Moving house? Then so is your pet. What you need to know.

Posted on August 20, 2012 by rangell

Moving house is reckoned to be one of the most stressful things an average person has to do. It can also be quite stressful for your pets but you can reduce the sress (for them and you) with a few simple tips.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail” is an old cliched saying but no less true for all that. Make sure you have any equipment (suitable carriers, packing material etc.) ready before the big day. Hunting around at the last minute will raise your sress levels through the roof and your animal will suffer the consequences of you rushing, using less than ideal travel boxes or even forgetting the poor thing altogether (it does happen). So make sure you have considered what you are going to use to transport your pet and timing the move of the animal with the move of its enclosure. There’s not a lot of point turning up at your new house with bags of tropical fish when the tank is still with the moving company and won’t be there until tommorrow!
Use a suitable container to move your animal. Often people think they need to get the largest container they can. This is often the wrong thing to do. During the move the animal will just rattle around in a large box and get injured. A small container with suitable packing material (a small animal carrier filled with shredded paper for a hamster for instance) is much more desirable. Remember that animals chew things so if you are moving any distance then a cardboard carrier is not enough, it won’t survive the journey.
Make sure you know where in your new house or garden the animal’s enclosure is going to go. It can have a large effect on the wellbeing of your pet. Our rabbits are on a well sheltered patio with walls on three sides and a dwarf wall on the fourth. If we moved I doubt the new area would be as sheltered which would mean we would have to reconsider our housing of the animals over the coldest winter periods. Would you have somewhere to put them in your new house?
Don’t trust the animals to the movers. They are best transported with you, secured in place in your car. You can control the movement, security and environment to ensure they are safe and well at the end of the journey.

So you’ve moved and you need to set up your pet in their new home. My advice is do this first, before you start unpacking everything else. You want the animal in its transport box for as little time as possible. The exception to this is the dog and cat. These are best not under foot whilst you are unpacking so if you can get someone to look after them for a couple of days it would be better, or alternatively use a good boarding establishment. Then you can get on and unpack in peace and not in pieces, after you’ve tripped over the dog for the fourth time or worse, left the door open and the dog is out.

Obviously use the move as an opportuntiy to completely clean any enclosures you have and start your pet’s life in your new home in a nice clean enclosure. It is also easier to move an empty cage.

Right, so some specific advice on certain animals.

