Goodnight from the Netherlands..

[Eightlegged]

Red kneed tarantulas or Brachypelma smithi are easy to keep, yes. However, they are very quick to kick urticating hairs when disturbed. They itch very badly! If that is not a problem for you, they're a very good species to start off with!

And Rhea, no problem! I'm only happy if I can help people along with the spider hobby.

[GarterGirl]

Marieke
What can I do to avoid having hairs kicked at me? What makes them kick hairs?

[GarterGirl]

Marieke
I looked on the internet. The Chaco Golden Knee (Grammostola aureostriate) are very pretty! I want to get one SO badly! I think I might want to be like you someday with over 70 tarantulas, but I don't think my dad would let me!
My mom wants a Mexican Fire Leg (Brachypelma boehmei). Are those easy to keep?

[Eightlegged]

What makes them kick hairs is stress. The first means of defense with most American tarantula species is kicking hairs, before turning to biting. A lot of Brachypelma species will kick hairs at you at the drop of a hat, and the B. boehmei is probably th worst when it comes to that. They're gorgeous and they're a good species to start with because they're not very venomous and don't require difficult circumstances, you're just bound to get hairs kicked at you.
It varies from animal to animal how the temperament is. They can even change attitude between molts.

You can avoid it by not buying an American tarantula species But if you want a tarantula, you want one of those. African or Asian spiders are more difficult to keep, most of the times extremely fast and venomous.

You can minimize the hair flicking by disturbing it as little as possible. Handling for example is extremely stressful for a tarantula and so it's best to not handle them.

The Grammostola aureostriata does have the hairs but I've never had one that was easily stressed out and never had one flicking the hairs at me. I've had quite a few of them. If someone asks me what the best species to start with is, I tell them aureostriata.

[adamanteus]

I guess the main thing to remember with urticating hairs is to make sure you don't get them in your eyes. That could be a real problem. Not too pleasant up your nose either!

[Thamnophis]

Hi Marieke, welcome here on this amazing forum.
I do not believe I have seen you on the "gebruikerslijst" of the Dutch Thamnophisforum

[GarterGirl]

What about Brachypelma smithis? Are they easy to keep? I think we'll get that they are! They're VERY pretty! Or are they the same as red knees? My mom really likes them! So do I!

[Eightlegged]

Good point there, James! If you're very unlucky you could end up blind from urticating hairs!

The B. smithi is indeed the so called Mexican Red Kneed tarantula

Fons - I'm indeed not on the Dutch forum! Yet. Might be in a minute

[Thamnophis]

Shouldn´t you be in bed, Marieke? It´s late in Holland