Pet Store Rescue (Aphonopelma seemanni)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 бер 2017
- Well, Billie and I made our monthly trip up to pet store in Mass to give a spider to my buddy, Jesse T. (awesome meeting you, Jesse!) and grab some rats for my snakes. Although I thought they had taken some advice and improved the care for the tarantulas they sold, that couldn't be further for the truth. I rescued this A. seemanni, but the one I left behind probably won't make it. I really infuriates me when pet stores choose to sell these animals but don't care for them.
- Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
“STOP. SERIOUSLY.” lol 😂 sounds like my house, my daughter does stuff like this all the time haha. I’m amazed that you can balance so much with all the species you take care of, Tom! Keep it up
Hahaha This place is usually utter chaos...a FUN utter chaos, though! Thanks, Brett!
I agree with you Tom on this issue ! I see this quite often enough and have pretty much reached my point of no return !! I currently have 15 Ts now , and love them dearly !! As of tomorrow , I am adding # 16 to my growing brood of T babies ! A Aphonopelma seemanni female form Dave at Zoo Keeper in Austin. My husband is giving it as a Christmas gift for me ! I am DELIGHTED !! I fell in love with her when I saw her still there this afternoon and right then and there decided SHE was going to come home with me somehow !! My wish came true !! All my 8 - legged little ones are very well cared for and given the most natural homes I can provide them to be happy . THEY ARE FASCINATING AS WELL AS BEAUTIFUL !!! I marvel at Mother Natures' wonders and diverse beauty !!
Thanks so much, Russell! I did a podcast on my thoughts on the pet store rescues. Now that's an awesome Christmas gift (and what an awesome husband!). Congrats!
@@TomsBigSpiders No prob !! She's now getting settled in to a VERY NICE acrylic cube enclosure I made for her ( and drilled the ventilation holes ) . SHE 'S A BEAUTY !!
I just did a rescue of an a.seemaani and a b.albipolosum(NCF) that were both kept on maximum a half inch substrate, the lady at the store said they had been de-fanged (they werent thankfully) and i scooped both of them up immediately to give them a chance at a full happy life. Thankyou for showing you care about these little fellas
That's awesome, Dylan! It drives me nuts how pet stores keep these. And I'm glad to hear that they were NOT defanged. Apparently, some places have actually done that. Thanks!
I rescued a 5"+ MF A. Seemanni from our local pet store. She was in a tiny 6x6 box with a sponge in the water dish and on aquarium gravel with a few fake sticks. I fixed her up a nice 10gl with a nice hide and substrate for her to dig. She is much happier now.
Oh my God...what a horrible setup. Man, pet stores really piss me off sometimes. I'm glad to hear that she is doing well!
Hey Tom, was real happy to see this vid pop up today. I was looking at this little guy shortly before you showed up and wrestled with the idea of a rescue myself, but then almost in the same instance seeing a bunch of dead ones next to him I became too angry to stay.
I'm really glad you have a more level head than me and was able to keep your cool and rescue this little character.
I just know he will do really good in your care, and will not suffer any more.
It was an absolute pleasure to hang out with you and Billie, you two are great.
....without mentioning any names, I contacted our bearded friend who cares for the T's there, and come to find out he hadn't been there for quite some time, and in the meantime the T's had gotten zero care...we had a bit of an argument about it, but nothing was resolved.
It's very difficult to try to help someone help animals when they pride themselves on thinking they know everything already..the only ones who suffer are the animals.
anyways I'm done with my book now lol, great vid, can't wait for the tour video ; )
Hey, bud! I don't blame you for not getting him, honestly. I'm feeling guilty now for supporting this. Billie and I had a long discussion about it on the way home, and I don't know if we'll be shopping there again. After our discussion, I was left disgusted with both of their disregard for their animals. I don't care how well you keep your snakes and reptiles; if you let several tarantulas die and don't care, you shouldn't be in the pet business. And that's really disheartening that the "tarantula guy" wasn't open to your feedback. I really hope he doesn't have serious aspiration about every selling these animals, as those in the hobby would immediately recognize that he's clueless. He seemed to be a nice enough guy when I spoke to him, but he has no idea what he's doing. UGH.
Hahaha! I share your frustration, bud! Are there any other exotic pet stores in that area?
And that video is coming soon!
Tom Moran There are not any other places to buy T's other than Petco, which isn't even an option.
Online seems the only safe way to go.
Hey brother much respect on the rescue I watched your video and couldn't relate any further. I rescued a Aphonopelma Seemanii from a pet store do to the very same thing you went through. I can tell you really do have a heart for Tarantula's and I'm glad to see you encourage others to be the same. Again much respect!
Thanks so much, Soel! I took some heat on this one, but I do find the idea that leaving a spider there to hurt the business. I did a whole podcast on my thoughts on the pet store rescue controversy. How is yours doing? :)
I definitely have to check out the podcast. Since then I found out my Seemanii is a female, she's been doing great. I put her in about 6-7in of substrate, a good size lil water bowl to keep high humidity, and a hide. About 2-3 days later she built a massive burrow. Really happy how well shes been doing, in fact so happy I went back and picked up the other one (last one) they had. Gotta say starting to be a big fan of the Seemanii's.
I also "rescued" my A Seemani from a pet store. This 3-1/2" female was In a 16oz deli cup.. 1/2" of substrate. So disgusting. $39 on her and $50 later on a 10 gal enclosure, substrate and some decor. No regrets. She's was very skittish when I got her and still can be if spooked..... but since I put her on 7" of sub with a fairly large dish of water she will literally sit there as I put my hand in her enclosure and change water or chase Dubia around. Great eater. Very "lady like" imo. It took her 3 months to show any interest in burrowing though. She was content to sit in her hide and roam after dark until one day she started to dig. Now she has borrowed all around her hid and pushed dirty into piles. Definitely an opportunistic burrower. Beautiful spider.
Hello, Mrs. Jones! That's awesome! Unfortunately, this species is readily available, so they are often found in pet shops (who don't care enough to learn how to correctly care for them). It's sick. So glad to hear that yours is doing well! :)
Just picked up a suspect A. seemani from my local pet store, kept in the exact same type of deli cup with no water dish and barely any substrate.. About a 3" female, and I set up the same kind of kritter keeper for her. She's incredibly skittish and stressed out at the moment but I hope she calms down in a few days. Her poor little abdomen is almost completely bald. I'm hoping to rehabilitate her and find her a new home at my next local exotic pet expo.
