Andrew is a great bloke to speak to too, I've met him at one of the invert shows a couple of years ago. Currently watching his video on the King Baboon and Man Eating Lions of Tsavo 😊
How does feeding them go? Im considering getting one, it's a possibility, but I dislike roaches with a passion and I heard they feed on those. Would a mealworm and possibly other worm diet work?
After watching many of your videos this 65 year old retired nurse got her first tarantulas a year and a half ago. My first was G. pulchru and I just adore her. I just rehoused her last week and she is thriving. I am expecting a G. Anthracina on Tuesday and I am just thrilled. Thank you for your amazing videos that helped me take the plunge!!!
This video came at an ideal time. I got a G. pulchra sling last Tuesday. Today is Saturday. It has been hugging the walls the whole time. Turns out it was the wet top layer of substrate. This has been fixed and it is already starting to venture away from the walls more.
Look, I know that parents say that they don't have "favorites" among their children (I dispute that, but still...) I have to say of my 7 babies (although they're certainly not actually babies anymore) my G. pulchra (Nyx) is by far my favorite. He/She has personality in spades. Never hid themselves away, even when they were so small they'd fit on your pinkie fingernail and had plenty of room for burrowing. They're approaching 3.5" to 4" now and literally never sits still. Always finding fun projects to do in their enclosure, whether it's filling their water dish with dirt... AGAIN, or doing general excavations, or can't decide which side of their home they prefer their plastic plant so moves it around frequently, just a fun and beautiful spider to own. LOVE my G. pulchra.
I have 8 and my pulchra is still small (~2") but yeah, their personality is amazing. mine is calm, always visible, and an amazing eater, second best to my GBB in appetite. I definitely think everyone should have one
I had to sell off my collection at the start of 2021 which included two juvenile G pulchras and I was absolutely DEVASTATED. They’re my absolute favorites and if I’m ever in a position to have a tarantula again, it’ll be a pulchra.
Oh my how did I miss this! These are my favorite tarantulas! Bought two .5" inch slings around June 2019. Fast forward 5 years I have two confirmed ♀️ around 3.8 - 4 inch. I always thought the tropical country buff would make them grow faster but it'll probably take another 5 years for them to grow to a proper 7"+ adult
Hey, Jem! It's such an awesome species. Bahahaha I love "Tropical country buff!" I honestly wondered if you were going to get super fast growth! I just spoke to someone who keeps theirs at 65, and it hit 3" in a year! Thanks for commenting!
I ordered my new copy Andrews therafosa (I know I spelled that wrong) DVD the day after your podcast last week and I can't wait till it gets in so excited
@@TomsBigSpiders I have recently reached out to Tanya at Fear Not and am hoping she eventually has what I'm looking for. Obviously your name came up in the conversation. Please write back whenever you can. Chris
Really enjoyed the video Tom, as always 😊 My two Pulchra (Blanco and Vanta) are absolute clowns and are always up to something, digging and moving their plants about, they're very entertaining, totally not typical 8 legged pet rocks 😆
My favorite tarantula. Mine just molted 2 days ago. My most stressful but thankfully successful molt!!! I had just rehoused her 2 weeks ago. So grateful I did!!! Love your videos. They were so helpful before I took the plunge 2 years ago.
These are one of those all black tarantulas that I always adore. I’d dearly love one but my husband is a spider phone but mainly a Tphobe. He doesn’t understand me and sat outside when I was at an invert show last year. He said it would kill him if I bought one. He actually asked me I I’d bought a T when he came out of ICU earlier this year. Wuss 😘
Hey, Bobbie! I LOVE all black tarantulas...there is just something so handsome about them. Bahahahaha He REALLY needs to get over that. haha I hope that he someday sees the light!
First off, thank you for your awesome content. I really enjoy watching your videos (and learning a lot about the care and husbandry)! After a lot of research and watching hours of YT videos I've bought my first T (a GBB female juvenile) about a half year ago and quickly found out I really like to observe and care for them. So I bought four more slings, including a G. pulchra. It molted not long after I brought it home and outgrew its enclosure, so I rehoused it a couple of weeks ago. It burrowed down the first night and I haven't seen it since. I wonder how long I have to wait until I see it above ground again... 😅 Greetings from the Netherlands! 🤘
I purchased my baby G. pulchra in Feb. of 2020, named her Betty of course, AND she just unexpectedly molted again yesterday! SHE LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! LIKE SILK! I am getting another enclosure ready for her tomorrow so this video is PERFECT TIMING! Thanks, Tom! I hope you and yours are all doing well. I always enjoy the videos!
Hi Tom. I'm a 55yr old retired due to work injury since 47 not fun for the ones thinking its great. I go back October for 3rd back surgery bringing me to 10 surgeries. Back in June of this year my 9 year old granddaughter got me into jumpers and now I have 25 jumpers, 30 velvets and 6 T's with more on the way. I've had and still do have my milk snakes and now king snakes. To me personally all my 8 leggers and crawlers are my emotional support team. I am on to watch the documentary why not sounds awesome. BTW just added a G. pulchra on for my next order. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
I just inherited one of these. She is a full grown female, and my first pulchra. She is very chill and I love to watch her. She is always out in the open!
Hi Tom, awesome video! And good to see a video about the Pulchra, such a „go to species“. I have a 4yo suspected female, that I‘ve raised from tiny spiderling stage. Atm she’s not very docile 😂 but always out and she eats very good.
This is absolutely my favourite species to keep. So much so, I have three of them. One I got as a 1/2" sling in 2015 (around 3.5" now) and two slings that are about 1" which I got last year. I am so glad to see a video on yours, especially the enclosure info, because I've been debating moving my big girl into a larger enclosure for the same reasons. Looks like Marshmallow will be getting some new digs soon!
Hi Tom & Billie, hope all’s going great for you guys. Great rehousing and care video as per usual 🕷️🕷️ They’re a very pretty Tarantula! I love just how black they are! Take care!! Have a fantastic weekend 😊😊
I got my G Pulchra in October 2022, it’s been 10 months since its last molt! It’s still small 2 1/2 inches, such a lovely Tarantula, has a great feeding response and so calm. I keep it just as you do and thank you for sharing this video. I have learnt so much from you😊
Great vid as always Tom, g. Pulchra are always a sight to behold no matter the size and yours is no exception 😊 such bulky spiders, real tanks! I think I left a similar comment on you last vid on g. rosea, but I’m lucky enough to have a 6.5” female & a male that 🤞 will be getting to know her intimately after his next molt haha, and hearing about the growth of yours really makes me wonder quite how old they both might be 😮
They really are stunning spiders, Christopher. I know the blue ones get a lot of attention, but the black ones are just as pretty...and bulky too! :) Good luck with your pairing! Those spiders are probably quite old. haha
Beautiful, your passion and dedication is admirable. I used to have a few tarantulas in the past, my favourite was B. albopilosum, another classic and suitable for beginners. Your grammostola is adorable!
Thank you so much for the dry substrate tip! I've been trying to figure out why my G. pulchra keeps climbing up and staying on the sides of their enclosure. I remodeled (more like re-terraformed) her enclosure, thinking she wanted a higher vantage point for whatever reason. Didn't work. So then I thought she might want a larger enclosure, even though the one she was in seemed like the perfect size. So, I DIYed an acrylic shoe display box, which gave about 50% more horizontal space. And still, they climbed. After watching your video, I just crumpled up a bunch of leaf litter, sprinkled it to cover much of the bottom of the enclosure, and now my G. pulchra is happily chilling with all 8 feet on the ground. AMAZING!
