C darlingi was my first and a great choice! Still have her and went on to get a C marshalli and sanderi as well. I love the whole genius. But here I am going on 5 yrs in the hobby and I just got my first M balfouri 😅 not my fav to rehouse I’ve learned. Might need to check out that stout leg tho!! Beautiful. Never heard of them before!
Hey Kat! My first was also a C. darlingi, and she's such a chill little girl (except when food is presented, naturally). *Similar experience with the M. balfouri - my girl is pretty bolty and defensive, though I admit her setup isn't the best and she's due to have a rehouse.
The marshalli is the reason I got into t's , my youngest son was called Marshall and marshalli was his knick name , I lost my son to an asthma attack 2 years ago, not long after I was watching TH-cam with my eldest looking researching spider for his homework when we found a vid about the marshalli and that was it I was hooked, I have 35 tarantula now all nw but the marshalli will always be my favourite because of this reason , its nice to see them get a mention amazing species ❤ great vid Tom and great list 😊
Hi, Charlene...that's awesome! My C. marshalli is still pretty small, but I'm loving him/her so far. If it is anything like my C. darlingi, it will soon become a favorite. Thanks for chiming in!
My first old world was a Harpactira Pulchripes. She's really chill and only gave me a threat posture once, when I accidently dropped her food on top of her lol. If she's not in pre-molt, she will always come out at night. She doesn't dig but she loves the hide I gave her.
I love that you always remind people of the specimen to specimen rule. My C. Minax is an absolute angel but my first Balfouri is super fiesty and I remember being surprised by it. 😅 Great list and video Tom! Your videos always make my day.
Dipping my toes into old world, ordered a c. Darlingi, arrives Tuesday from fear not tarantulas. You’re videos have been so sooo helpful in preparing myself
Just ordered my first old world T a 3” Female MONOCENTROPUS BALFOURI - SOCOTRA ISLAND BLUE BABOON. I’m so excited. With my own research and watching vids like Tom’s I made the decision to get one! Great vid 😎
Hey Tom, wonderful video as always! I 100% agree with your list but I'd like to add H. villosella to the list! They are a very small size (so not overwhelming), much more shy than defensive, and beautiful little spiders! And heavy webbers to boot. I would like to bring something up that is *sort of* something that should be considered on the ladder system or just I feel like something that should be more widely discussed: webbing. A heavy webbing tarantula is very different from one that does little to no webbing. Working with a GBB is different than working with a Xenethsis. Yes both are leggy terrestrials (let's put a pin in the semi-arboreal convo for now) but one is a heavy webber and one isn't. When preparing to own a heavy webber, there are slightly different styles of setups, tricks you need to learn and even tools you need (aquarium scissors, tons of extra soufflé cups) and learning how to work around the webbing is also important: anything that touches that webbing will be a trigger (I think this can be best seen in your recent video on curtain web spiders). They need anchor points which so many people don't realise and for me I even use differently ventilated enclosures for my heavy webbers (mostly OWs, I don't have a gbb and my D. diamantinensis sling is the second tiniest thing I've ever seen): I drill ventilation holes around the surface level of the dirt so I can easily rehydrate the substrate through a hole with a syringe, since the webbing is waterproof once they really web it up, you're not getting access to that substrate anymore. I just really don't hear anyone discussing the importance of learning how to deal with a heavy webbing species DUE TO its heavy webbing. Hope that made sense. Again, love the video and my vote for H. villosella! - Charlotte
Hey, Charlotte! Man, it still p's me off that this video has ads. Grrrr... In the outro, I named the H. villosella as the 6th best beginner old world; I just didn't have any footage of it, sadly. And you bring up a good point. Although I've given tips for heavy webbers when talking about specific species, I've never talked about them (and the differences in care) in general. That might make a good video or podcast! Thanks again!
OBT was my first on my second order of Ts only a week after my first lol. Mind you I educated myself for months beforehand even getting my first T. I knew I had to respect the danger of the OBT which is likely the only reason it worked for me. My Third order of Ts included 2 Poecilotherias roughly 6 months after my second. 6 Orders in total now, and I'm blessed with 28 Ts, after 3 MM deaths, 3 DOAs, and 1 sling death (within the the first week). Currently I have 10 OW Ts, or 8 unique OW species. Great share as always Tom, keep it up Edit: First order was back in Feb 12 2019, so just under 3 years now, but feels longer lol
Some folks get good information and can jump right in with the OBTs and pokies. Sadly, many see videos of them being called "dangerous" and "aggressive" and they are scared of them when they get them. It's a shame, as people end up missing out on some great spiders. Thanks for chiming in!
I've been studying obts for a little while as I've been interesting in getting them as they are wildly available should I get one even though I only have 1 t so far although I'm making my second order which includes curly hair , pumpkin patch , caribena versicolor and brachypelma hamorii can someone tell me if I should get a obt they look so cool.
I will say this every time I comment till I’m blue in the face most underrated channels period!!! Love you Tom you taught me so many things over the last 5-6 years and I never lost a t that wasn’t a mature male because I use you for care info just got my first female t stirmi young adult female and 4 inche juvenile that im hoping is a male
Hey Tom! Just got done with the podcast that's sort of the cousin to this video and can definitely say it was this kind of list that helped me make my earliest choices in the hobby. I started keeping Old Worlds after only a couple of months but as you say, it's totally up to the confidence and past experience of the individual. As we've discussed I had zero arachnophobia, a background of interacting with venomous native Australian species and I was confident in rehousings very quickly. That to me made me believe that I was ready to jump to faster arboreal Old Worlds like Poecilotheria/Stromatopelma despite the likelihood of being shouted at thoroughly if I confessed that on an open forum. As you know from our interactions, I've done fine and your kind words on my P.metallica rehouse video doubly reassured me that I was doing a calm and safe job in my rehousings. I also really like the look of the E.pachypus now, they have tree trunk legs like me so I think it's written in the stars. Tom Moran, costing me money with every upload.
Hey, Adam! It really does TOTALLY come down to the keeper. There are some folks that jump right in with no issues; others find themselves afraid of thier spiders. When you're ready...you know. If you ever see an E. pachypus, BUY IT. They are SO difficult to find these days. It's a shame, as they are adorable. Hope all is well!
Great video, Tom. I have 3 of the 5 you mentioned. For me, the biggest thing I learned so far about Old Worlds, is their speed. They're on a completely different level. You've mentioned it before but I couldn't comprehend it until I saw it myself.
Hey, Joyce. Wait...what? Did you get an ad? I turned on monetization several months back because TH-cam started putting ads on my videos without permission. I now turn monetization off with every video I post. I should NOT have any ads.
@@TomsBigSpiders It was just a blurb across the screen and only once. But I have seen ads like that with folks I KNOW monetize. It is not a sin especially being a teacher. Not sure what you guys get paid back east but here they start new teachers out being paid less a week than garbage collectors.
@@JJDigitalartStudio UGHHHHHH. I don't want ads on my videos ever. And I think that I figured out what the issue was...a copyright clame was made against the video for my theme song. Although it isn't a strike against me, the owner can now monitize my video for himself. This is expecially frustrating as I legally purchased the rights to use that song years ago. Now I have to get into it with TH-cam over that. UGH. Thanks for the heads up!
@@TomsBigSpiders I really thought that this was you. There is nothing wrong with monetizing but then you have to allow the copyright holder to advertise on your video. I have only 2 with enough hits to make it profitable for the copyright holder to make money. If you paid for lease rights on a copyrighted song it may be time to pay again.
@@JJDigitalartStudio Nope...never. haha I can't stand ads and I don't want them on my videos. By the sounds of things, the rights switched hands several times over the years, and there is a new company in charge of them now. After doing some research, it sounds as if they rarely side with the creator in these instances. Off to find a new song!
I came over from the snake hobby 3yrs ago after selling my entire collection. I kept and bred hots for alittle over 20yrs. Specialized in Naja, Crotalus, Sistrurus, Agkistrodon and a quit a few other species. I'm 3rs in this hobby and have to say keeping T's is a change of pace, even with keeping ow. I jumped in big. I find it more relaxing. I wish I discovered this hobby years ago.
Thanks for this video Tom..! I'm just getting back into the hoppy from being out of it for years and after about 2 months im up to 5 new worlds. ( My GBB sure gives me a heck of a time..!🤣) I would live to get into some ild worlds at some point and this video really helped..!
For me Cyriopagopus albostriatus would make the list. At least mine is very chill, very beautiful and almost always out on display. I still need to get a communal of Monocentropus balfouri... Great Footage Tom! And Harpactira pulchripes would have made top of my list as well. *cheers!
@@TomsBigSpiders That is a shame, they are very beautiful. Stunning patterns and beautiful colorations. I wish I could post a picture here. They have a deep blue and some yellowish tones and brown colors too.
I am doing my research on some old worlds to start with. I have 6 NW as of now and have really enjoyed them. Now I wanna move into just a couple old worlds. Thanks for your hard work on these videos and all the information you put out. It has helped me a lot. Have a great day bro
When it comes to old worlds, I have been taking baby steps when adding one to my collection. Right now I have 2 out of the 5 on this list, the M. Balfouri (I call her Mirage) and an H. Pulchripes (haven't named it yet but was leaning towards Midas or Nova). So far both have been peaches. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to get a laid back specimen, but I have lucked out so far with my first two old worlds.
I got my first OW from a fella on tarantulaforums. She is a C. darlingi and is the most chill tarantula in my collection. She never charges me when I'm cleaning up her cage or filling her water dish. She is absolutely gorgeous and she's always hanging half way out of her burrow, so I can admire her daily.
