# Why do tarantuals raise two front legs (not threat posture)?



## TMatt (Oct 17, 2012)

I notice one of my tarantulas will raise its two front leg and turn around if I tap them to let them know I'm in the cage. Its not a threat posture, theres no hissing, and no other signs of aggression. If I put my hand in it will crawl right on and chill out. Ive seen similar behaviors at petshows with a tarantula keeping its two front legs raised, but not in a threat posture.

I rarely handle it, Im not sure if this affects the meaning at all.


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## captmarga (Oct 17, 2012)

It's a startle posture. You startled them, they go ahead and raise up a bit.  If they need to go into full threat posture, they will.  

Marga

Reactions: Like 1


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## toast4nat (Oct 17, 2012)

They are also using the two front legs to feel what touched them. Remember, they're nearly blind, they need to feel the world around them.


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## Apollo Justice (Oct 17, 2012)

In the animal kingdom bigger = dominance. IMO when the raise their front legs it to make themselves appear larger and to startle the potential predator away.

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## TMatt (Oct 18, 2012)

It seems to be a way to feel around more than threat. I only suggest this because my tarantula so willingly crawls in my hand (of course I wear a glove during initial removal since their not handled much). And thats about the only time itll move. After it gets on me it doesnt want to move at all. Also, the one I saw at the pet show I was referring to seemed rather calm, was a older white kneed and has never bit anyone. Im going to try to attach a picture of the posture Im talking about.


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## Tarac (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but I have always wondered about it too.  

It isn't a startled thing in my case as it happens when they are simply resting and it seems to be an individual tendency.  I have a P. scrofa and a B. auratum that both rest with the front two legs raised up a bit and held close to the body.  It's very odd and quite noticeable.  Not 100% of the time, although with the P. scrofa it is more often than not.  My other P. scrofa never does it nor do any of the my other Ts that I have seen, but these two specifically do it a lot.  They're not grooming, they're not startled, they're not doing any of those things people normally suggest about posturing.  They just rest like this, the normal pet rock only with a twist on the pose.  

One I have had forever and it has simply always behaved like this so I don't think it is indicative of a health problem (I was alarmed when I first noticed her consistently doing it), but it is certainly unusual behavior to me and specific to certain individuals.  Anyone else have a similar experience or insight into what this strange resting pose is all about?


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## Alltheworld601 (Oct 18, 2012)

My rosie does this too.  when I was new I was intimidated by it.  She only ever did it when she was out, so I'd be like wow, what a great place for you to give me a threat posture, right on my hand, thanks!  But then I saw more photos and videos of what real threat postures looked like and one day it dawned on me that she was really just trying to figure out what was going on.  She never shows fangs or rears all the way up, just probably gauging the distance between herself and the new surface, figuring out if she wants to move forward or stay still, you know, smelling and tasting the air and surface around her.  My girl will do this almost every time she is out, and within about ten seconds she'll put her feet back down and relax.  Its not really anything to worry about.

---------- Post added 10-18-2012 at 09:11 AM ----------

oh and the resting pose - my hypothesis on this is simply that it covers their eyes and blocks out any excess light.  mine do that a lot, all of them.  I dont know if spiders actually "sleep" but whatever they're doing, they use that posture seemingly to block out all forms of environmental stimulation so they can relax in peace.  Sort of like falling asleep with your head on your folded arms at a desk or something.


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## goodoldneon (Oct 18, 2012)

A few of my t’s have displayed similar behavior from time to time. I’ve always interpreted it as a non-committal, semi-threat pose – sort of like, her guard is up, but she’s in a holding pattern, waiting to see how the interaction will pan out – apprehensive, but willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. I usually just wait until he or she “resets”, and then they’re typically good to go.

The confrontations sound sort of like this:

Me: Now Laverne, we're not gonna do anything stupid, are we?

Laverne: Don’t you hurt me.

Me: Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're all gonna be like two little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Laverne what's Fonzie like?

Laverne: Cool?

Me: What?

Laverne: Cool.

Me: Correctamundo. And that's what we're gonna be. We're gonna be cool. Now Laverne, I'm gonna count to three, and when I count three, I want you to put your legs flat on the table and sit your a** down. And when you do it, you do it cool. You ready? One... two...three.

