# how many of you cuddle with your tarantulas?



## Ewok (Nov 9, 2005)

My a.seemanni likes to cuddle with me and watch CSI. She even has a little blanket whens shes cold.  I think my dog is jealous of her.


lol


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## FOX (Nov 9, 2005)

:wall: Oh man! please dont get on the subject of cuddling your T :wall: 

 I mentioned that the other day & boy was i in for it on here. 
Anyway my friend you asked the question so i'm gonna answer it ok  

***I just LOVE to cuddle my T's especially spooks my avic, but there again 'princess' my little boys rosie does actually like being cuddled, she shoots out her hide when my boy opens it & climbs straight on & up his arm, then sits there on his shoulder half under his school shirt coller.

My new addition ''fuzzy'' is also quite loverble, she likes her palps tickling with a soft paint brush :razz: 

I say these animals aint as dumb as we think, we all need love & affection. :worship:


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## BGBYTOY (Nov 9, 2005)

We hold all of our "T's"   I find it "Appears" some like it and some don't. I have some that will come to the top and climb on my hand, then I have a couple that will head for their hide..So that answers it for me which we (I and my 2 Grandson's) hold and which we leave alone. But when I'm cleaning their keep, or transfering them to bigger or better ones, I have control of them, and do not have to be scared of any of them..

 I do not buy the Stress factor that some do... Heck, I have Horses,Cats,Dogs,Parrots,Doves,Fish,A Gecko, and a handful of other things running around here... Some like attention and some don't..I don't figure it to be Rocket Science, We leave it up to the individual animal as to his/her preference..

 And to add to that.... My little Female B.vagans prefers my 4 year old Grandson over myself or the 11 year old Grandson.. I'm guessing it must be a smell!!??

 I agree with Fox,,,, They Ain't as stupid as some think...


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## bugs4life (Nov 9, 2005)

*hmm...*

Well I haven't really got to the point of handling my T yet, and I don't plan to unless I really need to.  I might surprize myself someday though...who knows???


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## FOX (Nov 9, 2005)

BGBYTOY said:
			
		

> We hold all of our "T's"   I find it "Appears" some like it and some don't. I have some that will come to the top and climb on my hand, then I have a couple that will head for their hide..So that answers it for me which we (I and my 2 Grandson's) hold and which we leave alone. But when I'm cleaning their keep, or transfering them to bigger or better ones, I have control of them, and do not have to be scared of any of them..
> 
> I do not buy the Stress factor that some do... Heck, I have Horses,Cats,Dogs,Parrots,Doves,Fish,A Gecko, and a handful of other things running around here... Some like attention and some don't..I don't figure it to be Rocket Science, We leave it up to the individual animal as to his/her preference..
> 
> ...


I agree with BGBYTOY, I also think it could be the smell, we dont sense our body ordours but animals can :?  Our rosie will not under any circumstances come out for me but...as soon as sonny comes home from school & goes into her, she just pops right out.
Small brains or not these guys have been around How many million years? more to the question how many have we? :?  Dont that answer the question on brains.
If they wanna sort of cuddle us then we should pay the respect back.


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## fleshstain (Nov 9, 2005)

i don't do the cuddling thing....but i do handle quite a few of mine on a semi-regular basis....i've always said you'll know when they don't wanna be handled....


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## Anubis77 (Nov 9, 2005)

I don't cuddle mine but I wouldn't want to squish the little girl. I do hold her once a month to feel for how much weight she has gained and how much larger she has grown. She doesn't mind it though. She climbs onto my hand without any problems and goes back in if I give her a little nudge.


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 9, 2005)

I love to cuddle with mine, his name is fluffy


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## Midnightcowboy (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane, great photo! I think I would need a change of underwear after that encounter! I take it you put valium in your T's water dish?  All jokes aside, how do you manage to get the OBT on your face, AND take a picture all without pissing it off and getting bitten? I was thinking of getting one soon, I wonder if mine will be a little kitten like yours, or a screaming death ball of hellfire like everyone elses seems to be! Beautiful species though...


