“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

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
672
You could always keep it and set up the enclosure so that you're at minimum risk of being bitten, like making ventilation holes you can push small crickets/fly pupae or a syringe through and a cleanup crew so you don't need to clean the enclosure if boluses as often, so you don't have to actually open the enclosure

Still a bit risky if your cat decides it wants to be an evil demon and pushes the enclosure off a shelf
 

schmiggle

Arachnoking
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
2,220
This is a tricky one...that's a situation where my primary goal would be not getting bitten. I don't have much interest in Phoneutria (for no very good reason--just one of those things), so I would be unlikely to keep it, and I would be nervous having it around. In my area, it couldn't become invasive, because the winter would kill it, so I would probably try to find a big, sparsely populated forest and let it go, at least when it could survive for a while outside. If it were an adult--and it sounds like it would be--it would only live a few months anyway, and if it lived any longer it would eventually freeze. However, if I didn't do that I would hand it off to someone else. The main reason not to do so is that I would have to keep it for some period of time, and even that period seems dangerous. But the truth is my fear is probably unfounded, because I could just keep it in a container I didn't open after putting food in once (a spider would be hungry after that kind of journey) and then not open it again until sending it off. So it's a bit of a toss-up. The answer would, of course, be different in a climate where the spider had the slightest chance of survival.
 

Wolfspidurguy

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Messages
546
look i know i look like a terrible invertebrate keeper for saying this but a Brazilian wandering spider is the only spider i would happily take a glock to especially seeing that im a male meaning i get that fun bonus symptom from a bite and they tend to be super aggressive. i hate that that is the truth seeing that i love all invertebrates but that those are just too dangerous, and even though i see myself as a responsible invert keeper i just cant trust myself with that not to mention my parents would never let me keep it and i couldnt have it in the house with my little sister. i see it like this: its like handing someone a loaded gun with the safety off and just leaving. its probably not too likely they'll shoot themselves but its still just too dangerous to do.
 
Last edited:

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Keeping the bugger, obviously, claiming (as an old school member, literally, of the Italian arachnid world) that "... is for the sake of the whole Italian community. Or do you want, perhaps, to re-ship the highly venomous bugger to Brazil, by chance, Sir? Who will pay, btw, on such a case, and who will pack ASAP that spooder?" :angelic:

Done :cigar:

Basically I would act just like the rough badass of 'Jaws' movie in that 'blackboard' scene :)
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,031
Looking at the larger picture for a brief moment. Questions I ask myself.
-Why do I want to keep ANY animal? The answer can range from pure self serving ego trip to selfless altruism-protect, preserve, nurture.
-Why would I want an unpredictable hazardous animal in my world?
-How responsible am I? I may cause this animal's death. I may jeopardize others. Am I providing the animal with the habitat and life it most desires?
-Am I capable of being beneficial to the animal? As in, it's a male and if I keep it I am morally obligated to find it a mate.
-Is the hazard level of keeping that particular animal a mitigating factor? Or is my altruism 'giving with one ' qualified?

Getting real. What is a greater hazard; keeping a phoneutria, a horse, riding a bike in city traffic, driving a car, smoking, drinking excess of alcohol, or etc?
 

arachnoherp

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 14, 2017
Messages
120
In all honesty id probably keep it. However id take a number of precautions prior to doing so.
 

Mainbutter

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
3
7 years working in retail where my employees unpacked up to 400lbs of bananas a day, I never heard a report of or saw any animals come out of those boxes, always rumors that another store across town had a frog show up like a decade ago. Contrary to urban legend, it almost never happens.
 