Awwww...poor thing! Sounds like she's in much better hands now. It drives me nuts how some of these pet stores keep them. Ugh.
My Aphonopelma seemanni is just about finished molting for the first time in my care, I'm a year and a half in the hobby and I'm loving my Aphonopelmas. I have an A. seemanni and an A. chalcodes. I was stoked to see you recommend the later in your beginner tarantula video. I like these as much as I like my Brachypelmas and Grammostolas.
I actually just commented on your impaction blog post after rescuing a Seemani one month ago. I’m so glad I found this video! When you stated that coloration underneath is normal I realized she is probably just in premolt and not impacted. I don’t know what you see first but she doesn’t lay any web (a friend of mine who is a long time keeper said his Seemani has only microwebbed while making a molt mat and that’s it. Her spiderettes look perfect, no chalky residue. Her abdomen is quite large but she could’ve been well fed up until going into premolt🤷🏻♀️ I’m not sure. It’s tough and I truly hope she’s just preparing for a molt and I won’t lose her. Such a beautiful & docile girl.
Hello, Joelle! Oh, good! Hopefully, you get a molt from it soon!
Does your Seemani web much? This is my only concern yet
You are so good to take these T's and rescue them. Bad enough that some keepers are not doing a great job with their collections, but a pet store? This person should not have run, owned or managed a pet store at all. I wonder what he would do with a dog. I am sure these will survive under your care and feeding.
My grandson wanted a T so like alot of people i went to a pet shop. While i was their i saw a pink toe sitting in about a quarter inch of of muck on the bottom with nothing to climb on . at the time i didn't know anything about tarantulas but i couldn't get it out of my head how bad it looked i was honestly afraid of them and had never even thought about having one. But i went back a week later and it was gone instead they had 2 new ones that were half the size and twice the money . i can only assume it didn't servive. Since than ive bought quite a few and have fallen in love with them even the mean ones dont bother me. I have two a.seemanie the last one was in such bad shape i didn't think it would servive. It looks pretty good now it makes me laugh to see it grabbing all the crickets it can doing the happy dance lol. Good video im glad you mentioned pet shop care. Its because of this i now have around 50
Ugh. The stories about terrible pet store care absolutely kill me. Yes, they have probably lost quite a few, sadly. In many people's minds, they are just "bugs." So sad. 50? Wow! That's fantastic!
Also. You are the perfect advocate for what is happening with pet stores !!
Thank you so much!
Pet stores should require a certificate or should at least have a certified employee for Tarantulas if they want to sell them. My Opinion is they should not sell them at all! when you want a T, approach a Breeder or go to an expo, it helps private breeders to cover some of their costs and you can be a lot more sure that you get a T that was well kept and you get better advice.
I agree COMPLETELY, Tobi. It's criminal that they are allowed to sell animals that they know nothing about.
@@TomsBigSpiders Yes. I went to the pet store the other day to get some feeders, corkbark, and substrate for some new Ts I'm getting from a breeder a town over. Just for curiosity's sake I decided to look at their pets they had for sale. Saw an A. Aviculara and an A. Seemanni both being sold in the same set up. They were both less than 2 inches and were in large critter keepers with water sponges and a single wood hide. Literally no substrate. And the hide was one of those... not sure on the term, but they look really smooth and are like half-circles.
Was super frustrated, and was really hard to not buy them. I didn't want to support it because I knew if I bought them they'd just be replaced.
Not sure what they do in the USA and they definatley don't in the UK is that retailers have NO warnings on medically significant species. It's only breeders or online dealers that do this! It's a shocking state of affairs.
I'm so glad i found this video. I just rescued a juvenile pink toe from pet smart. Her abdomen is full but she seemed afraid. I was told she had one molt during that time but i could tell they didn't know shit. I know pet smart will just get another and i can't save them all. But I had to give this girl a chance. Bone dry substrate. No water dish. Barely any webbing. Hiding in a corner.
I'm fighting back tears just writing this. I hope she thrives. She's so pretty. If not then hopefully she will at least have just a little more comfort while she's with me. I just opened my bedroom window to offer what's probably the first fresh air she's had.
She's my second T. I adopted my c versicolor just three days ago. She's spicy. The person who cared for her really knew what she was talking about. The tank was clean, webbing was excellent.
If i ever step foot into PetSmart again it will be to educate them on proper T care. If i can get both my ladies to adulthood then i might get more. For now I'll focus all my love on them.
I've often told people that if they do rescue one, to try to talk to the ones caring for them in the stores. Many are actually open to change the care if they are approached politely and by someone who obviously knows more about them. With this one, I DID manage to get them to change up how they cared for them for quite a while. Congrats on your rescue!
It's really cool that you rescued those animals. But man, if the owner was acting like that I just don't don't think I could do business with them anymore.
Drew, it was NOT easy. However, it's been a couple years, and they have DRASTICALLY improved their care of their spiders. They got a new girl in charge who actually knows of my channel and website. :)
ye my petstore was keeping a chilli goldburst sling in a cricket container with a egg carton on bark with about 10 dead carcas in there.... so i brought em and rehoused em, then recently found a Togo starburst, in a small fish tank on a mixture of dirt/bark with a waterdish and nothing to climb no humidity or ventilation(its arboreal) so i tell em, after a week its still in there curled up in the corner no webbing so it was clearly not happy, so i got em and rehoused em in the correct settup, beautiful t a ton happier! :) pet stores just dont know/care oh yeah its my 6th addition and its about 4-5" :D all my other t's are slings so pretty exciting step for me in the hobby!
Dear Lord, that's just terrible. It just drives me absolutely nuts. The fact that they don't know isn't as upsetting as the fact that many flat out don't care. In this case, the owner has apparently made it very clear that he doesn't like tarantulas, and he didn't seem to care when some died. That's inexcusable.
Thanks for chiming in, and congrats on your new additions! :)
I rescued an Avic Avic from a pet store a few months back. It was in awful conditions, and I finally decided I could not in good conscience leave it there. I tried to educate the staff, but I don’t think anything got through, as they, of course, quickly replaced it with a new Avic in the same conditions. But, at least I know this one will be well cared for.
It’s really gross that these places carry T’s with zero regard for their wellbeing.