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## pitbulllady (Nov 9, 2005)

I'm glad to know I'm not the only with an eight-legged "CSI" fan!  My G. aureostriata sits on my lap while I watch "CSI", too.  She will absolutely make herself comfortable; I can literally feel her just relax and flatten out on my leg.  Getting her up on my hand is no problem while taking her OUT of her enclosure, but putting her back IN the enclosure almost requires an act of Congress!  My G. pulchra is the same way, only she will literally climb up out of the enclosure and up my arm, with no prompting.  My Avicularia metallica requires a bit of a prod to get her on my hand, and it takes, on average, at least 20 minutes to get her OFF of me an back into her enclosure, and often results in some really fancy evasive measures by her.  No one can tell me that she does not know that she's out of an enclosure, or that she will be going back inside one, something she apparently doesn't care for.  She'll settle down after about 10 minutes or so, but it's probably because she's worn out from eluding my attempts at getting her back inside(that makes two of us).

pitbulllady


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## Windchaser (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane, your picture is amusing, but I would not recommend this type of action, especially with NW tarantulas. If you were to get urticating hairs in your eyes, you could have serious medical problems. Granted, in your picture you had a _P. murinus_ which lacks urticating hairs, its defensiveness could also lead to troubles.


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## Wolfy72 (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane said:
			
		

> I love to cuddle with mine, his name is fluffy



Personaly, IMO  you NEED to be bitten if only to gain the proper respect.


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## fangsalot (Nov 9, 2005)

hahaha that pics cool as hell!!! i wish my lil demon would sit there on my forehead without me screaming and jumping around the room, GET IT OFF!! GET IT OFF!! your nuts maaan.


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## edesign (Nov 9, 2005)

ha...hahaahah!
*pictures an OBT with it's fangs stuck in someone's skull on the forehead*
i wonder if the venom would have worse adverse effects if injected that close to the brain, I'm not familiar with it's actual pharmacological action (i think that's the term lol) though.

great pic, but ya...ditto what windchaser said


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## Ewok (Nov 9, 2005)

lol , really i was joking about cuddling with my tarantulas while watching CSI,  I thought the spider having a blanket  would reveal the joke . buts that cool you all pick yours up. the only one i pick up is my juvinile versicolor.


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## BugToxin (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane said:
			
		

> I love to cuddle with mine, his name is fluffy


*HOLY CRUD!!!!*  That's not the one I traded you is it?  That one tried to kill me once.  Perhaps you just have the right touch.  Or perhaps I just have the wrong smell, but OBT's don't seem to like me.


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## Ewok (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane said:
			
		

> I love to cuddle with mine, his name is fluffy


wow,  that would be a little too close for comfort for me, if an obt was on my head I would be sweating bullets lol.

Also I read on here where someone said the  human eye can look like a prey item to the tarantula. that would be a very bad place to get bit


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## edesign (Nov 9, 2005)

-palau- said:
			
		

> Also I read on here where someone said the  human eye can look like a prey item to the tarantula. that would be a very bad place to get bit


how's that? they get just about all of their sensory input from vibrations and chemical receptors...their vision is extremely poor.


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 10, 2005)

Wolfy72 said:
			
		

> Personaly, IMO  you NEED to be bitten if only to gain the proper respect.


Been bitten my friend, this was all in good natured fun. I handle these spiders often and know the risks.

*update* well I went back and tried this stunt again! all I can say is I should have listened to Wolfy72 and learned proper respect for this orange thing they sold me as a rose hair pfft  
now I gotta go rub some ointment on this.


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 10, 2005)

BugToxin said:
			
		

> *HOLY CRUD!!!!*  That's not the one I traded you is it?  That one tried to kill me once.  Perhaps you just have the right touch.  Or perhaps I just have the wrong smell, but OBT's don't seem to like me.


Same guy Karl, he was already out and about during cage transfer. Just let em go where he wanted and in this case it was straight up my chest and on to my forehead.


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## AussieTkeeper (Nov 10, 2005)

I not even going to bother with this one (it must be an american thing) "likes CSI" Please............ are you even listening to what your saying.

Jase


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

Honestly, the more I'm reading this thread, the more am I getting convinced that T's do get something out of being handled... Or, ok. I redefine - It's not the handling, but the heat. 

Seen it so many times now that when I turn on the red lights in my shelf the T's will rather quickly start venturing towards the heat source and once they can't get closer they sit down and relax.