So far I only have new worlds, but sure am glad the M. balfouri and the H. pulcripes are on the list as these are 2 old worlds I just adore the look of. One of these days.... and the first one E. pachypus is amazing! Wish there were more out there in the hobby. Love you videos and always click immediately when I get notification of Tom's Big Spiders drop. :)
My 1st old worlds were (2cm slings and under) 2x C. DARLINGI, 1x OBT, and 2x Philippine Tarantula sp. NORTH CEBU LARGE (coz there is a N Cebu Dwarf it seems.). All 5 in 1 package I got last March. Darlingi A: Food catcher, won't let food touch anything. Feels like a Geniculata crossed with the whack-a-mole game during feeding. Darlingi B: Whack-a-mole without whacking anything during feeding time. OBT: "I will run around my webbing before you can feed me, hooman." N. Cebu Large: Pet holes (as slings, idk if they will grow out of the pet hole status). You guys eating the bugs I gave you? You guys still alive? Oh! New molt pieces have appeared! Yup. Still alive.
Thank you for this. I was looking into getting my first old world and was going back and forth between m balfouri and p metallica. I'm a sucker for the blue octofloofs. This helped that decision.
I had a Metallica which I had to sell when I was in trouble financially. GREAT spider! It makes you nervous the way they build their nests in a top corner of their cage, but Mine wasn't skittish at all.
You're most welcome! Many folks report more docile P. metallicas, while others say that theirs are a bit skittish. Like everyone on this list, it all depends on the specimen!
Decided to get a obt for my first old world, he’s actually only threat postured me one time when I was rehousing very fun experience 😅, guy I got him from said it’s the nicest obt he’s ever seen he’s very laid back I can grab things from his cage without him moving.
Hiya Tom definitely a request here that I haven’t seen anyone do yet 😉 top ten or fifteen will do, fossorial species. I’d love a decent jar of dirt to look at but unsure which one. Just a suggestion ..
This was a needed video 👍 I bought two pokies as my first old worlds, two months after I started keeping. Think I had 4 pokies before I got my 2 Balfouri and then my h pulchripes.
Ok so my first T was the rufilata, mind you my wife is an experienced keeper so she had a handle on me and the rufilata ( yes she has successfully kept me in captivity for years now) so I was confident with my choice for a first T.
Thanks Tom! Just getting into the old worlds and have 2 of these: H. pulchripes (6 months) and H. villosella (1 year)....I picked these based on a lot of reading and videos and was happy to see them both on your list. Also happy to report that we are all getting along just fine. Interesting to hear that the villosella can be kept communal.
Hey, Luke! I'm so glad that you are doing well with them. Honestly, most folks that get into keeping old worlds soon find that they really aren't that bad. :)
Awesome video as always. I have a question which goes out to anyone in the hobby, considering beginnerspecies out of the OW. Earlier this fall I bought a mysterybox containing four slings, all considered to be begimmerfriendly. One out of 'em is a Hysterocrates Gigas. Which kinda threw me. I haven't really heard anyone describing Them as beginnerfriendly. However mine is docile enough and I used to have a Poecilotheria Metallica who was quite challenging in comparison to my h.gigas. So anyone with opinions and/or experience may answer. 😊 Keep up the fine work, Tom 👍.
They are usually not considered beginner friendly as they grow fast, get big, can be defensive, and require moisture. That's an odd one to say the least. That said, I have two girls who are quite shy and that have never given me a problem. :) Thank you!
@@TomsBigSpiders thank you for re-assuring my suspicions. The retailer that sold me the mystery-box didn't really succumb to argument. On my behalf I'm still happy with my purchase, but I am fairly experienced. I wouldn't give my gigas away, but the thought of anyone totally inexperienced getting this box just seemed outta place. And since I'm merely at the afforementioned "fairly experienced"-level (whatever that means) I figured a pro as you, as well as your many well-adviced followers, could serve to set the record straight in order to pursue a even more serious manner of how we pursue this fantastic hobby. Thank you for taking the time to shed light on the matter. /Tuomo, Sweden.
Our H. Gigas is shy and when seen out and about will just calmly about face into the burrow. That said I'm a little surprised to see this T classified as beginner friendly
@@eelounge Sounds like mine eventhough he/she is a sling at about two inches. I guess the saler thought that a spider prone to burrowing is beginnerfriendly 🤔. I have yet to find anyone that shares the sentiment. Thank you for sharing. Much appreciated 😊.
Great list. Of course I’m sad no pokies are in there but I get it. The thing about pokies for me is that they demand so much respect from the keeper that they actually make me more relaxed and focused when I deal with them. Specially when compared to my bolty LPs or hair kicking curly hair. I guess it really all comes down to individuals!!
See, that's the problem I have with putting them on the list. They DO absolutely demand respect. However, for folks who have heard that they are "agressive" and "dangerous", the respect turns to fear. I've spoken to many folks over the years who buy slings and then are terrified to rehouse them. That can lead to mistakes. That said, I 100% agree that they can be quite easy to manage. And absolutely...it varies from spider to spider. Thanks for chiming in!
great one Tom, I rescued P. regalis and it was out in the open for months now it has made dirt curtains in every opening and has been there for months same with my D. diamantinensis it starting to freak me out.
I got my first four T's as part of a beginner mystery box. I had been a quiet observer of the community for several years and felt ready to get my own. So I got a box of slings. Unboxing went as follows: one T. albo, sweet. One P. irminia... oh wow. One P. cambridgei... oof alright. And finally... one H. gigas OH LORD! I thought I had done goofed right from the start. But! I ended up loving all of them, especially the H. gigas. She's such a great eater, never defensive. My T. albo though... jeez. Scares the living shit out of me every time I go to feed it. Runs around like a mad man. It didn't take long until I ordered some more, both OWs and NWs, and they're all thriving and I am in love.
Hello, Lewisia! I'm sorry...did you say that the "beginner" mystery box had a P. irminia, a P. cambridgei, and a H. gigas in it? WHAT? hahaha WOW. I AM glad to hear that you are doing well with them. If you give the H. gigas room to dig and keep the lower levels moist, you'll almost never see it. :) Welcome to the hobby!
@@TomsBigSpiders Yup. I got thrown right into the deep end of the tarantula pool lol. I got in touch with the seller and asked if this was correct but they never got back to me. However, I very much enjoy all my slings and wouldn't trade them back. My H. gigas is definitely a pet hole. I gave it lots of substrate and it disappeared within a day, but it made the entrance on the side of the enclosure so I can see it from time to time, and watch it eat. It has almost doubled in size since I got it. All of the slings have been eating and moulting and seem happy. As I said, I've been a quiet observer for almost 3-4 years now, doing research and following all keepers I can find, so I wasn't entirely unaware of what I was getting into. Still, not the best idea to get a mystery box to start with. Am I regretting it now? Absolutely not. Would I recommend anyone else do the same thing? NO. 😂
Hi Tom, I have to second you on C. darlingi and M. balfouri, those are my only old worlds so far and they have been a real confidence builder! They can be very fast, but their only reaction when disturbed is to run and hide, even during rehousings, not a single threat pose to mention. If treated with due respect, they are perfectly manageable. I might add that they are much more easy-going than my late male T. vagans, who was a complete nutcase! Congratulations on the channel and thanks for all this great content
Hi, Lipton! I have a lot of folks tell me that their T. vagans are nightmares! I have one that's very laid back and another that's quite skittish! Thanks for chiming in!
I think this is a pretty solid list. My first adventure into keeping old worlds was getting 3 at once P metallica, P murinus, and H pulchripies and my H pulchripies is the one that gives me the most defensiveness. I have yet to have trouble with any of them (knock on wood)
My H pulchripes is very calm, my Obrt is too. My Blue Gabon dwarf baboon is probably my most difficult old world, only because he or she is a bolter and so fast xx
Thank you so much! I know that people can start with some of the "big guns", so this list would not be for everyone. Also, temperament can vary, so you never know which species are going to be the sweethearts and which will be the demons!
I gotta say that our harpactira pulchripes is a psychopath, we just rehoused her and it was an all hands on deck rehouse with temporary escape. Very intense rehouse but even feeding this girl gets frantic. ( still one of my favorites)
Yup, there are definitely high strung and defensive ones out there. Even if a species has a reputation for being more docile, temperament can differ from specimen to specimen.
@@TomsBigSpiders it is my fervent prayer (we have considered sacrificing one of our children to the spider queen. It's a joke people don't get carried away) that she calms down after her next molt
Hey Tom I just got an OBT it's my first Old World but I don't think that I will have any trouble with it because I know enough to respect the crap out of it and I'm just going to start it out in a bit bigger enclosures the little one is right about 1 inch and going to put it in a 32 tall deli cup until it needs something bigger, just wanted to say thanks for all the great advice that you give and the information is amazing would love to meet you in person to shake your hand :)
This video is fantastic!! My first were the Harpactira pulchripes, Ceratogyrus marshaIli and the C. darlingi. I love them. My H pulchripes is so awesome .. Its feeding response is insane lol
Hi Tom, great video as always. I've just picked up my 1st old world. A H pulchrapies, absolutely stunning T. It's only a large sling but so far really docile. I'm looking forward to watching it grow! 😊😊
As a relatively newer keeper I am glad that some of my few old worlds are on this list! I love the M. balfouri and C. darlingi, mine are still just a sling and juvenile respectively but are definitely not as high strung as some of my new worlds (for example, some of my Psalmopeous species).
This blue leg tarantula, I had no interest in this species but now I absolutely love them and want more they are absolutely amazing and easy to care for
Pretty good list, I would say. I'm actually surprised that Idiothele mira wasn't mentioned. Apparently, they are also hardy and not too defensive. A part of me would want to venture into one of these, but the other half tells me to stick to my comfort zone. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
There is a balfouri communal in my not to distant future! I only have C. marshalli as far as old world but after 2 years of keeping I’ve got it down and I’m not worried at all.