I agree completely. I get that by buying them, we just encourage them to get more. I really do. But sometimes I just feel too badly for the animal. And, I try to tactfully educate the people working there to hopefully improve things in the future. This place seemed to be making some improvements. Still, it totally pisses me off that people carry these things but don't bother learning how to care for them. That's disgusting.
With my A. Avicularia, I was trying to educate the associate about why they should not sell a Poecilotheria striata to an 8 year old kid as a “beginner” T and that the “Brazilian blues” were Pterinopelma sazimai, not Grammostola pulchras when I saw kids poking it and swinging the poor A. Avicularia around the store.
I have to be honest, I lost my temper at that moment. Their ignorance was one thing that could improve with knowledge, but the neglect and abuse they allowed their animals to be subjected to was unacceptable no matter how ignorant the employees are.
I thought he was going to die with in days but after 3 weeks of constant care, he is so much better. I don’t like to handle my T’s unless I have to and it’s done with extreme caution. However, this guy always walks over to my hand when I am changing water, cleaning, or feeding. I think he was so used to being poked, prodded, and only god knows what else that he just goes to a person and sits there instead of getting poked. Poor guy.
Good job mate I totally agree with you most these pet shops just don't care about tarantulas but sell them anyway? It's just wrong! I rescued my two Thrixopelma Lagunas from a pet shop,anyway good job mate 👍
Congrats on your rescues as well! Thanks so much. It's really sad...and disgusting.
Tom Moran This one pet store near my moms had avics, they just kept them in plastic critter keepers, no substrate. Moldy sponges. Always had huge crickets for small slings. (Twice size of its abdomen)
I've told the kid that worked their countless times how they need a vertical enclosure, dont need to be sprayed daily (high humidity stuffy air kills them without proper ventilation), water dish without sponge - natural sponges carry bacteria and tarantulas do not drink from sponges and wont drown themselves if isn't too deep, take out proper sized cricket(s) if not eaten (how a cricket could eat a freshly molted tarantula), avics in particular need cork bark etc to feel secure in higher level, they are ARBOREAL, proper substrate will hold proper humidity - let dry then wet one area.
After a few weeks I came back to see one avic on the ground near the moldy sponge. The other avic had two crickets in its water bowl. I voiced to who seemed like the manager- to check and see if they were alive and well. Guy on radio "they were when I checked in the morning".
Few weeks later im picking up some new feeders and I go to check on the two avics. The juveniles were replaced with slings. In the same enclosure. Uncleaned. Untouched. I have no idea what happened to the avic juveniles that were in their before. Kid said, "I thought theyd be just fine".
These people only care for the mammals and birds, the ones that are considered more "popular". Get upset if you someone saw a rabbit in poor conditions but when an invertebrate or reptile is in terrible conditions its swept under the rug.
The workers everytime I come buy to check on the conditions and pick up cork bark, they ask what is it for and I say for tarantulas etc and they always reply "I dont do tarantulas". Well honey your pet store sells them. Someone needs to care for them. Are you going to do your job ?
THEY GET LARGE SHIPMENTS OF CORK- I have no idea why they cant spare some for the avicularia slings!? Coco fiber and other substrate too??? Dumb terrible husbandry.
Funny, I just acquired an A. seemanni myself in a Petco rescue. Congrats on the new addition!
Thanks so much. And congrats on your A. seemanni! :)
I don't think people understand about T's and how wonderful they really are, I'm pretty lucky to not see a lot of mistreatment as I live in Australia and most pet shops don't even stock T's.
There are obviously a few specialist stores but they have all got great people who really care for any critter that comes in.
I'm glad there are people like you out there mate
I totally agree. It's great to hear that they care for them better in Australia; in the US, it's definitely hit or miss. Many seems to struggle with basic care here, and they'll give folks buying Ts horrible advice. Thanks!
I had the same problem in a local pet store. awful conditions for the T's, chameleons with their tails burnt off due to no protection around heating elements. Boils my piss. My A.seemanii was absolutely crazy. Don't keep T's now, but soon to be moving to a country with lots of new species to be discovered...:) Great job on the rescue 👍
I agree completely. Totally pisses me off. There's just no excuse. What does it take, like 5 minutes to search up the correct care for an animal? Those poor chameleons. UGH. Glad to hear that you'll be getting back into the hobby! Thanks, Leo!
I feel it man I rescued a seemanni juve a few weeks ago, the poor things abdomen was so tiny i had to rescue and now its getting fattened up and a little sassy, but hes really enjoying his burrow now with no signs of stress!!! :)
That's awesome! Congrats on getting one!
I just purchased my own, conditions at the petshop (in Midland MI) were better but the tank was still completely wrong for the species: 20 gallon tall with
Hi, Joseph! Glad to hear that yours is doing well. Welcome back to the hobby!
So glad, that you helped this little guy...😢❤❤❤
This little guy is now a stunning young adult lady! :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Awesome!
Great video just picked up an A. seemani from a new pet store in my area. This place seriously surprised me. They had incredible set ups for the animals they keep. My first tarantula and I’m in love. She’s a little bigger than three inches right now :-)
Sorry for the late reply, Tayla! That's awesome. My girl molted again recently, and she's a looker. :)
I just rescued a A. Seemanni yesterday. It was also a pet store rescue if only I had enough to buy her friend
Awwwww...congrats on your A. seemanni!
Just rescued an A. Avicularia from a pet store that were letting little children poke it, run around with it and spin it in circles. It was painful to watch. No substrate, one small piece of extremely dry moss, and nothing else in a 16 oz deli cup. After I took the spider from the kid I kind of went off on the sales associate who quickly got a manager who also received an earful about such poor conditions, animal abuse by them and what they allowed customers to do with the poor thing. I couldn’t leave him there to suffer because it would have haunted me forever.
Side note, I have had him (suspect male) for about three weeks now and he is doing much better.
Oh, man...that is just TERRIBLE. Seriously. I can't stand how many pet stores treat them. Good for you for rescuing it. Did you try to explain proper care to the owner?
I spent another 2 hours after that. Aside from care, that had mid labels everywhere. Things like “ Brazilian Blue- Grammostola Pulchra” when it was really a P. Sazimai. H. Maculata slings that said, “easy maintenance and calm.” Seriously, selling that to a 10 year old or anyone who doesn’t know anything and too lazy to research is unbelievably irresponsible on the store.
