# The most defensive tarantula you've had



## Paramite (Mar 19, 2017)

Like the topic says. I think it would be interesting to know.

Mine was H. minax. She was more defensive than my P. muticus. Incredible spider. It's a shame I lost her to a bad molt.


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## Oliverhenderson (Mar 19, 2017)

A chalcodes funny how its more defensive than any of my old worlds


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## nicodimus22 (Mar 19, 2017)

L. klugi is the only one in my collection that has kicked hairs at me (while a 1 inch sling, funnily enough.) I hear that B. boehmei is a terrible kicker too...we'll see when it grows up.

Sorry if this is a boring answer...I only deal with NW terrestrials.

Reactions: Love 1


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## Paramite (Mar 19, 2017)

nicodimus22 said:


> L. klugi is the only one in my collection that has kicked hairs at me (while a 1 inch sling, funnily enough.) I hear that B. boehmei is a terrible kicker too...we'll see when it grows up.
> 
> Sorry if this is a boring answer...I only deal with NW terrestrials.


It isn't boring at all. NW's can be defensive too.

Reactions: Like 1


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## basin79 (Mar 19, 2017)

To be honest non of my T's are defensive. They all run back to their dens when startled/disturbed.

Some where defensive when I unboxed them but that's to be expected.


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## obie (Mar 19, 2017)

My most defensive T I've ever owned was my P Irmina. But now he's gone so my most defensive T is my phormictopus sp green.

Reactions: Award 1


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## Chris LXXIX (Mar 19, 2017)

Paramite said:


> She was more defensive than my P. muticus.


The *Goddess *0.1 _Pelinobius muticus_ PBUH (Peace Be Upon Her) isn't defensive at all: She's a benign Mother -.-

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Venom1080 (Mar 19, 2017)

P muticus.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## PanzoN88 (Mar 19, 2017)

Brachypelma Sabulosum


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## Spidermolt (Mar 19, 2017)

Cyriopagopus lividum, they're fine until you have to rehouse them which thankfully isn't that often.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## The Grym Reaper (Mar 19, 2017)

It was my L. difficilis right up until my B. smithi decided to cast off her manners along with her old exoskeleton.

Reactions: Funny 4


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## EulersK (Mar 19, 2017)

Phlogius sp. "Black Presley", hands down. Nasty little witch.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Rittdk01 (Mar 19, 2017)

Feisty girl in my avatar.  She has slapped my hand more than once and is my only tarantula that will run at me when cleaning or watering.  I dont know why, but she makes me laugh and I am really fond of her.  Maybe that's why she's named after my better half


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## grayzone (Mar 19, 2017)

Paramite said:


> Like the topic says. I think it would be interesting to know.
> 
> Mine was H. minax. She was more defensive than my P. muticus. Incredible spider. It's a shame I lost her to a bad molt.





Paramite said:


> Like the topic says. I think it would be interesting to know.
> 
> Mine was H. minax. She was more defensive than my P. muticus. Incredible spider. It's a shame I lost her to a bad molt.


While i never was one to really bother my ts, in my experience the LV or OBT were the most defensive.
I will say im a firm believer that obt are actually downright AGGRESSIVE, as my big female would attack for no reason.
I could be approaching her enclosure and she would be biting the air dripping venom. That spider, particularly, was one to be respected and treated with caution

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## cold blood (Mar 19, 2017)

obie said:


> My most defensive T I've ever owned was my P Irmina. But now he's gone so my most defensive T is my phormictopus sp green.


+1

Easily P.irminia and P.cancerides....my 6" male is a total buttwad.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Magenta (Mar 19, 2017)

My B. smithi will kick hairs if I just open her enclosure, or sometimes even moving an enclosure next to hers. I should note that I only have NW species, I have my doubts that I'll ever be comfortable with keeping OWs.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Chris LXXIX (Mar 19, 2017)

Magenta said:


> I have my doubts that I'll ever be comfortable with keeping OWs.


I'm certain that with a *Goddess *0.1 _Pelinobius muticus_ PBUH (Peace Be Upon Her) everything would be fine

Reactions: Like 3


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## louise f (Mar 20, 2017)

Well i always thought that it was my P. murinus or H.minax i once had but none of them can outcompete my Defensive as hell E.murinus heck i just have to touch her/his enclosure and i can be damn sure to get a pissed off T with a kick ass threat pose with venom dripping fangs... Oh and I`m about to rehouse that piece of hysterical murinu bite my ass

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Ghost56 (Mar 20, 2017)

Here lately, my female A. avic. I can't do anything without her slapping the tongs out of my hand, and slapping everything else that moves.


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## Paiige (Mar 20, 2017)

My C. cyaneopubescens gives me the most threat poses.
Over literally nothing, too. Filling the water dish? Threat pose. Feeding? Throws himself onto his back, threat pose. Looking in his general direction? Loses his mind and strikes the air.