Hello Tom, my first old world was a Chilobrachys Fimbriatus. I love the color I'm just crazy for it. I have 3 of them. My second OW was a S.Calceatum which is now a very laid back lady 3 years old so far. Then a Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli which is an angel. I have both C.Marshalli and H.Pulchripes, they are stunning creatures, and are eating machines. Great video!
Is there already a video about the most visible / best display old-worlds (and vice versa: most reclusive ones)? Because I was looking for something like that once and couldn't find anything. Should be an easy one to make because there aren't too many options. ;)
I started taking notes for one, but I struggled with it as most are quite reclusive. My H. pulchripes female is always out in the open, but others have ones that never come out of their burrows. Most of my other OW species are quite secretive overall, and I have to sneak up after the lights are off to catch them out. Harpactira speices as a whole are pretty visible.
@@TomsBigSpiders I actually bought a H. pulchripes sling after watching your videos (turned out to be male), hoping he would be an even "better" OBT (more visible and a little calmer). But honestly, I'm quite disappointed (except from his looks of course!). I bought another OBT sling (turned out to be female) at the same time and of the exact same age, raised and treated it exactly the same... The H. pulchipes is almost als shy as he used to be, the OBT... well, this is her yesterday evening sitting on the couch with me and watching your video (hope you don't mind), not even running away with her cricket as they use to do when you feed them outside: th-cam.com/video/ZMDgF5ZAhkQ/w-d-xo.html Except for P. ornata and P. regalis I have no experience with Asians, so I was hoping there might be the one or the other more visible species.
Cannot agree more with the top slot! Love the H. pulchripes', in my experience, calm demeanor (I'm handling my now adult female in my profile pic, only because she decided to go for a relaxing walk during a rehouse) and who can't deny those beautiful colors? C. darlingi is a great choice as well, though I wish I saw mine as much as it sounds like you see yours. And GOSH do I wish more people could get a hold of breed E. pachypus!!!! I have wanted one for atleast half a decade lol
Thank you so much! I love my H. pulchripes as well, and they have always been very well behaved (although I know some folks that have more high strung ones). And I do, too. I would definitely snatch up some slings!
My Hysterocrates gigas is an absolute darling to deal with, don't get me wrong i'd not want to hold it! But every time i open the lid it never darts up to see whats going on, rehousing has been a total breeze also. Only issue is its a bit of a pet hole it will dig its self very deep under the substrate and often can't even be seen eating. But when it does come out its absolutely stunning. I do wish it was on display more. I like all the baboons i own a whole bunch, but yeah the Cameroon red baboon is just a joy.
I couldn’t agree more about the H pulchripes! Absolutely one of my favorite that I’ve kept, and more laid back than most of my new worlds! I once dropped its enclosure while it was still in it and it just sat there calmly waiting for me to finish the rehousing. My other spiders would have freaked out. Amazing spider and I will check out some others on this list.
From P.irminia's I just took the plunge and ordered a H.maculata unboxing was fine but "silly me" I did not add the water dish and not giving it time to settle it "teleported" up my arm around my neck and down my leg to the floor. it understandably took me a moment to process what happened luckily some storage totes gave it a safe spot to calm down and using your transfer method I placed it back in it's enclosure phew. a year later we get along fine - tap on the lid it goes into the hide and i can do maintenance and offer food. I'm looking forward to the next rehousing soon! my only issue is destroying the webbing - it's art.
Great video Tom!!! They all have different personalities, you are 100% spot on. My Brazilian Black is a brat. I opened her enclosure to give her a roach (Dubia) and she kicked hair at me, she thinks she's so tough! So far my sweetest one is my pink toe and he's a he! So far I have all new world but only a total of 10, I need many more! :-)
Hello, Lynnette! Thank you so much! And, yes...you always need to keep in mind that although one person's spider may be calm, yours may be more defensive. :) Thanks!
My first old world was a Poecilotheria regalis, then H pulchripes and Obt. Now I have a Kaeng Krachan, blue Gabon dwarf baboon and a hati hati, my Regalis is very calm and so is my H pulchripes. My obt is sweet too but I know they arent all lol xx
I ordered my first old world today. I may be jumping the gun here having not raised any Ts past the sling stage yet. But today I just found myself putting P. Regalis into the cart and pressed checkout 🤦♂️
Love this list. I have a C. Darlingi and shes not only stunning, hut fast growing. I have an H Pulchripes on the way. I also have 2 pokies only because I felt comfortable with their speed based off my experience with the psalmopoes genus. I really want a stout leg baboon, but like you said. So hard to find.
Hi, Lindsay! I love my little C. darlingi girls. Something about their little horns makes them extra cute to me. Hopefully, someone eventually breeds the E. pachypus, as we ALL need one. haha
I always find the concept of 'beginner' spiders fascinating. And the mystique of old world species that the hobby places on a pedestal of infamy. I genuinely can't find a whole load of differences across the board between old world and new world spiders (beyond urticating hairs) regarding their husbandry and behaviour etc. I genuinely believe that if the situation was reversed, that we'd be in a somewhat similar situation. Maybe this is because I started with old worlds and then went on to new worlds but who knows. Great video none the less!
I dont think the arbitrary distinction between old and new worlds makes sense in terms of how easy they are to keep, I think, say, ceratogyruses are usually as easy to keep as anything. but I do think there are spiders that a brand new keeper might find a lot easier and some that might not be such a good idea. if someone who never kept tarantuals before got a stromatopelma or cyriopagopus they might find rehousing it really difficult and end up with a spider on the loose
I just did an entire podcast on why lists like these can be taken with a grain of salt. It mostly comes down to the venom, and that old worlds are more likely to use theirs (and it going to be MUCH more painful than a new world bite). That tends to freak people out as the consequences for a mishap are more severe with the old world spiders. That said, having raised species on both sides, they really aren't that scary if you have your transfers down. And, my new world species tend to give me more trouble. Thanks!
I jumped in with both feet about 6 months ago and bought a OBT sling as my first old world. Stupidly because the tiny little thing was only $5, but despite the questionable decision I’m enjoying it. Eating really well and growing quickly, and I’ve followed the advice of keeping it in an enclosure that is tall enough to give it plenty of space to web so I won’t disturb it when I open the enclosure. Buuuut, despite all the space I gave it in the new enclosure most recently it decided to start making its web right at the lid. So now I’m a little at a loss lmao.
The slings tend to be super webbers. If you tap the enclosure a couple times before opening it, they will usually retreat down into the webbing. Good luck!
Just had a look at your post on your website about the E. pachypus, you say it reminds you of a satyr....all I got were visions of 80's legwarmers! (Please lets never bring those buggers back!)
Brilliant video Tom, very informative and enjoyable as usual, great choices 👍 Tom on the list and it gives options to anyone who wants to get into old worlds 🌎.
I fell in love with E. pachypus thanks to you, and was very fortunate to actually find one at a show here in the UK earlier this year. My first old world and I love her to bits! I now have every spider from this list except for P. lugardi and H. villosella. Do you have any experience with the Augacephalus genus? How do the compare to the spiders on this list, temperament wise?
Hey, Agata! Congrats on being able to find one! I mentioned it because I hope folks continue to look for them and, just maybe, breed them some day! Unfortunately, I do not have experience with that genus yet.
Seconding that, although I've been nowhere near as lucky finding one! I do own an a. ezendami sling (about two inches) and aside from being a tad skittish is pretty laid back so far.
@@TomsBigSpiders I feel very fortunate! It was the first show after the lockdowns here, had a well known shop was selling her, she used to be part of somebody's private collection. A youngish adult from what I was told. I really hope somebody still breeds them someday. Have you seen the article in the latest BTS journal? It talks about just that. Not a recent attempt, 2016, but it's still interesting.
Hey Tom great video,I would say pokies,because there not really defensive yes they have poten venom,but I have found them easy to keep and to deal with. My first old world was a c marshalli AF,I think I was only been in the hobby a few months,but I saw her at a show and just got her.she is pretty laid back if u dont mess with her like I did when I rehoused her she was a psycho.i do have have a a couple of chilobrachys sp which are laid back and never threat posed me.and the other day I rehoused my obt and wow not a single threat pose very well behaved.so the way I see it u either get a laid back one or u dont.same as the new worlds, my t albo is a crazy one.
Hello, James! I considered pokies, but as I said in the video, so many folks start off terrified of them. I've receive many emails and comments over the years by folks who picked them up early, and then were scared to rehouse them. That's not a good combo. That said, I DO 100% agree that they are usually quite calm and predicatable. Honestly, it all just depends on the individual spider, as temperament can always vary. Thanks for chiming in!
I would add the O. phillipinus as a good starter. Really I think many are fine, as long as your rehouse game is on point. I would also add the H. himalayana, and the O. aureotibialis. I have personally had really good luck with Chilobrachys, but I know that they have a rep for a reason. And I agree that they are individuals. Right now my two worst are both New Worlds. Don't get in over your head, and don't get discouraged. Happy spidering.
I love my O. philippinus, but they do have the moisture requirements. I haven't kept the other species yet, but I'll have to try them out. Great points all around...thanks!
Great list Tom, I don't disagree with it, however, I do feel that if anyone is going to move in to old worlds from docile new worlds they should be confident with bold tarantulas, when my h. Pulchripes was a juvenile it used to Web up the lid of its tub, so when I removed the lid to feed I had to use something to hold the Web so it didn't rip out all the substrate, hide etc., as they have an amazing feeding response, whatever I used to hold the Web in place, the T thought it was bringing food, the result was a slowly opening lid with a fast spider looking like it was coming for you😂 i imagine it could be quite distressing to someone used to slow Ts, the solution was to get the food in before lifting the lid off completely, it was always happy with its mouth full😂
Hey, Paul! Yup, I totally agree that folks need to be prepared for bolder and faster tarantulas. That's why many folks use the "ladder system" to build up to old worlds.