The had a guy who was great but he quit and they are just winging it until the could find someone. The owner actually offered me a job. If I needed it, “NO”.
On the bright side, I need pinkie mice and pinkie rats every week. So we have a trade going on. I help them to make sure they have labels correct, I made little cards about general care for each species.
Next week I am dropping off a laminated sheet for them to post to get information. There is a UA-cam section and my favorite subject book section.
Tom’s Big Spiders/ You are listed as my top pick for accurate and most informative to watch.
The Dark Den is listed as somewhat informative/ entertaining.
Exotic Lair as entertainment only.
There are few others too. I knew people would come across others so hopefully it helps them know the difference between right and wrong.
I am really hoping the will see that first before buying a T. Fingers crossed.
I get free food for my snakes out this. At least they are trying and willing to receive help until they find someone. I wish more places were this.
That's awesome, bro that you took it upon yourself to rescue that little guy.
I have a local pet store here that is very similar. Last time I was there (over a year ago) there was a large specimen being sold that was listed as a "Goliath Bird Eater". It was an unsexed 6-7 inch T stirmi, but its enclosure was tiny, dry dry dry as bone and was on barely an inch of substrate. I wanted very much to pick it up, but the asking price was over $100 and as I thought it was likely wild caught I couldn't convince myself that it wouldn't simply die on me after a month. I felt awful but there really wasn't much I could do.
Hi,k Chelsea. It drives me nuts. They are not that difficult to keep, and although some of it is just ignorance, others seem like they could care less if they don't keep them right. They're treated like disposable little oddities. And what they do the stirmis is the worst. That's not the first time I've heard of one being kept bone dry. UGH.
Tom Moran It seems like many store owners prefer to take offense at the suggestion of miscare rather than fix the very clear mistakes. It's as though the simple fact that they can list something as For Sale means that they're more knowledgeable than everyone else.
I agree completely. It's so upsetting!
As always, awesome video!!
Thank you, Leighann!
I just bought what looks like a sub adult (not taken any measurements but roughly 4in) and is in reasonable health although looked like it could do with a nice feed. I did notice that their tarantulas were kept in minimal conditions but better than most horror stories I've read or seen online. I think the next time I go in to this place I'm gonna mention a couple of pointers to them.
Congrats on your rescue! And that's totally the way to go about it. Hopefully, they will be open to your feedback. Good luck!
the other day I saw an A. avicularia at petsmart with no anchor points and absolutely nothing in the enclosure but a water dish with a rock in it. I even told the manager and he said "that's what they come in, and we sell them so fast it doesn't matter", just to give you some insight on what they really think. Anyways I just found your channel and you seem very informative
Freaking Petsmart. God, I hate that place. If you're going to sell an animal, do a bit of research. That is completely inexcusable. Thanks for the heads up.
Nice new addition, glad it's going to get the proper care now.
Thanks so much! :)
good looking A.seemanni Tom. i have 2 of them i raised from slings and i love them.
Thanks, Tim! It's great to finally have one again. :)
I got a tarantula with urtricating hairs from a pet store that had no idea about that and because I have little kids in my house all the time I had to swap the tarantula for a more behaved one. I don’t have any idea what species the hair clinger was and as well as it just had a bad temper. I don’t blame the spider, I blame the store keepers. My swapped tarantula is an avic, but I had to figure that out for myself of what certain type she is. She used to shy away from me but after constant care and lots of space she will hang out with me and she hasn’t bitten me even once. I’ve had velvet for more than a year now and I enjoy her company
Hello! Just so that you're aware, just about all of the new world species have those urticating hairs. Avics have them, too, but they have to rub them on you (they don't kick them). Glad to hear that yours is a sweetheart!
Good job with the rescue. 💕 I recently got 2 t's. The animals were ok, didn't know what species though. Did some research with the help of the kind people at "Tarantula owners worldwide" .I think we now are the proud owners of 2 additional lp's 3-4" .I have 1 female 7'5" but she turned almost black when she molted 2 months ago so comparing is hard.Take good care of yourself. Glenn. 🤗🕷🕸
Thanks, Glenn! You can never have too many LPs. :) Congrats on your mystery spiders. It'll be fun watching them grow up.
So True. I just Rescued a Beautiful A.seemanie...I also rescued a male A. Aviculara
Thank you! And great grabs there. :)
One of the few Aphonopelmas that people keep.
Gorgeous species. :)
I recently bought a A. seemanni from a small local pet shop and they had it on barely any substrate, with a jelly food thing (maybe for water). They had two of them and sadly I could only save one. There were also two avicularias as well in barely any substrate and no plants for them to web up. There were also no hides for any of the ts. I got her on the 6th of July and on the 27th she molted. She was a pretty brown and then she turned into a beautiful black/blue.
Ugh. Man, pet stores need to get their acts together or stop selling them. I'm so glad that yours is doing well!
There are a few good pet stores, the one in my town has a tarantula specialist (long time hobbyist, over 100 different species in her collection). She knows her stuff! It's too bad not all pet stores operate that way but the ones that do should be commended.
There are some good ones out there, although they tend to be the exception and not the norm. SO glad to hear that you have a good one near you...that's AWESOME. :)
I feel your anger. I see a ton of pets stores that do this. I even got into an argument with Petco employees and the manager about how they were keeping there T's. It so sad to see. I am happy you were able to save this one.
Thanks so much, bud. I agree...it's terrible. it's even sadder when the mom and pops stores do it. There's just no excuse.