Eyyy Mr Moran. My first T was a G Pulchra pretty recently and she's now molted twice. Very exciting, very cool spider. So far her temperament is chill, as far as a spiderling goes. I named her Alcina, hoping she is in fact female. Cannot wait for her to get bigger. Thanks for the content!
Great video and perfect timing! My g. Pulchra, Coffin Joe, just molted a week or so ago and could probably use a rehousing now. I was lucky with the growth rate, got it as a little pink sling a little less than 2 years ago and it's already a black furry giant! Ok... maybe not giant, but definitely in the 4 inch range. Thinking 12x12x12x is the right move for the upgrade. I got a rather large acrylic enclosure for my OBT sling, Clementine, based on your recommendation of going a bit bigger and giving them lots of room. It's growing into it nicely and is unbelievably chill for an OBT.
Aww, what a cutie! I got a G. pulchra as my first tarantula about a year ago, also around 0.75 inches. Now, s/he is just a bit smaller than yours, so I guess I have one of the fast growing ones. I was hoping to see your old man G. pulchra. Will you make a video with him in the future?
What a great one to start with! As for the video, I was going to record him, but he pulled himself into a stress posture and he just looked terrible. I'm worried that he's not going to be with me for much longer. :( I'll see if I can get him being more social.
Despite their enormous popularity in the hobby, I STILL think they are an underrated species. They can be a wonderful pet for most people in general, even those who would not keep tarantulas otherwise.
Mine definitely did the burrowing forever thing. I bought it as a sling over a year ago, and it's just now coming out of its burrow on a regular basis.
Hey Tom! Awesome video as always! I was about to send you an email then remembered you posted and I had to watch! I absolutely LOVE G. pulchra, my first ever t many years ago was one but my cat knocked it over at night and it died :( (Fwiw I no longer have the cat, it was constantly killing my animals and it just wasn't a good fit lol) Unfortunately, my "big beautiful black velvet spider" slot is taken up my 3 suspect female P. arboricola, lol. I'm panicking trying to figure out where I'm going to put all of them! I was hoping for maybe one female but man have I been .. surprised! The spider gods have been kind to me with females recently. Anyway, I wanted to share a story with you about enclosures. I know that obviously you can set up enclosures to make supposedly spicy tarantulas behave in a more calm and shy way, but I had no idea how drastic the change in temperament can be between keeping something in an incorrect vs. correct enclosure. I have a T. ockerti that's been a pain in my butt from day 1, super flighty, very kicky, just very unsettled. I did give him a piece of cork bark leaned at an angle but I never saw him use it. He just never seemed happy with what I gave him; I tried arboreal, terrestrial, terrestrial+, and eventually I assumed he was just kinda a jerk (which is totally fine I still love him) but I started feeling really, really guilty. I finally reached out to some veteran keepers for advice (and yes I did watch your videos on them repeatedly, but he's like 2.5 inches so not really an appropriate size to move into an Exoterra like you did, and I FELT that I had set mine up in a similar way but clearly I was wrong...) Across the board I was recommended to get a cork tube in there, so that's what I did, as well as heavily planting it with fake foliage. Let me tell you, Tom. The difference in temperament is NIGHT AND DAY. He is a COMPLETELY different spider in this enclosure. Still a little skittish but in the old enclosure, he'd throw up a cloud of hairs and try to escape as soon as you moved the enclosure or even walked by, but in this enclosure, he just ducks right into his cork bark tube and I actually see him out exploring calmly and slowly, which is incredible as they are stunning spiders. I feel terribly guilty that his behaviour was due to my inadequate setup, but I am very glad he is now much more comfortable. In the old enclosure, I was just like "oh my god dude can you hurry up and mature?" but now I'm hoping he sticks around a while longer as I am much better able to admire his beauty and appreciate what an incredible animal he is in this new setup. I am thrilled that he's clearly much "happier" in this enclosure. He's a super awesome spider and I love the species; I'm excited to try for a female once he's sent off. Hope school is going well and Billie and her techs are doing okay. September is a rough month for us! Also, I got my first tattoo for my birthday! It says "The label is the law" (ask Billie, it's a pest control thing!) and of course now I want more! Can't wait for the podcast tomorrow :) - Charlotte
Hey, bud...great to hear from you! And they sure do, although there are folks out there who have super fast growing ones. I don't get it. haha I hope that all is well!
What size is it? Carefully drip water down the sides so that the bottom layer of substrate doesn't dry out. Was it eating before it buried itself? If so, it's probably in premolt and doesn't need food. If you're worried that it's not, carefully open the top of the burrow and leave a pre killed prey item there overnight (DO NOT put live prey in, just in case it's molting). If it's gone in the morning, then the spider is still eating. Good luck!
@ thanks Tom! One thing I have been doing is dropping the prey down the hole! But I am going to stop doing that and follow your tips. I’m not sure the size but a G pulchra almost 1 1/2 year . Wow no joke slow growing. Months ago he came out but since has burrowed. I will also start watering him that way too. I feel a lot more confident now.
Thank you! And here: fearnottarantulas.com/products/grammostola-rosea-chilean-rose-tarantula-for-sale?srsltid=AfmBOoqz5o_guiHDD4X7_wkAJDxadknEsSnzgJ5avqPwuGYJnA82dc5O
Hey Tom & Billie! Great stuff as always! 🤟 Really love the G pulchra, such a slick black beauty. Really deserves the scientific name (pulchra = beautiful in Latin). ;) Btw you're not cheap: you're 'economical'. I generally only move my Ts from dram vials < feeders tub < adult enclosure. Unless I miscalculate their adult size. 😅 Keep it up guys! 🤗 Cheers, Thomas
My pulchra finally molted in my care and WOW! It put on some immense size and gained adult coloration. Before this it just looked like a big sling all muddled colored. It gained 3/4" legspan easily. Guessing this means I may have a male as females I hear grow at a glacial pace. Nice vid as always though they are a great species. Was one of my first and taught me about burrowers well enough combined with you that i just picked up an LSD EArth Tiger sling today amongst 6 other amazing/rare species.
Man, it's so odd how different they can be. Mine actively avoid the moist patches. I never let them dry out completely, but when I've given them moist sub, they have climbed up on the sides to avoid it!
Mine did the same thing with its most recent molt! It was down there for a whole month after it finished. I was so nervous because it was clearly underfed. Lil fella popped out a week and a half ago and is huge, now he’s eaten two wax worms and is very active/rearranging and reinforcing his whole enclosure with tunnels. About 1 2/3 inch
I had two female pulchras. Unfortunately, I lost my favorite, Bulldozer, after raising her from a juvenile for seven years. (I think something went wrong with her molt, as she died three weeks after molting and never ate.) As her name suggests, Dozer was a great excavator. She never showed much interest in burrowing, but she was constantly moving substrate around (often dumping it into her water dish). I’ve had my other pulchra for nine years now. She was a half-inch sling when I got her, and now she is just over four inches. Flash has always been more skittish than Dozer. She used to burrow and hide when she was a sling. She stays out now, but she will usually retreat when disturbed (, but Dozer would just sit there or even grab whatever I was moving).