Although my favorite is the H pulchripes is my favorite I do love the first one you mentioned. I agree with your statement temperamental varies from specimen to specimen. I had been hearing the C darlingi was a very nice and docile beginner so I ordered a couple. The male was very flighty but the female I nicknamed demon is just that, a demon, lol. Great pix Tom. Tyfs God bless you
Hi, Debbie! Yeah, I always try to stress that temperament may vary. I don't want folks to get complacent or to have a false sense of security during rehousings and maintenance. Thanks for chiming in!
I'm the one man cheerleading squad for Harpactirella lightfooti but in all seriousness if you can find them they're amazing T's I'm also a weirdo in that in general I find my Old Worlds easier to deal with than my NW's mainly because I only really have to watch one end. My Borneo Black exception to the rule after rehousing here I needed to go rehouse a pokie to calm down
I will definitely keep an eye out for them; I just wish that they were more prevalent in the hobby. And I usually have an easier time with old worlds as well.
My P lugardi act’s like a trapdoor. Did see a TH-cam video claiming that they are a trapdoor. Did starts a vertical burrow in it’s enclosure and it moved in there. My first OW was a P murinus. Have only good things to say about them.
I just got an H villosella sling...feeding time is so impressive. The second the b lat hits the webbing the spider explodes! It's legs flail everywhere while running over, it'll catch the nymph, quickly chomp down, then tweek out right back to it's den. 😆 speed demon!
I'm only 4 tarantulas in, all new worlds, and 3 are tiny slings Once I get some rehousings of my P irminia under my belt, I think I am going to get a M balfori or the H pulchripes for my first OW. Both are such beautiful spiders. That stout legged baboon is sooo cute though. Hopefully people will start breeding them more often.
Hello, Jamie! If you can handle a P. irminia, you should have no issues with any of the spiders on this list. Psalmopoeus sp. make great stepping stones to old worlds. Thanks for chiming in!
Hey Tom, great video, there was a species of tarantula that you didn’t mention on there and it is probably the only Asian species that would rather retreat then give a threat pose and that’s the Ornithoctonus aureotibialis, awesome spiders I’m sure they can be defensive but I’ve had many of them that were more skiddish then defensive 😊
One thing to note about The horned specimens to help out people who want a marshalli or darlingi but still are not ready to make leap to old worlds, there is a new world horned specie called Sphaerobothria hoffmanni (sadly its like the stout leg, its rarely available i've noticed) In other notes, Oddly enough my first old world was a Poecilotheria regalis (Mine has had a super chill demeanor, and since it had plenty of places to hide, it has never given any threat postures or teleporting behavior, other then teleporting to its log to hide, but usually they just sit out in open when i do maintenance or change water etc =)
I just got my first tarantula. I bought a stripe knee. It doesn't seem very defensive but will run and hide. I wanna try to hold it because I love it. But kind of nervous.
@@TomsBigSpiders I think that. But I bought if from a pet store that handles there tarantulas. But for display it couldn't dig and didn't have a hide. I imagine that's for being able to sell it. But now my little T has a hide and substrate. So it burrowed and stays hid. That make me happy knowing it stays hidden because I want my little T to feel safe.
Hi, Brian! Unfortately, I honestly don't get a lot of threat postures from my Old World tarantulas. I give them space to burrow and web, and they would much rather run and hide than stand and fight. I think that I honestly get more threat postures from some of my new world species. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders I've been fascinated with the big spiders since I first laid eyes on them in grade school. Just such a different looking creature with its bunch of legs fangs and the size of some of them and now in the videos I've seen the speed these dudes can operate just amazes me. I'm from Kansas and drove a truck over the road and certain times of the year while trucking around the mid to Western states I'd see them crossing the road. I thought about building an enclosure that was ten or fifteen feet in length just to see the speed of a cobalt tarantula come to get his food. Lol
I would add Chilobrachys fimbriatus to the list. my female is laid back and easy to rehouse. fast but very cooperative. never got a threat pose or anything from mine
@@TomsBigSpiders it's one of those lists you could spend forever swapping species in and out of, I'm having the same issues with my next couple of videos top 10s are not easy at all
@@TomsBigSpiders I must admit I'm only doing them as my subs have specifically asked for them, especially on my new podcast (yes inspired by your awesome podcast which I'm an episode behind on whoops) I think I've managed to get a top 10 list together bust its not definitive. I mean if I had my way it's 10 phormictopus, 10 poecilotheria....list done 🤣🤣🤣
(very) technically, you could say the most docile Old World would be genus Catumiri! ...which many of y'all probably are (correctly) saying are dwarf New Worlds. But while they do live in South America, the genus Catumiri is actually more closely related to several Old World genera, like M balfouri, than it is to any New World. Still one of my favorite tarantula facts.
I don't have any old world yet but looking at my experience with new world tarantulas I have found arboreal more difficult when it comes to maintenance/ feeding and rehousing. Therefore I recon Poecilotheria would not be a best beginner OW. Term 'beginner ' is misleading as some might interpret it as T for a beginner instead first OW
Hopefully people that are confused by the title listen to what I say in the video. I clearly state this is for folks looking to get into old worlds after getting some experience. I struggled with what to title it, though.
C darlingi was my first and a great choice! Still have her and went on to get a C marshalli and sanderi as well. I love the whole genius. But here I am going on 5 yrs in the hobby and I just got my first M balfouri 😅 not my fav to rehouse I’ve learned. Might need to check out that stout leg tho!! Beautiful. Never heard of them before!
Yes they are quite smart spiders ;)
Hi Kat! Your last feeding vid was great.
Hey, Kat...yup, they are awesome little spiders. What a wonderful genus. And, if you can find a stout leg, grab it up. They are super rare now. :(
Hey Kat! My first was also a C. darlingi, and she's such a chill little girl (except when food is presented, naturally). *Similar experience with the M. balfouri - my girl is pretty bolty and defensive, though I admit her setup isn't the best and she's due to have a rehouse.
Wish I had the balls to move from new world too old. Been keeping T's 16 years. Massive respect to the peeps that keep old worlds
Hey, there is never a hurry...and some folks just don't feel comfortable with the jump.
ive been keeping like 3 months and have 2 they arent much different you just have to stay calm and try your best when rehousing and stuff
I love that type of background where you can sometimes see the Tarantula's walkin around.
Haha! It's for folks who don't want to stare at my mug. haha
The marshalli is the reason I got into t's , my youngest son was called Marshall and marshalli was his knick name , I lost my son to an asthma attack 2 years ago, not long after I was watching TH-cam with my eldest looking researching spider for his homework when we found a vid about the marshalli and that was it I was hooked, I have 35 tarantula now all nw but the marshalli will always be my favourite because of this reason , its nice to see them get a mention amazing species ❤ great vid Tom and great list 😊
Hi, Charlene...that's awesome! My C. marshalli is still pretty small, but I'm loving him/her so far. If it is anything like my C. darlingi, it will soon become a favorite. Thanks for chiming in!
My first old world was a Harpactira Pulchripes. She's really chill and only gave me a threat posture once, when I accidently dropped her food on top of her lol. If she's not in pre-molt, she will always come out at night. She doesn't dig but she loves the hide I gave her.
Hahaha That's exactly what happened with mine...I dropped food on her and she flipped for a second. haha
I love that you always remind people of the specimen to specimen rule. My C. Minax is an absolute angel but my first Balfouri is super fiesty and I remember being surprised by it. 😅
Great list and video Tom! Your videos always make my day.
I'd be wrong to leave that out...it's so true! At the end of the day, their behavior can be quite unpredictable. Thanks so much, Zulema!
Dipping my toes into old world, ordered a c. Darlingi, arrives Tuesday from fear not tarantulas. You’re videos have been so sooo helpful in preparing myself
That's awesome! I love my C. Darlingi! Congrats!
the fact tat you actually do respond to all coments even after a year says a lot lol you just got a sub and thanks for the info!
Sorry for the late reply! Thank you so much for the sub! Yeah, I figure that the least I can do for folks who take the time to comment is respond! :)
Just ordered my first old world T a 3” Female MONOCENTROPUS BALFOURI - SOCOTRA ISLAND BLUE BABOON. I’m so excited. With my own research and watching vids like Tom’s I made the decision to get one! Great vid 😎
Congrats, Anthony! They are AWESOME spiders!
Great vid TOM
Thank you, Martin!
Hey Tom, wonderful video as always! I 100% agree with your list but I'd like to add H. villosella to the list! They are a very small size (so not overwhelming), much more shy than defensive, and beautiful little spiders! And heavy webbers to boot.
I would like to bring something up that is *sort of* something that should be considered on the ladder system or just I feel like something that should be more widely discussed: webbing. A heavy webbing tarantula is very different from one that does little to no webbing. Working with a GBB is different than working with a Xenethsis. Yes both are leggy terrestrials (let's put a pin in the semi-arboreal convo for now) but one is a heavy webber and one isn't. When preparing to own a heavy webber, there are slightly different styles of setups, tricks you need to learn and even tools you need (aquarium scissors, tons of extra soufflé cups) and learning how to work around the webbing is also important: anything that touches that webbing will be a trigger (I think this can be best seen in your recent video on curtain web spiders). They need anchor points which so many people don't realise and for me I even use differently ventilated enclosures for my heavy webbers (mostly OWs, I don't have a gbb and my D. diamantinensis sling is the second tiniest thing I've ever seen): I drill ventilation holes around the surface level of the dirt so I can easily rehydrate the substrate through a hole with a syringe, since the webbing is waterproof once they really web it up, you're not getting access to that substrate anymore. I just really don't hear anyone discussing the importance of learning how to deal with a heavy webbing species DUE TO its heavy webbing. Hope that made sense.