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Jeff23 (Mar 20, 2017)

None of my tarantula's have given me any defensive stances yet.  But a couple of them have bitten straws during rehousing and maintenance.

EDIT*  My only current OW is a H. gigas and it is a pet hole right now.


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## YagerManJennsen (Mar 20, 2017)

Probably H. maculata, that little bugger is such fun to rehouse.


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## Olan (Mar 20, 2017)

My male OBT and my female Brachypelma angustum.


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## boina (Mar 20, 2017)

Phormictopus atrichomatus, hands down. All my (few) OWs just run and hide, but that one will actually come after you...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## krsears (Mar 20, 2017)

My Phormictopus Cancerides male is very defensive and offensive. He's punched through a drinking straw before. Not a pet for handling.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Moonohol (Mar 20, 2017)

None of my Ts have proven to be very defensive yet. Out of three Harpactira spp., two Chilobrachys, and one Pokie, I'm just waiting for one of them to develop a 'tude. For now they're all just shy, I guess they haven't realized their true potential yet.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


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## Ungoliant (Mar 21, 2017)

Ghost56 said:


> Here lately, my female A. avic. I can't do anything without her slapping the tongs out of my hand, and slapping everything else that moves.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Goodlukwitthat (Mar 21, 2017)

My little (4 ish inch) G. rosea/porteri (fluffy brownish/with reddish pink carapace) makes the feistiest OBT look like a saint.  I open her lid and I get immediate fangs spread with venom dripping and her legs out in the air as high as they'll go just begging me for a hug.  She was so sweet when I first got her and now that she molted, she's just a demon and that's putting it mildly lol.  She doesn't do the slap thing either.... had a long fake leaf trying to get her away from her water dish so I could fill it.... you could hear the fabric crack where her fangs went right through it.  Once she let go, there were 2 little holes perfectly lined up lol glad it wasn't my skin.  My OWs are nicer than she is.

Now I'm anxious about my little itty bitty A.geniculata....that thing is maybe 3/4"... I can open its lid and it will try to kick hairs at me (honestly it's cute) but I'm just wondering how it's gonna be when it gets bigger lol.


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## Andrea82 (Mar 21, 2017)

P.muticus, but only during housing her really. 
Generally one of my P.pulcher is the most defensive. If I accidentally breathe in its direction it will come up from its burrow to slap at me and throwing legs in the air, fangs extended. 
My B.kahlenbergi can also threatpose during maintenance, especially when fussing with its waterdish. 
The rest are pretty mellow or more skittish than defensive really.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Jeff23 (Mar 21, 2017)

Andrea82 said:


> P.muticus, but only during housing her really.
> Generally one of my P.pulcher is the most defensive. If I accidentally breathe in its direction it will come up from its burrow to slap at me and throwing legs in the air, fangs extended.
> My B.kahlenbergi can also threatpose during maintenance, especially when fussing with its waterdish.
> The rest are pretty mellow or more skittish than defensive really.


I have seen precursors on my P. pulcher T's recently.  But I don't get any defense postures yet.  They usually turn facing downward away from me in the deli cup while I do maintenance.  One of them was a little more hungry recently.  It grabbed a cricket, but stayed at the top of the deli cup and even climbed up on the side such that a couple legs were blocking the path to close the lid.  I used a straw to lightly touch those legs to request her move and ZAP!!!  She grabbed the straw and bit it pretty good.  She then ran down into the cup.  Another one bit the tongs as I changed out the water vial on a different session.  I can't wait until my other Psalmopoeus get some size comparable to my pulcher's.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Andrea82 (Mar 21, 2017)

Jeff23 said:


> I have seen precurors on my P. pulcher T's recently.  But I don't get any defense postures yet.  They usually turn facing downward away from me in the deli cup while I do maintenance.  One of them was a little more hungry recently.  It grabbed a cricket, but stayed at the top of the deli cup and even climbed up on the side such that a couple legs were blocking the path to close the lid.  I used a straw to lightly touch those legs to request her move and ZAP!!!  She grabbed the straw and bit it pretty good.  She then ran down into the cup.  Another one bit the tongs as I changed out the water vial on a different session.  I can't wait until my other Psalmopoeus get some size comparable to my pulcher's.


Maybe she thought you touching 
her was another cricket? 
My two are like Jekyll and Hyde really. One is defensive as hell, and the other doesn't mind me rummaging around in its enclosure. It'll go down to burrow and stays there. 
Well, at least for now I must add, two molts ago it was the other way around....

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jeff23 (Mar 21, 2017)

Andrea82 said:


> Maybe she thought you touching
> her was another cricket?
> My two are like Jekyll and Hyde really. One is defensive as hell, and the other doesn't mind me rummaging around in its enclosure. It'll go down to burrow and stays there.
> Well, at least for now I must add, two molts ago it was the other way around....