Nonnack

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 26, 2016
Messages
185
It happened at least once in Poland, it was in 2014 if I remember correct, and it was Phoneutria. Ofc when media found out about this, it was in every newspaper and every news, scary stories about deadly killer spider in bananas, just waiting to murder some innocent clients xd.
Since then every time some one find spider in supermarket (doesn't matter if it is tropical spider, or just little harmless polish spider) everyone goes crazy, they close shop, evacuate ppl, call police etc.
 

wizentrop

to the rescue!
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Messages
612
Looking at the larger picture for a brief moment. Questions I ask myself.
-Why do I want to keep ANY animal? The answer can range from pure self serving ego trip to selfless altruism-protect, preserve, nurture.
-Why would I want an unpredictable hazardous animal in my world?
-How responsible am I? I may cause this animal's death. I may jeopardize others. Am I providing the animal with the habitat and life it most desires?
-Am I capable of being beneficial to the animal? As in, it's a male and if I keep it I am morally obligated to find it a mate.
-Is the hazard level of keeping that particular animal a mitigating factor? Or is my altruism 'giving with one ' qualified?

Getting real. What is a greater hazard; keeping a phoneutria, a horse, riding a bike in city traffic, driving a car, smoking, drinking excess of alcohol, or etc?
This comment by @The Snark should be pinned. These are questions everyone should asks themselves before keeping any animal.
Super important IMO.
 

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
Being 16 with younger siblings, I would sell it. I wouldn’t keep it just because it is SUPER venomous and kinda pissy, it definitely doesn’t deserve to be killed for no reason either, and the media would most likely demonize it.
 

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
Active Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
1,668
Since I'm currently residing at my parents house, I'd probably euthanize it. I don't trust myself with them from what I've read and I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to pack it up.
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
Until recently I would said other - I would of have asked the local zoos if they wanted it. But it's funny you brought this up, as I recently got a P. boliviensis sling as a unannounced freebie (yeah, I know -o_O). So now I have one. Had a email conversation with the seller and we both agreed he might want be more cautious in the future.
 

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
Until recently I would said other - I would of have asked the local zoos if they wanted it. But it's funny you brought this up, as I recently got a P. boliviensis sling as a unannounced freebie (yeah, I know -o_O). So now I have one. Had a email conversation with the seller and we both agreed he might want be more cautious in the future.
Just out of curiosity, do you have a link to the sellers web site? Not a problem if you don’t want to give him/her bad publicity, I just want to expand my purchasing options and have more places to look for specific inverts :)
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
Just out of curiosity, do you have a link to the sellers web site? Not a problem if you don’t want to give him/her bad publicity, I just want to expand my purchasing options and have more places to look for specific inverts :)
I don't think it would be right in this context. A little searching would likely lead you to him.
 

NYAN

Arachnoking
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
Messages
2,511
I don't think it would be right in this context. A little searching would likely lead you to him.
I’m pretty sure I know who they are. If so, from what I see and hear, they are great to deal with and an awesome person to have in the hobby.
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
I’m pretty sure I know who they are. If so, from what I see and hear, they are great to deal with and an awesome person to have in the hobby.
I would say at the worst this thing with the freebie was momentary lapse in judgement.
 

AngelDeVille

Fuk Da Meme Police
Joined
May 7, 2018
Messages
274
How many people are bitten by these spiders per year?

How many are actually found in bananas outside of their home countries?

How many confirmed black widow and brown recluse bites are there per year?

Much ado about nothing...

But yes I would keep it.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Until recently I would said other - I would of have asked the local zoos if they wanted it. But it's funny you brought this up, as I recently got a P. boliviensis sling as a unannounced freebie (yeah, I know -o_O). So now I have one. Had a email conversation with the seller and we both agreed he might want be more cautious in the future.
And here I thought I was screwed when I got an H.maculata as a freebie :eek:
 

Greasylake

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
1,324
I would most likely just give it away. I think it would be cool to keep a Phoneutria but I do live with my family and a small dog so I couldn't really keep that in the house. I may eventually keep one when the only person who's health I'd be responsible for is my own.
I may eventually get a Cupiennius sp. though. I showed my mom a picture of one and she almost had a heart attack because when she was younger and lived in Mexico they used to find them high in the corners of their rooms.
 
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