# Haplopelma Minax Venom Strength?



## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

Anyone familiar with this species bite effects? From what I have read, it seems that they have relatively strong venom compared to other T's. The reason I am asking this question is because the fam is not terribly happy with me bringing one home roughly a week ago, as he is a very large and EVIL specimen.:laugh:


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## cold blood (Feb 27, 2014)

see: general observation: experience level of keeper in the tarantula chat forum.

These are seriously for advanced keepers.  Here's an excerpt from "tarantulas and other arachnids":

"One of the most impressive things about this tarantula is its aggressive nature.  This was the first old world species I ever owned.  After years of experience with those gentle North and Central American species, I was absolutely aghast at its threat display.  Disturbed Thailand black tarantulas will rise up onto a frontal threat posture, toppling over backward, with venom dripping from their fangs.  They may remain in this position for as long as 20 minutes after you have stopped doing whatever you did to get them so annoyed.  Their message is clear--back off!"

Most places I see them for sale say "for advanced keepers only".  They are big and pissy, I certainly would use extreme caution to avoid getting bit and keep the kids away.

Good luck, got any pics?  They are impressive!

Reactions: Like 1


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

"Advanced keepers" definitely fits the bill! Will post pics soon.


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## macbaffo (Feb 27, 2014)

herpsandinvert1 said:


> From what I have read, it seems that they have relatively strong venom compared to other Ts.


It's a OW T. What else to say?


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

Does anyone know if a bite has ever been lethal or close to it?


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## Lopez (Feb 27, 2014)

Nobody has ever died from a reputably reported tarantula bite. If you are bitten by an H.minax it is almost certainly going to be

A) painful
B) your fault

Reactions: Like 7 | Agree 2


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## cold blood (Feb 27, 2014)

Not an adult, but a small child, dog or cat might be a different story.    Lots of good old fashion pain and swelling Check out the bite reports.

Reactions: Like 1


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

Pics as promised! :-D

Reactions: Like 1


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## cold blood (Feb 27, 2014)

Nice...that's a leggy spider.  Impressive beast!  Keep your hands back!  I'd like to see that threat posture from the front 

MM?  Do I see hooks?


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## macbaffo (Feb 27, 2014)

Mature male?


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## Driller64 (Feb 27, 2014)

I am SOOOO tempted to buy one of these, because of how evil looking and black they are, but I can't risk it escaping and biting my dog or anyone else. The dog I am worried about because I heard an UNCONFIRMED rumor that this species bite caused a death in an infant, so imagine what it would do to a dog!

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using Tapatalk 2


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## freedumbdclxvi (Feb 27, 2014)

You have a female to breed him with?  That's a guy looking for some love.


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

Unfortunately, this minax will not be with me much longer. The fam is making me return him due to the fact that we have two dogs, two birds, and a rabbit. God forbid it ever got loose... I did enjoy the time I had to enjoy him. Oh well, my family puts up with this hobby as it is, therefore, I do not want to step on anyone's toes. And yes, it is a mature male with leg hooks!! I love how leggy he is, and will miss him and his little , or might I say BIG, attitude dearly. Will post a frontal threat posture shot soon!


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## cold blood (Feb 27, 2014)

herpsandinvert1 said:


> Unfortunately, this minax will not be with me much longer. The fam is making me return him due to the fact that we have two dogs, two birds, and a rabbit. God forbid it ever got loose... I did enjoy the time I had to enjoy him. Oh well, my family puts up with this hobby as it is, therefore, I do not want to step on anyone's toes. And yes, it is a mature male with leg hooks!! I love how leggy he is, and will miss him and his little , or might I say BIG, attitude dearly. Will post a frontal threat posture shot soon!


Why not find someone with a MF and send him off to make more for the hobby   Otherwise he'll die in vain.  He wouldn't likely have long even if you kept him. You gotta get rid of him anyway, so you may as well send him to find his one true love.


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## Driller64 (Feb 27, 2014)

Driller64 said:


> I am SOOOO tempted to buy one of these, because of how evil looking and black they are, but I can't risk it escaping and biting my dog or anyone else. The dog I am worried about because I heard an UNCONFIRMED rumor that this species bite caused a death in an infant, so imagine what it would do to a dog!
> 
> Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using Tapatalk 2


This video doesn't help...: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvnF1FF9wbg

Reactions: Like 1


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## BobGrill (Feb 27, 2014)

cold blood said:


> Why not find someone with a MF and send him off to make more for the hobby   Otherwise he'll die in vain.  He wouldn't likely have long even if you kept him. You gotta get rid of him anyway, so you may as well send him to find his one true love.


That's the best thing to do, but unfortunately, some people who are unfamiliar with tarantulas don't seem to get that a male's one purpose in life once he's mature is to find a mate(s) and then die. I've told my mom time and time again as to why I end up getting rid of my male Ts once they mature, and she just doesn't seem to grasp the importance of the matter and the impact that it could potentially have on the hobby.

Reactions: Like 1


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## macbaffo (Feb 27, 2014)

Driller64 said:


> This video doesn't help...: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvnF1FF9wbg


That video might be renamed in "how not to transfer a minax"


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## Driller64 (Feb 27, 2014)

Because of their black color, I came up with a nickname for H. minax: the anti pulchra! 

Think about it, G. pulchra is said to be docile, slow moving, and easy to manage, but another tarantula that is more or less the same color has the exact opposite temperament: nasty, fast moving, and very hard to manage

Reactions: Like 1


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## Keith B (Feb 27, 2014)

If you can't find bite reports on a species, refer to the genus.  While the effects species to species won't necessarily be precisely the same, they should be similar.  There's a few bite reports floating around from H. lividum, and it messed up the victims pretty good.  So yeah, if your folks are worried about your other pets, it's best you respect their decision.


