Lloth (don't look if spiders creep you out)

arlyn

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This is Lloth, my 3 year old tarantula.
I took these today as I was cleaning her box as the natural sunlight was showing her red color beautifully.
She is a Grammostola Rosea or Chilean Rose, commonly mis-labeled Rosehair in petstores, but Rosehairs are a seperate species and are pink.

These are all clickable thumbnails

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/Solocelt/Other pets/Spider/Lloth006.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/Solocelt/Other pets/Spider/Lloth005.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/Solocelt/Other pets/Spider/Lloth004.jpg
 
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arlyn

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She really is a beauty.
I'm a confirmed arachnophobe, she has helped me so much with that.
 

snosrap5

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She is so pretty! Is their hair soft or prickly?

I had such a problem when DH brought Lizzie our Water Dragon home, it took me almost two months to be completely comfortable holding her. I still can't watch her eat pinkies!
 
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arlyn

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Well she has urticating hairs, so I don't touch her if I can help it, but they are soft.
She's very, very docile, the only time she has ever gotten into a defensive stance was when I startled her.
I use a pen to gently prod her her out of the way when I need to clean her water dish every morning.
She just slowly moves away, no getting upset.
 

ericanicole

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what a looker!

Dan and I thought about getting a tarantula after we got the snakes but with Mikey we thought it might not be a good idea..and then once stewie came that was a for sure nono.
maybe our kids will like spiders and we can have a good enough reason to get one then....oh and maybe we will have more space then
 

pushylady

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

I'm a confirmed arachnophobe, she has helped me so much with that.
Really? That's very brave of you!
I'm not a huge spider fan, but I can appreciate how impressive Lloth is.
 
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arlyn

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Originally Posted by pushylady

Really? That's very brave of you!
I'm not a huge spider fan, but I can appreciate how impressive Lloth is.
I tried years ago to ease my arachnid panic by keeping scorpions.
They're arachnids and don't look much like spiders (that was my reasoning to myself).
They seriously creeped me out.
Their terrarium was in the livingroom and as I lay in bed at night, I could hear them scrabbling against the glass, ewwww.
I ended up giving them to a friend who was enamoured with them.

It's actually much easier with a tarantula, they aren't very active.

I used to seriously panic over spiders though, to the point of anxiety attacks.
I still don't like them, but I don't freak out anymore unless one is on me.
 

jen

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what a beautiful tarantula!! We had a few rosehairs and an Indian Ornamental for awhile. I like the Cobalt Blues and there is a green oily colored one which I forget the name of...but I prefer ones you can hold.

where do you get them from?
 
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arlyn

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You should really never hold any tarantula.
They are far too delicate and anything, including a sudden breeze can startle them into a fall.
Not much anyone can do for an injured tarantula.

The oily green one sounds like a Bottle Blue Tarantula.

I actually got her for free (I paid shipping) from an ameteur spider keeper that was lucky enough to have a successful breeding.
The cats aren't interested, she doesn't move much.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Ack! I looked! I couldn't help myself!


And now I feel like I want to faint!! They really are spectacularly amazing looking creatures and I have a lot of respect for spiders and their ecological role, but jeesh they freak me out!! Especially when they're moving!


What is involved in the care of a spider? I'm very curious to know (even if it is morbid curiosity!)
 
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arlyn

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They're actually pretty easy, well, mine is.
They really don't like their environment messed with too much so it's best to merely spot clean when you can.
Removong poop, dead crickets daily.
I scrub and refill her water dish daily, and mist her tank daily with slightly warm water, careful not to mist her.
She eats about 3 times a month (she's a binge feeder).
If you keep your home between 75f and 80f no heater is needed, and, no lights are needed.

I keep her in a clear sterlite buckle box.
The lid locks on securely.

She is a burrowing species, so I use small reptile bark about 4 inches deep and her addition of webbing lets her dig down into it.

Sarah, I'd imagine growing up in Oz you'd naturally have a healthy respect for spiders

Aren't most of the world's deadly spiders down there?
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

She eats about 3 times a month (she's a binge feeder)
A binge feeder?


Sarah, I'd imagine growing up in Oz you'd naturally have a healthy respect for spiders


Aren't most of the world's deadly spiders down there?
Yup! And snakes, and jellyfish, too! We have 6 out of the 10 most deadly animals in the world native to Australia!

That generally freaks out non-Australians more than us though, because despite how scary it sounds it's not like you encounter them on a daily basis - or even a weekly or monthly one. But spiders, yeah. Redbacks are pretty common, most people have them in their yards. Funnel-Webs are only found in NSW though, and I live in WA.

I once didn't go out the back of my house for three weeks because I knew there was a redback under the back table! (I met Max during those three weeks and he took care of it for me! Ahhh, my hero!)
 

4badcats

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She is beautiful - I am not a mega spider fan, but I can certainly see the attraction - she is fascinating!!!
 

snuzy

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Can't believe you got a spider to get over your fear of spiders. wow! That's a brave thing to do. I don't dislike them, and I never vacuum them when they make their home in my home (what's a vacuum?), but I couldn't even imagine having a big hairy guy like that around. Although it would be a good way to torture my son. He's petrified of them.
 
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arlyn

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Having one depend on you really does alter your perspective.
And while she is huge for a spider, she's pretty tiny for a tarantula


Unless toxic, I try to relocate spiders back outdoors, sometimes the kits get to them first.
I do kill the deadly ones as I don't want any of the furkids to get bit.
 
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