I saw the most ridiculous thing the other day when I was at a pet store in a nearby city, so ridiculous I had to blink a few times because I couldn't believe what I was seeing!!!! Hell people may not even believe me but its sadly true. They had 5 juvenile B. Hamoriis (Smithis) LIVING TOGETHER in a medium sized turtle tank with wood shavings as substrate, no hide and no waterdish, but the enclosure was just so swampy with water in the wood shavings whoever is suppose to be taking care of them must have carelessly poured a huge bottle of water in it!! And my mom who hates spiders actually felt really bad for the poor little guys as did I. I sadly couldn't keep my cool and I confronted the lady in the reptile area and asked her what made her think this was an acceptable way to keep tarantulas especially those who live in mostly dry climates. Her reply was that "they like it very moist and wood shavings help with the humidity" I corrected her and explained that wood shavings are dangerous to Ts as it can rupture their abdomens, they are not suppose to be kept communally due to cannibalism so they must have their own enclosures separately. B. Hamoriis prefer it dry with only very slight moisture if any. She got angry, but didn't say a word and walked away. My mom and I took photos of the way the tarantulas were being kept as evidence of animal negligence and reported the pet store to an exotic pets agency and we showed them the photos. They did an investigation and the store was then banned from selling tarantulas. From what the agency told us was that all the B. Hamorris died due to cannibalism and the harsh conditions. I deeply regret not saving them, but I couldn't afford to and I am at my maximum limit for Ts:( :(
Sorry for the ridiculously long comment lol
i would do a video on pet stores but the subject just pisses me off tbh. loved hearing this and totaly feel the same appalled at how some can care for one animal and not others
I started writing an article about pet stores a couple years ago...I should probably finish it up. It's disgusting how the treat tarantulas.
nice job Tom. BTW have u had a t that killed it's prey started eating it and then left half of it . My obt juvey did that. I feed about once every 2 weeks because my other T was getting really fat figured slow it down. Also my GBB sling abdomen is much bigger then it's carapace while obt is much smaller. should I re feed the obt ?
Funny you should ask that. The stirmi that I passed off this weekend was doing that for a while. In her case, I think that she was so starved that she couldn't keep much down. I also had a N. chromatus eat the heads off and leave the bodies. I started feeding it much smaller prey than I normally would have, and it eventually molted and started eating as normal. I hope that helps!
There are two local, independently owned exotic pet stores where I live in PA and the difference between the way they keep their T's is ridiculous. I bought my B hamorii and A avic from one, and other than using sponges in the dishes and having enclosures too short for their arboreal species, they treat their animals fairly well, and I usually go in and gush over them with one of the young girls that works there. The second place, is absolutely disgusting though. Like you walk in, it REEEKS like ammonia, there was a dead Kaeng Kraechan in one of the display tanks, and they had a B albopilosum with a TINY shriveled abdomen the owner wouldn't sell, and instead offered me what I can only assume is an A chalcodes that was mislabeled as A geniculata, but he couldn't even tell me what species it actually was- "It's either a desert blond, or tan, I dunno, I don't know much about new worlds." I don't mind supporting small businesses that actually give a hoot about their animals, but I felt so guilty walking out of that pet store with my A chalcodes because I know they'll just be replacing it.
I did a whole podcast on the "pet store rescue" controversy. If I think that my business will allow me to to change their views on how to keep them, I'll go for it. This place has a new person caring for the Ts and does a great job taking care of them now. Pet stores that smell badly and take poor care of their animals make me sick. There is NOT excuse for that.
I love your podcast, I actually listen to it on my days off when I'm doing work around the house lol. I don't mind supporting the LPS as long as the animals there are being cared for properly. But my A chalcodes I feel was a rescue because like you said, there's no excuse for that.
영어를 잘몰라서 한국말로라도 댓글을 달고싶습니다. 꾸준하게 설명도 잘해주시고 사육환경도 보면서 도움이
정말크~게 됬습니다. 제가 정보가 모자라고 모자란 초보라서 항상보고 응원하겠습니다. 초보가 아닐지라도
ㅎㅎㅎㅎ
I just did the same thing, one missing pedipalp, one broken leg, my second t and im sure she'll be fine after the next molt, she doesn't seem stressed, just exploring the new enclosure
Awwww...the poor thing. I'm sure she will as well, David.
I think I know the pet store you were speaking about as I got one of my Ts there. I also live in CT and buy in MA I actually went to another pet store in the same town and the care was pretty good, I was impressed. That's where I ended up getting my new Brachypelma albopilosum.
You're from CT as well...that's awesome! What part are you in? I'm curious now as to if this is the same store. They've been MUCH better lately now that a new woman is in charge of the tarantulas.
I live in North Grosvenordale. The store I'm thinking of is in Auburn MA . I'm not sure if I can say the name on a feed, but it's D----ys
You're just north of us. We're in Moosup (village of Plainfield). Yup, that's the one! Billie and I usually drive up there once a month or so to grab lunch and to see what they have there. Sara is in charge of the tarantulas now, and they have a lot more species and take much better care of them.
My Husband is from Moosup (most of his life) down behind the pond!!! We knew each other as kids, so I spent a lot of time there growing up. I certainly hope it's better. I went there for my 1st T and the "expert" told me all the wrong things! That's when I started joining T groups and watching how to vids. After telling my Husband, he's pretty sure he recognizes your last name. He is Dan Coffin
where I'm from it's hard to get tarantulas and scorpions besides the common ones I've been going to a reptile show lately I found more hard to find ones. the guy I get it from knows what he's doing but I think he's more about prophet then take care of the animal. bought 5 Animals from him they are all hungry as hell and immediately run for the water dish when I rehouse them. my Brazilian white knee had a bottle cap for a water dish which is cool. but it was upside down in dry dirt. I bought an H Mac juvenile yesterday smallest abdomen I've ever seen on a T. Fed it a medium cricket abdomen grow twice the size. hey tom how does the abdomen work on a trantula? is it a part of the ecto skeleton? does it stretch when you feed them? and grow between molts?
I've read so many stories on pet stores in the states (probably happens here in the uk too ) and honestly it P. Me off the lack of common sense never mind knowledge, arboreals in terrestrial enclosures clinging on to the top for dear life , oh I'd go nuts at them . They need reported. He's a lovely little guy I know I'm commenting 5 years on , but I hope he did OK Tom 👍
Hey, Sandra! Yeah, it's pretty bad over here. They just don't care enough to learn about their care; it's pretty pathetic. And he is a lovely young adult lady now...and she's doing great! :)
@@TomsBigSpiders aww that's great to know Tom 👍💜
You live in New England, do you get fresh lobsters from the fish markets? I wish they could be sent overnight in refrigeration, maybe they do. But that would cost more than the lobster.
Any pet store that makes any animal suffer should be closed down. Reason being all animals are living beings.
I agree. It absolutely drives me nuts that they can sell animals that they know NOTHING about (or, just don't care about).
Hey Tom, I do have a question!
Perite on your soil mixture, doesn't help on keeping humidity in the enclosure is that true? Is it bad to mix with some jung soil for T's? 🤔
Hi, Miguel! I've only used perlite once or twice, and it really didn't do much for me. I usually use vermiculite. That said, some folks like it.