True.  Or maybe it was my manners at the dinner table   STOP TOUCHING MY LEGS!!!!
Mine still have a lot of growing to do so they may end up more defensive.  But I really like this species.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Jeff23 (Mar 23, 2017)

I just got initiated tonight.  I opened my P. irminia sling deli cup tonight expecting to see the same sealed dirt cocoon in the cork bark tube.  Instead I found the top of the dirt cocoon open.  I could barely see my sling (maybe 1.5" size) down in there so I dropped a really small cricket in there.  The T missed the cricket but instead came up to greet me with two legs up.  I really wish I had a camera handy with a good macro mode.  I need to fix that problem soon.  I can tell this species is a little more serious than my P. pulcher slings.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Tanner Dzula (Mar 23, 2017)

Out of all the T's i have, my top 3 most defensive are by FAR:
P. irminia
A. Geniculata
and 
T. SP Panama 

any time you even look at them, they will do what they can to let you know not to touch them. which is ironic as i have 2 OBT's, a O. Philipinus, and few other OW's and Baboons that look like well behaved kids compared to these guys.


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## loversnsinners (Mar 23, 2017)

My OBTs are always very aggressive and my big LP is very fast and will catch the bug right before it touches the ground and will also grab up to 5 bugs if given the chance. And when i pour water into her bowl, she attacks the water with the food in her mouth. Everyone else runs into their burrows.


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## Formerphobe (Mar 24, 2017)

Lasiodora parahybana female was a nasty witch from the time she was about 2 inches. Her male sac mate wasn't nearly so feisty. I got so I only did tank maintenance when she was on her back molting. She put all my OWs to shame. Would attack the walls of her enclosure as I walked by, fangs bared, dripping venom.
My OBT has never even offered a threat pose.
B schroederi has always been quick to defend her water bowl with a partial threat pose, which is generally more comical than threatening. 
I have a juvenile C olivaceum that is scared of his own shadow and threat poses crickets, shadows, water droplets, etc.  He stayed on his back with fangs bared for a good half hour last week over a cricket. Finally decided it was food.


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## Nightstalker47 (Mar 24, 2017)

Defensive doesn't bother me. Generally you can predict what they're going to do. The worst is when you reach in an enclosure and get your hands mistaken for food. I've had a few scary close calls, I use tongs now! But as far defensive goes my female H. Sp Cameroon has gotta take the cake, then again I was stealing her babies so it's understandable.


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## Paiige (Mar 25, 2017)

Tanner Dzula said:


> Out of all the T's i have, my top 3 most defensive are by FAR:
> P. irminia
> A. Geniculata
> and
> ...


I've gotten really lucky so far, I was a little concerned about my A. genic's potential attitude but I've gotten no kicks and no threat poses so far. Granted she's only about 1.5" and I know that can change very quickly but I'm going to keep believing that she's going to stay a sweet little angel

Reactions: Like 1


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## PanzoN88 (Mar 25, 2017)

I should've added my A. Geniculata to most defensive list, while my B. Sabulosum are the most defensive, I just had an experience with a very angry lady (A. Geniculata). I went to remove the water dish for cleaning (good thing I had a straw to hold her back) and she attacked the straw leaving bite marks on it.

B. Sabulosum 
A. Geniculata 
P. Cancerides 

My most defensive tarantulas (updated)


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## The Grym Reaper (Mar 25, 2017)

I think some people are confusing a Tarantula having an insane feeding response with actually being defensive.

My A. geniculata will attack anything that moves but once she realises that something isn't food (I.e. tongs/water) she'll just sort of dejectedly walk away, she might kick some hairs if you continue to annoy her but she's not actually what I'd call defensive.

My L. difficilis has the exact same feeding response as the genic (I.e. she'll attack anything that moves), the difference is that if it turns out that what she's just attacked isn't food she will then throw up a threat posture before walking away, she'll throw up more threat postures if you continue to annoy her before resorting to kicking hairs, I'd say she's slightly defensive.

My L. parahybana has the exact same feeding response as the previous two (I.e. "if it moves then it's food and I must kill it") but once she realises that something isn't food she either bolts from it as fast as she can (and she can bloody shift when she wants to, trust me) or kicks up clouds of hairs like it's going out of fashion, she's pretty much the definition of skittish.

My B. smithi will immediately turn to face, slap whatever touched her and throw up threat postures that almost knock her off-balance (which to me is kind of funny to watch as, prior to her last moult, she used to be almost catatonic concerning anything other than food), she won't even kick hairs as a warning, she just slaps everything and does the "get the **** out of my house" dance, that's a defensive Tarantula.

Reactions: Like 2


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## TyjTheMighty (Mar 25, 2017)

My female LP will literally run around her enclosure while throwing up a threat posture and only pause to flick hairs.  I've never had any of my Ts give me a threat posture while moving around ._. My fiance and I have lovingly nicknamed her "miss bitch". The only time she's ever moderately less aggressive is when she's in premolt.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Bugmom (Mar 26, 2017)

In stereotypical fashion, it was my OBT.

Followed closely by M. balfouri and P. irminia.


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