I'm so sorry to hear about Bulldozer. :( That's terrible. And that behavior sounds a lot like what I've experienced with mine. Flash sounds like quite the girl! Thanks for chiming in!
My daughter and I have A G Puchra and a Gbb. I love those kind of documentaries. I will. Check him out! Hi Tom always live your videos, very informative ❤❤❤❤😊😊
Hello, Melanie! These videos really are fantastic, and I just wish more folks were interested in them. Andrew is definitely someone that I look up to. Please, let me know if you check them out! :) Thank you so much!
Mine hates anything besides bone dry substrate. Also, I had a sling with a missing label. Your vid made me realize I was “missing” my Brazilian black, which was the unlabeled T. lol
Hey Tom. The Grammostola pulchra was my introduction into keeping. We got her as a 3/4” sling back in April 2021 and she’s about 4 1/2” now. I ventral sexed then confirmed through molt. I think that she’s had a good growth rate for a Grammostola. We call her our little bulldozer. She’s moved dirt her entire life. She’s the only one that comes out to say him and go for a walk about!! I don’t typically hold any of my tarantulas but she really is a sweetheart so she comes out for a stroll on my hand.
Hey, Stuart! Man, that's awesome. And I'm not going to lie; before we started this video, this one crawled out and I was tempted to pick her up. She really has been quite laid back and sweet!
Hey Tom! Great video. I got my G. pulchra in early April 2023 around an inch. And she has molted 6 times since and the last molt is a little over 3”. For the first time out of all the spiders I have, I got to see this one flip over! Super cool. I got lucky (because I only have one) and I’m pretty sure it’s a female. Can’t wait till she gets a little more size. Do they really get around 8”? Take care!
Of the 3 Grammostolas I own this is the slowest growing. Wonderful spider but I wish it would molt at least once every year. I've got Brachypelmas doing laps around it
Hi Tom, wondering if the difference in growth rate is related to whether or not the Grammostola is a pulchra or a quirogai? I came home with 5 Tarantulas on day 1 in the hobby, and a chubby bumblebee-sized G. pulchra was one of them. Tucker is now a beautiful adult female and sweet as they come.
I brought that idea up in an old podcast. I think that it's a solid theory. For years, they were thought to be very difficult to breed, and some think that it could be due to folks trying to pair pulchra with quiroqai. Awwwww...Tucker sounds awesome!
So exciting to see what mine will look like in 8yrs 😂🙈 such a pretty spider. My juvenile is currently fat and not interested in food and chilling on its cork bark. I sent you a message and video about my new Phormictopus Dominican Purple sling a little while ago, she ate straight away when I got her home and borrowed down into the substrate. How long have your Phormictopus slings stayed buried for?
If it grows like mine, it will look exactly the same. haha And that's awesome! When did you send it? My purples would stay under for a couple weeks or so when they were in premolt.
Hi Tom. I have 3 of these at the exact same size as yours. Two males and one female, which is good since not all males grow up being able to "deliver" from my experience. Some fun fact in terms of growth rate... They have all molted 5 times in my care. BOTH males have just molted and it took 2 months from the previous molt. But the molts before that took 7month with both of them. Makes little sense to me. I feed them the same amount and at the same time. The female is the exact opposite. This last molt to 6 months and the molt before that took 2 month haha. I was really scratching my hair when i noticed. Mine all dig pretty much ever day and i keep them semi dry too. They were 1cm leg span when i got them 5 molts ago in winter 2023 and now they are around 8cm. So around 3inch now.
I have a G. pulchra sling/juvie who molted a few months ago for the first time in about two years. By far my slowest grower, I got her in 2020 as a 3/4 inch sling and she is now a whopping two inches. For reference, I got a G. pluchripes at the same time and same size and she is now a little over four inches lol She is now the same size my subadult male pulchra was when I got him and he has been a steady grower so I'm hoping she picks up the pace. Her recent molt was big enough for me to confirm that she is female so at least there is that.
My G. pulchra (Elvira) feels like she grows both slow and fast. She will molt several times with no obvious change to the point my delusion kicks in and I convince myself maybe she looks a little bigger, then comes one more molt and BAM she looks like she's grown at least a half inch lol.
You know, that's what happened with this one early on. She had several molts but seemed to put on no size. Then...BAM. She was bigger and black. Now we're at no molts an NO growth haha
I love these guys! I have one, though I'm not sure is they're a "pure" G. pulchra, or one of the hybrids that was going around. They're Very Silly; I don't handle my t's very often but this one is the exception..... Because I put a cricket in their tank one and they FREAKED OUT and ran away and up the side of their tank into my hand. I'm so glad it was just a G. pulchra and not one of my others that I caught! They've been refusing to eat soon which is mildly annoying, but what can you do? I have tried giving them a water dish, but they keep kicking dirt into it so I stopped emptying it out - I was worried that it was becoming more stressful. That being said, I have seen them "drink" off the side of the tank when I spray some water in, so I make sure to keep doing that. :) (Side note, one of my friends is tentatively interested in getting into T's and I recommended your channel, so "T", if you see this comment, hi!!)
I recently tried to find more of those mdesign containers myself cause they are great and I could use more lol but I could only find 1 seller with the 6 pack but the price was ridiculous and definitely not worth it but like you said hopefully they'll make more or something similar. Sometimes finding a clear container at specific sizes is difficult, keep ending up with milky clear containers lol 😆 Well I spoke too soon. Went and looked and found 8 packs or the approximate 7x6x6 mdesign at reasonable price and bought some lol called home office storage and craft room stackable storage container in case anyone was interested and they're available for you 😉
My girl when I got her about 9 months ago was so sweet made me want to hold her. However she molted and now she puts her little Hiney up in the air like no , no pics ugh but I love her so much.
Love my pulchra. 1st spider I got she(hopefully) really helped with my phobia as she is SUPER sweet and beautiful. Mine is also about 3 inches and I was about to say that yes the growth is glacial, then I looked and sh he'd molted today. Don't know if she's any bigger though.
Great video.. thnx alot. That's great news to know this species is so long lived even as a male. I just recently molt confirmed my G. Pulchra is a male. His name is Tom. Wonder how he got that name 😂
I have a 3 inch female who has only burrowed at one stage of life. As a matter of fact she doesn’t even use her hide 😳 She is always on display 🖤🖤🖤 Mine molted about a month ago, she is a stunner !! I do care. I’m as analytical as the day is long. Just Googled the documentary. Thanks for the tip 😊
TOM! IT'S ME, DOVIE! How in the world have you been!? Still the preeminent voice in arachnid education and cheerleading, I see. I have been largely out of the hobby since COVID and a very sudden move for a teaching gig in Lake Tahoe and am just now returning to the fold, down from 45 spiders to 3 lovely NW girls. Got rid of the isopods, got rid of the beetles and scorpions, and the big ol' fast scary bitey local centipedes. So, just as a personal favor (which you in no way owe me), would you possibly consider a video that runs down all that is new in the Tarantula fancy in the last 5 or 6 years? I see there's been some MAJOR name changes, but what are the exciting new species, and what has changed in husbandry that benefits the health of our cherished eight-leggéd friends? And WHAT is the DEAL with those crazy emerald roaches? Talk about glamorous! I know they're slow growers, but are they hardy? I kept the apple-green banana roaches a few years ago and found them tetchie, unprolific, and difficult even when I lived in a humid environment that they would like. Here in Arizona, they would be virtually impossible! If these guys are like those guys I don't see myself. Investing $200 in a group of 5 to get started. But if they are hardy and prolific like my beloved dubias, bring 'em on! So...what's up, Doc??? Missed your work! 🥰🥰🥰 PS, my pulcra girl needs a date. Know anyone with a male who is surplus to need?