That might also be the explanation for why they are so reluctant to go back into the tank - simply because it's colder there.

It would be interesting to know what temperatures the tanks of handlers have who's T's approach them when they open the doors. In addition would it be interesting to know what temp the handlers skin has.


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## quinquestriatus (Nov 10, 2005)

First to address wolfy72.....  ........ P. murinus isn't a bad T. The sooner you learn this the better. Some people, like brigbane and I, work extremley well w/ our animals and are able to enjoy the freehandleing aspect of keeping them. Ya see, every archnid keeper is different. I'm not doggin on you for not pickin' these beautiful creatures up so don't do it to someone that does. I free handle LQ's, androctonus, P. murinus, sri lanka ornamentals, indian ornamentals, and cobalts. The purpose of these forums is for arachnid keepers to exchange information.... not to get dissed for how they choose to lead their lives. We pick our T's up..... Big freakin' deal. That don't give you or anyone else the right to run your mouth and wish bad things upon us. Alls I gotta say to you is...... KARMA.

Now to address Cirith Ungol.... My entire arachnid/ snake/ n e thing else I want room is kept at least at 80-85 degrees F. I make sure the room hit's 90F ever so often. My Arachnids/ pedes/ snakes/ lizards are all difficult to get back in the cage. I believe they truely do like to come out and "play". How would you like to be confined in a small box your whole life?


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

quinquestriatus said:
			
		

> My Arachnids/ pedes/ snakes/ lizards are all difficult to get back in the cage. I believe they truely do like to come out and "play". How would you like to be confined in a small box your whole life?


Snakes, lizards "like" stuff... ok. Not sure about arachnids and pedes though, especially when it comes down to something they can hardly visualize visually and even less mentally.


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## quinquestriatus (Nov 10, 2005)

Cirith Ungol said:
			
		

> Snakes, lizards "like" stuff... ok. Not sure about arachnids and pedes though, especially when it comes down to something they can hardly visualize visually and even less mentally.


Actually, you're not givin' arachnids enough credit. Not much is known about their intelligence. You don't know if they're intellectual or not. Plus, they can smell. Their for they could infact smell your scent and know it's you. TRY AND PROVE ME WRONG.


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## cacoseraph (Nov 10, 2005)

edesign said:
			
		

> how's that? they get just about all of their sensory input from vibrations and chemical receptors...their vision is extremely poor.


they also have air current sensors and gain a lot of info from them.

i bet the air currents generated by a batting eyelash could be mistaken for a struggling prey item or what not


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

quinquestriatus said:
			
		

> Actually, you're not givin' arachnids enough credit. Not much is known about their intelligence. You don't know if they're intellectual or not. Plus, they can smell. Their for they could infact smell your scent and know it's you. TRY AND PROVE ME WRONG.


A sense of smell doesn't account for it all...

Anyway, why should I try and prove anything, you're the one claiming that arachnids have feelings, know thier relative position in regard to the outside world and whatnot... I agree, they are very likely to have more going for them than we think, but I'd not 
a) throw arachnids and reptiles in the same category
b) neither talk about the emotional disposition in regard to living in a "box"
c) all the rest...

Anyway... I'm not gonna argue this point any further, partly because I don't have to, and partly because it has been done enough times on this board and I'm kinda tired of it. Nothing is gonna come of it until some scientists do actual tests on the subject, so further debate is just completely meaningless.

Thanks for the temps you wrote down but it was more of a rhetorical question which would only hope to give any readable result if a large quantity of T owners participated and could give accurate values.


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## quinquestriatus (Nov 10, 2005)

Actually I'm not throwing arachnids and reptiles together in the same catagory. (I do keep them in the same room though.) They're totally different but, I garuantee you arachnids have feelings. And I garuantee you that they do infact like coming out of their "box". In that statement I was comparing how you would feel if you were kept in a box and thrfore I was technically comparing them to humans or better yet humans to them.


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## Windchaser (Nov 10, 2005)

quinquestriatus said:
			
		

> I garuantee you arachnids have feelings. And I garuantee you that they do infact like coming out of their "box".


This is a topic that has been discussed many times. However, I am very interested to hear what your evidence is that tarantulas are capable of emotions. Your statement is rather bold.