Dogs. Easy yes? Just put on the lead, jump in the car and go. Well if, like me, you rarely take the dogs in the car, you are probably not prepared. Dogs should be secured. A travel cage is ideal or you could use a travel harness or an adaptor for you existing harness to strap the dog to the car’s seatbelt restraints. If you have an accident on the way the dog could kill you if not restrained (the car will stop suddenly, the dog won’t). I’ll assume you have unpacked everything before the dog arrives at the new house (see above). It is all going to be very new and exiting for him/her. The more old possesions around the more quickly settled the dog will be. If you can and the garden is secure, leave the back door open and let them explore. Exitable dogs in a new environment like to pee to mark their new territory, better outside than in. Do double check your new garden for security though, it’s surprising what they can get out of. However dogs are not “free to roam” animals, cats are.
Cats. The biggest problem with a cat if you let it outside, is they may go missing. Cats are territorial animals. They are famous for marking their territories and defending them. If you just let your cat out into another cat’s territory the other cat is going to see it off. This may mean it trying to return to its old territory. When my sister moved a few years ago it wasn’t very far. Her cat repeatedly went back to the old house, not because it was being fed there, the new owners were not cat lovers, but because this was her territory and there were other cats in the area of the new house. Keep your cat in for a couple of weeks. Try to force other cats away from your garden and immediate area around your house. This can be done by using special products that overpower the marking scent of cats. They will try to battle the new smell but will eventually realise they are losing. To a cat the strongest smell wins the war so once they know they have lost to the product they move on. The territory is then free for your cat to move into.
Small mammals. Small mammal = small travel box. You don’t want your pet rat sliding around bashing himself against the side of a large container as your husband/wife gets used to the brakes on your car for instance (yes, that is from experience). It is best, when you have rehoused them at the other end to leave them alone for 24 hours, as you would when you first get one, to settle in to the new environment. Trailers are best avoided, the exhaust fumes from your car pumped into the trailer, well obvious really.
Birds. The main thing with birds is that you are quite probably going to want to decorate your new house. Fumes and birds don’t mix. Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems. I have had customers who have lost birds inexplicably then when we have gone through everything with them have realised that the landlord had contractors painting the exterior windows and they had them open because it was summer. They found the smell inconvenient at the time, the birds found it fatal. So if you are decorating, find somewhere else to house the bird (and NOT in the kitchen – teflon non stick pans give off toxic fumes). The same is true for fish by the way – most chemical products tell you they are toxic to aquatic environments, they don’t make it clear this can include the fumes.
Reptiles. Probably one of the easiest animals to move. They can be transported in a suitably sized plastic tub or box (polystyrene outer if you are moving far, to steady the temperature). Their vivariums are generally well insulated and will already have the correct equipment to control heat, light and humidity (I would hope!). One thing to think about however is the change in the general environment in the new house and how this is effecting the conditions in the vivarium. I have a bull snake in my bedroom. I do not have a thermostat controlling the heat source. However I have had this snake in this location and this viv. for 9 years and know that the temperature remains very stable throughought the year (because of my wifes intolerance of any variation – windows wide open all summer and heating on for the rest of the year!!) and it never gets too hot in the viv., even in the height of summer (it is nowhere near a window and is one of the coolest rooms in the house). If I were to move the viv. to another location I could not guarantee this and would have to invest in a thermostat to prevent overheating. Keep a check on conditions when you move in and as the weather changes, it will probalby effect the conditions inside the vivarium and change them from what you are used to.
Invertebrates. The same is true for most invertebrates (insects, spiders etc.). On top of this they do not travel well. They can become dissicated very easily if it is particularly hot or become chilled if it is cold. You need to manage this by transorting them in a controlled environment (your car), in a container where the humidity and temperature are not going to vary too much and making sure the new location does not adversley effect them. If they do get cold they will become inactive. It is very important that you do not rewarm them too quickly. Just leave them at normal room tepmperature to warm up slowly. If you put them under a heat source the rapid change in temperature could stress and kill them quite quickly.
Fish. One of the most difficult to move. You need to plan this carefully. At the last minute bag up the fish. Get some fish transport bags from us in our pet shop Gloucester and part fill them with water from your tank. Net the fish and place them in the bags – no more than half a dozen per bag is good. Blow into the bag (not too close, you want clean air going in, not your exhalations!) Twist the tops and secure with a ruber band. Place the fish bags in a polystyrene box with a lid. Then bag up as much of your tank water as you can so you don’t have to use too much fresh water at the other end to refill it.The less change in water quality the better. Bagging the water rather than trying to transport it in large tanks or containers does two things. It reduces the risk of a large loss of water should a container get damaged and makes the load a lot more stable. Large amounts of water in a container will move around alot. In the case of large tanks enough to destabilise a car. Bagging up baffles to water so less movement occurs going round corners. Put the water bags in a polystyrene box as well – not too many per box, a litre of water weighs at least 1kg. You can get polystyrene boxes from us, our fish and frozen reptile food is delivered in them. Leave the tank gravel wet and if possible submerge the filter to keep it wet. At the other end, get the tank located, water in the tank (top up with a little fresh but don’t worry about having the tank full yet). Get everything plugged in and running and then check the temperature. If you got it right this should still be OK. If you haven’t travelled far you may want to leave it to clear a bit before putting the fish in but if you have had the fish in bags for any length of time you want to get them in the tank. Put the fish bags in the tank water for 10 – 15 minutes to equalise the temperature (not necessary if you measure the temperature and it is the same). Then net the fish out of the bags into the tank. Do not tip the fish bag water into the tank – it will contain too much fish waste (ammonia) and you don’t want to overload your tank after the natural disposal system (bacteria) has been disturbed. When the tank has settled down you can top it up with fresh water. Remember that “tap” water is not the same at every tap. Some (like Birmingham) is naturally very soft upper river valley water, some (like Coventry) is semi hard lowland river water and some (like parts of Gloucestershire) is very hard, underground water. So you could be moving from one extreme to another and this will effect your fish, hense the need for gradual change of water conditions and saving as much of your old water as possible.