@@TomsBigSpiders thanks a lot 🙏🏼 I appreciate the answer. 💪🏼💪🏼
It’s the same way with dogs and cats at Petland and such. It disgusts me. How do we stop from rescuing the Ts and supporting these stores that keep horrible care. I rescued a Avic pink toe knowing I shouldn’t but I just couldn’t let it stay there miserable.
I agree. It's really difficult to be an animal lover and just abandon an animal living in those conditions.
Hopefully, they will start to take care of all of their animals! There is one in my home town that was looking pretty bad for all of the animals. Thankfully, someone reported them and they cleaned up their act.
Congratulations on the new addition! Do you name any of them? :~)
I doubt it. By the sounds of things, the owner didn't care that he had several dead, rotting tarantulas on his shelf. These guys are terrible. Glad to hear the someone took care of the one in your town!
I do name some! It takes me a while until the names click. :)
All the pet store in my area only have Pink Toes or Rose Hairs.
The one I go to carries some awesome species because one of the guys who works there is a tarantula enthusiast. Unfortunately, they still don't seem to know how to take care of them correctly.
ispectechular what pet store is this? Rose Hairs a very hard to find right now. Only way I came up with one is someone was giving one up.
I just rescued an Aphonopelma Seemanni from this petstore where he was always on the corner covering her with all of her legs because kids kept hitting his glass and also when they gave me the Tarantula the girl at the store had no idea how to handle her until she got a threat stance.
I'm pretty sure they didn't care about her feeding because she casually feed her the day I was going to get her because I said so. Since she's been with me I have never seen her on a corner hopeless.
Awwwwww...that's awesome! I'm go glad the you gave her a good home! :)
out of curiosity where is the pet store in mass?
Dinky's in Auburn.
Did you save The other one you talked about?
Unfortunately, I did not. When I came back, it was gone.
Hello Tom, I've been looking to purchase a baby H gigas off ken the bug guy and was wondering about the care requirements for this specific species? Could you help me out a bit?
Wonderful species! I have two females. :)
Take a look at this and tell me if you have any questions!
tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/tag/h-gigas/
Hey Tom Merry Xmas to you,Billie and your family !! Listen I know this is a few years back but I just was in Petco to grab a cork hollow round for my one Pokie Regalis who out grew hers after this last molt and they had one of this it was labeled zebra knee it is about 4 inches poor thing was not in the best shape as far as it living conditions so I bought it I talked to the staff and tried to educate very nicely now idk if you remember me telling you about a year ago about the large pink toe Metallica I rescued from a pet store but that was Pet Smart and again I educated seem like this stores have no clue about Tarantulas but any way I got the little Zebra knee home re housed it let it settle in a few hours well it ran to the water I sprayed and drank and drank I was like that poor T so then i fed it and it took two crickets right down that poor thing was so thirsty and hungry it seem to be doing great now it’s been 4 days it’s actually very beautiful it has some blue tint as well so I didn’t have one of these Iam happy to have saved it hope I thought them something I did write down your You Tube info and told them to watch and learn so they can properly care for any Ts they get to be honest so many were so scared I actually had to get the poor thing into the box they were stressing and making the poor T kick hairs ect ugh !!
Hello, Nicole! I hope that you and yours had a great Christmas as well! First off, good for you for taking the time to educate them. I feel that this is more important than just walking out and leaving spiders to die. I'm so glad to hear that it's doing well. It makes me SO ANGRY that the idiots sell them but don't bother to take the time to find out anything about them. Thanks again!
Hey Tom! How are you doing? Hey I know this is an old vid but I have a question for you or for anyone who may wanna chime in. Does this species come in different forms?
Or different color forms or same name but classified differently? Hope I didn't confuse you or myself ha!
Yes, it actually does! There is one called the BCF, or "blue color form" that is blue when under a light. Mine is actually likely this form. He molted recently, and when I shined the light in to check on him, he was blue.
Tom Moran..Thanks Tom and I appreciate your feedback. I've been searching around others youtube pages and saw and heard the very same thing you have told me. I'm seriously thinking about it being my next T or the Vagans ☺☺. Thanks buddy and keep up the great work
Yeah, I was pretty stoked when I saw I had a blue. My second tarantula ever was a male seemanni that I had in the late 90s. My vagans just molted out, and she's stunning. That's a great pick! Thanks so much!
You should do an update on this beauty:) good job on the rescue
That's a great idea! :) He/she just molted, and picked up a bit of blue.
Tom Moran nice! Maybe you got a BCF
I've been watching your videos for a while but this is the first time I feel the need to comment (also just subbed to you, I keep forgetting to do that). I know it's hard to see animals mistreated like that but you're doing more harm than good by rescuing them. What you're doing is supporting this abuse and freeing up space so they can put another T in there and torture it just as much.
Also there is absolutely no need to be neutral on this topic in the article you want to write. Taking proper care of a tarantula takes less than 10 minutes per week per animal, for a Tarantula to get into the state you described you need to have a profound disrespect or even disdain for these animals, since the reptiles are apparently well taken care of.
PS: Your videos and blog convinced me to finally get some tarantulas, after keeping other inverts (mainly centipedes) for almost 10 years. Keep up the great work!
First off, thanks so much for the sub!
I hear exactly what you're saying, and I've given the same exact advice myself. I just need to stop going to this place, as they are not going to change. The problem is, it was VERY difficult for me to leave that store knowing that both of those Ts would be dead soon. I just couldn't leave them both there. But again, you're right. If they aren't going to listen, then they won't have my business.
And the article will not be as neutral as most of mine are. It's just not possible. Like you said, there is NO excuse.
That's fantastic about getting some tarantulas! :) Do you know which species you'll start with?
Thanks again!
I know how hard it is to walk away when you know the animals are going to die. I've made the same mistake and rescued a centipede that was in an awful state only to discover later that it had actually been declawed (wtf?) and I had to feed it with killed roaches and raw meat for three months before it molted and regained the claws. Never again. I try to avoid pet stores these days.
And I already got some tarantulas, about three weeks ago now :D
I got two Avic--- wait no, Ybyrapora diversipes and an Avicularia sp. Amazonica Manaus, as 2" and 1" slings respectively (Americans do leg span for that right? Over here it's usually body length). They're eating well and are actually quite active.
