Why docile?

[Ultimate Instar]

The urticating hairs may be the general reason for the difference between OW and NW, but the Poechilotheria tend to contradict that. I'm not saying that Pokies are safe to hold but if I had to hold an adult OW T, I'd pick a P. regalis or P. metallica over any other OW species. I have held these species, just not on purpose. Of course, their venom is reputed to be relatively strong so that may be an effective deterrent to predators, i.e. their venom is so bad everything else leaves them alone. All of this is wild speculation on my part; does anyone even know what preys upon pokies in the wild?

Karen N.

 

[Dr Pies]

Doubt that predators would know what strength of venom a T would hold.. Usually colour in the wild is the danger sign to predators.. Like the poison arrow frogs for instance..

 

[Kismet]

Interesting topic and something which I've been thinking about lately.

I've noticed how some of my NW species will attack anything that comes into their enclosure? For example I have a blondi who will pounce on my tongs (no fingers near that one!) the second the get anywhere close to the ground...but my G.pulchra doesn't.

I figured it had something to do with more veracious appetites but I was recently cleaning my Pulchra's tank out and she was quite comically following the tweezers around. No aggression even when they brushed up against her. When I was done I threw in a mighty huge crick and she gobbled it down...it didn't even touch the substrate...how come she seems to be able to recognise the difference between the tongs and food where as some of the others don't?

Maybe it just comes down to how hot-headed they are...some are attack first ask questions later!

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Dr Pies,
The pokies do have the yellow startle bands but God only knows if that has anything to do with venom strength or warning colors. Like I said, Ts have a lot of unexplained behaviors.

Karen N.

 

[Dr Pies]

Dr Pies,
The pokies do have the yellow startle bands but God only knows if that has anything to do with venom strength or warning colors. Like I said, Ts have a lot of unexplained behaviors.

Karen N.

They sure do have a lot of unexplained behaviour!
Thats why it's fun to own them and also hypothesize.

 

[Apocalypstick]

I think once you have a T in it's 'home' environment for a while, they then realize another large animal (you) are in the vicinity of thier home. Soon, the T realizes you (large animal in the vicinity frequently) are not a predator. They don't have to have to be Einstien to have this innate instinct.

 

[shogun804]

They sure do have a lot of unexplained behaviour!
Thats why it's fun to own them and also hypothesize.

could not have said it better myself :clap:

 

[Dr Pies]

could not have said it better myself :clap:

I try mate, I try..

 

[bagheera]

(At the risk of hijacking the thread...) Dogs have been bread for docility for many thousands of years. A secondary characteristic of this the floppy ears (not seen in wild animals). So what if someone were to take their favorite T and just breed the calmer individuals? Perhaps using P. murinus, as they grow quickly. In any case, I think it is an interesting thought experiment. Perhaps some of the breeders may try it! It will take a few years!

 

[Snipes]

mmm. I would like that, but i dont think genetic engineering is a good thing. I dont think we should tamper with natures designs. Also, bred dogs are often very unpredictable and they develop chronic problems that other dogs do not have. When i worked at a vet, they really hated those kind of dogs, so selective breeding might get u a result, but it definitely has side effects.

 

[Mr Ed]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the length the species has been in captivity. Maybe bred into them? Or maybe the "spunk" is bred out of them. :?
You know how ppl say that when a wolf or large cat is in the care of humans they demand respect because it is still "a wild animal?"
Even though the animal has been bred and raised in captivity and around humans its whole life, they can still turn on u in a heart beat. These types of animals havent been in captivity for long.
I dunno.....Just a theory.

With this in mind, would our T's be able to survive if reintroduced back into the wild or would thir instinctive nature help preserve them?

 

[ZergFront]

This is a great discussion. :clap:

I wish I knew what Tarantulas were thinking (if they do think). After all, if you think about what our beliefs were about animal intelligence, we've come along way from the phrase, "bird brain." Like an African grey that can pick out colors or shapes.

Wish they would study tarantulas more since they're becoming more popular in households. Maybe answer some questions like, "Does my tarantula think she's spinning an egg sac, or is she just rolling the ping pong ball to pass time?"

I used to think fish were really stupid, but whenever I was going to feed the oscars we had I gave them a type of signal, tapped the glass three times. After not even a week, the fish would look up and wait for the food after the taps on the glass.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Here are a few theories.

I will use training Budgies as an example. When you hand train a budgie you are supposed to hold the budgie against your chest near your heart. The heart beat is slower than a bird's ever would be. This steady rhythm calms them and with the combination of your hand over their head obscuring their vision and your comforting body heat you can slowly train the budgie and it learns not to bite you and attack after about 10-15 minutes (though you have to repeat this many times until it's permanent).


Now take a tarantula, which perceives on a whole nother level. It uses the sense of vibration, sharp movement from outward stimuli (prey or predator), and moves between areas of higher and lower temperature to control metabolic rate.


Instinctively many NW species in the wild will protect themselves, yet calm down quite quickly (since they have another lovely source of defense with their hairs), while OW take a more aggressive and prolonged approach and seem to be overpowered instinctively by defensive/survival instincts (which takes them longer to calm down, or "accept" situations as safe).

Instinctively a tarantula realizes that a predator will attack and consume it as quickly as possible. All of us know quite well that you do not make extreme or sharp movements around a tarantula, nor blow on them. Instinctively it triggers a flight or fight response. So already we as keepers know how to keep the tarantula more calm, or get it into that state through the use of steady movements.

Next is us humans physiologically. Nearly millimeters under our skin are veins and capillaries producing a steady rhythm that is a fuel source of constant pleasurable heat. A tarantula is going to instinctively realize that what it is walking on is not a rock, a branch, or the interior of its burrow.

When a human which emits a steady heat and a consistent mesmerizing rhythm through blood induced vibrations interacts with any tarantula perhaps that tarantula is calmed by the pleasant source of heat and the rate of blood pumping just mm under your skin. With NW this could aid to the general docility of them, with OW perhaps their overwhelming instinctual defensive/survival programing constantly warns them against this overly large threat pulsing and radiating around them.

It is my belief that docile species respond to a combination of proper handling techniques and our own passive body functions induce a calming response, whether the species "knows" it will not be consumed or the lack of instinctual triggers permits it not to react defensively.