# Do tarantulas itch?



## Ewok (Dec 18, 2005)

I saw my rosehair  today scratching its abdomen withs its back leg like a dog itching its side. Do tarantulas itch, or was it just cleaning itself?  I havn't seen any mites on it.


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## brachymad (Dec 18, 2005)

More likley something or someone annoyed it and it was flicking urticating hair.


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## Cirith Ungol (Dec 18, 2005)

I bet it was just cleaning itself.


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## Garbonzo13 (Dec 18, 2005)

Ahh, so I'm not the only one that has seen this.  Mine did the same thing when my wife was holding it.  I freaked and told her to close her eyes and hold her breathe so the hairs wouldn't get in them but there were no hairs flicked.  She thought I was nuts.:}


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## Cirith Ungol (Dec 18, 2005)

Garbonzo13 said:
			
		

> Ahh, so I'm not the only one that has seen this.  Mine did the same thing when my wife was holding it.  I freaked and told her to close her eyes and hold her breathe so the hairs wouldn't get in them but there were no hairs flicked.  She thought I was nuts.:}



It might have flicked! It's not that you automatically see a dust cloud rising from the T's bum. Those hairs are microscopic and I have yet to see the cloud forming when mine kick. But I have to add that my lighting isn't the best in the world, also, whenever I suspect that my T's are irritaded with what I'm doing I'm normally not putting my face in the way in order to see if there are hairs flying through the air...


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## Pennywise (Dec 18, 2005)

*Some do a lot of kicking hairs and some a little*

For the most part it is common for most New World Ts. My Blondi kicks hairs
and so does my Vagans and my Boehmei. If they feel threatened or their
tank gets jostled or they are going into pre molt or just get annoyed they
will do this. You can't really see them but they are there. I keep my face
 and if possible my hands away from them when they are doing it. Some people
have a bad reaction to these little barbed hairs that can stick into your
skin although they don't bother me too much.


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## AfterTheAsylum (Dec 19, 2005)

It could be taking the hair off it's abdomen to put it on a web that it put on the ground.  Maybe it is going to molt.

Have any of you inhaled hair before?  I've inhaled blondi and apophysis hair before.  It blows.


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## tarangela2 (Dec 20, 2005)

*grooming*

i observed my a seemani doing that very thing last night and to me it looked like grooming. the hind legs would rub the abdomen, then they went to his mouth, and back again. i watched him do this for half an hour and when he was done, i swear he stood tall and proud like he was ready for a date!! :} 

IMO these critters, who basically live in the dirt, are very clean animals! unless it felt threatened or has an infestation, your T was grooming!


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## David_F (Dec 20, 2005)

Lately I've seen my female P. regalis scratching.  Obviously she's not kicking urticating hairs and it doesn't resemble grooming behavior.  It's pretty funny to watch, actually.  She'll move her fourth leg underneath her abdomen and scratch very quickly for a few seconds.  It probably is just grooming but it doesn't look like it.


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## Camberwell (Dec 20, 2005)

Garbonzo13 said:
			
		

> Ahh, so I'm not the only one that has seen this.  Mine did the same thing when my wife was holding it.  I freaked and told her to close her eyes and hold her breathe so the hairs wouldn't get in them but there were no hairs flicked.  She thought I was nuts.:}


I too have held our chilly, and he did exactly the same thing, I had just got him onto my hand, and he scratched his abdomen, but it didn't seem to me like an urticating flick, it was more a scratch like a dog would.

heheh, strange ey


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## Crimsonpanther (Dec 20, 2005)

Cirith Ungol said:
			
		

> I bet it was just cleaning itself.


I Also agree with this 100% , ive seen my T's get there hind legs to clean its abdomin and under its abdomin !


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## SPIDERBYTE (Dec 20, 2005)

My rosie sometimes scratches her butt, looks like she cant decide if she really wants to flick hairs or is just actually scratching her butt. I suspect she is in pre-moult though (she has refused crickets for about a month now), but she still has all her abdomen hair, so I cant tell for sure about the premoult.


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## MizM (Dec 20, 2005)

Ts are fastidious bathers. You will see them rubbing their widdle tummies, cleaning their fangs and chelicera, and yes, rubbing their butts. In the wild, they cannot afford to have a predator smell them, so they bathe and drag all exuvia and food bolus out of their burrows.

My favorite bath time to watch is when a couple is done mating and each retreats to his/her corner of the enclosure and takes a long, leisurely "bath".


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## DeLaSangre (Apr 28, 2013)

My G. Rosea is using her back leg to rub her spinnerets, under her abdomen and cephalothorax, and moving her chelicerae, I think she is in pre molt but my GF doubts, any thoughts? Private message me


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## BaddestRuffest (Apr 29, 2013)

Another extremley old thread that your unlikely to get a reply in. Watch the dates of the threads you dig up.


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## hamhock 74 (Apr 29, 2013)

She is just grooming herself.


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