Laverne: Okay, now you let me go.

Me: Laverne, I thought you were gonna be cool. Now when you yell at me, it makes me nervous. And when I get nervous, I get scared. And when I get scared, that's when you or I accidentally get shot.

Laverne: Just know, you hurt me, you die.

Me: Well, that seems to be the situation. But I don't want that. And you don't want that. So let's see what we can do.

Reactions: Like 6


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## Beanskater (Oct 18, 2012)

goodoldneon said:


> A few of my t’s have displayed similar behavior from time to time. I’ve always interpreted it as a non-committal, semi-threat pose – sort of like, her guard is up, but she’s in a holding pattern, waiting to see how the interaction will pan out – apprehensive, but willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. I usually just wait until he or she “resets”, and then they’re typically good to go.
> 
> The confrontations sound sort of like this:
> 
> ...


Best read ive had in a while


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## Tarac (Oct 18, 2012)

Alltheworld601 said:


> [/COLOR]oh and the resting pose - my hypothesis on this is simply that it covers their eyes and blocks out any excess light.  mine do that a lot, all of them.  I dont know if spiders actually "sleep" but whatever they're doing, they use that posture seemingly to block out all forms of environmental stimulation so they can relax in peace.  Sort of like falling asleep with your head on your folded arms at a desk or something.


Hmmm... interesting hypothesis.  Could be.  It's just the two of mine that do it regularly, and by that I mean in an un-provoked manner.  Others will recoil or hunker down in this pose if stimulated, but these two rest in this position.  I'll have to put my ears close to see if they are snoring... or maybe they're contemplating and blocking out the rest of the world so they can think more clearly... "ooohhhhmmmm"


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## XBabysinX (Jul 10, 2014)

I know this thread is pretty old but I too was wondering this when I saw my fluffy doing it and it definitely doesn't seem like he's threatened or disturbed. He kind of stretched then did this position and has stayed like it for a hot minute.


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## edgeofthefreak (Jul 10, 2014)

XBabysinX said:


> I know this thread is pretty old but I too was wondering this when I saw my fluffy doing it and it definitely doesn't seem like he's threatened or disturbed. He kind of stretched then did this position and has stayed like it for a hot minute.


My B. albopilosum always has one of her front legs out. Just one. She's not too interested in having both out there for some reason. If I tilt my hand verrry slowly, she'll shift her weight and switch them. When she doesn't have one of em out, she grips with all 16 (24? can't remember) claws until she feels comfortable enough to raise a leg. This is typical for the first minute of any outing. I consider it her way of suggesting she's comfortable enough with where she is to rest with a sensory bit dangling.


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## Poec54 (Jul 10, 2014)

XBabysinX said:


> I know this thread is pretty old but I too was wondering this when I saw my fluffy doing it and it definitely doesn't seem like he's threatened or disturbed. He kind of stretched then did this position and has stayed like it for a hot minute.


Looks like a lot of hard objects in that cage that can kill a spider slipping off the sides.  Substrate's pretty shallow too.  From what I can tell from the pics, you need to rethink your caging ASAP.

---------- Post added 07-10-2014 at 10:50 PM ----------




TMatt said:


> It seems to be a way to feel around more than threat. I only suggest this because my tarantula so willingly crawls in my hand (of course I wear a glove during initial removal since their not handled much). And thats about the only time itll move. After it gets on me it doesnt want to move at all. Also, the one I saw at the pet show I was referring to seemed rather calm, was a older white kneed and has never bit anyone. Im going to try to attach a picture of the posture Im talking about.
> View attachment 109132


People, please don't be like this guy and handle Hysterocrates, they can tear your fingers up.  They are not like Brachypelma.

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## XBabysinX (Jul 11, 2014)

As I've said previously I'm new to this I've had him maybe two weeks and this is the exact setup the girl I got him from had. I haven't yet been able to go get all the just in case supplies and such for him. He doesn't climb on that weird hide at all but he does like it in there. It looked like he had not made it any bit his "home" so I was trying to see which hide he likes more.

---------- Post added 07-11-2014 at 12:25 AM ----------

(Simply stating I have to wait to get more substrate and the other on hand supplies, I have a list. Pretty sure the girl I got him from knew nothing about them, I could say a few things she did that people would shriek over)


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