Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to turantulas and just bought a Pink Zebra Beauty 2 weeks ago. It has been tame, nice, and calm for a week and a half but 3 days ago it started getting edgy, agitated, and nervous and I would highly appreciate it if you people could give me some advice on what to do.

How big is it? What exactly is it doing?

I've had a PZB for 5 years. I've raised her since she was 1" and now is about 5".

I've found that most defense displays from them are all bluffs. You can see pics of mine in my photo link below.
-----
KJ Vezino
My Gallery

American Tarantula Society
British Tarantula Society
Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club
Wiccan Tarantula Circle

its about 4, 5 inches now what it does is I go to pick it up and it raises its abdomen in the air like its going to shoot hairs

Well, they don't shoot hairs, instead they scratch or rub them off with their hind legs. But a raised abdomen is a sign of being a bit peeved. Kind of unusual for this species, btu all individuals are different I suppose.

When you go to pick it up, do you prod it from behind first to test the mood. Or are you just going in to pick it up right away? I always prod mine first, but I've found that even when they start off being moody, If I continue to prod they eventually calm down.

If it stays like that you may just want to give it some space for a while. Maybe wait a couple weeks or a month, and then try it again and see if it has calmed down. Ts will be Ts, sometimes they are just grumpy. Can't say that there's any reason in particular that it'd be acting that way.
-----
KJ Vezino
My Gallery

American Tarantula Society
British Tarantula Society
Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club
Wiccan Tarantula Circle

Yes I prod it but it jumps, raises its abdomen, and turns around. May the cage its in have something to do with it say the flooring?

The turning around thing is a bluff, in my experience. But combined with the abdomen thing it might just mean something. I usually keep teasing mine, until it stop with the threats and then it calms down. But that is from years of experience with mine.

Your caging could have somethign to do with it, if it is setup not to the tarantulas liking. They can be kept just liek a G. rosea. The substrate should be somethign like peat moss. potting soil, or coconut fiber. I use a mix of peat moss and pottign soil. It should be at least 3-4 inches deep, so they can be allowed to burrow if they choose. They need a waterdish and a hide, and the substrate shoudl be completely dry. I overflow the waterdish once a month to put some moisture back in the substrate, but it completely dries out inbetween. Keep it at room temp and no need to do any misting.That's about it. They couldn't be much simpler to take care of.
-----
KJ Vezino
My Gallery

American Tarantula Society
British Tarantula Society
Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club
Wiccan Tarantula Circle