my first tarantula!!

i went to the reptile show in pomona today..it was soo delightful to see all the nice people and breeders...and this totally wasnt my intention of going..but i ended up buying a rose-haired tarantula...she was so cute and we had such a bond, i couldnt resist...i named her dayla...well actually i named her delilah and now i cant decide which name suits her more...what do you guys think...im beginning to think dayla

do we have a tarantula forum?

Originally Posted by ladyserpent7

do we have a tarantula forum?

Congrats on the new addition. Here is the link to the Insects and Arachnids General Discussions:

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...splay.php?f=39

Rana, Congrats! you are going to love her

i already do ..okay..its now official...her name is Dayla....i still kinda have to get used to her though..cuz i feel like shes so delicate..i dont wanna break her or anything...ill get used to it...does anyone know how often they drink water..cuz i havent seen her do that...i put water in her water bowl and a sponge to soak it up..cuz i heard thats how they drink..they stick their fangs in the sponge..but i havent seen her do that...

Tarantulas are great! Welcome to the addiction!

There's no need for a sponge in the water dish. A sponge would actually make it harder for a tarantula to drink (think of it as a human trying to eat jello with chopsticks). The only reason for something to be in a water dish is to keep crickets from drowning in it. A couple of pebbles will work for that. They do drink, and it does seem like they rarely do. Being nocturnal critters, it probably happens at night when everybody else is asleep.

Tarantulas are a bit delicate, espically when it comes to falls. I usually don't handle mine, but when I do, I always make sure I'm holding the tarantula over something soft (bed, couch cushion, pillow).

Don't be surprised if your rosehair suddenly decides to stop eating. It could be one of two things; upcoming molt, or rosehair fast. Rosehairs are famous for not eating for extended amounts of time (I have a little one that hasn't eaten in about a month).

If you haven't already, get a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide by Stanley and Marguerite Schultz. It's a wonderful book, easy to read (dispite being an intimidating thickness) filled with all sorts of helpful care information about tarantulas.

Don't be afraid to ask questions or share pictures!!

Rana, congrats! I have tossed around the idea of getting a tarantula for a while but not sure the wife will go for it. She tolerates my ever growing collection of snakes pretty well but I am afraid she wont be so tolerant of a tarantula. They are very interesting creatures!

Originally Posted by norsmis

Rana, congrats! I have tossed around the idea of getting a tarantula for a while but not sure the wife will go for it. She tolerates my ever growing collection of snakes pretty well but I am afraid she wont be so tolerant of a tarantula. They are very interesting creatures!

A better low maintenance pet one could not ask for if ya don't mind eight legs

oh no..thats just what i need..another fasting animal..what is it w/ me and animals that dont like to eat...my snake went once w/ out eating for 4 months!!..shes a hognose...anyway...today was her first feeding day w/ me..i had to take her box outside to put the crickets in...ironically..im terrified of crickets..one almost jumped out and like speed of lightning i was across the street..haha..but it seems to have taken her a pretty long time to eat them..she started eating at around 6..and shes still eating her last one!!..hey..at least she ate all four...they only need four crickets a week right?..thats what i heard..thanks so much for the water info..thats really helpful..so does anyone know how often they shed..or how im supposed to know..any signs?..they have eight eyes right?...

Tarantulas take a long time to eat. It's normal. It takes them awhile to liquify the prey and squeeze all the juices out (they don't suck the liquids out, they kinda chew and squeeze). 4 crickets a week is fine. If you have a problem with crickets, you can try feeding roaches or large superworms. Large tarantulas aren't adverse to an occasional pinky mouse treat.

When she gets done eating, watch for grooming. That's fun to watch.

A tarantula getting ready to molt will go off feed, usually. They'll start getting darker looking. If your rosehair has a bald spot on her abdomon, it will start turning black, that's the new skin underneath. Sometimes they'll behave differenty, acting a bit sluggish or skittish and defensive. Adult tarantulas generally molt once a year, younger tarantulas will molt more often and really old tarantulas can skip a year (or two) between molts. Rosehair tarantulas seem to molt whenever they want to (they seem to like breaking the "rules"). A tarantula lying on its back is a sure sign of a molt. When you see that, grab a bucket of popcorn and pull up a chair, you're in for a pretty amazing show.

They have eight eyes, bunched in groups so it looks like they have less.