Top Ten Most Aggressive Tarantulas

[Falk]

His talking about the ones in the hobby.

Ok so do i

 

[jebbewocky]

One of the species sometimes found in pet shops (well, that's where I found a couple of them so far) is the Cobalt Blue (Haplopelma lividum) discovered in Burma, aka Burmese Cobalt Blue. EXTREMELY hostile (sometimes just making a faint noise that gets their attention will make them aggressive... kinda like some of the members of this forum, heh, heh) and they have a very nasty bite (just ask xhexdx about his experience - he survived it, but I don't think I would've what with my health condition and advanced age...). I have never even thought to handle any of my Blues, just experiencing their hostility was enough to make me settle for just looking (they ARE such a nice crush velvet deep iridescent blue, and definitely worth having - just don't handle)

It's just Cobalt Blue, not Burmese Cobalt Blue. But you already knew that.
I'll contribute H.maculata to the list. I haven't kept many defensive species, but my H.mac has a pretty bad attitude.

 

[Falk]

Ornithoctonus spp, Haploclastus spp., Thrigmopoeus spp., Lyrognathus spp. Haplopelma spp.

 

[malevolentrobot]

the Cobalt Blue (Haplopelma lividum) discovered in Burma, aka Burmese Cobalt Blue.

while i will agree that bolding this to get the OPs attention that it is a defensive T is great, i will disagree with the Burmese added. pretty sure they just go by "Cobalt blue" in the trade. maybe if you didn't have so many people with good advice on your ignore list, you'd know that?

It's just Cobalt Blue, not Burmese Cobalt Blue. But you already knew that.
I'll contribute H.maculata to the list. I haven't kept many defensive species, but my H.mac has a pretty bad attitude.

seriously. i almost bought an H. mac on accident (thought it was something else. the internet is your friend young tarantula keeper...). i have to admit i haven't owned one but from what i saw in the 10mins, i'd respectfully decline anyway, that thing was an absolute nutcase in a jar.

also, to a poster too far back for me to go quote, bohemei's aren't that bad. not enough to be on this list, anyway. IME, mine only has done a threat display once while tong feeding. kicking on the other hand, he's (well we think he) a nasty little booger but is getting better as he grows.

 

[gumby]

seriously. i almost bought an H. mac on accident, i haven't owned one but from what i saw in the 10mins, i'd respectfully decline owning one. thing was an absolute nutcase.

my H. mac is like a puppy I feel some of these species only act defensive if they are not given good tank set ups. My H. mac hides in his moss all day but the one at the pet store near me has nothing to hide in or under and is a little defensive.

my top 10 of defensive Ts Ive worked with are in no special order:
Haplopelma lividum
Iridoplema hirsutum
Nhandu tripepii
Nhandu Chromatus
Phlogius sp aussie goliath 1 out of my 4 is an angry little best
Pterinoclus murinus
Tapinauchenius plumipes
Citharischius crawshayi
Lampropelma violaceopes
Poecilotheria Regalis

 

[malevolentrobot]

my H. mac is like a puppy I feel some of these species only act defensive if they are not given good tank set ups. My H. mac hides in his moss all day but the one at the pet store near me has nothing to hide in or under and is a little defensive.

that probably has a lot to do with it. the poor thing was in a jar big enough to fit it and maybe an extra 1/2-2/3 of its legspan? it was actually one of the reasons i contemplated buying it initially (and that it was $15 and that the guy had no idea what it was, gave somebody trade-in store credit for it). if i was going to be accused of anthropomorphism, i'd say it actually looked "sad" in its tiny habitat. anyway, in the end, i declined for reasons stated above and that i hadn't done enough homework yet (i only have standard terrestrial T's right now and i think i'd like to learn the ropes a little easier)

i suppose were i to keep a faster, arboreal type i'd go with a psalmo at this point. just as fast, supposedly even more defensive, but from what i've read the venom is less potent...?

i guess the H. mac just get a bad rap for being fast and potent...

also, no S. cal's on here yet? i thought these guys were monsters from what people have posted in the past.

 

[fartkowski]

My B vagans is the craziest tarantula I have ever had.
Right now I have just over 200 different species, and hands down, it's my female B vagans.

 

[Anubis77]

Haplopelma, Pterinochilus, Poecilotheria, Psalmopoeus, Stromatopelma, Sericopelma, Chilobrachys: they can't match the defensiveness of this monster:

The face of terror. Aphonopelma behlei.

 

[B8709]

The face of terror. Aphonopelma behlei.

Yeah, right.......

 

[Ms.X]

Cobalt Blue (Haplopelma lividum) discovered in Burma, aka Burmese Cobalt Blue. EXTREMELY hostile (sometimes just making a faint noise that gets their attention will make them aggressive... kinda like some of the members of this forum, heh, heh)

It's just Cobalt Blue, not Burmese Cobalt Blue. But you already knew that.

while i will agree that bolding this to get the OPs attention that it is a defensive T is great, i will disagree with the Burmese added. pretty sure they just go by "Cobalt blue" in the trade. maybe if you didn't have so many people with good advice on your ignore list, you'd know that?

Well, the entire membership can't have made her ignore list yet, so hopefully she sees that it's not merely the 'unreasonable elite' that will tell her she's wrong.

After all of this talk, I thought that I would lighten things up by sharing a reminder of this:

 

[JOHN 3:16]

I have thirty-two (32) genera which includes:Haplopelma, Pterinochilus, Poecilotheria, Psalmopoeus, Stromatopelma, Chilobrachys, but the most agressively defensive tarantula I have, hands down, is my 7" King Baboon (Citharischius crawshayi) I call Queen

 

[malevolentrobot]

Well, the entire membership can't have made her ignore list yet, so hopefully she sees that it's not merely the 'unreasonable elite' that will tell her she's wrong.