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

quinquestriatus said:
			
		

> In that statement I was comparing how you would feel if you were kept in a box and thrfore I was technically comparing them to humans or better yet humans to them.


OK. You beat me. I respond to this one. If I could sit motionless for a month or two, didn't have anything else to do, wouldn't get insane from lack of stimulation, wouldn't need food or water and would get neither muscle cramps or other ill effects from my lack of activity I wouldn't mind sitting in a comparatively small terrarium for people to look at me. But obviously I can't do any of the above, nor do I have the time to. A rosea can and will and she'll do that all by her own will and not because any requirements for her are missing.

So how do you see that you can compare a spider sitting in a terrarium with a human sitting in an equally restricted space? Because *you* wouldn't agree with it doesn't mean a T doesn't agree with it. 

Further: Would you say the same thing to a Citharischius crawshayi? I'd like to see you take one of those out and I'd like to see one of those enjoying handling. If you ever attempt getting one of those out of their burrow and onto your hand, please take photos! C.c. handling pics are rare! C.c. are burrowers - they live in tunnels. Obviously those tunnels are even more cramped than a terra. If they can't dig and live in their tunnels they can very well die of stress.

I can without a doubt say that a rosea or any other non digging tarantula is more comparable to a digging tarantula than it is to a human thus making it a very different thing for them to be staying within a restricted space all their lives.

Another thing - I keep quite large terras for a few of my T's yet I still don't see some of them move more than 3 inches over a time of a month. How come? Answer: They are OK with being where they are and they don't need to explore.


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

BTW.. this topic reminds me more than enough about this timeless classic:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=38099


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## KingJames (Nov 10, 2005)

I don't know about cuddling, but I have been playing with 7 Legged Pete quite a bit lately, and he doesn't seem to mind a bit. Maybe he is having fun, walking from one hand to another, up my arm. I wouldn't know how to ask him, but he certainly doesn't give me any signs to the contrary. I can pick him up between his front and back legs with two fingers and he doesn't try to run away. He seems to be getting used to me. He is a WC A. hentzi that I have had for about 3 weeks now.


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## demicheru (Nov 10, 2005)

*occam's razor*

well, in regards to the question of whether t's have emotions or not, occam's razor tells us to pick the option that requires less complicated/unfounded explanations...it's a philosophical tool that has withstood the test of time for centuries. it is more likely that, like the rest of the animal world, tarantula behavior is guided by instinct/evolution and the chemical interactions known (or at least believed based on scientific study) to occur. because of their inherently different physiology, there is little if any scientific merit in arguments comparing their response to a human response for a situation or stimulus. tarantula's obviously lack most of the developed brain regions that humans have, and it is these regions that are responsible for the cognitive processes that separate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. 

in reponse to the original question of the thread, i don't exactly cuddle, but i do let me a. seemani wander around on me every once in a while. he/she/it seems to prefer (for lack of a better word) to settle in the base of my elbow, but it could just be a position that offers more shelter than my outstretched arm.


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## Lopez (Nov 10, 2005)

What a bizarre thread. You people really "cuddle" your tarantulas?  :? 
Do you feed them from a bowl in the kitchen and take them for walks as well?


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## Fred (Nov 10, 2005)

indeed, actually I'm joking


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 10, 2005)

BGBYTOY said:
			
		

> SO what does it harm to allow someone to believe that their Tarantula loves and beholds them in the utmost of emotional ability?  and at the same time, those that believe that a Tarantula is a non thinking , non emotionally responsive, inept creature..  can have their way also...


Attaching human emotion to an animal as primitive as a Tarantula is in my oppionion rather fantastic (unrealistic). The funny argument that often comes up is "We don't know enough so we can just as well assume they have emotions". Tarantulas have been on earth for more than 350million years - at what point would anybody see that evolution has provided them with emotions like love, hate or any others some say they've seen? 

I think it's much more likely that humans in the need for bonding read emotions into 100% instinctive decisions a Tarantula makes. Another aspect is that at least 99.9% of all tarantula species have to live in solitary in order to avoid cannibalism. So I don't see any social capacity or need for it there either. 

In general and to the biggest extent nature works after premise that "what you don't need you don't have". Ofcourse there are always changes going on in organisms but it's not that a T can suddenly develop a brain complex enough to experience or express any feelings. A tarantula just like a piece of electronic equipment like a thermostat doesn't need emotions in order to function correctly. Both know when a certain condition is met and what do to about it.