So there you go, a few things to think about when you move house with your animals. If you want any specific advice on this subject or any other give us a call or pop into the shop. We will be happy to help where we can (I’ve never kept ostritches so I can’t really help there. That said I do know someone who has, so I could probably find out).

Pet Shop Gloucester tips – how to select an animal

Posted on August 8, 2012 by rangell

Pet shop Gloucester tips series – how to select an animal and more importantly, where to buy from.

Since the most important thing is to select where to buy we will deal with this first. Get this right and selecting and individual animal becomes easier.

There is a lot of rubbish out there about where is the best place to buy an animal. The one we hear the most at our pet shop Gloucester is “from a breeder”. On the face of it this seems like a good idea, we are breeders ourselves, however there are a lot of people out there that could call themselves breeders. I think, following all the press coverage and national campaigns, most people would no longer consider buying a puppy from a Welsh puppy farm. These establishments are renowned for the attrocious conditions the animals are kept in, terrible in breeding and sick puppies. They are breeders though. So clearly bold, over simplified statements are a waste of time.

To select where to buy you need to consider a few basic points and this will guide you

Can you view the animal. If not, do not buy it. There are a host of “private” breeders and sellers on the internet and social media. I strongly suggest you do not buy from them. Not all, but most, are chancers that “rescue” animals (i.e. get their stock for free from anyone giving stuff away – and you have to ask why is it being given away?) who then resell it onto unsuspecting customers. I get these people trying to sell their animals to me all the time but we do not buy from these sources. There is generally something wrong with it, or it is very old or the animal is not being kept in the correct conditions. Only buy an animal you have seen before you have parted with your cash and make sure you see it in the enclosure it is being kept in. We also get these people coming to us for advice on how to look after the animals they are breeding or trying to get us to cure them of a host of illnesses. They should be able to do this themselves or be speaking to a vet.
Is the person selling the animal qualified to give you advice (and ask to see the qualification). It is our view that no one should be selling animals unless they are formerly qualified in the care of that animal and so are able to give the correct advice. Again, this rules out most online sellers but interestingly most breeders as well. Anyone can set up as a breeder of animals without any training, qualifications, experience or specialist equipment. You have to have a licence to own a pet shop and to get a licence you have to have a minimum qualification.
Is the animal being kept in the right conditions. Some animals have specific requirements. For example a bearded dragon needs high heat, thermostatic heat control to prevent overheating and fairly high intensity ultraviolet light. If they do not have this they will be getting ill and could get disorders that will materialise later (such as metabolic bone disease). Do they have space and are the enclosures clean. Again a dirty cage can harbour all sorts of nasties that can cause problems later.
Does the seller provide a health check before handing over the animal. If not, why not? Do they know how to or have they something to hide? Can they explain what they are checking for? If they can’t then you know they didn’t properly check the animal when they got it themselves.
Are you given advice on how to look after the animal? If not you have to assume it is because the seller doesn’t know how to look after the animal in the first place so shouldn’t be selling it. A seller must give you all the advice you need to correctly care for the animal you have selected. That is their responsibility. Following their advice is your responsibility. If the advice is not there you cannot follow it and may be leaving yourself open to charges of neglect or abuse through ignorance.

So places to avoid are online sellers, pet shop chains (supermarkets), newspaper classifieds, unregistered breeders etc. Places to consider are independent pet shops such as our pet shop Gloucester with specialist knowledge (this is not all independents by the way) and registered breeders. There are some private sellers with a lot of knowledge and genuine reasons for needing to sell but identifying these from the charlatans is nigh on impossible for the novice and remember, commercial trading without a licence is illegal.

So you’ve decided where to buy from, now how do you select an animal? Most of the following points you will not come across if you have done your job of selecting a seller properly. A good seller would never have a sick or distressed animal on display (if they are licenced it breaches the terms of their licence and action can be taken)..

It seems an obvious thing to say but does the animal look healthy? If a rat is sitting hunched up on its own, maybe shivering, then there could be something wrong. Does the rabbit have a runny nose, is the fish swimming upside down. Very importantly for all animals, is their bottom clean or is there evidence of loose stools.

