# Your Poecilotheria's Attitude



## cellum110 (Jul 16, 2011)

Hey, for good advice i feel it would be a good idea to start a thread where everyone can post how there Poecilotheria/s act, docile to manic! because I read advice all the time stating that they are savage and should not be kept unless you are expienced.

 let's just say i have a P. Formosa and been any time in pre-molt she is very very very docile and will let you handle her but i do not recommend it, but now she has molted and is hardened she is one fearless tarantula, when it comes to feeding her I just tap on her web mat under her hide (she seems to love been on the ground) and she will come straight out ready to attack.

I don't want this to determine whether as a whole the species is vicious or not but just to show that all tarantulas are different


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## Austin (Jul 16, 2011)

Thats a good question, I'd like to hear from some poci owners what their attitudes have been. I have been thinking for a long time of adding a poci to my small but growing collection. I don't know why I haven't seening as I have an H. Mac which I think would be the closest to a poci out of my T's, But I have yet to get a single threat pose out of him or really any attitude. Had em for about a year now.


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## Aschamne (Jul 16, 2011)

I will tell you how my adults and juveniles are, because IMO slings are not a good way to judge a Ts temperament.  Now both of my rufilata are very skittish which makes them flighty.  The pederseni and formosa are both skittish but no where near as bad as the rufilata.  Now the regalis and metallica are both fairly calm, but they will take flight if they are startled.  

Art


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## cnapple (Jul 16, 2011)

My P. ornata juvi is not very defensive by any means. I haven't seen any threat postures from her. However she is VERY shy/skittish. If I so much as touch her enclosure she takes off for her burrow/hide, and she is VERY fast.


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## RayH (Jul 16, 2011)

My juvie male P striata is rather docile.  The only time I've ever seen a threat posture from him was when he was in pre molt.  Other than that, he seems content to just hang around on the side of his enclosure and wait for food.


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## jb62 (Jul 17, 2011)

I agree I'd like to get owners reviews on pokies as I'd like to move to P.regalis and then gooty..

So any info on pokie temperament or personality would be great and what todo when repotting or moving from a container to a tank or how you remove moults ect..

Thanks.


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## Redfield (Jul 17, 2011)

My regalis is surprisingly chill. 

Not super skittish or anything. I got her fairly small and now that she's bigger she seems even calmer. I wouldn't handle her but I probably could. 

She's still a juvie, so still young so that could all change though it seemed in premolt/post molt she was about the same (But got much larger!)

To add to jb62's questions: In reference to my regalis I move from a container and to tank. I have an awkward decoration in her cage with holes so it was hard to get the last molt out but I managed with tweezers carefully (But again, mine is surprisingly calm. She'll shy away and such but I haven't had any super speed bolts  since the first time I got her.


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## BobGrill (Jul 17, 2011)

My regalis is skittish and will take off at the slightest disturbance. But she's only about 2.5 inches.


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## theconmacieist (Jul 17, 2011)

My AF P. regalis has never shown any defensiveness whatsoever, however she is very skittish and retreats whenever her cage is disturbed.


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## Jmugleston (Jul 17, 2011)

In general I've found pokies to be shy or skittish and not overly defensive.

That said, it varies with each spider so any blanket statement should be taken lightly. This may differ between spiders and even a relatively shy pokie may not be so shy as it is trying to escape across your floor or as it is sitting inside its burrow. The molt cycle can affect that as well. A seemingly calm and slow moving pokie may act that way while it is in premolt, but once it has cast its exoskeleton it may act as a completely different spider.


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## catfishrod69 (Jul 17, 2011)

i have 6 adult P. regalis..all are just shy..2 almost adult P. formosa, also shy, 6 P.ornata slings, 4 P. pederseni slings, 3 P. striata slings, all the slings are shy but also very ready to eat when i open the vials....so i have to be careful cause sometimes i wind up with a little sling on my hand....


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## jb62 (Jul 18, 2011)

catfishrod69 said:


> i have 6 adult P. regalis..all are just shy..2 almost adult P. formosa, also shy, 6 P.ornata slings, 4 P. pederseni slings, 3 P. striata slings, all the slings are shy but also very ready to eat when i open the vials....so i have to be careful cause sometimes i wind up with a little sling on my hand....


So the slings are fast too! I have a sling versicolor that's fast but I bet the pokie ones are faster lol.