Dovie!!!! How the heck have you been? It's so great to hear from you again. Yup, I'm still chugging along. Haha It's been almost 11 years now! I'm so glad to hear that you're coming back. :) And I can definitely try to put something together, although it is quite overwhelming, what with the MANY name changes and dozens (hundreds) of new species introduced in that time. It's been a busy several years. haah As for the roached, I thought that they were hardy, but I've heard from a few people who struggled with them. That said, it sounds like the ones who struggled with them were either keeping them too wet, or way too dry. Soooo...maybe they are a little finicky? I currently have 18 or so babies, so I'm super stoked! So great to hear from you!!! - Tom
I am so sad, I was on the phone in looking at my Darlingi and sugar ants were in his little enclosure by the hundreds. No more Darlingi...and he was growing so well, he had finally gotten to be about an inch to an inch and a half...😭 UGH....thankfully there were no more enclosures in that area
I adore my g. Pulchra. Bought her as a confirmed female at 1.5 inches ( Spider Shoppe was correct in their sexing). She has molted twice since I got her and she is about 2.75 inches now. She dug a great deal until I moved her into a larger enclosure. Now, even when molting, she seemed to ca tree less about digging. Even at this size, she’s is still mostly brown except for her pitch black abdomen.
Hey, Jared! I'd been promising an update for quite some time, so I'm glad that I was able to get it done. And I'm jealous of your growth rate! Mine eats twice a week, has pretty warm temps, and goes years without molting. haha
I have to be honest....I'm terrified of tarantulas but I have a strange fascination with them. When I was in high school, (1979-82), the science department kept a pet tarantula and a Boa Constrictor named Zara. I was oddly fascinated by the spider.. I will admit that they have beautiful colors, but my fear is being bitten by one. I was told that even though they look menacing, they are actually quite tame ...is that true? I'm trying to get over my skiitishness by watching videos like these but I'll probably never get one as a pet. I'm 60 and live alone. Can't afford to have something bite me and then have serious medical repercussions.
Thanks again Tom !! A little over four years ago I got a G actaeon from fear not . Maybe a two inch dls . Had really nice red hair on the abdomen . It's molted a few times and has lost all red . Looks just like a Pulchra . Also the first female molt I've ever sexed .
I have a G. Pulchra too and he's 7. Yep, they are very slow growing but that's okay. He's very laid back and has never kicked hair at me, well not yet anyway. Yours is beautiful. Btw, if you lose any more weight you will have to run around in the shower to get wet!!!! 😁😅
So, you're not interested in documentaries by people who are discovering and describing these species we collect? You don't like seeing them in their natural environments? And I said that, "sometimes we can be a damaging section of it." It's a fact. There are still species that are commonly bred in captivity being pulled from the wild illegally and shipped around the world for the pet trade (a recent paper documented this with T. rasti, a species bred for years in the hobby). Let's not pretend that these animals magically appear in our collections whenever a new species is discovered. Sure, many of these animals may only one day be kept in captivity due to habitat loss, but let's not pretend that the pet trade doesn't do some damage to those populations. So, yes...there is a dark side to the pet trade. Got it wrong? Not at all.
Find Andrew Smith's Tarantulas of Costa Rica Kickstarter here!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lovetarantulas/new-documentary-tarantulas-of-costa-rica
Andrew is a great bloke to speak to too, I've met him at one of the invert shows a couple of years ago. Currently watching his video on the King Baboon and Man Eating Lions of Tsavo 😊
this is the only tarantula i have and i've had mine for 15 years
Awwww...that's awesome, Kyle!
How does feeding them go?
Im considering getting one, it's a possibility, but I dislike roaches with a passion and I heard they feed on those.
Would a mealworm and possibly other worm diet work?
After watching many of your videos this 65 year old retired nurse got her first tarantulas a year and a half ago. My first was G. pulchru and I just adore her. I just rehoused her last week and she is thriving. I am expecting a G. Anthracina on Tuesday and I am just thrilled. Thank you for your amazing videos that helped me take the plunge!!!
So cool to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the comments and sharing the link Tom. Just 6 days left to support this project.
It was my pleasure. Thank YOU for all you do for tarantulas! Hopefully a few more people check it out.
This video came at an ideal time.
I got a G. pulchra sling last Tuesday. Today is Saturday.
It has been hugging the walls the whole time.
Turns out it was the wet top layer of substrate.
This has been fixed and it is already starting to venture away from the walls more.
Look, I know that parents say that they don't have "favorites" among their children (I dispute that, but still...) I have to say of my 7 babies (although they're certainly not actually babies anymore) my G. pulchra (Nyx) is by far my favorite. He/She has personality in spades. Never hid themselves away, even when they were so small they'd fit on your pinkie fingernail and had plenty of room for burrowing. They're approaching 3.5" to 4" now and literally never sits still. Always finding fun projects to do in their enclosure, whether it's filling their water dish with dirt... AGAIN, or doing general excavations, or can't decide which side of their home they prefer their plastic plant so moves it around frequently, just a fun and beautiful spider to own. LOVE my G. pulchra.
I have 8 and my pulchra is still small (~2") but yeah, their personality is amazing. mine is calm, always visible, and an amazing eater, second best to my GBB in appetite. I definitely think everyone should have one
@@humanname99 100% agree
I had to sell off my collection at the start of 2021 which included two juvenile G pulchras and I was absolutely DEVASTATED. They’re my absolute favorites and if I’m ever in a position to have a tarantula again, it’ll be a pulchra.
Oh no...that's awful! :( I do hope that you manage to get another someday.
Had mine for 10 years and she still going
Awwwww...that's awesome!
Thanks for sharing the link for our Kickstarter Tom!
Hey, Guy! Please, it was my absolute pleasure. I absolutely love the documentaries and I'm happy to do whatever I can to raise awareness for them!
Oh my how did I miss this! These are my favorite tarantulas! Bought two .5" inch slings around June 2019. Fast forward 5 years I have two confirmed ♀️ around 3.8 - 4 inch. I always thought the tropical country buff would make them grow faster but it'll probably take another 5 years for them to grow to a proper 7"+ adult
Hey, Jem! It's such an awesome species. Bahahaha I love "Tropical country buff!" I honestly wondered if you were going to get super fast growth! I just spoke to someone who keeps theirs at 65, and it hit 3" in a year! Thanks for commenting!
I ordered my new copy Andrews therafosa (I know I spelled that wrong) DVD the day after your podcast last week and I can't wait till it gets in so excited
Hey, Scott! It's so good. Let me know what you think!
Tom, thank you so much for this! Beautiful animal!
Thank you so much, Christopher!
@@TomsBigSpiders I have recently reached out to Tanya at Fear Not and am hoping she eventually has what I'm looking for. Obviously your name came up in the conversation. Please write back whenever you can. Chris
@@christophersamuelson451 I hope she finds what you want!
