Best Beginner Tarantula

[Mraw]

I've had mantids for some time now and want to get into turantulas, I am looking for a species that is easy to keep but large and active and won't stay in it's web or burrow all day but walk around and hunt for prey very agressivly but can still be handled and has no hairs or rarely flicks them and when it does it's not a bad itch.

 

[KevinsWither]

Hmmmm I'd say from experience curly hair tarantulas. 

 

[sschind]

You don't ask for much do you   

Just kidding.  For my money you can't beat Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco golden knee)  It fits the bill on everything you wanted except for maybe the active part but that's relative with tarantulas.  There are not many tarantulas that I would consider active.  If you've got a little more money to spend and a little more time to watch them grow a Grammostola pulchra is also very nice.

 

[EatPrayLove]

I have a 3 year old Honduran Curly Haired male. Curly Fries is my first tarantula but he is not as docile as I hoped. We held him when he was quite small but even then he bolted really fast with no warning. When I lift the lid on his terrarium he flicks urticating bristles right away! A cranky little bugger, he is. He will walk calmly around on our hands once he is out of his enclosure but he has kind of trained us to leave him alone . Next choice might be a Chilean rose hair .....?

 

[Denzelian]

I agree with sschind.  I have two Chacos and they're both really docile.  One never uses her hide at all, and they are both terrific feeders.