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## catfishrod69 (Jul 18, 2011)

oh yeah they are fast...there has been many times that i ended up with a little 2" pederseni, ornota, or striata runnin on my hand...cant wait til they get bigger though, alot easier to deal with i think....you should try little H. maculata slings...i have said many times that they are the offspring of lightning and a mongoose...





jb62 said:


> So the slings are fast too! I have a sling versicolor that's fast but I bet the pokie ones are faster lol.


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## thumpersalley (Jul 18, 2011)

I have a mature female P. regalis, shes ok as long as I dont startle her. I always tap on her enclosure before I move it for feeding & shes ok with that. If I dont she will go into an upsidedown threat pose. Kim


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## BobGrill (Jul 18, 2011)

thumpersalley said:


> I have a mature female P. regalis, shes ok as long as I dont startle her. I always tap on her enclosure before I move it for feeding & shes ok with that. If I dont she will go into an upsidedown threat pose. Kim


Cool. I can't wait till mine gets big. I don't believe in antagonizing them and stressing them out, but a threat pose would be awsome from my regalis.


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## JadeWilliamson (Jul 19, 2011)

I have a 2.5" P striata I've sexed as female who is just absolutely jumpy.  Any lighting change and she'll hide (she's fast as heck!).  That includes me walking near her for a peek.  I have her in a rather big enclosure for that size, but she's such a great display pet I couldn't resist.  She really just hangs out on the side of her enclosure and cleans her feet.  She's got a nice little spot dug out under her bark that she hangs out in all day, but if I close my blinds and turn out my light she'll come out to play.  I LOVE watching her attack food.  She'll take on crickets bigger than her body, which fills her up pretty quick (but that should go without saying).

I've also got an unsexed 1.5" P regalis who is extremely friendly.  I've handled her on several occasions, but have stopped recently.  If I remove the cap of her pill vial she'll hide on the side of her bark that's in the shade, and if I turn it she'll move to the other side.  I can't coax her out of the vial for a rehouse to save my life.  She's webbed it up like hell and has strung little pieces of Eco Earth all around like garland.  It's a weird kind of Christmas in her house all the time.  She eats food almost as big as my P striata.  Wonderful pet.  It's a very popular pet, and I've seen why firsthand.  I'd definitely recommend a P regalis as a first pokie at the very least, but I got mine together.

I had six Ts (G rosea, A avic, and four Brachypelmas) before I got my Pokies, and they're really not harder to take care of than anything else.  Food and misting.  Piece of cake.
(I hopefully didn't get too far off topic there..I just like giving ridiculously thorough answers ;P)

Edit:  I also want to mention that I've gotten more threat postures from my B smithi than my Pokies.  My Pokies haven't threatened yet, and my B smithi will lash out occasionally, but only if she's not hungry and I offer food.


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## tarantulagirl10 (Jul 19, 2011)

I have a  female P subfusca that I've had for a few months now. For a month, she hid all the time, then I started to see her out in the evenings, and now I see her sitting on her cork round day or night. I guess maybe it took her a while to settle in. She's pretty skittish I guess, but I don't mess with her except when I have to. I don't want to stress her. She's not defensive, if she gets spooked she just runs to her hidey place. Much easier to deal with than some of my other Ts


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## cellum110 (Jul 19, 2011)

My Formosa just molted a week back, I fed her around 4 days later (i think waiting a week or two is not needed for them to harden, her molt hardened around 14 hours after it shedded) anyway she gained alot of size from one molt, I'd say around the 1" mark, just abit lower, but the main thing I noticed was how much bigger her carapace had gotten, I'd say she's around 5" now :0, if you look at my first Formosa post there are pictures, after molt she now has a very dark brown abdomen which is very striking i must say


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## jb62 (Aug 15, 2011)

Well I got my sling .. 2cm long.. regalis.
I tried feeding 1cm to 2cm locust and nothing.
It never touched them.. So I'm trying small crickets.
It's in a 10" tall container .. with small cork bark I grooved out and it sits in the groove and has webbed over some of it too.


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## Fred (Aug 15, 2011)

I have adult females in the following:

P formosa
P metallica
P miranda
P ornata
P regalis x 2
P rufilata
P subfusca
P tigrinawesseli

Everyone of these are incredibly fast when it comes to eating and rehousing. I don't bother them unless I absolutely have to. The P metallica is the only one that hasn't darted on me. I'd say ornata, rufilata and subfusca have been the craziest out of the bunch.