Really enjoyed the video Tom, as always 😊 My two Pulchra (Blanco and Vanta) are absolute clowns and are always up to something, digging and moving their plants about, they're very entertaining, totally not typical 8 legged pet rocks 😆
Thank you so much, and I love the names! They sound awesome!
Great information as always. Glad someone is spreading the word about Andrew, I have his DVDs, they are awesome documentaries
Hi, Chris! Thanks so much. As for Andrew, he (and his documentaries) don't get he recognition that they deserve. I agree, they are awesome.
My favorite tarantula. Mine just molted 2 days ago. My most stressful but thankfully successful molt!!! I had just rehoused her 2 weeks ago. So grateful I did!!! Love your videos. They were so helpful before I took the plunge 2 years ago.
Hello, Gail! Such an awesome species. And thank you so much! :)
These are one of those all black tarantulas that I always adore. I’d dearly love one but my husband is a spider phone but mainly a Tphobe. He doesn’t understand me and sat outside when I was at an invert show last year. He said it would kill him if I bought one. He actually asked me I I’d bought a T when he came out of ICU earlier this year. Wuss 😘
Hey, Bobbie! I LOVE all black tarantulas...there is just something so handsome about them. Bahahahaha He REALLY needs to get over that. haha I hope that he someday sees the light!
Absolutely gorgeous!
I met Andrew Smith and Guy Tansley in the UK last year - totally fangirled!🤣
Oh man, Bobbie...I would have done the same thing. haha You're lucky!
@@TomsBigSpiders It was very cool, they're both super nice!
Great video, as always! Can't wait to get mine this week...thx for all of this amazing content, Tom! Appreciate you. -Greg
Hello, Greg! That's fantastic! They are such awesome little spiders. :) Thank you so much! - Tom
Amazing video! Perfect for me as I am raising my first G. Pulchra and these videos are so helpful!
Thanks, Catie! I'm so glad that it was useful! :)
First off, thank you for your awesome content. I really enjoy watching your videos (and learning a lot about the care and husbandry)!
After a lot of research and watching hours of YT videos I've bought my first T (a GBB female juvenile) about a half year ago and quickly found out I really like to observe and care for them. So I bought four more slings, including a G. pulchra. It molted not long after I brought it home and outgrew its enclosure, so I rehoused it a couple of weeks ago. It burrowed down the first night and I haven't seen it since. I wonder how long I have to wait until I see it above ground again... 😅
Greetings from the Netherlands! 🤘
Brilliant stuff Tom, no nonsense video as always and very much appreciated, love the G.Pulchra fantastic species of spider 🕷.
Thank you so much, George! And they really are fantastic spiders. I hope all is well!
Always good content. Thank you from Doha!
Thank you so much! :)
I purchased my baby G. pulchra in Feb. of 2020, named her Betty of course, AND she just unexpectedly molted again yesterday! SHE LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! LIKE SILK! I am getting another enclosure ready for her tomorrow so this video is PERFECT TIMING! Thanks, Tom! I hope you and yours are all doing well. I always enjoy the videos!
I have 2 of these and mine are fast growers as well. Thanks Tom as always great video ❤
Why did I get the slowpokes??? haha Thanks, Pepper!
My favorite 🖤 love your rehousing/husbandry videos!
Thank you so much, Ranae!
Hi Tom. I'm a 55yr old retired due to work injury since 47 not fun for the ones thinking its great. I go back October for 3rd back surgery bringing me to 10 surgeries. Back in June of this year my 9 year old granddaughter got me into jumpers and now I have 25 jumpers, 30 velvets and 6 T's with more on the way. I've had and still do have my milk snakes and now king snakes. To me personally all my 8 leggers and crawlers are my emotional support team. I am on to watch the documentary why not sounds awesome. BTW just added a G. pulchra on for my next order. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
I just inherited one of these. She is a full grown female, and my first pulchra. She is very chill and I love to watch her. She is always out in the open!
Awwww...that's awesome, Derek! They are such amazing spiders.
Hi Tom, awesome video! And good to see a video about the Pulchra, such a „go to species“. I have a 4yo suspected female, that I‘ve raised from tiny spiderling stage. Atm she’s not very docile 😂 but always out and she eats very good.
Hey, Angela! So your girl is a little bratty? haha Maybe she'll grow out of it as she matures. :) Thanks you!
This is absolutely my favourite species to keep. So much so, I have three of them. One I got as a 1/2" sling in 2015 (around 3.5" now) and two slings that are about 1" which I got last year. I am so glad to see a video on yours, especially the enclosure info, because I've been debating moving my big girl into a larger enclosure for the same reasons. Looks like Marshmallow will be getting some new digs soon!
Hi Tom & Billie, hope all’s going great for you guys.
Great rehousing and care video as per usual 🕷️🕷️
They’re a very pretty Tarantula! I love just how black they are!
Take care!! Have a fantastic weekend 😊😊
Hey Tom great video I love the pilcha I have a 4” female and she is always doing something.and thanks for the link.
Hey, James! That's fantastic. And you're most welcome!
I got my G Pulchra in October 2022, it’s been 10 months since its last molt! It’s still small 2 1/2 inches, such a lovely Tarantula, has a great feeding response and so calm.
I keep it just as you do and thank you for sharing this video. I have learnt so much from you😊
Great vid as always Tom, g. Pulchra are always a sight to behold no matter the size and yours is no exception 😊 such bulky spiders, real tanks! I think I left a similar comment on you last vid on g. rosea, but I’m lucky enough to have a 6.5” female & a male that 🤞 will be getting to know her intimately after his next molt haha, and hearing about the growth of yours really makes me wonder quite how old they both might be 😮
They really are stunning spiders, Christopher. I know the blue ones get a lot of attention, but the black ones are just as pretty...and bulky too! :) Good luck with your pairing! Those spiders are probably quite old. haha
Beautiful, your passion and dedication is admirable. I used to have a few tarantulas in the past, my favourite was B. albopilosum, another classic and suitable for beginners. Your grammostola is adorable!
Dang! Early drop! Tom once again, thank you so much for everything you bring to the hobby. My tarantulas are definitely better off for it.
Also, THREE YEARS between molts?!!!?? Oh my lord. And I thought my Brachypelmas were growing slow.
Yeah, I was trying to get this one out before lunch. haha And thank you so much!
Yeah, she really made me wait for that one!
Looking good there Tom. Hi Billie. Great camera work. Your species is just so dark. The Black Knight Rises. LOL Have a fantastic week. JJ
Hey, Joyce! Thank you so much...it does, indeed! haha You have a great one as well!
Thank you so much for the dry substrate tip! I've been trying to figure out why my G. pulchra keeps climbing up and staying on the sides of their enclosure. I remodeled (more like re-terraformed) her enclosure, thinking she wanted a higher vantage point for whatever reason. Didn't work. So then I thought she might want a larger enclosure, even though the one she was in seemed like the perfect size. So, I DIYed an acrylic shoe display box, which gave about 50% more horizontal space. And still, they climbed. After watching your video, I just crumpled up a bunch of leaf litter, sprinkled it to cover much of the bottom of the enclosure, and now my G. pulchra is happily chilling with all 8 feet on the ground. AMAZING!
Hello great video information and rehouseing Tom
Eyyy Mr Moran. My first T was a G Pulchra pretty recently and she's now molted twice. Very exciting, very cool spider. So far her temperament is chill, as far as a spiderling goes. I named her Alcina, hoping she is in fact female. Cannot wait for her to get bigger. Thanks for the content!