Who are you?

Is the animal clean and well groomed. Most animals keep themselves very clean. If the animal has stopped cleaning itself there is generally a reason for this and it won’t be because it’s a lazy teenager. It indicates an unhappy animal. It is either ill or stressed.

Nice and clean

How active is the animal. Please bear in mind that different animals are active at different times but most will become active when disturbed to allow you to view them (with the possible exception of ferrets – some ferrets, Vinny our breeding male for instance, will not wake up if they are in a dead sleep without very vigorous attempts).

It's been a busy day

Is it displaying normal behaviour. Hiding from you in a sleeping area or hide is normal for most animals, so don’t be surprised by that. Pacing the cage for instance is a sign of boredom (does the animal have anything to occupy it?) and is not normal.
Is the animal docile? All animals can bite you, some are more likely to than others. Hamsters, when young and suddenly woken up can get a little freaked out for instance and will bite if you just reach in and grab them. You need to allow them to come round and pick them up from underneath (allowing them to walk onto your hand). Others will always carry a high risk of biting you (such as a cobalt blue tarantula or baboon spider) and should not be handled. The seller should be able to advice and demonstrate handling. If the seller says it is safe to handle get them to demonstrate first!

Yes, I bite!

We’ve dealt with this elsewhere so I assume by this stage you have already considered it and know which animal you want but it’s worth saying again. Make sure you have the time, space, budget, equipment and information necessary to care for the animal you are selecting properly. It is your responsibility. I had someone come in the shop the other day who had purchased a bearded dragon elsewhere and didn’t have any equipment whatsoever (not even an enclosure) or any idea on how to care for it. I know that animal is going to die but she bought it from one of the sellers previously mentioned who only cares that he got her money.

This is for transport, not housing

Finally what guarantee do you get. This is a tricky one for reputable sellers. You should be offered a guarantee of some sort but do not expect it to be for too long. It should be able to reflect that the animal did not have any immediate health issues when you bought it but cannot guarantee that the animal will not get ill if you do not look after it properly. Our standard guarantee of health (and behaviour – that’s important) is 7 days. In this time it should become clear if the animal has an illness or behavioural problem. After this time the things you are doing to care for the animal begin to outweigh its original condition. Keep a reptile at the wrong temperature or humidity and it will start to suffer regardless of how healthy it was when you got it. However statements such as “animals must be returned within 24 hours or no refund” are ludicrous. You cannot tell within 24 hours if an animal is ill. They take at least that to settle in to their new environment.

A copy of our pet shop Gloucester animal health checklist and guarantee

The Angell Pets team

Pet shop Gloucester tips – what’s the best pet for a child

Posted on July 23, 2012 by rangell

Pet shop Gloucester tips series, top five considerations when selecting a pet for a child.