Again, love the video and my vote for H. villosella!
- Charlotte
Hey, Charlotte! Man, it still p's me off that this video has ads. Grrrr...
In the outro, I named the H. villosella as the 6th best beginner old world; I just didn't have any footage of it, sadly.
And you bring up a good point. Although I've given tips for heavy webbers when talking about specific species, I've never talked about them (and the differences in care) in general. That might make a good video or podcast!
Thanks again!
OBT was my first on my second order of Ts only a week after my first lol. Mind you I educated myself for months beforehand even getting my first T. I knew I had to respect the danger of the OBT which is likely the only reason it worked for me. My Third order of Ts included 2 Poecilotherias roughly 6 months after my second. 6 Orders in total now, and I'm blessed with 28 Ts, after 3 MM deaths, 3 DOAs, and 1 sling death (within the the first week). Currently I have 10 OW Ts, or 8 unique OW species. Great share as always Tom, keep it up
Edit: First order was back in Feb 12 2019, so just under 3 years now, but feels longer lol
Some folks get good information and can jump right in with the OBTs and pokies. Sadly, many see videos of them being called "dangerous" and "aggressive" and they are scared of them when they get them. It's a shame, as people end up missing out on some great spiders. Thanks for chiming in!
I've been studying obts for a little while as I've been interesting in getting them as they are wildly available should I get one even though I only have 1 t so far although I'm making my second order which includes curly hair , pumpkin patch , caribena versicolor and brachypelma hamorii can someone tell me if I should get a obt they look so cool.
I will say this every time I comment till I’m blue in the face most underrated channels period!!! Love you Tom you taught me so many things over the last 5-6 years and I never lost a t that wasn’t a mature male because I use you for care info just got my first female t stirmi young adult female and 4 inche juvenile that im hoping is a male
Hey, Joe! Man, thank you so much. I really do appreciate it, especially the part that I've helped you to keep your spiders alive. :)
Another good one !
Thanks, Dan!
Hey Tom! Just got done with the podcast that's sort of the cousin to this video and can definitely say it was this kind of list that helped me make my earliest choices in the hobby.
I started keeping Old Worlds after only a couple of months but as you say, it's totally up to the confidence and past experience of the individual.
As we've discussed I had zero arachnophobia, a background of interacting with venomous native Australian species and I was confident in rehousings very quickly. That to me made me believe that I was ready to jump to faster arboreal Old Worlds like Poecilotheria/Stromatopelma despite the likelihood of being shouted at thoroughly if I confessed that on an open forum.
As you know from our interactions, I've done fine and your kind words on my P.metallica rehouse video doubly reassured me that I was doing a calm and safe job in my rehousings.
I also really like the look of the E.pachypus now, they have tree trunk legs like me so I think it's written in the stars. Tom Moran, costing me money with every upload.
Hey, Adam! It really does TOTALLY come down to the keeper. There are some folks that jump right in with no issues; others find themselves afraid of thier spiders. When you're ready...you know. If you ever see an E. pachypus, BUY IT. They are SO difficult to find these days. It's a shame, as they are adorable. Hope all is well!
The horned tarantulas look awesome!
I love those horns!
C. darlingi was my first old world tarantula and I totally agree with it being a beginner old world. Mine is super chill. One of my favorite species!
I'm so glad to hear that you had a docile one as well! :)
Great video, Tom. I have 3 of the 5 you mentioned. For me, the biggest thing I learned so far about Old Worlds, is their speed. They're on a completely different level. You've mentioned it before but I couldn't comprehend it until I saw it myself.
Thank you so much! Yes, the speed when they get going is what can freak people out, especially those used to slower "beginner" species.
Had to check and see what you recommend
I feel pretty confident with the six mentioned here as I've been asking folks for years about this. :)
You are finally monetizing. I always thought you should. You are the best teacher of how to keep T's on YT.
Hey, Joyce. Wait...what? Did you get an ad? I turned on monetization several months back because TH-cam started putting ads on my videos without permission. I now turn monetization off with every video I post. I should NOT have any ads.
@@TomsBigSpiders It was just a blurb across the screen and only once. But I have seen ads like that with folks I KNOW monetize. It is not a sin especially being a teacher. Not sure what you guys get paid back east but here they start new teachers out being paid less a week than garbage collectors.
@@JJDigitalartStudio UGHHHHHH. I don't want ads on my videos ever. And I think that I figured out what the issue was...a copyright clame was made against the video for my theme song. Although it isn't a strike against me, the owner can now monitize my video for himself. This is expecially frustrating as I legally purchased the rights to use that song years ago. Now I have to get into it with TH-cam over that. UGH. Thanks for the heads up!
@@TomsBigSpiders I really thought that this was you. There is nothing wrong with monetizing but then you have to allow the copyright holder to advertise on your video. I have only 2 with enough hits to make it profitable for the copyright holder to make money.
If you paid for lease rights on a copyrighted song it may be time to pay again.
@@JJDigitalartStudio Nope...never. haha I can't stand ads and I don't want them on my videos. By the sounds of things, the rights switched hands several times over the years, and there is a new company in charge of them now. After doing some research, it sounds as if they rarely side with the creator in these instances. Off to find a new song!
I came over from the snake hobby 3yrs ago after selling my entire collection. I kept and bred hots for alittle over 20yrs. Specialized in Naja, Crotalus, Sistrurus, Agkistrodon and a quit a few other species. I'm 3rs in this hobby and have to say keeping T's is a change of pace, even with keeping ow. I jumped in big. I find it more relaxing. I wish I discovered this hobby years ago.
I kept snakes for years myself, and I definitely find the spiders to be more relaxing! I agree!
Thanks for this video Tom..! I'm just getting back into the hoppy from being out of it for years and after about 2 months im up to 5 new worlds. ( My GBB sure gives me a heck of a time..!🤣) I would live to get into some ild worlds at some point and this video really helped..!
Welcome back, Will! I'm so glad that this video was helpful!
For me Cyriopagopus albostriatus would make the list. At least mine is very chill, very beautiful and almost always out on display. I still need to get a communal of Monocentropus balfouri... Great Footage Tom! And Harpactira pulchripes would have made top of my list as well. *cheers!
I will have to check that one out, Christop...I don't think that they are readily available over here. Thank you so much!
@@TomsBigSpiders That is a shame, they are very beautiful. Stunning patterns and beautiful colorations. I wish I could post a picture here. They have a deep blue and some yellowish tones and brown colors too.
I am doing my research on some old worlds to start with. I have 6 NW as of now and have really enjoyed them. Now I wanna move into just a couple old worlds. Thanks for your hard work on these videos and all the information you put out. It has helped me a lot. Have a great day bro
I'm so glad that this was helpful! Good luck on your first!
When it comes to old worlds, I have been taking baby steps when adding one to my collection. Right now I have 2 out of the 5 on this list, the M. Balfouri (I call her Mirage) and an H. Pulchripes (haven't named it yet but was leaning towards Midas or Nova). So far both have been peaches. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to get a laid back specimen, but I have lucked out so far with my first two old worlds.
Hey, Christopher! That makes total sense to me. And I love the names!
Another solid video Tom!
Thank you, Fred!
Yes, I would consider a few Balfour in a communal set up but would start with one and get use to it first
I definitely found the communal setup to be quite rewarding. Seeing adult spiders get along will never get old. :)
I got my first OW from a fella on tarantulaforums. She is a C. darlingi and is the most chill tarantula in my collection. She never charges me when I'm cleaning up her cage or filling her water dish. She is absolutely gorgeous and she's always hanging half way out of her burrow, so I can admire her daily.
I have two, KatyAnn, and they are quite cute and laid back as well. That's great that you can see her!
@@TomsBigSpiders 😁
So far I only have new worlds, but sure am glad the M. balfouri and the H. pulcripes are on the list as these are 2 old worlds I just adore the look of. One of these days.... and the first one E. pachypus is amazing! Wish there were more out there in the hobby.
Love you videos and always click immediately when I get notification of Tom's Big Spiders drop. :)
Well, if you ever make the transition into old world tarantulas, be sure to let me know! :) Thanks!
My 1st old worlds were (2cm slings and under) 2x C. DARLINGI, 1x OBT, and 2x Philippine Tarantula sp. NORTH CEBU LARGE (coz there is a N Cebu Dwarf it seems.). All 5 in 1 package I got last March.
Darlingi A: Food catcher, won't let food touch anything. Feels like a Geniculata crossed with the whack-a-mole game during feeding.
Darlingi B: Whack-a-mole without whacking anything during feeding time.
OBT: "I will run around my webbing before you can feed me, hooman."
N. Cebu Large: Pet holes (as slings, idk if they will grow out of the pet hole status). You guys eating the bugs I gave you? You guys still alive? Oh! New molt pieces have appeared! Yup. Still alive.
That's a great group of spiders there, Kei! Hahaha And great descriptions of the behaviors!
Thank you for this. I was looking into getting my first old world and was going back and forth between m balfouri and p metallica. I'm a sucker for the blue octofloofs. This helped that decision.
I had a Metallica which I had to sell when I was in trouble financially. GREAT spider! It makes you nervous the way they build their nests in a top corner of their cage, but Mine wasn't skittish at all.
You're most welcome! Many folks report more docile P. metallicas, while others say that theirs are a bit skittish. Like everyone on this list, it all depends on the specimen!
