top breeders/dealers and hobbyists.  GET THIS BEFORE YOU GET YOUR FIRST TARANTULA.

If you already have a T, and still have questions (and you should) GET THE BOOK.

Then, NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK.

I have many friends across insect geeks, facebook, on forums, and elsewhere.  When I see a blog or site that shares information in a readable non-ad flashy way, I contact the webmaster and compliment them.  This opens up a dialogue for future questions, and lets them know that their hard work is helping someone.  (Like ME!)

Now, on to today’s searches:

brachypelma boehmei when will she get the colors:

My boehmei has colors, and she is only a half inch.  Look closely, and if you notice yours getting dark and ugly, then it is probably time for a molt.

 
why is my b. smithi is pacing?

Could be a hunger thing, could be that her soil is too moist, could be that she is looking for a retreat.  Try to fix each of these and see if it helps.  Usually, the pacing stops shortly after the problem is addressed.  My A. avic was doing this, and I realized that I had forgotten to put a climbing branch in after  a cleaning.  When I put the branch back in, Sid climbed up and made a nice new web.  The pacing ceased.

 
parahybana on girls hand

My parabyana is too small to be handled (1″) and I have seen her flick hairs…so I cannot help you there.  Try Google Pictures.
 

aphonopelma sp care sheet

Try THIS
 

n. chromatus care sheet

Try THIS and add enough soil to allow for burrowing!!
 

brachypelma smithi spiderling care

YER KILLIN ME SMALLS!!!!!  Try THIS and if yours is as small as mine (1 1/2″ls approx) use a film canister as a hide.  These are GREAT for any terrestrial spiderling!
 

how fast do rose hair slings molt

I am not too familiar with a rosie as a sling, but I do know that as adults, there is NO TELLING.  Rosies do their own thing at their own pace.  If your sling gets sluggish, gets ugly and darker in color, and refuses food, you are probably headed for a molt.  Hit up some forums for more info.
 

spiderling care sheet

SEE ABOVE ANSWERS!  Please be more specific.  Certain spiderlings (like my E. cyanognathus and P. subfusca require more humidity, and different set ups than other spiderlings.) When you hit the forums, have a species in mind so the community can better assist you.

 

If you have any specific questions for me, please use the form on the right to ask it.  I won’t bite!  If I can’t answer a question. I will be more than happy to find the answer for you because it will probably benefit me and my growing tarantula zoo as well!!

You can always email me directly at 8pinktoes@gmail.com too….

Thanks for looking!

~Tia Marie