Man, she's growing quite quickly! Love the name as well! Thank you!
@TomsBigSpiders Yeah, so far she's been a blast. Very much love having her. Thanks as always Tom! You rock sir.
Great video and perfect timing! My g. Pulchra, Coffin Joe, just molted a week or so ago and could probably use a rehousing now. I was lucky with the growth rate, got it as a little pink sling a little less than 2 years ago and it's already a black furry giant! Ok... maybe not giant, but definitely in the 4 inch range. Thinking 12x12x12x is the right move for the upgrade. I got a rather large acrylic enclosure for my OBT sling, Clementine, based on your recommendation of going a bit bigger and giving them lots of room. It's growing into it nicely and is unbelievably chill for an OBT.
First off, kudos on the ridiculously cool name. Coffin Joe...LOVE it! And why do mine grow soooo slowly? haha Good luck on the rehousings!
Aww, what a cutie! I got a G. pulchra as my first tarantula about a year ago, also around 0.75 inches. Now, s/he is just a bit smaller than yours, so I guess I have one of the fast growing ones. I was hoping to see your old man G. pulchra. Will you make a video with him in the future?
What a great one to start with! As for the video, I was going to record him, but he pulled himself into a stress posture and he just looked terrible. I'm worried that he's not going to be with me for much longer. :( I'll see if I can get him being more social.
I have had these in the past STUNNING Ts gonna have to get another at some point
They are such pretty spiders, Michael!
Great video ,as always very helpful and informative. Thank you 👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much, Robert!
Great video as always
Omg my favorite fav🎉 love the info thank you soooooooo much 🕷️
You're most welcome!
I have a G. actaeon. I want a pulchra! Great video Tom!
That's awesome...and thank you so much!
awesome video, currently caring for a sling. They are fantastic! Thanks!
Thank you so much, James. I hope that you get one!
Despite their enormous popularity in the hobby, I STILL think they are an underrated species. They can be a wonderful pet for most people in general, even those who would not keep tarantulas otherwise.
Mine definitely did the burrowing forever thing. I bought it as a sling over a year ago, and it's just now coming out of its burrow on a regular basis.
Glad to hear that she's coming out more!
Hey Tom! Awesome video as always! I was about to send you an email then remembered you posted and I had to watch! I absolutely LOVE G. pulchra, my first ever t many years ago was one but my cat knocked it over at night and it died :( (Fwiw I no longer have the cat, it was constantly killing my animals and it just wasn't a good fit lol)
Unfortunately, my "big beautiful black velvet spider" slot is taken up my 3 suspect female P. arboricola, lol. I'm panicking trying to figure out where I'm going to put all of them! I was hoping for maybe one female but man have I been .. surprised! The spider gods have been kind to me with females recently. Anyway, I wanted to share a story with you about enclosures. I know that obviously you can set up enclosures to make supposedly spicy tarantulas behave in a more calm and shy way, but I had no idea how drastic the change in temperament can be between keeping something in an incorrect vs. correct enclosure. I have a T. ockerti that's been a pain in my butt from day 1, super flighty, very kicky, just very unsettled. I did give him a piece of cork bark leaned at an angle but I never saw him use it. He just never seemed happy with what I gave him; I tried arboreal, terrestrial, terrestrial+, and eventually I assumed he was just kinda a jerk (which is totally fine I still love him) but I started feeling really, really guilty. I finally reached out to some veteran keepers for advice (and yes I did watch your videos on them repeatedly, but he's like 2.5 inches so not really an appropriate size to move into an Exoterra like you did, and I FELT that I had set mine up in a similar way but clearly I was wrong...)
Across the board I was recommended to get a cork tube in there, so that's what I did, as well as heavily planting it with fake foliage. Let me tell you, Tom. The difference in temperament is NIGHT AND DAY. He is a COMPLETELY different spider in this enclosure. Still a little skittish but in the old enclosure, he'd throw up a cloud of hairs and try to escape as soon as you moved the enclosure or even walked by, but in this enclosure, he just ducks right into his cork bark tube and I actually see him out exploring calmly and slowly, which is incredible as they are stunning spiders. I feel terribly guilty that his behaviour was due to my inadequate setup, but I am very glad he is now much more comfortable. In the old enclosure, I was just like "oh my god dude can you hurry up and mature?" but now I'm hoping he sticks around a while longer as I am much better able to admire his beauty and appreciate what an incredible animal he is in this new setup. I am thrilled that he's clearly much "happier" in this enclosure. He's a super awesome spider and I love the species; I'm excited to try for a female once he's sent off.
Hope school is going well and Billie and her techs are doing okay. September is a rough month for us! Also, I got my first tattoo for my birthday! It says "The label is the law" (ask Billie, it's a pest control thing!) and of course now I want more! Can't wait for the podcast tomorrow :)
- Charlotte
Great vid, I have 3.1.0 G. pulchra. They are awesome, hope to breed them someday. But they grow so so sloooowly.
Hey, bud...great to hear from you! And they sure do, although there are folks out there who have super fast growing ones. I don't get it. haha I hope that all is well!
Thanks mine has burrowed and haven’t seen it in weeks so now I know how to provide food and water correctly
What size is it? Carefully drip water down the sides so that the bottom layer of substrate doesn't dry out. Was it eating before it buried itself? If so, it's probably in premolt and doesn't need food. If you're worried that it's not, carefully open the top of the burrow and leave a pre killed prey item there overnight (DO NOT put live prey in, just in case it's molting). If it's gone in the morning, then the spider is still eating. Good luck!
@ thanks Tom! One thing I have been doing is dropping the prey down the hole! But I am going to stop doing that and follow your tips. I’m not sure the size but a G pulchra almost 1 1/2 year . Wow no joke slow growing. Months ago he came out but since has burrowed. I will also start watering him that way too. I feel a lot more confident now.
Nice video content as always
Any rose hair available ?
Thank you! And here: fearnottarantulas.com/products/grammostola-rosea-chilean-rose-tarantula-for-sale?srsltid=AfmBOoqz5o_guiHDD4X7_wkAJDxadknEsSnzgJ5avqPwuGYJnA82dc5O
our king is back
Hahaha Thank you!
Hey Tom & Billie! Great stuff as always! 🤟 Really love the G pulchra, such a slick black beauty. Really deserves the scientific name (pulchra = beautiful in Latin). ;)
Btw you're not cheap: you're 'economical'. I generally only move my Ts from dram vials < feeders tub < adult enclosure. Unless I miscalculate their adult size. 😅
Keep it up guys! 🤗
Cheers, Thomas
My pulchra finally molted in my care and WOW! It put on some immense size and gained adult coloration. Before this it just looked like a big sling all muddled colored. It gained 3/4" legspan easily. Guessing this means I may have a male as females I hear grow at a glacial pace. Nice vid as always though they are a great species. Was one of my first and taught me about burrowers well enough combined with you that i just picked up an LSD EArth Tiger sling today amongst 6 other amazing/rare species.
Mine looooooves moisture. She will get grumpy if I let the sub dry out and will start moving the sub around looking for moist soil.
Man, it's so odd how different they can be. Mine actively avoid the moist patches. I never let them dry out completely, but when I've given them moist sub, they have climbed up on the sides to avoid it!
Mine is named Morgan after the Kittie lead singer!