Decided to get a obt for my first old world, he’s actually only threat postured me one time when I was rehousing very fun experience 😅, guy I got him from said it’s the nicest obt he’s ever seen he’s very laid back I can grab things from his cage without him moving.
That was how my first female was. I never had an issue with her. LOVE that species.
Hiya Tom definitely a request here that I haven’t seen anyone do yet 😉 top ten or fifteen will do, fossorial species. I’d love a decent jar of dirt to look at but unsure which one. Just a suggestion ..
I just have to get the footage for it! I've planned one for years, but it would be a lot of staring at holes!
Awesome list! I can’t wait to pick up some of these guys in the near future.
I'm glad that you found it useful! Thanks!
This was a needed video 👍
I bought two pokies as my first old worlds, two months after I started keeping. Think I had 4 pokies before I got my 2 Balfouri and then my h pulchripes.
Thank you, Darcy! I think a lot of us moved into them rather early. :)
Ok so my first T was the rufilata, mind you my wife is an experienced keeper so she had a handle on me and the rufilata ( yes she has successfully kept me in captivity for years now) so I was confident with my choice for a first T.
Thanks Tom! Just getting into the old worlds and have 2 of these: H. pulchripes (6 months) and H. villosella (1 year)....I picked these based on a lot of reading and videos and was happy to see them both on your list. Also happy to report that we are all getting along just fine.
Interesting to hear that the villosella can be kept communal.
Hey, Luke! I'm so glad that you are doing well with them. Honestly, most folks that get into keeping old worlds soon find that they really aren't that bad. :)
That H. Pulchripes is stunning 😍
I love this species. : )
The video that i've been wanting to see for this whole time about beginner OW. Thanks man, looking forward to get those non urticating Ts
Ha! You're most welcome!
Awesome video as always. I have a question which goes out to anyone in the hobby, considering beginnerspecies out of the OW.
Earlier this fall I bought a mysterybox containing four slings, all considered to be begimmerfriendly. One out of 'em is a Hysterocrates Gigas. Which kinda threw me. I haven't really heard anyone describing Them as beginnerfriendly. However mine is docile enough and I used to have a Poecilotheria Metallica who was quite challenging in comparison to my h.gigas.
So anyone with opinions and/or experience may answer. 😊
Keep up the fine work, Tom 👍.
They are usually not considered beginner friendly as they grow fast, get big, can be defensive, and require moisture. That's an odd one to say the least. That said, I have two girls who are quite shy and that have never given me a problem. :) Thank you!
@@TomsBigSpiders thank you for re-assuring my suspicions. The retailer that sold me the mystery-box didn't really succumb to argument. On my behalf I'm still happy with my purchase, but I am fairly experienced. I wouldn't give my gigas away, but the thought of anyone totally inexperienced getting this box just seemed outta place. And since I'm merely at the afforementioned "fairly experienced"-level (whatever that means) I figured a pro as you, as well as your many well-adviced followers, could serve to set the record straight in order to pursue a even more serious manner of how we pursue this fantastic hobby.
Thank you for taking the time to shed light on the matter. /Tuomo, Sweden.
Our H. Gigas is shy and when seen out and about will just calmly about face into the burrow. That said I'm a little surprised to see this T classified as beginner friendly
@@eelounge Sounds like mine eventhough he/she is a sling at about two inches. I guess the saler thought that a spider prone to burrowing is beginnerfriendly 🤔. I have yet to find anyone that shares the sentiment.
Thank you for sharing. Much appreciated 😊.
Great list. Of course I’m sad no pokies are in there but I get it.
The thing about pokies for me is that they demand so much respect from the keeper that they actually make me more relaxed and focused when I deal with them. Specially when compared to my bolty LPs or hair kicking curly hair. I guess it really all comes down to individuals!!
See, that's the problem I have with putting them on the list. They DO absolutely demand respect. However, for folks who have heard that they are "agressive" and "dangerous", the respect turns to fear. I've spoken to many folks over the years who buy slings and then are terrified to rehouse them. That can lead to mistakes. That said, I 100% agree that they can be quite easy to manage. And absolutely...it varies from spider to spider. Thanks for chiming in!
great one Tom, I rescued P. regalis and it was out in the open for months now it has made dirt curtains in every opening and has been there for months same with my D. diamantinensis it starting to freak me out.
Thank you! I wouldn't worry too much...you always have the odd balls.
I got my first four T's as part of a beginner mystery box. I had been a quiet observer of the community for several years and felt ready to get my own. So I got a box of slings. Unboxing went as follows: one T. albo, sweet. One P. irminia... oh wow. One P. cambridgei... oof alright. And finally... one H. gigas OH LORD! I thought I had done goofed right from the start. But! I ended up loving all of them, especially the H. gigas. She's such a great eater, never defensive. My T. albo though... jeez. Scares the living shit out of me every time I go to feed it. Runs around like a mad man. It didn't take long until I ordered some more, both OWs and NWs, and they're all thriving and I am in love.
Hello, Lewisia! I'm sorry...did you say that the "beginner" mystery box had a P. irminia, a P. cambridgei, and a H. gigas in it? WHAT? hahaha WOW. I AM glad to hear that you are doing well with them. If you give the H. gigas room to dig and keep the lower levels moist, you'll almost never see it. :) Welcome to the hobby!
@@TomsBigSpiders Yup. I got thrown right into the deep end of the tarantula pool lol. I got in touch with the seller and asked if this was correct but they never got back to me. However, I very much enjoy all my slings and wouldn't trade them back. My H. gigas is definitely a pet hole. I gave it lots of substrate and it disappeared within a day, but it made the entrance on the side of the enclosure so I can see it from time to time, and watch it eat. It has almost doubled in size since I got it. All of the slings have been eating and moulting and seem happy. As I said, I've been a quiet observer for almost 3-4 years now, doing research and following all keepers I can find, so I wasn't entirely unaware of what I was getting into. Still, not the best idea to get a mystery box to start with. Am I regretting it now? Absolutely not. Would I recommend anyone else do the same thing? NO. 😂
Hi Tom,
I have to second you on C. darlingi and M. balfouri, those are my only old worlds so far and they have been a real confidence builder! They can be very fast, but their only reaction when disturbed is to run and hide, even during rehousings, not a single threat pose to mention.
If treated with due respect, they are perfectly manageable. I might add that they are much more easy-going than my late male T. vagans, who was a complete nutcase!
Congratulations on the channel and thanks for all this great content
Hi, Lipton! I have a lot of folks tell me that their T. vagans are nightmares! I have one that's very laid back and another that's quite skittish! Thanks for chiming in!
I think this is a pretty solid list. My first adventure into keeping old worlds was getting 3 at once P metallica, P murinus, and H pulchripies and my H pulchripies is the one that gives me the most defensiveness. I have yet to have trouble with any of them (knock on wood)
My H pulchripes is very calm, my Obrt is too.
My Blue Gabon dwarf baboon is probably my most difficult old world, only because he or she is a bolter and so fast xx
Thank you so much! I know that people can start with some of the "big guns", so this list would not be for everyone. Also, temperament can vary, so you never know which species are going to be the sweethearts and which will be the demons!
I agree. Just coz someone has a sweet Obt they certainly wont all be like that lol xx
Your list is right on point but the blue leg would've been at the top of my list
Yeah, any of these can work...It's why I didn't number them. I've just had better luck with my H. pulchripes being more visible.
I gotta say that our harpactira pulchripes is a psychopath, we just rehoused her and it was an all hands on deck rehouse with temporary escape. Very intense rehouse but even feeding this girl gets frantic. ( still one of my favorites)
Yup, there are definitely high strung and defensive ones out there. Even if a species has a reputation for being more docile, temperament can differ from specimen to specimen.
@@TomsBigSpiders it is my fervent prayer (we have considered sacrificing one of our children to the spider queen. It's a joke people don't get carried away) that she calms down after her next molt
I do feel drawn to the Harpactira genus... beautiful spiders and good to know that they're relatively chill.
I have kept six different species of Harpactira, and they have all been very managable. I love the genus.
great list, very informative! thank you
Thank you, Kim!
Hey Tom I just got an OBT it's my first Old World but I don't think that I will have any trouble with it because I know enough to respect the crap out of it and I'm just going to start it out in a bit bigger enclosures the little one is right about 1 inch and going to put it in a 32 tall deli cup until it needs something bigger, just wanted to say thanks for all the great advice that you give and the information is amazing would love to meet you in person to shake your hand :)
Congrats, Gredarth! That's the way to go...give them a bit of extra room so that they have more room to web and grow. And I really appreciate that!
Happy late Thanksgiving and late black Friday!!
Thank you so much! I hope that you had a great one!
@@TomsBigSpiders I did and I hope my and your Christmas will be great!
This video is fantastic!! My first were the Harpactira pulchripes, Ceratogyrus marshaIli and the C. darlingi. I love them. My H pulchripes is so awesome .. Its feeding response is insane lol
Thank you, Leighann!
Hi Tom, great video as always. I've just picked up my 1st old world. A H pulchrapies, absolutely stunning T. It's only a large sling but so far really docile. I'm looking forward to watching it grow! 😊😊
That's awesome, Natalie...congrats!
As a relatively newer keeper I am glad that some of my few old worlds are on this list! I love the M. balfouri and C. darlingi, mine are still just a sling and juvenile respectively but are definitely not as high strung as some of my new worlds (for example, some of my Psalmopeous species).
And that always needs to be stated...some of the new world species are MUCH more high strung than the baboons (I'm looking you, Psalmo genus. haha).
This blue leg tarantula, I had no interest in this species but now I absolutely love them and want more they are absolutely amazing and easy to care for
They are one of my all time favorites, Tim!
