“Banana spider” circumstance

If you found Phoneutria in banana bag, would you

  • Keep it

    Votes: 30 66.7%
  • Contact authorities/media about it

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kill it

    Votes: 5 11.1%
  • None of the above

    Votes: 10 22.2%

  • Total voters
    45

Ratmosphere

Arachnoking
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
2,294
If you were to have bought bananas from the store and notice a big Phoneutria stuck inside the bag what would you do? Decide to keep it? Contact the news/higher power and make a report on it? Kill it? What would you do! I definitely would keep it. Let me know your thoughts!
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
I'd keep it and put it up for sale ASAP. I don't want it killed or made out to a media circus, but I'm not keeping it myself, too potent, too defensive and too speedy :eek:
 

MetalMan2004

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 14, 2016
Messages
676
I can’t feel right ordering one for myself with kids around but if one just happened to show up then destiny has spoken!
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Hard to say. Probably keep it, but whether I keep it alive or dead is the question. It would be a great addition to my dead specimen collection, but I'd probably want to enjoy it a bit first before I did.

This is also assuming it's actually Phoneutria, since the vast majority of those banana spiders are Cupiennius.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
If it was really a Phoneutria species and not a Cupiennius or other hitchhiking Ctenid, I would pass it along to someone else.

While I do consider myself a careful keeper, I don't want to keep anything that venomous, just in case it somehow got out. I have kids and pets to think about - plus I use my inverts in the classroom every summer. Accidents do happen - like the morning the assistant headmaster unlocked my classroom door before I arrived, and I walked in to find one of the kids with his hand inside the now-open scorpion tank. (Fortunately, it was just an emperor scorpion - and even more fortunately, he wasn't stung - but after that day, I made sure I had my own set of keys, so nobody else would unlock my door!) Or like the recent scare when I was out of town visiting family, and my husband accidentally left the M. balfouri tank ajar all weekend. (Fortunately, that one turned out ok - I just saw all five spiders in the tank where they belong!)

Of course, I'd take lots of pictures of it before passing it along - and if it wasn't a Phoneutria I'd definitely keep it!
 

Jonroe

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
35
Nope, illegal to keep in my country*. I'd be lying if I said they wouldn't raise some morbid facination in me though.

*My "state", Bundesland, Kanton what not thing
 
Last edited:

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,602
I would not kill it, but I would also not keep it. While I am fascinated by the species, I would not want to keep something that venomous around, regardless of how many years of experience with invertebrates I have.

Some things are just not worth the risk.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Keep it without even thinking about it.

The really, really hard thing for me would be to not take pics and record videos of it and NOT share them.
 

Draketeeth

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
209
I'd probably keep it, but would likely be ignorant of what exactly I had other than a cool huntsman type spider. If it seemed in good shape after shipping and the store, and would likely survive, it would be really neat to do a planted tank for. Probably not as destructive as a tarantula, cool camo colors, free exotic spider. As long as you keep your hands clear and the tank secure (which most here would do with any spider) then it's fine. :p
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
1,771
I would pass it on to an expert. I have zero desire to keep such a dangerous super fast highly venomous spider.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,031
In my situation, this would be an extremely complex problem.

First I'd zoom to my entomologist buddy, waking him up at 02:30 if need be. "Who the heck is importing Phoneutria and why??" Obviously importing them deliberately since importing bananas here is like importing corn to Nebraska.
Next he would pack us and spider off to North Chiang Mai University, (just south of Chiang Mai), our reasonably reputable animal husbandry center, where we would head bang the conundrum with an elite group of fellow enthusiasts. Should we bring it to the attention of customs? Can we find a non corrupt customs official?

The entire scenario could keep us busy for days or weeks and probably involve a lot of clandestine intrigue.

PS The poll needs a None of the Above.
 
Last edited:

maggiefiasco

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 12, 2017
Messages
52
I live in an animal friendly house with 6 cats, a hairless dog, a snake and god knows what else kind of pets we are bringing in, lol. Just for the safety of the other animals, I can't even feel right with housing OW T's much less something as fast and venomous as this. In a perfect world, I'd love to say "Oh, I'd keep it!" because how cool would that be? But like many others here, I just cant rationalize that kind of risk for the other living creatures in my home, not even so much for me.
 

Connectimyrmex

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 17, 2017
Messages
47
If I found one, it would be in a terrarium faster than I can say "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"

I'd also probably go back to the grocery store and search for another one amongst the bananas.
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
1,771
I leave Phoneutria to the adrenaline junkies who enjoy keeping Black Mambas, Taipans, and the like. Not my cup of venom.
 

Connectimyrmex

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 17, 2017
Messages
47
The farthest I've ever gotten on the venom scale is Polistes and Scolopendra, probably not going farther than that unless I get the banana spider opportunity :p
 

Nonnack

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 26, 2016
Messages
185
I wouldn't feel comfortable keeping something that venomous. Besides I am not really into true spiders. I would pass it to someone who I know will want it. Unofficially ofc, because its kind of illegal to keep it where I live ;)
 
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