Hey, Daniel! That's awesome! How cool is it that they're back?
Mine did the same thing with its most recent molt! It was down there for a whole month after it finished. I was so nervous because it was clearly underfed. Lil fella popped out a week and a half ago and is huge, now he’s eaten two wax worms and is very active/rearranging and reinforcing his whole enclosure with tunnels. About 1 2/3 inch
I had two female pulchras. Unfortunately, I lost my favorite, Bulldozer, after raising her from a juvenile for seven years. (I think something went wrong with her molt, as she died three weeks after molting and never ate.) As her name suggests, Dozer was a great excavator. She never showed much interest in burrowing, but she was constantly moving substrate around (often dumping it into her water dish).
I’ve had my other pulchra for nine years now. She was a half-inch sling when I got her, and now she is just over four inches. Flash has always been more skittish than Dozer. She used to burrow and hide when she was a sling. She stays out now, but she will usually retreat when disturbed (, but Dozer would just sit there or even grab whatever I was moving).
I'm so sorry to hear about Bulldozer. :( That's terrible. And that behavior sounds a lot like what I've experienced with mine. Flash sounds like quite the girl! Thanks for chiming in!
My daughter and I have A G Puchra and a Gbb. I love those kind of documentaries. I will. Check him out! Hi Tom always live your videos, very informative ❤❤❤❤😊😊
Hello, Melanie! These videos really are fantastic, and I just wish more folks were interested in them. Andrew is definitely someone that I look up to. Please, let me know if you check them out! :) Thank you so much!
the fast growth is so real. my apt stays at a steady 75-81 and my sling molts once a month! i wish it was slower
Man, it's been that temp here for six months and mine still isn't molting. haha
i’m currently counting down the hours until my 2 G. pulchras arrive 😍
Sorry for the late reply! I hope that they arrived safely!
Mine hates anything besides bone dry substrate. Also, I had a sling with a missing label. Your vid made me realize I was “missing” my Brazilian black, which was the unlabeled T. lol
Oh man! Glad that I could help out! haha And I've found that mine didn't appreciate the moisture either.
Hey Tom. The Grammostola pulchra was my introduction into keeping. We got her as a 3/4” sling back in April 2021 and she’s about 4 1/2” now. I ventral sexed then confirmed through molt. I think that she’s had a good growth rate for a Grammostola. We call her our little bulldozer. She’s moved dirt her entire life. She’s the only one that comes out to say him and go for a walk about!! I don’t typically hold any of my tarantulas but she really is a sweetheart so she comes out for a stroll on my hand.
Hey, Stuart! Man, that's awesome. And I'm not going to lie; before we started this video, this one crawled out and I was tempted to pick her up. She really has been quite laid back and sweet!
@@TomsBigSpiders yeah is very tempting. I’m more of an observe keeper and enthusiast!!! Keep up the good work!!!
Hey Tom! Great video. I got my G. pulchra in early April 2023 around an inch. And she has molted 6 times since and the last molt is a little over 3”. For the first time out of all the spiders I have, I got to see this one flip over! Super cool. I got lucky (because I only have one) and I’m pretty sure it’s a female. Can’t wait till she gets a little more size. Do they really get around 8”? Take care!
Of the 3 Grammostolas I own this is the slowest growing. Wonderful spider but I wish it would molt at least once every year. I've got Brachypelmas doing laps around it
My G. rosea is the only one who has this one beat. She is over 10 years old, and she's currently about 3". haha She refuses to grow!
Hi Tom, wondering if the difference in growth rate is related to whether or not the Grammostola is a pulchra or a quirogai? I came home with 5 Tarantulas on day 1 in the hobby, and a chubby bumblebee-sized G. pulchra was one of them. Tucker is now a beautiful adult female and sweet as they come.
I brought that idea up in an old podcast. I think that it's a solid theory. For years, they were thought to be very difficult to breed, and some think that it could be due to folks trying to pair pulchra with quiroqai. Awwwww...Tucker sounds awesome!
So exciting to see what mine will look like in 8yrs 😂🙈 such a pretty spider. My juvenile is currently fat and not interested in food and chilling on its cork bark. I sent you a message and video about my new Phormictopus Dominican Purple sling a little while ago, she ate straight away when I got her home and borrowed down into the substrate. How long have your Phormictopus slings stayed buried for?
If it grows like mine, it will look exactly the same. haha And that's awesome! When did you send it? My purples would stay under for a couple weeks or so when they were in premolt.
@@TomsBigSpiders it was 3 weeks ago, it's on my other UA-cam channel. So she's been gone 3 weeks.
Hay Tom I think you should send a link to this video they might be tempted to run a "batch" of enclosures. I mean who Knows? I'd buy 1 or 6 :)
Hi Tom.
I have 3 of these at the exact same size as yours.
Two males and one female, which is good since not all males grow up being able to "deliver" from my experience.
Some fun fact in terms of growth rate...
They have all molted 5 times in my care.
BOTH males have just molted and it took 2 months from the previous molt. But the molts before that took 7month with both of them.
Makes little sense to me.
I feed them the same amount and at the same time.
The female is the exact opposite.
This last molt to 6 months and the molt before that took 2 month haha.
I was really scratching my hair when i noticed.
Mine all dig pretty much ever day and i keep them semi dry too.
They were 1cm leg span when i got them 5 molts ago in winter 2023 and now they are around 8cm. So around 3inch now.
I have a G. pulchra sling/juvie who molted a few months ago for the first time in about two years. By far my slowest grower, I got her in 2020 as a 3/4 inch sling and she is now a whopping two inches. For reference, I got a G. pluchripes at the same time and same size and she is now a little over four inches lol
She is now the same size my subadult male pulchra was when I got him and he has been a steady grower so I'm hoping she picks up the pace. Her recent molt was big enough for me to confirm that she is female so at least there is that.
My G. pulchra (Elvira) feels like she grows both slow and fast. She will molt several times with no obvious change to the point my delusion kicks in and I convince myself maybe she looks a little bigger, then comes one more molt and BAM she looks like she's grown at least a half inch lol.
You know, that's what happened with this one early on. She had several molts but seemed to put on no size. Then...BAM. She was bigger and black. Now we're at no molts an NO growth haha
My female G pulchra is 4yrs old and chunky. She buries the water dish and excavates constantly.lol I love her!
Hey, Steve! Awwww...that's awesome!
What are Amec boxes ???
www.amac1960.com/pages/packaging-overview?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpvK4BhDUARIsADHt9sQVFBefD3uCfaK_FwSXg9qfEoSPnvWqCgciqLIUdj3ive3VOeebEx4aAo_XEALw_wcB
I love these guys! I have one, though I'm not sure is they're a "pure" G. pulchra, or one of the hybrids that was going around. They're Very Silly; I don't handle my t's very often but this one is the exception..... Because I put a cricket in their tank one and they FREAKED OUT and ran away and up the side of their tank into my hand. I'm so glad it was just a G. pulchra and not one of my others that I caught! They've been refusing to eat soon which is mildly annoying, but what can you do?
I have tried giving them a water dish, but they keep kicking dirt into it so I stopped emptying it out - I was worried that it was becoming more stressful. That being said, I have seen them "drink" off the side of the tank when I spray some water in, so I make sure to keep doing that. :)
(Side note, one of my friends is tentatively interested in getting into T's and I recommended your channel, so "T", if you see this comment, hi!!)
