#beginner ts

[counttarantula]

Short of half an hour long, (28 minutes) this video is long but very helpful for beginners looking to acquire a second or third T. And of course it's more than helpful for someone wanting to get into the hobby who've no idea which T should be their very first. First tarantulas are very important! They'll always hold a place in your heart. As boring as my G. porteri Norma Bates is, I'll never be able to get rid of her. I'm just too fond.

[counttarantula]

Which would be good for someone that has never had a T, a g.pulchripes or a g.pulchra

Either are pretty decent choices! Both get pretty large, at 8 inches maximum. I believe the average size for G. pulchripes is around 6”-7” and the G. pulchra is 5.5”-6.5”. Don’t quote that from me though. Might be a little off.Personally, I think the aesthetic of the G. pulchra is a little more ‘wow’ to look at. Not that G. pulchripes are -ugly- by any means. The shades of brown and those little golden stripes are very pretty. However, G. pulchras look like they are covered in black velvet.Either way you can’t really go wrong. But as Grammostola, both are slow growing— the pulchra might be more slow than the pulchripes. Grammostolas can also be moody. Content and pleasant one day, then grumpy and moody the next. My absolute -favorite- species for beginners are Euathlus sp. “red” however. They look like mini G. pulchras with a burst of rusty-red on their rump. They are on the small size, maxing out at 4” but are typically 3”-3.5”. Very easy going disposition, I’ve never heard of a bite from one of these guys. AGONIZINGLY SLOW TO GROW though, so a best bet would be searching out a juvenile or an adult. I love this species so much, I’ve got four of ‘em. A MM, a MF and two slings.Brachypelma has some good candidates as well, though I’ve noticed Brachypelmas are quicker to flick hair than grammys. But such beautiful species. B. smithi, B. boehmi, B. emilia. And B. albopilosum are gorgeous in their own ways.I’ve heard that Pink Zebra Beautys are very docile too, not sure their rate of growth and don’t have any personal experience though.