Pet shop Gloucester consideration number one – budget. It seems a bit mercenary to suggest your first consideration should be your budget. What I mean is the lifetime budget for the animal. Some animals are cheaper than others. For instance a rabbit is cheaper than a western hog nose snake. The housing and equipment is cheaper as well. However, over the lifetime of the animal the rabbit is by far the more expensive option. You have to take into account the feed, the cleaning, the need for vaccination, boarding if you are lucky enough to have a holiday, everything. It makes me smile sometimes when customers pass comment about the leopard tortoise being expensive when tied up outside the dshop is their pedigree dog. A dog is probably the most expensive pet you can own (unless you count horses as pets that is). So think about the cost upfront and if you don’t think you can afford it get something cheaper overall. It is not fair to buy an animal you can’t afford to keep for its entire life.
Pet shop Gloucester consideration no.2 – space. Is you space limited? Look at spiders, insects, snails, frogs, small lizards or snakes, small mammals (up to rat size). Space not an issue? Don’t disregard the ones already mentioned but also consider chinchillas, ferrets, hedgehogs, rabbits and guinea pigs, larger lizards (beardies) larger snakes (royal pythons etc), birds, cats and dogs (small dog, its for a child). All these animals are suitable for a child but have there own space requirements. Generally the larger and more active the animal, the bigger the enclosure you will need. It seems obvious but it is surprising how often this is overlooked. Customers have been in and said something along the lines of “I bought this bearded dragon at so and so in a “starter” set up and it’s getting a bit big for it now. How big will I need to get next?” When I tell them they look at me as if I’m trying to pull a fast one and counter with “but they said it would be alright in a 2 foot viv.” Sorry but I am not responsible for the bad advice you received elsewhere, I can only tell you what you need. So be sure you know with certainty how much space you need for the lifetime of the animal.
Pet shop Gloucester consideration no.3 – nocturnal or diurnal. Is it going to be awake at night or during the day. The obvious thing to think is not to get nocturnal as it will be up all night. However is your child at school? Then it may be better to not to get a diurnal animal as it will be active when the child isn’t there and asleep when he/she gets home. A lot of supposedly nocturnal species are in fact more crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) which seems ideal.
Pet shop Gloucester consideration no.4 – lifespan. A mouse is going to live for around 18 months, a chinchilla up to around 20 years (15 is more usual). If you think your child’s interest in animals is a passing phase then a shorter lived species is better. Then you are not left looking after an animal no one is interested in anymore (not fair on the animal). If you want to avoid the stress of a death in the family whilst your child is still young go for something a bit longer lived. This is a very important aspect of choosing the right pet. Children grow up and leave home. Are they going to be able to take their pets with them into digs at university or rented accommodation? If not, be prepared to look after it when they are grown up and gone. In some cases (tortoises and parrots for example) your child is going to have to consider who they are going to leave the animal to when they are gone, as it will outlive them.
Pet shop Gloucester consideration no.5 – ease of care. All animals have needs that you and your child are going to have to meet. They all need feeding (are you OK feeding live insects to a lizard or dead mice to a snake?). The all need cleaning out (I would suggest a daily litter tray clean for ferrets). They all need water (even tarantulas that get most of their water from their food). The all need suitable housing (see space considerations). They all have their own individual special requirements (dust bath for a chinchilla or gerbil, gnaw sticks for hamsters and rabbits, hides for a corn snake, misting for a chameleon, somewhere to hang from to moult for a mantis, etc. etc. etc….). Make sure you can meet all these requirements. Obviously to do this you need to know what they are so ONLY buy your animal from someone who knows.
Pet shop Gloucester consideration no.6 – we like to give a bonus point. Too many people come into our shop having bought an animal from a dubious source (pet supermarket, online store, facebook, pre owned site, local paper, forum etc.) and were given poor advice, if any advice at all. This leads to the animal suffering and the owner feeling bad about it. We get offered animals all the time and when we make basic enquiries into the history and previous care the “seller” (they wish!) cannot give even the most elementary of answers. Needless to say we don’t buy from these sources and neither should you. Only buy from a properly licenced establishment (a licence has to be displayed) whose staff can demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of the animal they are selling. Remember any one buying and selling animals commercially without a licence is breaking the law. Do you want to get your child’s pet from a criminal?

Seems a lot to consider? It should do. You need to think carefully before investing in a pet for your child. As a responsible and ethical supplier the last thing we want is for someone to buy an animal from us then come back a week or two later saying they are not able to look after their pet. If you are unsure you shouldn’t buy, simple as that. If, after considering all of the above you are sure, then come and see us in our pet shop Gloucester and we will be delighted to help. We would also be delighted to help you come to a decision beforehand as well , so come and ask us for any advice you need . The advice is free and from people who know what they are talking about .

Tarantulas – How to handle spiders

Posted on May 24, 2012 by rangell

Tarantulas – How to handle spiders. To start with, we do not recommend anyone handle tarantulas. This is for a number of reasons.

Firstly, although there is no such thing as “deadly” tarantulas” (I’ll tell you a story about that at the end) some do have medically significant bites and can be quite aggressive and fast. I’m not going to tell you how to handle one of these.

Secondly you may be allergic (unlikely but possible) to a tarantulas venom. Unfortunately the way to find out if you are is to get bitten and then of course it’s too late.

Just as importantly, tarantulas are delicate animals. They can be severely damaged or even killed by falls of just a few inches. Obviously this is more likely to happen during handling.

