5 Questions to ask yourself before you buy your first Tarantula

Hey Guys,

Here is a list of 5 questions you need to ask yourself before buying a Tarantula.

1) You have to take into consideration that most female tarantulas can live over 20 years. so they are a long term commitment. If it is not something you stick with how will you find a new home?

2) What are you looking for in a pet? do you want something can sit on your lap and that you can stroke? If so i would advise against a Tarantula, Some tarantulas flick hairs when they feel threatened, some have venomous bites and others have fangs nearly 2" long that can cause mechanical damage to a hand if they bite. A Tarantula should be looked at but never held, not only is it dangerous for the owner but if a tarantula is dropped it can die very easily.

3)Where are you buying your tarantula from? Are they captive bred or have they been taken from the wild? Breeders in the uk and around the world are doing their best to breed as many types in captivity as they can. this will reduce the effect of "lazy sellers" who capture grown up tarantulas from the wild(this is something i am strongly against).

4)Can you deal with the ethical issue of feeding your "pet" live food. All of the tarantulas i keep live off crickets and i do not have a problem feeding them to my tarantulas. Some types like Bird Eaters need bigger pray, sometimes even as large as mice. I have never done this myself and to be honest i am not sure if i will.

5)Have you done your research? this is the most important question. How big will your tarantula grow? what humidity is needed? how do you tell if you are buying a male or female? How do you tell if it is in premolt?

I know i say this alot but READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. They are beautiful and interesting critters but you dont want to buy an OBT or a T blondi as your first Tarantula. do the research find what is right for you and enjoy.

As always thanks for reading. If you get the time follow me on twitter @thorney_critter