I recently tried to find more of those mdesign containers myself cause they are great and I could use more lol but I could only find 1 seller with the 6 pack but the price was ridiculous and definitely not worth it but like you said hopefully they'll make more or something similar. Sometimes finding a clear container at specific sizes is difficult, keep ending up with milky clear containers lol 😆
Well I spoke too soon. Went and looked and found 8 packs or the approximate 7x6x6 mdesign at reasonable price and bought some lol called home office storage and craft room stackable storage container in case anyone was interested and they're available for you 😉
My girl when I got her about 9 months ago was so sweet made me want to hold her. However she molted and now she puts her little Hiney up in the air like no , no pics ugh but I love her so much.
Awwww...that's so awesome. She's going through a bratty stage now. haha
These sell like crazy! I've tried to get one several Times but they were always sold out already 😮
Yeah, usually when they come in, they don't last long. Everyone wants them! haha Thanks, Mike!
Love my pulchra. 1st spider I got she(hopefully) really helped with my phobia as she is SUPER sweet and beautiful. Mine is also about 3 inches and I was about to say that yes the growth is glacial, then I looked and sh he'd molted today. Don't know if she's any bigger though.
Great video.. thnx alot. That's great news to know this species is so long lived even as a male. I just recently molt confirmed my G. Pulchra is a male. His name is Tom. Wonder how he got that name 😂
Yeah, I was skeptical years ago when I heard that males could live a decade, but this one is proving it. And AWESOME name! bahahahaha
Lovely lady.
Thank you, Michaelnancy!
I have a 3 inch female who has only burrowed at one stage of life. As a matter of fact she doesn’t even use her hide 😳
She is always on display 🖤🖤🖤
Mine molted about a month ago, she is a stunner !!
I do care. I’m as analytical as the day is long. Just Googled the documentary. Thanks for the tip 😊
One of the first ones I have in my collection and it's at the cranky juvie stage now and yeah mine is growing like an hamorri 😂
It's bad enought that they take forever to grow, but they have NO right to be cranky about it. haha
🤣cranky teenagers eh?
TOM! IT'S ME, DOVIE! How in the world have you been!? Still the preeminent voice in arachnid education and cheerleading, I see. I have been largely out of the hobby since COVID and a very sudden move for a teaching gig in Lake Tahoe and am just now returning to the fold, down from 45 spiders to 3 lovely NW girls. Got rid of the isopods, got rid of the beetles and scorpions, and the big ol' fast scary bitey local centipedes. So, just as a personal favor (which you in no way owe me), would you possibly consider a video that runs down all that is new in the Tarantula fancy in the last 5 or 6 years? I see there's been some MAJOR name changes, but what are the exciting new species, and what has changed in husbandry that benefits the health of our cherished eight-leggéd friends? And WHAT is the DEAL with those crazy emerald roaches? Talk about glamorous! I know they're slow growers, but are they hardy? I kept the apple-green banana roaches a few years ago and found them tetchie, unprolific, and difficult even when I lived in a humid environment that they would like. Here in Arizona, they would be virtually impossible! If these guys are like those guys I don't see myself. Investing $200 in a group of 5 to get started. But if they are hardy and prolific like my beloved dubias, bring 'em on! So...what's up, Doc??? Missed your work! 🥰🥰🥰 PS, my pulcra girl needs a date. Know anyone with a male who is surplus to need?
Dovie!!!! How the heck have you been? It's so great to hear from you again. Yup, I'm still chugging along. Haha It's been almost 11 years now! I'm so glad to hear that you're coming back. :) And I can definitely try to put something together, although it is quite overwhelming, what with the MANY name changes and dozens (hundreds) of new species introduced in that time. It's been a busy several years. haah As for the roached, I thought that they were hardy, but I've heard from a few people who struggled with them. That said, it sounds like the ones who struggled with them were either keeping them too wet, or way too dry. Soooo...maybe they are a little finicky? I currently have 18 or so babies, so I'm super stoked! So great to hear from you!!! - Tom
I am so sad, I was on the phone in looking at my Darlingi and sugar ants were in his little enclosure by the hundreds. No more Darlingi...and he was growing so well, he had finally gotten to be about an inch to an inch and a half...😭 UGH....thankfully there were no more enclosures in that area
I adore my g. Pulchra. Bought her as a confirmed female at 1.5 inches ( Spider Shoppe was correct in their sexing). She has molted twice since I got her and she is about 2.75 inches now. She dug a great deal until I moved her into a larger enclosure. Now, even when molting, she seemed to ca tree less about digging. Even at this size, she’s is still mostly brown except for her pitch black abdomen.
I’ve been waiting for this videoBTW. Thanks, Tom!
Mine molts every 2 months at this point. 70-75 temp. Feed once - twice a week.
Hey, Jared! I'd been promising an update for quite some time, so I'm glad that I was able to get it done. And I'm jealous of your growth rate! Mine eats twice a week, has pretty warm temps, and goes years without molting. haha
That's it you talked me into it. Getting a sling now 😂
Bahahaha That's awesome, Kelsey!
Mine hates moist substrate. A water dish which she largely ignores) is all she needs.
Hey, Jared! Okay, so it's not just me then? haha Mine have always hated it.
One of the slowest growing T's i have only my 3 calcodeses are growing slower.
I hear you, Peter!
Mine hate wet substrate, too.
Glad to hear that it's not just me! It sounds like most people are saying the same thing!
I have to be honest....I'm terrified of tarantulas but I have a strange fascination with them. When I was in high school, (1979-82), the science department kept a pet tarantula and a Boa Constrictor named Zara. I was oddly fascinated by the spider.. I will admit that they have beautiful colors, but my fear is being bitten by one. I was told that even though they look menacing, they are actually quite tame ...is that true? I'm trying to get over my skiitishness by watching videos like these but I'll probably never get one as a pet. I'm 60 and live alone. Can't afford to have something bite me and then have serious medical repercussions.
Thanks again Tom !! A little over four years ago I got a G actaeon from fear not . Maybe a two inch dls . Had really nice red hair on the abdomen . It's molted a few times and has lost all red . Looks just like a Pulchra . Also the first female molt I've ever sexed .
I have a G. Pulchra too and he's 7. Yep, they are very slow growing but that's okay. He's very laid back and has never kicked hair at me, well not yet anyway. Yours is beautiful. Btw, if you lose any more weight you will have to run around in the shower to get wet!!!! 😁😅
Don't tell me the "hobby" is bad for tarantulas. Tom and Billie you got that wrong, I love your Videos, not your options on kickstarters
So, you're not interested in documentaries by people who are discovering and describing these species we collect? You don't like seeing them in their natural environments? And I said that, "sometimes we can be a damaging section of it." It's a fact. There are still species that are commonly bred in captivity being pulled from the wild illegally and shipped around the world for the pet trade (a recent paper documented this with T. rasti, a species bred for years in the hobby). Let's not pretend that these animals magically appear in our collections whenever a new species is discovered. Sure, many of these animals may only one day be kept in captivity due to habitat loss, but let's not pretend that the pet trade doesn't do some damage to those populations. So, yes...there is a dark side to the pet trade. Got it wrong? Not at all.
watch your mouth. Make a video of your own if you have a different option. or just go away
@@deckape714 Hahaha What in God's name are you on about? I'm just going to move on now....