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>Is it really so easy as buying a small enclosure, something to burrow into, and some crickets every once in a while?

Absolutely! I have 4 Ts. I make sure they have fresh water at all times and I feed them weekly. You just have to make sure that your enclosure suits the spider that you have. There are two types of set ups: arboreal and terrestrial (trees and ground). An arboreal spider will need about an inch or two of substrate and then a good amount of vertical space with some stuff to climb on. A terrestrial spider will need a set up that is opposite of that. As much ground space as possible with a substrate of at least 3 or 4 inches, and not that much vertical space(if they climb too high and fall, they could rupture the abdomen). For a substrate, always go with something like Eco Earth as it is not only inexpensive, but arguably the most suitable substrate on the market. Make sure the spider has something to hide under, or in. I just go outside and find sticks and bark and such and microwave it to kill off any bacteria. You do not need to pay for fancy hiding logs at the pet store! As for water, a small shallow dish will be suitable. Make sure that fresh water is always available for the T. DO NOT use a sponge in the water! I see many pet stores even making this mistake. It is not necessary, and will be a breeding ground for bacteria and molds.

>When purchasing spiders should I follow the same rules as say, buying a puppy? As in, don't buy from a "mill"?

You'll be fine just buying them online from a reputable source. You'll know exactly what you are getting, and it will be cheaper. The only issue is that shipping can be costly. I've heard a lot of good things about Jamie's Tarantulas and I know she has a $15 flat shipping fee. Mind you, you can only buy from her in the continental US.

>I read "docile nature" but does that mean that a spider could recognize me, or enjoy being socialized with? Or are they just lovely creatures to admire?

Absolutely not! By docile, it means that they are generally well tempered and will tolerate being handled. You should not handle your T often, and many species should just simply not be handled at all! They will certainly not socialize with you or recognize you. Tarantula behavior is all stimulus and response, nothing more. They are fascinating to view, but like I said even with "docile" species, keep handling to a minimum.

As for feeding, crickets. One cricket, once a week is how I do it.

Well, that should give you a pretty good general idea of tarantula care. Of course, you will have to read up on your species, and you should research about molting as well. Please feel free to ask me anything else you would like to know, and I will do my best to give you a sufficient answer.

Good luck on your first T!

First of all I'd recommend going to arachnoboards.com and signing up and heading over to r/tarantulas. Now with that out of the way the general run of the mill recommendation is juvenile-young adult new world terrestrial species. Now let's break that down:


Tarantulas are broadly classified into two broad groups: new world and old world. Differences are mainly old world species are not from either north or south America (generally Africa or Asia) they tend to be quicker, more defensive, they do not have urticating setae (small irritating hairs on the abdomen) and have more potent venom. New world have urticating setae, are from the Americas, and tend to be less defensive, slower, and less venomous. So new world species are the obvious choice to a beginner.


The reason it's recommended to get a juvenile is due to the fact that while overall a relatively easily cared for pet, slings are quite fragile still and require much more attention, a juvenile still leaves you with room to watch your pet grow up but not so young that it's easier to take care of and it's less dangerous for the spider if you make a mistake or two as a beginner.


As for terrestrial? Again arboreal species tend to be harder for a new keeper to get used to.


Now finally the question is what are you looking for in a tarantula? The points I suggested above are more guidelines than hard rules (but with special emphasis on starting with new world not old world) I myself started with a little G. pulchripes sling, not a common recommendation for a beginner due to their extremely slow growth rate and the fact that again slings aren't the best for beginners. Despite that I knew I wanted one I could watch grow from the beginning and I was ready to make the possible decade long commitment so I went for it. Do you want one that's a heavy webber, or one with bright colours? Maybe go for a C. cyanopubescens. One that grows quickly and large? Try L. parahybana. A classic? B. hamorii. Something fuzzy? B. albopilosum. Or even what I started with: G. pulchripes. All good starter species.


A relatively common suggestion is G. rosea/porteri. They are abundant in the tarantula pet trade, and generally are decent starter species but have also known to sometimes be aggressive. The community here tends to lean on saying not to start with them but I personally think it's relatively the same as other starter species I mentioned. The consensus is pretty split.