After all of this talk, I thought that I would lighten things up by sharing a reminder of this:

"unreasonable elite"? i think some people just don't like the embarassment of being corrected/chastised by someone else online that knows better. at least half of that "ignore list" have been the first to speak up and help guide me in a situation where i have posted a question (or have been doing something wrong :8o). being online on an advice/opinions board means growing some thicker skin and/or graciously taking criticism when you put yourself out there to be scrutinized.

and this is coming from someone who has posted some stuff that could have easily been figured out if i had used that darn search function...

ANYWAY, just my two cents...

tarantula macros make me gleeful in my heart. i need to resurrect or make a macro thread one of these days

 

[Ms.X]

"unreasonable elite"?

Heh, I think you misunderstood my sarcastic intent behind the use of that phrase. I absolutely agree with you. I was merely poking fun because that seems like a phrase that she would have used to describe the people on her ignore list.

 

[bksbuddha]

One of the species sometimes found in pet shops (well, that's where I found a couple of them so far) is the Cobalt Blue (Haplopelma lividum) discovered in Burma, aka Burmese Cobalt Blue. EXTREMELY hostile (sometimes just making a faint noise that gets their attention will make them aggressive... kinda like some of the members of this forum, heh, heh) and they have a very nasty bite (just ask xhexdx about his experience - he survived it, but I don't think I would've what with my health condition and advanced age...). I have never even thought to handle any of my Blues, just experiencing their hostility was enough to make me settle for just looking (they ARE such a nice crush velvet deep iridescent blue, and definitely worth having - just don't handle)

I've heard that they're notoriously aggressive myself before I got mine & it almost deterred me from making the plunge... but I'm so very glad that I did. Guess the guy who had her before me "tamed the wild beast". The only time I actually witnessed a threat display was when I was misting the tank a bit & some of it must have touched her. She's been moved from her tiny 1 gallon container when I first brought her home cool: by someone who knew how to do it properly...didn't want a loose baby w/my husband the exterminator around) into a spacious 5 gallon & provided w/enough substrate that she burrowed down & built a volcano for good measure. She seems happy enough to stay hidden pretty much 95% of the time, but does come out occasionally. And whenever I do manage to catch a glimpse of her or legs sticking outta her hole, she retreats at the least little motion, light, or shadow. Granted I got her as a 2 yr. old, but she still seems rather relaxed to me. They all do have different personalities, don't they. Don't get me wrong, I still have nothing but the utmost respect for her & NEVER attempt to handle her. But she is :drool: GORGEOUS to look at...WHEN ya see her. She's definitely a "run & hide" Cobalt.

 

[Anubis77]

Yeah, right.......

There's something comically scary about the smaller Aphonopelma spp. My OW spiders bite, slap the ground with their legs, stridulate, but, in the end, they either take up a stance in one spot or run away.

It's my A. behlei and dwarf species that splay out their fangs, lift their abdomens, and slowly walk towards your fingers when you open the lid. That slow and deliberate threat display is like something out of The Shining.

 

[RichRollin]

There's something comically scary about the smaller Aphonopelma spp. My OW spiders bite, slap the ground with their legs, stridulate, but, in the end, they either take up a stance in one spot or run away.

It's my A. behlei and dwarf species that splay out their fangs, lift their abdomens, and slowly walk towards your fingers when you open the lid. That slow and deliberate threat display is like something out of The Shining.

I had a laugh reading that. My A. behlei does the exact same thing, every time I open the lid to it's deli cup. Ass in the air, slowly walking at my fingers. Very ballsy little spiders they are.

 

[Kamikaze]

My B vagans is the craziest tarantula I have ever had.
Right now I have just over 200 different species, and hands down, it's my female B vagans.

I also had a B. vagans too which was way too defensive.
Right now, my Hysterocrates gigas is probably my most defensive T. It was traded to me a few months ago because she had bitten the original owner.

 

[Bazzgazm]

Personally my Heteroscodra was more of the flighty variety...

the only tarantula of the ones i've owned that scared me (and that now includes a 8.5" theraphosa sp.) was my chilobrachys, It was a wc specimen but man was he evil.... Threat poses galore.

and when he did get out.. he wouldn't think twice to charge at ya with his front 2 legs up.
Here she is in her 7" of glory.

 

[robd]

while i will agree that bolding this to get the OPs attention that it is a defensive T is great, i will disagree with the Burmese added. pretty sure they just go by "Cobalt blue" in the trade. maybe if you didn't have so many people with good advice on your ignore list, you'd know that?

Don't waste your time man. I don't see 'Batgirl' post that much, but this isn't the first time I've seen her jump into a thread to bring the Cobalt Blue into discussion. Nothing wrong with that, but I would not be surprised if it's just to say "Burmese Cobalt Blue". She knew she'd get a rise out of SOMEBODY and you just happened to bite this time.

There's lots of ways to get people's attention and this seems to be one of Batgirl's favorites. The online forum. Cause if it wasn't "Burmese" then it'd be her publicized ignore list.

And right around now is where you can cue a Captain Saveaho in to defend Batgirl. Hahaha. No, really, it has happened before.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Not sure how to objectively contribute here but I can say that upon mass rehousing my Citharischius crawshayi was pretty annoying. It would never back down and always bite my herding stick so I'd hardly get it to go anywhere. All the others would eventually give up and run and do what I told them to, but even upon leaving its territory and being in the new tank it was still very aggravated and struck everything around it, including striking at nothing when nothing around it moved. Somebody had an anger management problem that day.

But the spider I'd have feared the most was my old MM rosea. He was the devil in a nut shell. Little furry hand grenade.