Thanks, Fred


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## mickey66 (Aug 15, 2011)

My mature female P. regalis  is very sweet but she is on the shy side. She lets me know when she wants food by hanging out on the front door of her cage.:laugh:


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## mickey66 (Aug 16, 2011)

jb62 said:


> So the slings are fast too! I have a sling versicolor that's fast but I bet the pokie ones are faster lol.


Yes! they are very fast.....the trick is to buy slings at first


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## BobGrill (Aug 16, 2011)

My regalis has become a bit more defensive lately ever since she molted. She's made a run at the tongs I use to clean out the bolus quite a few times lately.


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## jb62 (Sep 1, 2011)

I was told P.regalis and P.striata are the best starter ones?
My regalis sling died .. but I'm getting another..
I think it could of been that it wasn't eating .. plus shock of getting out and being chased to get it in a container..
I'm also thinking of getting a P.miranda but have been told slings are fussy and to get a grown on one!.


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## SCORPIONNOOB (Sep 1, 2011)

I just got rid of my MM Regalis and suprisingly he was fairly willing to go into his shipping  container after he cornered himself. When I first got him about 2 years ago (he wasnt a MM) and first took him out of his container... nothing but piss and vinegar for an hour. Even after I just left him in the enclosure, he sat at the top of his shipping container and stayed in the defensive pose... 

Now... my MM N. Chromatus... mr...pissy...pants.. all the time.


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## Singapore_Blue1 (Sep 1, 2011)

I have a 6" P. metallica female. She is very laid back and easy to deal with. Her tendency is toward the shy side if anything. Not very quick moving even though she has the capability to be fast. I handle her on a regular basis and have yet to get a threat pose of any kind..I also have a P. subfusca 2" female that is also on the shy side. She isn't as receptive to handling as the P. metallica however she is still small yet so I am sure that may change (for the good or the bad) as she gets bigger..


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## Merfolk (Sep 1, 2011)

My Pokies are pretty laid back. A tap on the glass and they go hide and I can move things around in the enclosure. Rehousing has never been an issue. During the day they are kind of sleepy, so I have no problem coaxing them in their new home.


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## BobGrill (Sep 1, 2011)

JadeWilliamson said:


> I have a 2.5" P striata I've sexed as female who is just absolutely jumpy.  Any lighting change and she'll hide (she's fast as heck!).  That includes me walking near her for a peek.  I have her in a rather big enclosure for that size, but she's such a great display pet I couldn't resist.  She really just hangs out on the side of her enclosure and cleans her feet.  She's got a nice little spot dug out under her bark that she hangs out in all day, but if I close my blinds and turn out my light she'll come out to play.  I LOVE watching her attack food.  She'll take on crickets bigger than her body, which fills her up pretty quick (but that should go without saying).
> 
> I've also got an unsexed 1.5" P regalis who is extremely friendly.  I've handled her on several occasions, but have stopped recently.  If I remove the cap of her pill vial she'll hide on the side of her bark that's in the shade, and if I turn it she'll move to the other side.  I can't coax her out of the vial for a rehouse to save my life.  She's webbed it up like hell and has strung little pieces of Eco Earth all around like garland.  It's a weird kind of Christmas in her house all the time.  She eats food almost as big as my P striata.  Wonderful pet.  It's a very popular pet, and I've seen why firsthand.  I'd definitely recommend a P regalis as a first pokie at the very least, but I got mine together.
> 
> .


Same here. Can't go anywhere near my regalis's tank (this includes just walking past) without her darting back into her web. I've gotten a threat posture a few times and mines only around 3.5" when working in the terrarium (with tongs of course!). On a further note, I've read that pokies don't web as much as most arboreals, but mine seems to web quite a bit. In fact actually more than my avic did.


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## jb62 (Sep 2, 2011)

So do P.miranda slings have problems with humidity ?.

Size wise with each moult how much do P.regalis grow over the other pokies..


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## Reptiliatus (Sep 2, 2011)

Jmugleston said:


> In general I've found pokies to be shy or skittish and not overly defensive.
> 
> That said, it varies with each spider so any blanket statement should be taken lightly. This may differ between spiders and even a relatively shy pokie may not be so shy as it is trying to escape across your floor or as it is sitting inside its burrow. The molt cycle can affect that as well. A seemingly calm and slow moving pokie may act that way while it is in premolt, but once it has cast its exoskeleton it may act as a completely different spider.


I think this is so true...