On a final note: do your research! Before buying anything, make sure you're plenty ready to house your pet when they arrive, different species require slightly different setups. I'd recommend The Tarantula Keepers Guide it contains some very solid (and some outdated) info. It's an excellent starting point however. There are some sections that you should take with a grain of salt, but as of now it's one of the better comprehensive guides out there. The alternative being scouring various parts of the internet to try and cobble together a working knowledge.

> /u/kona_worldwaker: Do they see 8 images of what they look at or does each eye see an 8th of what they see all together?

> Do they see in color?

> I know in general spider vision is considered poor, but what does this mean? Blurry? No depth perception?

A lot of this information comes from Biology of Spiders, and I would encourage you to get a copy of this book if you want to learn more about spider anatomy, physiology, and behavior.

In short, how well spiders can see depends on species. Not all spider eyes are created the same. As noted in Biology of Spiders, "the efficiency of any eye is determined by the design of its optics and by the structure of the retina."

Most spiders don't rely heavily on vision but tactile and chemical cues. For example, web dwelling spiders like orbweavers, cobweb spiders, and funnel weavers can only see differences in light levels, which helps them entrain their circadian rhythms to the day/night cycle. Their eyes don't form clear images, and they rely mostly on the vibrations transmitted through their webs to know what is going on around them.

Hunting spiders (such as jumping spiders and wolf spiders) tend to have better eyesight, which is usually indicated by the presence of two large median eyes. The input of these two eyes is probably merged into one image, with the slight difference between the eyes helping with depth perception. (Just as we see only one image even though we have two eyes.) The other six eyes, which are much smaller, do things like sense motion and light levels.

Jumping spiders have the best vision of any spider. Not only do they see in color and have binocular vision for gauging distance, but they can see ultraviolet and polarized light. However, even they can only see sharp images within a relatively short distance (we're talking inches, not feet).

> Can they climb glass? If so, I'd think they'd get hurt if they fell from near the top - could I fill the tank with substrate up to the point it would be safe for the spider?

Yes they can; ground spiders are more susceptible to falls. That will be A LOT of substrate. If you get an arboreal spider, it will be less of an issue.
> Also, what are the best types for a beginner? I've hear the chilean rose mentioned, and I had a friend in high school with a mexican redknee that was really really docile.

Those are good, ground spiders, but there's also A. avicularia - pink toe, which is a good docile spider.

> I live in North Idaho, so I'll have to get a tank heater. Would a pad be best? I can't imagine a spider liking a heat lamp - wouldn't it want to hide all the time? Also, besides crickets bought at a pet store, a very shallow water dish, and something for the spider to hide under, what else might I need?

Heat lamps are bad - too dry. Spot heated pad is good, but make sure there are non-heated parts so they can escape. Also, cricket food and water, and long forceps or tongs - crickets are obnoxious and tricky.

Get a spray bottle, coconut husk substrate, water dish, and I personally like a temperature and humidity sensor (analog dial ones - pretty cheap).

Also, pick up The Tarantula Keeper's Guide.

Good luck! Here's my setup.

Cool shot... your camera and technique seem good enough to me. I can say for sure that spider is in the family Agelenidae... maybe Tegenaria domestica? I can't say which species exactly because I can't see the spider's abdomen. Recluses are easily identifiable by their eye arrangement, though, so if you got a photo from the front like this it should be enough to make a fairly confident determination. Still, the best shots for identifying spiders are from directly above.

Now... I probably shouldn't encourage people to catch potentially dangerous spiders unless they really know what they're doing... but if you're willing, I should at least explain how to do it safely. Catching a spider with a clear cup or bowl is pretty safe and easy even if it is a recluse. Basically all spider bites happen when someone crushes the spider against your skin... even if it somehow manages to crawl onto exposed skin, it won't bite you if you stay calm (and wearing long sleeves and gloves should completely remove that possibility). A spider you can see poses no threat to you... it's when they're hiding in your shoes or under your wood pile that you could be exposed to a bite. One technique is to put the cup down in front of the spider and let it crawl into the cup, then turn it over so the opening is facing down, and you have a trapped spider ready to photograph. You might be able to put the cup down right outside its lair and poke it out with a (long) stick straight into the cup.

This is a good overview for recluse identification, as well.