Lastly, some tarantulas (new world species) have urticating setae (hairs). Even if they do not flick them at you in defense you will still get them on you if you handled the spider. If you touch your face, or put your fingers anywhere near your eye you are going to be in trouble. I’ve had tarantulas hairs in my eye. The whole of the side or my face swelled. It looked like I had sacks of water hanging under my eye and it hurt like a… well like something very painful.

Those points aside you may feel that at times it is necessary to handle your spider so I’ve put together a short video showing two methods. At some point, when I next need to move or “re-pot” one of our more aggressive types I’ll do a video on my favourite method for doing this. Trust me, it will not involve picking it up! Enjoy.

Oh and the story about “deadly tarantulas”…. well about 6 months after we opened we were robbed of the contents of our till. The police were here until about 8pm on a Saturday night, which round here gets noticed. On the following Monday I had two young girls come in the shop and ask what was going to happen to me. I asked what they meant and they said “well, a man came in your shop on Saturday and was bitten by a deadly tarantula and died, that’s why the police were here…” My response to this was that they should know that was rubbish because for a start there’s no such thing etc. Just goes to show how some of the more ridiculous stories about tarantulas can start and spread.

For more species specific information on tarantulas, contact us or pop in the shop and see me. we do great deals on complete set ups and have really good prices for a wide variety of spiders.

Spider for sale – what to think about

Posted on April 24, 2012 by rangell

Spider for sale – what to think about before buying

You typed in spider for sale but which one?

Youve typed in Spider for sale – why?

You decide you want a spider (and to be clear, by spider I am talking about tarantulas, not DWA listed true spiders). What type of spider is it best to get. Well there are a number of factors to consider and they all really depend on what you want from the spider.

First is budget. If you want an adult goliath bird eater, or a gooty ornamental you are going to need a bigger budget than if you want a chile rose spiderling. The budget you need is going to be greatly effected by all the other factors. Spiders can be cheap to aquire and to keep but if you go for one of the larger tropical species you are going to be adding to the cost and the level of skill required to look after them. Not something you are always told when you just type spider for sale into a search engine.

Lets assume you are a complete beginner, on a limited budget. What is the best one to go for when you type in spider for sale and start looking. There are a few that spring to mind based on hardiness, temperment and size. The obvious choice is the good old chile rose tarantula.

Follow me

The species is very hardy and long lived (if you are getting a spiderling they are slow growing as well). They are very inexpensive to buy and do not need a huge enclosure. Obviously they get bigger than any spider you will find in the UK but are quite moderately sized compared with some of the big bird eaters or earth tigers. The vast majority are very docile (captive bred as opposed to wild caught, more on that later) and are quite slow moving in general. They come from an arid region, so you do not need to worry about maintaining raised humidity (except a little during shedding maybe). The temperature in the wild varies from very cold at night to very hot during the day, so they can easily tolerate the temperatures found in the home. Extra heating is not really required for this species (unless you know your house is normally quite cold). All of these points make it one of the best spiders around for the beginner. However there are others to consider. Other Grammostola species such as the brazilian black tarantula or the chaco golden knee tarantulaalso make good beginner spiders. The brazilian black is a bit more expensive and gets a bit bigger and the golden knee gets bigger as well, so they will need a larger enclosure as an adult. The Brachypelmas, such as the Mexican red knee tarantula are also good starter spiders, although some like the Mexican red rumpare a bit more nervous and the Mexican fire leg seems to have only one purpose in life – to flick urticating setae (hairs) at you. The ones to avoid for a beginner are the aggressive species (most of the old world and australian), those that are very fast (avicularia – not agressive but do need raised humidity and are very quick), obviously those that are very agressive and fast, like the trinidad chevron, and those that require a higher level of skill to look after. Probalbly the best examples of this are the “marsh” spiders – those species that live in very humid environements, like the fringed earth tiger.

