I'm thinking about tarantulas as a pet.what are spiders like as pets?

Question

a friend showed me his pet spider and loved the little guy.their reputation isn't fair..this spider was timid.

Answer 1

Spiders can vary a great deal in temperament. I have a cobalt blue that will attack anything that comes near it and I have heard of baboon spiders going as far as throwing themselves at the glass when someone approaches. The more common pet spiders are extremely docile and have no problem with being handled. Even some of those with bad reputations will sometimes tolerate people. Tarantula venom is only dangerous to the prey. It isn't strong enough to do more then local damage when bitten, although people can have strong allergic reactions to the venom.
They make great pets though as they are very easy to care for, won't care if you go on vacation, and rarely need their tank cleaned out - I clean mine out every eight or nine months.

Answer 2

I've had a bunch of tarantulas as pets, and they're wonderful! They're the best pets for people who are curious and like to observe nature in action (sort of).

They are not cuddly though, and if you are thinking of ever holding your spider, there's only one species gentle and slow enough that I would recommend - the Chilean Rose. However, those tend to not really do anything and therefore might be considered boring.

In general, it's not a great idea to try to play with a tarantula, because you could drop it and kill it (yes, their large abdomen is very heavy and their legs not sprightly, so if dropped from a high enough point will splatter), or lose it as it scurries away from you and under your bed (although they can only run short distances at a time so you should be able to corner it), or it might bite you if it feels threatened. (They're not fatal, but they do have poison which may make you woosy, but worse yet their huge fangs will hurt!)

It's really fascinating to watch tarantulas grow over the months and years, through their molting process, as well as to watch them eat. For certain species, you'll have to clean out their cages every once in a while because bits and pieces of the dead insects will attract fruit flies and worse, mites (which will kill the tarantula), but for the most part they are really low maintenance. All I really felt like I had to do was buy crickets every month.

Tarantulas can live for years - females can live 3 times longer than a male (and I think males can live upwards of 5 years).

So overall, they are wonderful pets, and might be a little daunting at first, but you'll definitely grow to love your pet tarantula and see it as a beautiful and fascinating creature. Weird, but true.

Answer 3

Whatever. .. people who are losers and looking for an identity get useless pets like this. Oh wait. . . maybe that is unfair. I'm sure if you get a pet tarantula it will be just like this.. . . . You get home. . . . he runs out to greet you. . . . brings you your slippers. . . and then jumps on your lap and snuggles with you because he loves you so. Then you play fetch for a while and tug each other around with a rope. Later you can take him for a walk to the park.
Snakes. . .. fish. . . . . .and etc are all useless pets. . . I mean what do you really do with a fish besides clean a skanky tank everytmonth. If you are a typical girl then you just like the big spider because you like the guy. In reality however. . .guy with spiders, snakes and other stupid pets are complete losers and morons. Everyone I've ever met with pets like these has issues or uses drugs or is slutty!

Answer 4

bypass to a bait save, or outdoor furnish save and get stay crickets and/or meal worms. it is between the most basic ingredient to feed them. some puppy shops also promote crickets for feeding tarantulas. Bait shops will promote you a pair dozen for a dollar. Meal worms maximum commonly are available in tubs and there is lots in a bathtub. you may are trying delivering them 25 cents for purely 2-3 crickets, pondering tarantulas only devour some circumstances a week. My tarantula ate two times a week. placed one cricket in it is aquarium primary or 2 days, except you get an concept of how commonly it needs to be fed. go away it a small bowl of water, and also mist the aquarium with water in a twig bottle, to maintain awesome humidity.

Answer 5

We kept tarantulas when I was a little girl....they aren't cuddly...if you get over confident and startle them they bite. Sort of bee sting feeling. Snakes have more personality. Bull snakes are good. Really a cat is more loving and fun. So many of the poor little buggers get snuffed at the pound because they can't find a home.

Answer 6

I knew a guy that had a tarantula. He could pick it up by sliding his hand under it. It shed it's exoskeleton once and left the old one in the cage. It was pretty mellow, but not that exciting of a pet.

Answer 7

Temperment varies widely from species to species and specimen to specimen. You may want to check out sites like http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/ to find out more about specific species to decide which one (if any) would suit you. If you're looking for a pet that is more for display than handling and loving, tarantulas should appeal to you. If you're looking for something more cuddly and affectionate, I highly recommend rats.

Answer 8

Yeah they're pretty awesome if you get a pretty docile type...like a Rose Hair or a Pink Toe tarantula.(stay away from Thai Tiger tarantulas they're very aggressive!)

Answer 9

Having a spider as a pet, could be scary. It can escape its cage, and when you're sleeping, it could go in your mouth and you can swallow it! Then when you wake up, you'll find a big orachnid in your mouth, and find out it's your pet spider. :-)

Answer 10

You have to be extra careful when you play fetch with them. Even a tennis ball can crush the goop out of them. And they cant catch a frisbee at all...though it's really comical watching them try.