Spider sexing:- Many people are claiming to sex tarantulas, it is not an easy task, spiders can only be sexed by examining the moulted skin under a microscope. Pet shops rarely have a spider long enough for it to moult and even some dealers are claiming that their spiders are female when in reality they have no idea. I do not sex my spiders, I do not have the time, the expertise, or the inclination. I can guarantee my spiders are well cared for and healthy.

I always have a wide selection of tarantulas available. Please see the current Tarantula category for details. The following descriptions are a brief guide to the most commonly available tarantulas.

The original pet tarantula! Large, brightly coloured and docile. These spiders make good pets. They live for many years and have a pretty orange and black colouring with stripes on their legs. This is the tarantula that is often seen on television and in zoos and butterfly houses. This spider is now protected, importation of new individuals is not allowed, all Mexican Red Knee spiders are now captive bred and are therefore usually more expensive than other tarantulas.

Chile Rose (Grammostola spatulatus)

This tarantula is the second most popular pet spider, they are more reasonably priced than the Mexican Red Knee, live for several years and are generally docile. They are light brown in colour and do not flick hairs from their abdomen as readily as a lot of other spiders tend to do.

Curly Hair (Brachypelma albopilosa)

An attractive spider with long dark brown hairs that curl around the legs and body, they are generally docile and live for many years.

Indian Ornamental (Poecilotheria species)

A beautiful and large spider, they have lovely markings of grey, white and yellow. There are several species available, each with different markings. They are fast moving and can be rather aggressive. The spiderlings are very fast growing.

Salmon Pink Birdeater (Lasiodora parahybana)

This is one of the largest species of tarantula in the world. They are very attractive with long brown hairs, the name comes from the distinctive pink tinge of the carapace. Generally they are quite docile and sit out in the tank, this makes them an ideal show spider.

Pink Toe Birdeater (Avicularia avicularia)

A very pretty black spider with pink tips to it's feet. There are several species of Pink Toe Birdeaters available, all are very hairy, tree dwelling and build strong thick webs, they are fast moving, but are not aggressive.

Mexican Red Rump (Brachypelma vagans)

Another popular tarantula, large, docile and long lived. This spider is jet black with beautiful red hairs on the abdomen. They tend to sit out in the open and therefore make a good show spider.

Golden Starburst Baboon (Pterinochilus murinus)

There are many types of baboon spiders available, they all have several characteristics in common, the first one being that they are aggressive, they tend to be various shades of brown with ornate markings, they build thick webs and are often only seen at night. I think I am right in saying that they all come from Africa. I am not keen on baboon spiders as pets, but if you want to try something different from the usual docile tarantulas then these may be for you. The Horned baboon is impressive as it's name suggests it has a large horn on it's carapace, the Orange baboon is beautiful, with a bright orange colour.