Originally I didn't want tarantulas because I was under the impression that all of them are like "pet holes" that you never see but these little guys are proving me wrong. Not as active as some of my 'pedes but I do catch them patrolling their enclosures when they're not sitting at the entrances to their nets. And of course they're super cute.
And I already want more... Is this how it starts? I'm eyeing some Pterinopelma sazimai slings for 10€ a piece and I'm not sure if I'll be able to resist...
Yea most pet stores don't know how to take care of arachnids
It amazes me. They aren't terribly difficult to keep.
Tom Moran lol exactly!
+Tom Moran I know. Rodent pets are harder to keep!
they're afraid of them I think.
I just picked up at a 3” A Seemanni at petco, seems to be healthy, ironically.
Congrats on your A. seemanni! Glad to hear that it's healthy. :)
Same
I have an A seemani and it is possibly the craziest T I own. That is saying a lot because I have many old world species.
The first one I had was skittish as heck, but it was a male. I've heard others say that their are nuts. Hahaha
Tom Moran Haha. People tell me that theirs is so docile. I breathe on mine's enclosure and it goes insane.lol
we had a petco here that would neglect theyre t's and by neglect like a pink toe in a swamp like enclosure ment for frogs and with be in the corner like it was in a death curl so i bought that one and ever since hes been happy and that petco is no longer allowed to sell them due too the complaints andbit does look like a seemani too me
God, I hate hearing that. At least you saved one (and it now has a good home). It sucks because when we rescue one, we support their crap husbandry. However, it's not easy to just leave an animal there that is going to die a slow, horrible death.
Tom, A. seemanni have a peach/pink underside and spinnerets.
Thanks, Steve! I almost had a look at her undercarriage last night, but she bolted before I could get a peek. :)
Nice
Thank you!
I’m the t-man
Hi tom question I'm buying an A. Seemani on Saturday and the cage I have is a square base about a foot long and wide but about 2 feet tall is this okay for my Seemani?
Hello! What size is the tarantula you're getting? Unless you fill it up about 3/4 of the way with substrate, I would say it's probably going to be too tall. It will likely try to climb, and a fall from that high up could injure or kill it. If you fill it with enough substrate to make it safe, it's going to be a pretty heavy tank. What are you planning to use for substrate?
Tom Moran it's a juvenile about 6 months old and I had planned on using soil for my substrate and some moss for hunidity
If it's only 6 months old, it's going to be quite small. This is a relatively slow-growing species. I I would say that with an adult, you might be able to get away with it, although the 18+" of substrate you would need to fill it up enough to make it safe for a terrestrial. 2" tall would be good for a large arboreal species, but is much too high for a terrestrial. With a juvenile of about 2.5-3", you could start off with something medium critter keeper sized. That would allow for a several inches of substrate (most will burrow if given the sub) while not being too tall. I hope that helps!
Tom Moran thank you so much. I'll probably keep it in the knitter keeper for a bit or just fill it up mostly with substrate
Tom Moran okay I looked at the box and I was mistaken it's actually a 8" W by 12" H is this slightly better?
Its a sad thing to say, but, by buying these animals from pet shops, you not only perpetuate the problem, but possibly exacerbate it. If animals keep selling, not only will they bring in replacements for them, but possibly look to expand, bringing in more animals that will receive the same amount of care. Let them take the loss and hit their bottom line, it's the only way to stop it.
If you want to rescue one that's in rough but salvageable state, get one off kijiji, or craigslist from someone getting out of the hobby, so you're not feeding the grinder. Otherwise buy only from reputable breeder.
Yup, I hear you.
Im with you Tom when it comes to treatment of Ts in pet stores. Fortunately where I live now in wv they treat Ts well but in florida? OMG it was awful and flipping out in a pet store making a scene over some poorly kept Ts seems appropriate and I did it all the time in FL. If your going to run a pet store then take proper care for all the pets, not just the cute and furry ones. it pisses me off when i see it to bro. great video bud, GIVEM HELL!
EXACTLY. If you''re going to sell them, know the darned care. It's disgusting. I've about lost my patience with these guys.
Orange spinnerets, should be Seemannis but weak strips, male? What came of them?
Hi, Dan! It was a girl, and she's doing great.
@@TomsBigSpiders I ask because I just got one and very strong leg strips and some places say with the sexual dimorphism males don't have suck strong strips. So I guess that's chalked up to Bro-science :\
Thanks hey. Maybe if mines male we could work something out ;)
They saw you coming! Quick it's Tom let's move them into crappy containers....
Seriously though good job!
Hahahaha. If only that were the case!
I agree with not likening pet stores that carry ts I got my first one from petsmart and they had broken one of its legs off trying to feed it I raised a stink about them damaging the t and not know what they are doing and they gave me the t and critter keeper it was in for 7$ I still went and made a fuss to the petsmart web sight
It's really sad, because this has been going on for YEARS and nothing changes. It's obvious that they don't care and don't value them as animals.
Yes it is I’m very new to the hobby but I have learned a lot in the short time I have been in the hobby but every pet store I have ever been to they don’t seem to care about their ts
As bad as I feel for an individual animal that is getting poor care, I will not buy one and create more demand for another animal that is going to wind up in exactly the same situation. I'm sure sometimes it is ignorance on the pet store's part, and sometimes they may count on the 'sympathy buy' which is disgusting IMO.
I hear you completely, and I've given the same advice. I need to stop going there. If I see an animal that is going to be dead in a couple days, I won't be able to resist saving it. Time to find a new pet store.
What do you say to people who say this isn't a rescue because it was bought and from a petstore? Kinda annoys me how everyone jumps on people who rescue animals from petstores, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Do you mean the people that say I shouldn't have bought it because I'm just ensuring that they keep selling them? Or to the people that believe that pet stores know what they are doing? :)
Tom Moran The first thing xD
I'm torn, because I totally get that as long as people keep buying them, they'll keep selling. That said, I have a difficult time leaving an animal in a pet store that I know is being mistreated and is going to die. And let's call it as it is; it's not usually those who are into the hobby and who know better buying from pet stores. It's often folks who have NO idea how to care for these animals.
Definitely get that! It's a good answer. Thanks for replying ^^
I felt bad for my Ephebopus uatuman. It was sold to me at a pet store with less than an inch of sub to dig in....
Tom Moran could you report the petshop for not looking after its terantulas as with any animal you have to look after them. I keep budgies only two but with any type of pet they need care. Is there an aracnids keeper association you could report the shop too so no body will buy their tarantulas from that shop.