Pretty good list, I would say. I'm actually surprised that Idiothele mira wasn't mentioned. Apparently, they are also hardy and not too defensive.
A part of me would want to venture into one of these, but the other half tells me to stick to my comfort zone.
Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
Hey, Luc! The I. mira is another good one...excellent point! Hope all is well!
There is a balfouri communal in my not to distant future! I only have C. marshalli as far as old world but after 2 years of keeping I’ve got it down and I’m not worried at all.
Hahaha That's awesome! You'll do just fine with them. Honestly, mine would MUCH rather hide than bolt or threat posture.
Hello Tom, my first old world was a Chilobrachys Fimbriatus. I love the color I'm just crazy for it. I have 3 of them. My second OW was a S.Calceatum which is now a very laid back lady 3 years old so far. Then a Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli which is an angel. I have both C.Marshalli and H.Pulchripes, they are stunning creatures, and are eating machines. Great video!
Thanks so much for chiming in, Danny. :) And thanks!
Is there already a video about the most visible / best display old-worlds (and vice versa: most reclusive ones)? Because I was looking for something like that once and couldn't find anything. Should be an easy one to make because there aren't too many options. ;)
I started taking notes for one, but I struggled with it as most are quite reclusive. My H. pulchripes female is always out in the open, but others have ones that never come out of their burrows. Most of my other OW species are quite secretive overall, and I have to sneak up after the lights are off to catch them out. Harpactira speices as a whole are pretty visible.
@@TomsBigSpiders I actually bought a H. pulchripes sling after watching your videos (turned out to be male), hoping he would be an even "better" OBT (more visible and a little calmer). But honestly, I'm quite disappointed (except from his looks of course!). I bought another OBT sling (turned out to be female) at the same time and of the exact same age, raised and treated it exactly the same... The H. pulchipes is almost als shy as he used to be, the OBT... well, this is her yesterday evening sitting on the couch with me and watching your video (hope you don't mind), not even running away with her cricket as they use to do when you feed them outside: th-cam.com/video/ZMDgF5ZAhkQ/w-d-xo.html
Except for P. ornata and P. regalis I have no experience with Asians, so I was hoping there might be the one or the other more visible species.
Pterinochilus Murinus was My first old world Tarantula 🔥🔥🔥
Awesome!
Cannot agree more with the top slot! Love the H. pulchripes', in my experience, calm demeanor (I'm handling my now adult female in my profile pic, only because she decided to go for a relaxing walk during a rehouse) and who can't deny those beautiful colors? C. darlingi is a great choice as well, though I wish I saw mine as much as it sounds like you see yours. And GOSH do I wish more people could get a hold of breed E. pachypus!!!! I have wanted one for atleast half a decade lol
Thank you so much! I love my H. pulchripes as well, and they have always been very well behaved (although I know some folks that have more high strung ones). And I do, too. I would definitely snatch up some slings!
My Hysterocrates gigas is an absolute darling to deal with, don't get me wrong i'd not want to hold it! But every time i open the lid it never darts up to see whats going on, rehousing has been a total breeze also. Only issue is its a bit of a pet hole it will dig its self very deep under the substrate and often can't even be seen eating. But when it does come out its absolutely stunning. I do wish it was on display more. I like all the baboons i own a whole bunch, but yeah the Cameroon red baboon is just a joy.
My two girls are actually quite laid back as well. When I catch mine out, they are usually quite calm. Awesome spiders.
@@TomsBigSpiders yeah, just such a shame they are not out more on display.
Love my Harpactira pulchripes, I missed not having one when I had to cut my collection in half to move, but I picked up a new one this morning.
Hey, Bill! Oh no! I didn't realize that you had to get rid of so many.
Please do a list of top 5 spiders with names that are easy to pronounce.
Oh man...are there even 5, Alice? haha
Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family 💕 and Hugs and lots of love 💞. Hugs 🤗 from me to all of you 🤗
And I hope that yours was great as well. We had an awesome one!
Another wicked good 👍 video ty good sir.. Cheers.
Thank you so much!
I couldn’t agree more about the H pulchripes! Absolutely one of my favorite that I’ve kept, and more laid back than most of my new worlds! I once dropped its enclosure while it was still in it and it just sat there calmly waiting for me to finish the rehousing. My other spiders would have freaked out. Amazing spider and I will check out some others on this list.
Is the H palchripes slow growing as sling thanks
They grow fairly quickly, Martin.
Hi, Jake! Mine have all been like that, too. Awesome spiders!
From P.irminia's I just took the plunge and ordered a H.maculata unboxing was fine but "silly me" I did not add the water dish and not giving it time to settle it "teleported" up my arm around my neck and down my leg to the floor. it understandably took me a moment to process what happened luckily some storage totes gave it a safe spot to calm down and using your transfer method I placed it back in it's enclosure phew. a year later we get along fine - tap on the lid it goes into the hide and i can do maintenance and offer food. I'm looking forward to the next rehousing soon! my only issue is destroying the webbing - it's art.
Hello, Werner! Oh, wow...that doesn't sound like fun! I'm glad that it all ended up fine in the end! Yes, I hate destroying the webbing as well.
Great video Tom!!! They all have different personalities, you are 100% spot on. My Brazilian Black is a brat. I opened her enclosure to give her a roach (Dubia) and she kicked hair at me, she thinks she's so tough! So far my sweetest one is my pink toe and he's a he! So far I have all new world but only a total of 10, I need many more! :-)
Hello, Lynnette! Thank you so much! And, yes...you always need to keep in mind that although one person's spider may be calm, yours may be more defensive. :) Thanks!
My first old world was a Poecilotheria regalis, then H pulchripes and Obt.
Now I have a Kaeng Krachan, blue Gabon dwarf baboon and a hati hati, my Regalis is very calm and so is my H pulchripes. My obt is sweet too but I know they arent all lol xx
For some folks, the "scary" old worlds don't pose a probem. :) Thanks for chiming in, Laura!
A P.regalis was my second t, and ive had zero problems with it :)
Yup, they can be quite easy to manage.
I ordered my first old world today. I may be jumping the gun here having not raised any Ts past the sling stage yet. But today I just found myself putting P. Regalis into the cart and pressed checkout 🤦♂️
Congrats! I'm sure that you'll do fine with it.
Love this list. I have a C. Darlingi and shes not only stunning, hut fast growing. I have an H Pulchripes on the way. I also have 2 pokies only because I felt comfortable with their speed based off my experience with the psalmopoes genus. I really want a stout leg baboon, but like you said. So hard to find.
Hi, Lindsay! I love my little C. darlingi girls. Something about their little horns makes them extra cute to me. Hopefully, someone eventually breeds the E. pachypus, as we ALL need one. haha
I always find the concept of 'beginner' spiders fascinating. And the mystique of old world species that the hobby places on a pedestal of infamy. I genuinely can't find a whole load of differences across the board between old world and new world spiders (beyond urticating hairs) regarding their husbandry and behaviour etc. I genuinely believe that if the situation was reversed, that we'd be in a somewhat similar situation. Maybe this is because I started with old worlds and then went on to new worlds but who knows. Great video none the less!
I dont think the arbitrary distinction between old and new worlds makes sense in terms of how easy they are to keep, I think, say, ceratogyruses are usually as easy to keep as anything. but I do think there are spiders that a brand new keeper might find a lot easier and some that might not be such a good idea. if someone who never kept tarantuals before got a stromatopelma or cyriopagopus they might find rehousing it really difficult and end up with a spider on the loose
I just did an entire podcast on why lists like these can be taken with a grain of salt. It mostly comes down to the venom, and that old worlds are more likely to use theirs (and it going to be MUCH more painful than a new world bite). That tends to freak people out as the consequences for a mishap are more severe with the old world spiders. That said, having raised species on both sides, they really aren't that scary if you have your transfers down. And, my new world species tend to give me more trouble. Thanks!
My first old world Ts where 3 Harpactira pulchripes slings now in the juvenile stage and 2 of them are very calm and 1 is just insane 🤣
Yeah, temperament can always differ from spider to spider! :) They are like people in that way.
I jumped in with both feet about 6 months ago and bought a OBT sling as my first old world. Stupidly because the tiny little thing was only $5, but despite the questionable decision I’m enjoying it. Eating really well and growing quickly, and I’ve followed the advice of keeping it in an enclosure that is tall enough to give it plenty of space to web so I won’t disturb it when I open the enclosure.
Buuuut, despite all the space I gave it in the new enclosure most recently it decided to start making its web right at the lid. So now I’m a little at a loss lmao.
The slings tend to be super webbers. If you tap the enclosure a couple times before opening it, they will usually retreat down into the webbing. Good luck!
Just had a look at your post on your website about the E. pachypus, you say it reminds you of a satyr....all I got were visions of 80's legwarmers! (Please lets never bring those buggers back!)
Hahaha I can totally see that! I don't know...I kind of liked the leg warmer days. hahaha
awesome picks.
Thank you!
Brilliant video Tom, very informative and enjoyable as usual, great choices 👍 Tom on the list and it gives options to anyone who wants to get into old worlds 🌎.
Thank you so much, George! Hopefully, this list will give some people confidence when they move into old worlds.
Thanks Tom you are the best...
Why, thank you Conchita! :)
I fell in love with E. pachypus thanks to you, and was very fortunate to actually find one at a show here in the UK earlier this year. My first old world and I love her to bits! I now have every spider from this list except for P. lugardi and H. villosella.
Do you have any experience with the Augacephalus genus? How do the compare to the spiders on this list, temperament wise?
Hey, Agata! Congrats on being able to find one! I mentioned it because I hope folks continue to look for them and, just maybe, breed them some day! Unfortunately, I do not have experience with that genus yet.
