Yesterday I held a tarantula for the first time in my life

[CyberSkully]

"Am chill spood, can I haz hugz?"
View media item 48704
"Jus kiddin, hek off hooman!"

My B. hamorii is still defective.

• The Grym Reaper
• Jul 23, 2017
• 8
• brachypelma brachypelma hamorii brachypelma smithi hamorii mexican redknee tarantula threat threat pose threat posture

She still thinks she's a P. cancerides.

Back off hooman, I keel you!! ROTFL!!!

 

[viper69]

I find juggling both NW and OW together on YouTube provides positive educational value.

 

[Ghoul]

I've posted this before, but its indicative of what is wrong with this type of demonstration with a T:

https://nationalpost.com/news/3-yea...lasts-his-eyes-with-painful-microscopic-barbs

The setae are a legit defence mechanism, and can cause unbelievable harm to someone that might hold or be near a T and then rub their eyes, etc...

I get the point to show people that a T isn't all "bad", but there has to be a better way to deal with arachnophobia, because press like this.....let's just say T ownership in banned in the city in which this occurred, and this ain't gonna help the cause.

Who in their right mind thought it would be a great idea to let toddlers and a tarantula together? That's a recipe for disaster. As well as that 16 year old mentioned who got hairs in his eye for putting it on his face. The ban just sounds ridiculous. Accidents can always happen and as the owner you should take necessary precautions. They don't get cats banned for scratching people either.

 

[FrDoc]

Interesting that the OP seems to have had a more clear understanding regarding this matter, “at like 9 or something”, than presently.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Who in their right mind thought it would be a great idea to let toddlers and a tarantula together? That's a recipe for disaster. As well as that 16 year old mentioned who got hairs in his eye for putting it on his face. The ban just sounds ridiculous. Accidents can always happen and as the owner you should take necessary precautions. They don't get cats banned for scratching people either.

I had a cousin who wanted her kid to handle a T didn’t turn out well had an light allergic reaction. She’s too big of a snob anymore we never see them haha. They are wana be rich haha, never be that as a teacher.

 

[Ghoul]

Interesting that the OP seems to have had a more clear understanding regarding this matter, “at like 9 or something”, than presently.

I trust myself not to drop it now a lot more than I trusted child-me. I used to be more anxious about it but now that I've handled my own big critters I learned to be calm and slow to not spook them.

 

[MintyWood826]

It's the tarantula equivalent of when a cat lies belly up and then rips your hand apart when you go to stroke its belly

My cat just hates getting his belly touched. His back is perfectly fine though!

"Am chill spood, can I haz hugz?"
View media item 48704
"Jus kiddin, hek off hooman!"

My B. hamorii is still defective.

• The Grym Reaper
• Jul 23, 2017
• 8
• brachypelma brachypelma hamorii brachypelma smithi hamorii mexican redknee tarantula threat threat pose threat posture

She still thinks she's a P. cancerides.

Have you been hugging your T incorrectly?

 

[MikeofBorg]

I don't personally handle my Ts for safety and I don't want more puncture scars. Only T that I occasionally handle is my Avicularia avicularia, because he comes out every time I fill his water and sits on top his enclosure. I only handle him to place him back in his enclosure. My other Ts are terrestrial so they don't generally climb out when I fill their water. My B hamorii, A seemani and A chalcodes all run to their hides when I open their enclosures. Well sometimes my A chalcodes female flicks hairs before she runs for cover.

Having an Bachelors degree in Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology we handled a lot of Ts and different spiders while helping on research. Although we always knocked them out with carbon dioxide before doing measurements like DLS, weight in grams and etc. They recover from the CO2 in around 3-5 minutes. Its easier handling a passed out spider to take the data than one that is flicking hairs and biting at you. LOL

But, I don't fault folks that want to handle their Ts. As long as they take precautions like sitting on the ground and having a soft floor to fall on if they do jump. Sitting on a fluffy bed cover like a thick blanket spread out under you so if your T does jump it lands on a nice soft surface.

Plus I don't handle mine, because I don't need anymore scars. I do raptor rehab and I have been footed by Red-Tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls and a Bald Eagle. I have loads of puncture scars all over my hands and arms. Falconer gauntlets work, but like anything the birds can get their talons through them if they really try. Especially the seams. Even if they don't penetrate the glove they still hurt. Bald Eagles can generate 1200 psi with their talons. Not much leather can stand up to that for long. And even wearing a falconers gauntlet the pressure is insane.

 

[MintyWood826]

But, I don't fault folks that want to handle their Ts. As long as they take precautions like sitting on the ground and having a soft floor to fall on if they do jump. Sitting on a fluffy bed cover like a thick blanket spread out under you so if your T does jump it lands on a nice soft surface

That's what I think too if it's not done often. But another downside is that it's only NWs you can handle safely (with precautions) so I'm not going to do it probably ever because of urticating hairs. After reading a thread of bad reactions to setae increasing over time, I'm just like 'Why don't they tell newbies that NWs can be THIS scary in their first threads?'

 

[MikeofBorg]

That's what I think too if it's not done often. But another downside is that it's only NWs you can handle safely (with precautions) so I'm not going to do it probably ever because of urticating hairs. After reading a thread of bad reactions to setae increasing over time, I'm just like 'Why don't they tell newbies that NWs can be THIS scary in their first threads?'

Yeah I don't like the hairs either. Feels like I grabbed one of those thistles with the really fine thorns that feel like a million little paper cuts. I looked away giving my A chalcodes water in her dish due to a noise. I guess I dripped water on her and she covered the top of my left hand with a cloud of hairs. I itched for 5 hours. Felt like jiggers or stinging nettles.

I also have 3 dogs, 5 cats and a soon another rad-tailed hawk I'll be bringing inside to man (Manning is getting the bird used to human contact). Manning takes anywhere from 48-90 hours depending on the individual bird. Trapping season for Red-Tailed Hawks and American Kestrels opens Aug 15th. I've taken birds out hunting before that all they caught were crayfish LOL. So a wandering T would be a quick snack for a hunting hawk. That is another reason I don't handle, too much could go wrong. Plus my cats are little heathens that attack anything that moves. Caught them slapping the crap out of a red phase Eastern Screech Owl that got trapped in my garage (The owl was unharmed and released). So I can only imagine what they'd do if they saw a T out where they could get it. I see the cats constantly staring at my Ts when they move around in their enclosures, with hunger in their eyes.