Mexican Fire Leg

OK, so your not a beginner. You’ve kept one, or a few spiders in the past but want something more challenging. Think about what type you want; burrowing, terrestrial or arboreal (tree living). If you go for a burrowing spider and it does burrow, you won’t see a lot of it, so you need to probably be interested in the set up as much as the spider. Maybe trying to recreate your own little piece of rainforest in you living room. This can be very rewarding in itself but you are not going to impress your friends with your big spider because they’ll never see it. Terrestrial spiders live inside or under things. Some also burrow a bit. These will be much easier to see (and clean out). Sometimes the spider will completely cover everything in web. It’s a matter of taste whether you think this looks cool or just a bit dirty. The one thing for sure is, you won’t stop the spider doing it if it wants to. Arboreal spiders like to climb. Some build web nests in crevices or branch forks (Avicularia), some like to hide under tree bark (ornamentals). Most arboreals tend to be quick and agile and can jump quite a way. Decide on what type you want first and then buy an enclosure to suit.

Next decide on what age you want to get. Spiderlings are the least expensive. However there is a reason for this. Mother nature knows not all young will make it to adulthood so most animals overproduce young. Whilst yours will not have to contend with predators, there is still “many a slip twixt cup and lip” as is were and not all will make it. A juvenile is going to be more robust, after all it is one of those that has made it so far. An adult is obviously a strong spider. However you won’t know its actual age and nothing lives forever. A lot of spiders do live a long time however (decades) so you should be OK if its a female. This is another thing to consider. Males do not live as long as females, many years less in a lot of cases. However in some species the males get a lot bigger (leg span, rather than body size) so if that’s what you want, a male might be for you. As spiderlings it can be very difficult, if not impossible to tell the difference, another reason why the cost is lower.

I would put off getting some of the more difficult or agressive species like some of the earth tigers and baboon spiders until you have had some prior experience. It is not recommended to handle any taratula, for the sake of the spider more that anything but you definitley don’t want to be handling some of the earth tigers, ornamentals and baboons. They are agressive, they can’t flick hairs so they will bite and it will really hurt. Tarantula bites are not fatal (bites should always be followed by a visit to hospital though, due to the risk of infection – you would for a dog bite wouldn’t you?) but some are quite potent and there is a risk of allergic reaction. I have a customer from Zimbabwe who was bitten by a wild baboon spider and he likened it to someone pouring molten metal on his hand for an hour before it went numb and swollen. He then suffered from muscle cramps in his neck and legs for a few weeks. Not something you want to experience. You have been warned. Obviously moving these spiders around from enclosure to enclosure is where the need for experience with spiders comes in. Disturbing a spider in its nest or burrow is when you are going to be attacked. An orange starburst baboonlept from the base of it’s enclosure at my face when I moved its hide and surprised it. It travelled aroung three feet through the air. Fortunately it missed but then it had to be captured and put back – not for the inexeperienced.

One more thing to consider before you type spider for sale and one of the most important. Wild caught or captive bred? Captive bred are generally (although as more are being bred, not always) more expensive. However wild caught are generally more aggressive and more likely to stay that way. They will almost certainly come with their own host of parasites and possibly diseases. This can have major implications if you are adding to an existing collection. Lastly, no matter what claims are made, you can have no knowledge of how the animals were collected. Was it done responsibly from areas that can sustain the harvesting of that species, or was it done by people who kill as many as they manage to collect and take from areas where they are scarce? CAPTIVE BRED IS BEST PEOPLE.

So you know enough to select the best spider for sale for you. The question is why get one at all. Well, they do make good pets. They are inexpensive, most live a long time, they are quite easy to look after and have a very low cost of maintenance. The substrate is cheap and you don’t need a lot, the enclosures are relatively small (therefore cheaper), ancillary equipment is inexpensive, they eat relatively little and the food is cheap. They are interesting to observe exhibiting their natural behaviours, which they will do as they live in quite small territories in the wild and you can make a very attractive display from their enclosure. Be warned though. keeping spiders can be quite addicitive. There are quite a few enthusiast who start with one, perhaps bought as a gift, who go on to own large collections.

If you need any specific advice from the staff on spiders (or scorpions or other invertebrates) come in and see me at the shop, or contact us on the form on the right.

Hopefully this helps a little in informing you before you type spider for sale.

See you soon

Richard

Angell Pets – The Friendliest Pet Shop In Gloucester

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