Also, have you thought about picking up a macro reverse ring? They're very cheap... I have this one for my Nikon and it works fine. Basically it's a mount that attaches to the front of your lens so you can put it on the camera backwards, creating a sort of makeshift macro mode. It doesn't give quite the same control as an actual macro lens... there's no aperture adjustment at all, so getting enough light is a big challenge, but I see it used a lot by professionals, including my personal favorite macro photographer.

There's some good advice in this thread, but if you're interested in learning more, I'd point you to the most excellent Tarantula Keeper's Guide . It has the answer to pretty much any question you can imagine and more. It's a favorite among people in the hobby.

You're welcome, hope I didn't come off like a jerk lol. Yeah, at 1:1 I imagine you're already cropping a decent amount. Which lens are you using? Consider using a Raynox dcr-250 clip on lens to get more magnification. The thing is really amazing for the price. Here are some pics I took with it on the 100mm 2.8L: https://imgur.com/a/ooDSS. With a 100mm you can get to 2:1. Check out my recent comments for more info if you're interested. Happy shooting!

Yes, tarantulas are very easy to care for. They are the most low maintenance pet that I know of.

As far as where to buy them...

Local pet stores are actually one of the worst places to buy them if you're concerned about ethical treatment or the quality of living at all. The staff generally has no idea how to properly care for a tarantula, the specimens are often mislabeled, the prices are way too high ($150 vs $15, literally), the selection is usually pretty bad, and they will almost always give you misinformation about that specimen and usually all tarantulas.

The best place to buy a tarantula, as a beginner, is either from an exotic pet shop that has at least 50 specimens or from a hobbyist (you can save money this way).

In the case of tarantulas "docile" generally means "boring". Tarantulas certainly don't have the capacity for any kind of socializing or domestication. They are entirely for observation, just like fish. (Keeping that in mind, I recommend you forget about ever handling them because it's not worth the risk. I'll go into that more if you want.)

As far as the particular species... Yes, it's widely claimed that the G. rosea is the ultimate starter tarantula because of its so-called docile nature and ease of care. However, it is also the most commonly available and likely the least expensive. But that doesn't make it a good starter! There are many disadvantages to this being your first tarantula...

1. They are VERY inactive for most of the time. Sometimes going months without moving more than an inch, and certainly not showing interest in food.
   
   
2. They grow slowly. If you are interested in watching it grow quickly, forget this one. They are well below average in terms of molt frequency and growth and they can take months of "pre-molt" before they will finally go through with it.
   
   
3. They don't eat a lot (See 1 and 2). I don't know about you, but to most people, feeding a tarantula is the most exciting part of ownership and generally the most activity you get to witness. A low appetite makes for a boring tarantula, in other words.
   
   
4. They are just plain boring to look at. Dull, brown and average sized...
   
   
5. You might not care about this, but the G. rosea population in Chile has been nearly wiped out due to export of this species.
   
   If you want a recommendation on something else, I will happily give you some ideas.
   
   Above all, before you make ANY purchase, you MUST buy and read a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. You will save yourself a lot of trial and error and I assure you that you will not find a more thorough and comprehensive source of published information on tarantula keeping.

The identifying features of spiders are more subtle than they are for birds or butterflies - like eye arrangements, length and number of hairs on their legs. Also, consider there are about 900 species of birds in the U.S. vs. about 3,000 spider species. Just trying to help you understand why you're having a hard time finding such a guide.

My favorite spider field guide is the Golden Guide to Spiders and their Kin. Though the book includes spiders worldwide, it focuses on American species, and the description of family features can inform ID anywhere. There is a 1990 edition available in full online. Some of the taxonomic names have changed since then, but you can get the idea. You can't beat it for the money.

I don't have this one, but browsing it, it looks pretty nice.

Otherwise, the technical standard is SONA.

Alternatively, invest in a camera: take pictures and share them with us -- we are always here to help. Bugguide.net has detailed descriptions at almost every taxonomic level.

Aukey. It works very well. I don't need a tripod either, just gotta get close enough and take a dozen or so photos. I even got a photo of a European Paper Wasp sticking its tongue out. ITS TONGUE. I didn't even know they had tongues before today!

I have a photo that's much, much better, but it's probably one of the best photos I've ever taken, and uploading certain things to certain sites gives them ownership, so I'm not doing that until I find a place I can submit it and get some kind of credit.


EDIT: For reference, the lens was probably about 1cm away from the spider.