Seconding that, although I've been nowhere near as lucky finding one! I do own an a. ezendami sling (about two inches) and aside from being a tad skittish is pretty laid back so far.
@@TomsBigSpiders I feel very fortunate! It was the first show after the lockdowns here, had a well known shop was selling her, she used to be part of somebody's private collection. A youngish adult from what I was told. I really hope somebody still breeds them someday. Have you seen the article in the latest BTS journal? It talks about just that. Not a recent attempt, 2016, but it's still interesting.
Hey Tom great video,I would say pokies,because there not really defensive yes they have poten venom,but I have found them easy to keep and to deal with.
My first old world was a c marshalli AF,I think I was only been in the hobby a few months,but I saw her at a show and just got her.she is pretty laid back if u dont mess with her like I did when I rehoused her she was a psycho.i do have have a a couple of chilobrachys sp which are laid back and never threat posed me.and the other day I rehoused my obt and wow not a single threat pose very well behaved.so the way I see it u either get a laid back one or u dont.same as the new worlds, my t albo is a crazy one.
Hello, James! I considered pokies, but as I said in the video, so many folks start off terrified of them. I've receive many emails and comments over the years by folks who picked them up early, and then were scared to rehouse them. That's not a good combo. That said, I DO 100% agree that they are usually quite calm and predicatable. Honestly, it all just depends on the individual spider, as temperament can always vary. Thanks for chiming in!
I would add the O. phillipinus as a good starter. Really I think many are fine, as long as your rehouse game is on point. I would also add the H. himalayana, and the O. aureotibialis. I have personally had really good luck with Chilobrachys, but I know that they have a rep for a reason. And I agree that they are individuals. Right now my two worst are both New Worlds. Don't get in over your head, and don't get discouraged. Happy spidering.
I love my O. philippinus, but they do have the moisture requirements. I haven't kept the other species yet, but I'll have to try them out. Great points all around...thanks!
Great list Tom, I don't disagree with it, however, I do feel that if anyone is going to move in to old worlds from docile new worlds they should be confident with bold tarantulas, when my h. Pulchripes was a juvenile it used to Web up the lid of its tub, so when I removed the lid to feed I had to use something to hold the Web so it didn't rip out all the substrate, hide etc., as they have an amazing feeding response, whatever I used to hold the Web in place, the T thought it was bringing food, the result was a slowly opening lid with a fast spider looking like it was coming for you😂 i imagine it could be quite distressing to someone used to slow Ts, the solution was to get the food in before lifting the lid off completely, it was always happy with its mouth full😂
Hey, Paul! Yup, I totally agree that folks need to be prepared for bolder and faster tarantulas. That's why many folks use the "ladder system" to build up to old worlds.
Although my favorite is the H pulchripes is my favorite I do love the first one you mentioned. I agree with your statement temperamental varies from specimen to specimen. I had been hearing the C darlingi was a very nice and docile beginner so I ordered a couple. The male was very flighty but the female I nicknamed demon is just that, a demon, lol. Great pix Tom. Tyfs God bless you
Hi, Debbie! Yeah, I always try to stress that temperament may vary. I don't want folks to get complacent or to have a false sense of security during rehousings and maintenance. Thanks for chiming in!
The fort hall baboon seems to be the one i would choose.
I will be doing a rehousing video on that species very soon!
I'm the one man cheerleading squad for Harpactirella lightfooti but in all seriousness if you can find them they're amazing T's
I'm also a weirdo in that in general I find my Old Worlds easier to deal with than my NW's mainly because I only really have to watch one end.
My Borneo Black exception to the rule after rehousing here I needed to go rehouse a pokie to calm down
I will definitely keep an eye out for them; I just wish that they were more prevalent in the hobby. And I usually have an easier time with old worlds as well.
My P lugardi act’s like a trapdoor. Did see a TH-cam video claiming that they are a trapdoor.
Did starts a vertical burrow in it’s enclosure and it moved in there.
My first OW was a P murinus. Have only good things to say about them.
Oh, wow...I'll look forward to seeing that behavior! So far, mine are just heavy webbing like OBTs.
I just got an H villosella sling...feeding time is so impressive. The second the b lat hits the webbing the spider explodes! It's legs flail everywhere while running over, it'll catch the nymph, quickly chomp down, then tweek out right back to it's den. 😆 speed demon!
Hey, Doug! Haha That's awesome!
I'm only 4 tarantulas in, all new worlds, and 3 are tiny slings Once I get some rehousings of my P irminia under my belt, I think I am going to get a M balfori or the H pulchripes for my first OW. Both are such beautiful spiders. That stout legged baboon is sooo cute though. Hopefully people will start breeding them more often.
Hello, Jamie! If you can handle a P. irminia, you should have no issues with any of the spiders on this list. Psalmopoeus sp. make great stepping stones to old worlds. Thanks for chiming in!
Hey Tom, great video, there was a species of tarantula that you didn’t mention on there and it is probably the only Asian species that would rather retreat then give a threat pose and that’s the Ornithoctonus aureotibialis, awesome spiders I’m sure they can be defensive but I’ve had many of them that were more skiddish then defensive 😊
I love my O. aureotibialis. My is out a lot and has never threatened me. It's also a great eater.
I will definitley check them out, Geoffrey...thanks for the heads up!
Love 💞 to my Morans
Another wonderful video 📸☺️❣️
I hope that all is well, Tina!
@@TomsBigSpiders I wish I lived in y'all's backyard. Love you guys so much.
One thing to note about The horned specimens to help out people who want a marshalli or darlingi but still are not ready to make leap to old worlds, there is a new world horned specie called Sphaerobothria hoffmanni (sadly its like the stout leg, its rarely available i've noticed) In other notes, Oddly enough my first old world was a Poecilotheria regalis (Mine has had a super chill demeanor, and since it had plenty of places to hide, it has never given any threat postures or teleporting behavior, other then teleporting to its log to hide, but usually they just sit out in open when i do maintenance or change water etc =)
I actually have a female S. hoffmanni. What an awesome spider. Sadly, like you said, they are not very common.
I just got my first tarantula. I bought a stripe knee. It doesn't seem very defensive but will run and hide. I wanna try to hold it because I love it. But kind of nervous.
Hey, Edward. If it's really skittish, you may want to rethink handling it for a bit.
@@TomsBigSpiders I think that. But I bought if from a pet store that handles there tarantulas. But for display it couldn't dig and didn't have a hide. I imagine that's for being able to sell it. But now my little T has a hide and substrate. So it burrowed and stays hid. That make me happy knowing it stays hidden because I want my little T to feel safe.
My first old world was an OBT, followed shortly by a P regalis - I think I enjoy jumping in the deep end!🤣
And it sounds like you were ready for the deep water, Bobbi! haha
Hello Mr. Tom
I'd like to see a video of the top 5 bad attitude and threat poses another words the mean of the old world Tarantulas
Thanks
Brian
Hi, Brian! Unfortately, I honestly don't get a lot of threat postures from my Old World tarantulas. I give them space to burrow and web, and they would much rather run and hide than stand and fight. I think that I honestly get more threat postures from some of my new world species. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders
I've been fascinated with the big spiders since I first laid eyes on them in grade school. Just such a different looking creature with its bunch of legs fangs and the size of some of them and now in the videos I've seen the speed these dudes can operate just amazes me. I'm from Kansas and drove a truck over the road and certain times of the year while trucking around the mid to Western states I'd see them crossing the road. I thought about building an enclosure that was ten or fifteen feet in length just to see the speed of a cobalt tarantula come to get his food. Lol
I would add Chilobrachys fimbriatus to the list. my female is laid back and easy to rehouse. fast but very cooperative. never got a threat pose or anything from mine
Funny.... Mine is same way but has the ability to kill when she wanta too
Hey, Dylan! Glad to hear that you have a sweetheart.
Great list buddy, I'd have chosen the same myself
Thanks so much, Robbie! I know that there are always exceptions, but these seem to be the laid back of the bunch.
@@TomsBigSpiders it's one of those lists you could spend forever swapping species in and out of, I'm having the same issues with my next couple of videos top 10s are not easy at all
@@robbiestalkingts I totally agree! That's why I tend to avoid the top 10 ones. I know that people love them, but I can't make up my mind. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders I must admit I'm only doing them as my subs have specifically asked for them, especially on my new podcast (yes inspired by your awesome podcast which I'm an episode behind on whoops) I think I've managed to get a top 10 list together bust its not definitive. I mean if I had my way it's 10 phormictopus, 10 poecilotheria....list done 🤣🤣🤣
(very) technically, you could say the most docile Old World would be genus Catumiri! ...which many of y'all probably are (correctly) saying are dwarf New Worlds. But while they do live in South America, the genus Catumiri is actually more closely related to several Old World genera, like M balfouri, than it is to any New World. Still one of my favorite tarantula facts.
Is this one of the new world genera that do not have urticating hairs?
@@georgehill3338 Yep! Though some of the other examples (IIRC) are descended from ancestors that did have the hairs, but have evolved to lose them.
I still find that bit of info to be incredibly fascinating!
I started with an orange baboon for my first old world. Im wanting to really get a indian violet soon.
Love my Indian violet, although she is super shy!
I don't have any old world yet but looking at my experience with new world tarantulas I have found arboreal more difficult when it comes to maintenance/ feeding and rehousing. Therefore I recon Poecilotheria would not be a best beginner OW. Term 'beginner ' is misleading as some might interpret it as T for a beginner instead first OW
Hopefully people that are confused by the title listen to what I say in the video. I clearly state this is for folks looking to get into old worlds after getting some experience. I struggled with what to title it, though.