Aw dude that is so fucked. Yeah, pet shops where I am are the same. I am from Canada and it was bad, but since moving to Ireland there are so few places that even have them (especially after Brexit) it is just shocking the information pet shops give out and the wrong labels. This spood must be much happier now :) I always support breeders, pet shops are just evil rip offs.
Man, it's disheartening to hear that it's the same over on your side of the pond. This girl is a young adult and doing great now...thanks!
@@TomsBigSpiders That is so good to hear! 😊
Tarantulas are the easiest pet I have that I care for. It's insane that someone could get it so wrong.
I agree completely! I just don't get it.
@@TomsBigSpiders I think the allure wears off and people just ignore the animal until it dies. But for a shop that depends on the health of the animal for income, theres just no excuse for that. If they dont care about the customers enough to make sure they get a healthy animal when they spend their hard earned money, they shouldn't be in business.
I'm a total beginner at keeping Ts but even I knew when I went to my local pet store to get my daughter her first T that it was in terrible shape. It's abdomen was bald. I think it's a male who hasn't reached maturity yet so we might have a couple years with him. I hope with the enclosure I've got for it, it will acclimate. The abdomen wasn't too small so at least it was being fed....it was listed as a rare species.....but was 20 percent off ....🙄
Hi, Roxy! Sounds like you got a good deal on it! It's really sad how badly they treat them at the pet stores.
I know that people are only trying to do right and help the animals when they “rescue” them from a pet store but the reality is you’re only keeping the trade going by doing so. It’s true that pet store owners aren’t really that concerned about the care or quality of the animals and it’s only about making $, and good ethical quality breeders don’t sell their pets to pet stores. So by getting animals at a pet store you end up supporting all the wrong things. By “saving” that sick or injured or just not well cared for animal you’re helping to keep all that going because if the pet store keeps selling their pets it just makes room for more to come in and be sold. I know all this for fact because I have worked at both big chain pet stores and single family owned ones, they are all the same and all horrible for the pet trade.
Hi, wolfygrl...I did an entire podcast on this very topic. I didn't just buy the tarantula and leave. I bought it and worked with the people there to better understand what they need for care and how to improve their treatment of them. I explained that if you can reach the person selling them and get them to change, that's a win/win. Also, the vast majority of the tarantulas sold on pet stores are purchased by people who know nothing about them...I get messages all of the time from people who bought them knowing nothing about them. So, even if the educated folks don't purchase, there will be plenty of others who aren't informed that will. We can all boycott them, but it won't have much of an impact. I do get where your point, however, and it's a very good one. I just think that it's not so cut and dry.,
i hate idiots...i was speaking with my local store recently and they actually told me they have many people ask about tarantulas and they will order it for them but they dont generally get them because its not theyre thing they know nothing about them...and they said if i ended up breeding they would buy some to sell or i was welcome to use theyre store to meet people to sell...and i let them know of they got any in or i had some there to sell i would gladly come in and help care for them
That's great that your local pet store is open to carrying them. You could really do something cool if you got them to carry them AND educated them about the care. I was hoping to help these guys out, but their heads are apparently too deep in their asses.
Do you sell T's sir?
At the moment, I do not. :)
Aight, if your selling slings Pls do notify me. Thanks ☝️😁
I hate pet stores...they are such irresponsible people! tarantulas are animals just like snake or whatever else you wanna name! but I hate the fact that people don't value their life and treat them like bug/insect...unfortunately not many nowadays value a life of tarantula. I seriously think pet stores should be banned having tarantulas because they really DON'T know when they are doing. Most information I get from pet store is most of the time it's false information. This is why when you buy any pet besides tarantula, you should always do your own research.
I agree 100%. If you're selling an animal as a pet, you should know its husbandry and take care of it properly. For most of the pet stores, it seems that tarantulas are just disposable bugs. It's so sad. And you are exactly right about not taking their advice on care! Thanks!
I think the pet stores do it on purpose knowing that hobbyists will rescue them
I think that's honestly giving these idiots too much credit. They are just lazy and don't care about inverts.
Orange spinnerettes. definately an a seemanni.
True. Never buy a Tarantula in fucking Petstores !
Thanks, David! This place has really turned it around since then. They have someone in charge of the tarantulas that knows what she's doing. It was great to see them turn it around.
Tom Moran i was in 4 petshops..all 4 are for Nothing. Cheers 🍵
Most of them definitely aren't. This one fell into that category until they got someone there that loved tarantulas and knows about their care.
Tom Moran very hard to find. These petshops have 2 3 4 people for every kind of Animals. And for their 5 6 7 ts extrapersonal is almost impossible.
Got mines for 15... I work at Petco and ik the store manager and he gave me a huge discount. The regular price was $40 i got it for 15$
That's a great deal...congrats! :)
Is there no protection for T's in pet stores as there are for cats and dogs? You should report this store for very poor invert keeping. Why get them if they don't care about them.
Exactly! If you don't care about the, don't sell them! It's horrible.
it looks like one forshure tom.
Thanks so much, Eric! :)
probably is a a.seemani tbh its probably not a e.murinus because those are more expensive and doubt an idiot with a pet store that treats his animals like that would have those for sale labelled "stripe knee T"
Hello, Andres! It's an A. seemani blue form. She's molted twice since this video and is doing great. :)
dude i freaking love all ur vids. i follow you on facebook as well i hope u never stop :)
Hey, thanks so much! I really appreciate it! I planned to get one up this week, but my computer died on me!
i recently picked up a p.met, p.vitatta, p.regalis and a p.trigawasseli from tarantulacanada and also tangledinbwebs from a reptile/tarantula expo in missisauga ONTARIO and this 1 guy from tangledinwebs was talking about you and how awesome your videos are to a few guys looking to buy an avic i think, also while giving tarantula advice. anyway i watched all your pokie vids a few times over and it gave me alot of real good info that i needed:) ur fuckin awesome man never stop these u help alot of people!! and animals!
Hello, Andres! Ha! That had to have been my buddy Ryan Mack. I love that guy. He just took over Tangled recently. Thanks so much!
You left the starving spider there to die? I'd never "kick myself in the butt" for spending $35 to make a living creatures life better even if it was only until it died soon. I couldn't have left it there to suffer if I was most likely it's only hope.