Have you tried the cheapie little clip-on "macro" lenses for your phone? I was skeptical but I got a set on sale on Amazon Prime Day, and it works surprisingly well for reducing the minimum focus distance. Using mine on an iPhone and have gotten pretty good results for a $20 toy from China. For something this size you should be able to get a decent amount of detail.

This kind of thing (Amazon Link)

Sample image from my phone

https://www.amazon.com/Common-Spiders-America-Richard-Bradley/dp/0520274881

Not cheap at all, but I love this book, detailed descriptions and pages of excellent drawings

It's actually a yoga chaise, any surface is intimate if you make it so ;)

https://www.amazon.com/Multi-Functional-Relaxation-Meditation-Exercise-Leatherette/dp/B0777RYRX6/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?keywords=yoga+chair&qid=1572564480&sr=8-10

Edit: lol Thanks for the Silver, stranger. You've popped my silver cherry :)

I had an orb weaver living in my kitchen for a while, and I'd feed her small flies and later crickets from the pet store. I'd grab the crickets with a pair of plastic tweezers that came with my son's microscope.

I think what you're thinking of is slanted tweezers like these? But really, outside, they do a pretty good job getting their own food.

Here's a pic of my girl when she was still tiny. She floated in as a freshly hatched baby and I had her for almost two years until I finally got tired of dealing with the goddamn crickets (they stink and escape) and put her outside in my garden. It was great fun watching her grow up and grow fat though!

Yeah as long as your slow then it’s safer and much cooler as you can safely stare them down for science!

Carson BugView Quick-Release Bug Catching Tool and Magnifier for Children and Adults https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JQ5AZK

I'll recommend you Biology of Spiders by Rainer F. Foelix.
It's pretty broad treatment of everything spider, and includes a little bit of everything, such as anatomy, metabolism, web structure, reproduction, ecology and systematics.
It's roughly around 300 pages in a average sized paperback and even though such books can sometimes be rather dry reading material, I don't think that's the case at all with this one. I found it engaging without being tough to read.

Well if you like in North America you can check out this awesome book! I have it and it is amazing, warning alittle bit pricey.

Well, I bought this one a while back and it's been super handy

>this spider is notable for being featured on the cover of the original "Golden Guide" to spiders and their kin

That's on my bookshelf - handed down through my family for generations. Cool to see a photo of one of the cover models!

If you're looking for more information about spider locomotion and not just a video, see if you can find a copy of Foelix's Biology of Spiders. There is a thorough section on spider movement - plus a lot of other interesting things (if you're into spiders, that is!).

Believe it or not this was with one of those really cheap 10x clip on macro lenses clipped on an LG V20. I couldn't believe how well it worked tbh. The downsides are it has very shallow DoF and focuses like 0.5" away so you have to practically touch what you're taking a picture of. I was surprised he didn't jump away.

I'm not sure if this is the exact one but it looks right. The one I have has 3 lenses and 2 of them are useless but the 10x macro is fun.

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Wide-Angle-Samsung-Android-Smartphones/dp/B01D8KOAWM

Ventilation is way more important than humidity. Give it a water dish and it'll be fine.

Your room temps are perfectly adequate too. In lower temperatures, spiders may grow slower or eat less frequently, but that's no big deal whereas overheating with supplemental heat sources is easy to do and potentially fatal.

Spiders are real contenders for the most low-maintenance pets available, so there's really no need to fuss over the exact conditions as long as their basic needs are met.

As for substrate, coconut shavings will be fine. I use either cocofiber (Eco Earth bricks) or 100% peat (available at any garden supply establishment) or a mix of the two, but as long as your substrate isn't sand/sharp objects your new friend will never know the difference, and will likely never leave the top half of the terrarium once it settles in.

Feeding arboreals can be kind of awkward since they're not bright enough to go down to the bottom in search of food, but most people either tong-feed or flip the whole enclosure until the spider nabs its prey. I do the latter, generally, but my Avics are all pretty small and it doesn't sound like that'll be an option for you if your terrarium is a big one.

There is a subreddit just for tarantula keepers, but it's not super active, so my best advice is a) pick up The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, if you haven't already, and b) check out Arachnoboards, which is a lot more active than /r/tarantulas and is a lot more search-friendly.