I have a female P. regalis and a female P. metallica.
I think if you take the above quote into consideration and always respect these animals in a way that you understand their potency, their behavior (unpredictable at times) you can keep them. Also I think it's important to never consider yourself "invincible". I think there are too many people that start keeping this genus and start to feel untouchable.
Everyone is free to do as they please but I think having some sort of a fear, well not a fear but always being prepared and cautious will bring you success and avoid bad endings with these guys. I don't think it should be possible to feel completely comfortable with these guys. 

You should always be on guard with Poecilotheria genus.

Just my 2 cents.


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## jb62 (Sep 3, 2011)

My regalis sling no2 came yesterday ..
This one came out the tissue and had a wonder around the bath and did not panic..
Once in the new home ( container ) she seems much better then the first and isn't so leggy ..
And has more markings and a lighter colour.
So I'm letting her settle in and gave a small cap so she has water if she needs it.
I've covered a 1/4 with a black bag and she sits on a peace of bambo tub behind the bag.
No1 died.. So I'm going to feed this one pre killed cricket .. 2nd instar size.


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## BlackVenom (Sep 3, 2011)

*Poecilotheria's are the best*

I've owned a P. rufilata (female), 5 regalis (2 male & 3 female), P. fasciata (female), P. striata (male), P. formosa (unsexed), P. ornata (female), 2 P. miranda (male&female), P. tigrinawesseli (unsexed), and 2 P. subfusca (unsexed&female).

My P. rufilata (female), P. fasciata (female), P. ornata (female) and 1 P. regalis (female)
The most aggressive, nervous, most stubborn, easily spooked, and very often displayed threat poses, the typical pokie.

My P. miranda (male&female), P. tigrinawesseli (unsexed) 
Very easily spooked but not very aggressive.

My 2 regalis (female), P. formosa (unsexed), 2 P. subfusca (unsexed&female)
Very docile and if I wanted to handle them I could.

The males are fun to keep and seem to always have the same type of attitude of being very nervous and a bit aggressive. 

All web the same amount.

My P. rufilata was the most likely to bolt and it had incredible speed and was the fastest pokie I've owned.

I've mated my P. regalis and P. fasciata and both laid good egg sacs. Also tried to mate my P. ornata but she ate the male.

My P. rufilata and 1 of my P. regalis have been the most challenging to keep due to their attitudes.

My P. miranda, P. subfusca, P. rufilata are the most light sensitive.

My P. rufilata and P. subfusca had the smallest appetite, the rest of my pokies ate great.

Unfortunately my P. rufilata died due to 2 of its book lungs not molting properly and she has been the only pokie to have molting problems and to die in my care.


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## jb62 (Sep 5, 2011)

Bear that is a very in depth report 
And gives great information.

Has any one else got details like this?.

Update on my regalis...
The bambo I've used is getting mould on it ! No idea to why .. but will remove it and change to some thing safer..
I cleaned it days before use and maybe the shop I got it from sells reptails.. 
Other than that she is doing good..


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## Gusma07 (Sep 5, 2011)

My pokies (P.regalis, 2x P.rufilata's, and 1 P.ornata) have not shown any defensive or aggressive behavior as of yet, but yeah, they are super fast and they ever developed "attitudes" then I think I'd be in some trouble lol.  All I know now is that they rarely refuse food and can be tong fed.


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## SentinelPokie (Sep 5, 2011)

My Poecilotheria miranda is very skittish, but won't go into a threat posture.  My Poecilotheria subfusca "Highland" is very calm.  Not calm enough to handle, but she won't even walk when I prod her on the abdomen.


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## jb62 (Sep 5, 2011)

So has any one had a calm sling grow defensive ?

So all the talk that pokies are evil is really total rubbish !.
This thread is going to help many new people see that pokies are well worth moving on to and not be put off by false information ..


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## Poxicator (Sep 8, 2011)

Excluding a number of mature males:
P. fasciata (1 AF)
P. formosa (1 AF, 1 subAF, 4 juves)
P. metallica (1 AF, 3 juves, 1 sling)
P. miranda (1 AF mated, 7 juves)
P. ornata (2 AF mated, 10 slings)
P. pederseni (2 AF mated, 3 sub-A, 3 slings)
P. regalis (2 AF gravid, 1 AF mated, 4 subs)
P. rufilata (1 AF mated)
P. subfusca lowland (1 AF mated, 11 slings)
P. subfusca highland (4 juves)
P. striata (3 AF mated, 15 slings communal, 2 slings, 2 subA)
P. tigrinawesseli (1 AF mated, 2 slings)