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

Keith B. , well said. And as for finding a new home for breeding, I am afraid I don't have the time. My folks want it gone tomorrow  Apparently 
They did there research as well...


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 27, 2014)

And as for a frontal threat display pic, hear you all are ;-)

Reactions: Like 1


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## kean (Feb 27, 2014)

OP but this is one of the first OW species that I owned, aside from the C. Huahini and some local Orphnaecus sp. and the Orphnaecus (formerly Selenobrachys) Philippinus  comparing the four this is the most Defensive of all and extreme care and caution should always be used when transferring or just opening their enclosure. mine was at about 3.5" and was placed in a microwaveable container, she would go auto threat pose just as I touch or move her enclosure during feeding time, really crazy.

yours looks like a nice Mature Male, venom of OW's compared to NW's are more potent generally and they usually run faster and are more defensive and will almost always readily bite when threatened, so extreme care and caution should be exercised with these specimens.


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## Alltheworld601 (Feb 28, 2014)

I am sorry that he could not find a lady, but I'm sort of glad he didn't, because that's almost certainly not an H. minax.  

While its possible I suppose, it not only doesn't look like one to me, but that's one of the most commonly mislabeled tarantulas in the hobby.  True minax are downright impossible to find, and there are a lot of lookalikes.  

Might I suggest a Psalmopoeus?  If you like attitude without the potential danger (though that is not to say the bites won't hurt!) then that's your best bet.  However, no matter which one you get next, getting it out and having it sit on a table with many other things on it, none of which appear to be catch cups, is probably a bad idea.  Your family wouldn't have had much to worry about provided you kept that Haplo in its enclosure at all times.  They don't particularly enjoy being unearthed, and your risk of bite/escape goes from 0 to 60 as soon as you have it out on the table flashing it with a camera.  Same goes for just about any species.  

Best of luck to you.

Reactions: Like 3


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## herpsandinvert1 (Feb 28, 2014)

Not an H.Minax? Interesting. Maybe, just maybe, on those grounds I could commence a conversation with my family to keep it, as I do enjoy him. 
Do Psalmopoeus have venom that is just as bad? As that is what is scaring my folks.

---------- Post added 02-28-2014 at 10:07 AM ----------

Oh, and just to add, I typically never take any of my T's out, the exception being my B.Smithi. I just didn't want to disappoint any one being new to 
The forum, and the pics are worth showing off its beauty. 
Also, I had a catch cup and his enclosure only inches away. 
Ps, I don't agree with flash photography of almost any animal, as it seems very unnatural and frightening. I was actually using a low power flashlight.

Reactions: Like 1


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## cold blood (Feb 28, 2014)

psalmopeous, while closely related to old worlds like pokies, are in fact a new world arboreal...not quite the same venom consequences.   Go look at bite reports, they will give you the answers you need with regard to bite effects.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Storm76 (Feb 28, 2014)

Sidenote: Haplopelma spp. (while I don't own any myself) are known to be "multi-biters" biting, as the name suggests, multiple times while hanging on to the intruder. Strong venom + attitude + speed = Yep, experienced keeper. Personally, it's a species jI ust stay away from since I'm not sure if I could deal with a really annoyed Haplo. Dunno, maybe I'm underestimating myself, but better safe than sorry. Not to mention they're petholes, not my thing anyways.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Ankab (Mar 2, 2014)

Hey I'm Amr from Egypt but i am now in Saudi Arabia . I am a big fan of spiders . I breed them since i was 8 . I'm the only one in my family who loves these amazing creatures. Here in Saudi i face harsh criticism about that but thanks God i joined this group so i can share my interest with  anyone . In 2012 i kept female cellar spider and i brought her a mate. He fertilized her and i had so many spiderlings. Now i keep a female jumping spider that also laid me some eggs and i am waiting for them to hatch. I want some suggestions for another spider that is available here in Saudi . Thanks for all of you 


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## Jones0911 (Mar 2, 2014)

Driller64 said:


> This video doesn't help...: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvnF1FF9wbg


seems like hes trying to show off in the video, use a catch cup call it a day.


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## Alltheworld601 (Mar 2, 2014)

herpsandinvert1 said:


> Not an H.Minax? Interesting. Maybe, just maybe, on those grounds I could commence a conversation with my family to keep it, as I do enjoy him.
> Do Psalmopoeus have venom that is just as bad? As that is what is scaring my folks.
> 
> ---------- Post added 02-28-2014 at 10:07 AM ----------
> ...


Oh just because its probably not a true minax doesn't mean its not a Haplopelma.  About the same venom all the way through the genus at least as far as we know, and I wouldn't want to take a bite from any of them.  I wouldn't want to take a bite from ANY old world species, really.  

And like Coldblood said, Psalmopoeus are new world.  I have heard their bite can be a little more painful than say, a B. smithi, but its not gonna put you in the hospital or anything.  Just make you say ouch ouch ouch.  Joking aside, their venom activates the capsaicin receptors in your brain, the same ones used when you eat spicy foods.  I imagine a bite has a burning sensation...but you will certainly make it into work the next day.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Keith B (Mar 3, 2014)

Agree Haplo IDs get mixed up.  There aren't any good overhead shots in there, but from what I can see it could easily be something else.  Might even be a MM H. lividum.  Cobalt Blue MMs can be dark in color with stripes like that also.  Still definitely not a reason to assume less of the bite and convince your folks of that.  That is still, most definitely, an old world tarantula.


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