I find Pokies to be easy to spook, some run at the sight of light and others Ive seen bathing in it. Some, like 1 of my AF formosa, P. ornate and pederseni I never see, not even in the late hours of night/morning and others like my P. miranda and P. metallica are almost always on show. Ive had lots of communities and seen lots of fast pokies but Ive also seen chilled ones and believe some of the reaction is down to how we react with them. Startle them and they'll run but sometimes, when it comes to feeding, it doesn't matter how much you try to move them they just won't budge off the lid. So, Ive come into close contact with pokies, but I never intentionally handle them. I've certainly had instances, including one that ran up my arm and rested on my head. Breeding or separating communities is bound to mean close proximity but for the most part Ive found using light to your advantage is great tool.
Tweezers are a must IMO, and I have 18" long tweezers for dealing with these, a plan B is a sensible approach, respect essential, complacency an error that might have serious consequences.

Unfortunately John, your statement on false information is very misleading. There are loads of instances of people being bitten and the reaction to an envenomated bite is quite serious. RobC has a video on his site that shows how a big lad can react to a bite, I think we all felt for him. 

To put it simply, pokies have the potential to get you a free ride to the hospital. Its like crossing the road, its not dangerous if you get to the other side without issue!


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## jb62 (Sep 8, 2011)

@ Peter..

The false information side comes from net comments on pokies being down right evil..
The same could be said for G.pulchra or A.geniculata .. 
But as we both know you can get the very odd one or two that can be a touch too moody..
And you have both of these sp ;-)
Now to the topic of bites .. Have you had a pokie bite?..
As for RobC he handles many of his tarantulas and as we also both know the risk is there no matter how docile the tarantula is or seems.. So my point is new people wishing to move on to Poecilotheria should just use common sense and respect and if they find one on them at some time like your self have stated maybe prey they do not get a bite..


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## Poxicator (Sep 8, 2011)

G. pulchra? evil? is that the balance of opinions?
I don't know too many people that suggest their spiders are evil (Selina being an exception lol), but they are potentially harmful whether by bite or hairs.

never had a pokie bite, never want one, chances are however that 1 day I will get one. Only bite so far was from an OBT sling and I could feel what seemed like a glass splinter in my finger.

I don't think Rob handles his pokies, I think it was his interaction with the enclosure that resulted in a bite.


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## BobGrill (Sep 8, 2011)

I don't get why people would want to take the chance of being bitten by handling their pokie in the first place.


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## jb62 (Sep 8, 2011)

BobGrill said:


> I don't get why people would want to take the chance of being bitten by handling their pokie in the first place.


I agree if you gamble then you pay..
But that's just my opinion ..
@ Peter, I have raised 6 slings not 2,
This thread will help those that want sound advice and thanks to those of you that have given your kind info..


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## ArkGullwing (Sep 8, 2011)

Poxicator said:


> I don't think Rob handles his pokies, I think it was his interaction with the enclosure that resulted in a bite.


Yeah, he was attempting to save a Male from his 10 inch female, and she tagged him in the process. Things like that can happen regardless of if you handle or don't handle your T's  Definitely knowing the dangers of each bite potency and having an idea of the temperament of your T's is good to do.

I think that the general consensus on any T is not so much that they are evil or out to attack you. I think really it's all about combining bite potency with speed/predictability of the spider's movements to come up with a risk factor. That's why Pokies could have the stigma of being "evil". Powerful bite, and they teleport. Pretty awesome spider IMO! Will be my next one (P Regalis).


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## Singapore_Blue1 (Sep 8, 2011)

jb62 said:


> So has any one had a calm sling grow defensive ?
> 
> So all the talk that pokies are evil is really total rubbish !.
> This thread is going to help many new people see that pokies are well worth moving on to and not be put off by false information ..


Yes I agree that many have put out a "apocryphal image of the defensiveness/aggressiveness of Poecilotheria in general. I have had a bucolic sling become very aggressive/defensive. It was a P. regalis , and I propagated it from 2i. When it reached around the 4" mark unanticipatedly it was like a switch went off. It became very pique and would throw up defense poses instantaneously. The P. metallica and P. subfusca I currently own both are very handle-able with the P. subfusca being more shy than the P. metallica. My P. metallica is always on display in all her glory..She is one of the calmest T's I own. :biggrin::biggrin:That being said I hold more respect for her than any of my other T's due to the possibility of receiving a nasty bite. They are to be respected for sure....Are they evil...No


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