Yes we don't know enough to draw any certain conclusions but I would rather work from the standpoint that whatever the T does, has it's reason in instinct and can be explained in other ways than emotion. Emotion requires a leap of faith and often envolves quick and illogical conclusions. The other way would involve trying to explain a T's behaviour scientifically by observation, trial and error, provided that the T will be judged after it's normal behaviour in the wild. Handling is not anything that occurs in the wild (at least not to any extent where it becomes important from an evolutionary standpoint, which it doesn't do in captivity either.)

For a T to be emotional and react positively because it recognizes you as a person it would have to bond with you. Bonding means that it forms a social relationship with you. A cat can do that - it interacts by body language, verbal signals, or just proximity. You know it is communicating to you because it may look at you, wait for answers, it may answer what you say to it and you can get to know it as well as it gets to know you. With that follows that you get closer to each other and you build up trust between one another. That trust can be futher expressed by that the cat lets you rub it's belly for example, something it might not have accepted earlier. You also find a way to talk to eachother, you can join up on some level of communication, however rudimentary it might be. You can on some level agree that "this is the way we talk to eachother". You can't do that with a T.

A T can not talk to you verbally. It can hardly see anything with it's eyes so you can't make eye contact. A T will most likely not start drumming in order to express something to you, because drumming is only there for alerting the other sex that a potential mate is nearby. A T might be able to excrete smells or chemical signals, it might be able to signal somthing by laying certain types of webs but humans are hardly equipped to pick up any of those signals, thus can't bond on a personal level (or agree on some form or level of communication) and via what the T has to say to you in person. The T can't make out what you are saying, but it will pick up the vibrations. It is hard enough to teach most of the mammals we keep any certain words, so how would an invertebrate learn what you are talking about?

When a T walks up to someone it will most certainly be alerted by the vibrations, possibly the smell and possibly the heat comming from the keepers bodypart. T's are curious and they like warmth. If something moves nearby they pounce or investigate as long as it isn't large enough to appear threatening or unless it isn't too sudden and too fast. That reaction can be assumed to always be the same unless the T isn't in the "mood" (lack of better word) and wants to be left alone. The conditions under which somone picks up a T will, seen from the keepers view, most likely also be the same - there will be warmth/heat, there will be a new smell, and there will be movement. I doub't a T can pick up anything else from us. If it's docile it might come, if it's not it might strike muliple times. But I don't see any variation that might indicate that from one day to another it is "more happy" to "see" you and it might just as well be biting you on some occasion where you would have expected it to behave as on any other day. Which means - your signals, the T's signals (besides a threat pose) are lost between you in communication. No communication, no bonding.

Next problem - memory. T's can remember where their burrow is, they can remember where their web-hide is. How, I don't know. It might be a certain type of webbing that tells them - this is my "safe house" or "safe house in that direction". It might also be that they use landmarks to remember where to go. It might be that they remember the direction and the ammount of steps or just the distance. But they know these things. How else would they be able to just bolt back to the hide when they are spooked. But if I open my feeding ports (bottlecaps in the tops of my tanks) and throw in a feeder onto the same spot in the tank every time, the T doesn't seem to remember where that is. Some fish do, they'll gather arround a certain spot in the aquarium when they realize it's feeding time and that before any food hits the water. 

If the T could remember such things it would probably do the same, sit in striking range or at least walk into striking range when I open the feeding port (alerted by the vibrations which always have the same characteristics). So there seems to be no associative capability either, at least not in that degree.

Well, my fingers are starting to bleed and I'm a little tired of this and I've made my point. Do and think what you want, I don't care, but don't expect me to marry you... or something  

And yes... it took me almost an hour to write this.

Edit:
But I wanna add something - handlers who think their T is expressing some emotional liking for them have decided that on their own. The T has not in any way expressed an emotional bond or responded to emotional bonding by giving any kind of signal the handler can actually interpret as being purely emotional. I don't think that "walking up to someone" would qualify as an expression for "I like you" since walking on its own is such a basic function in any legged, land based animal that it is utterly inadequate to be used for expressing anything at all. 

One could say that a flight reaction is an expression of something, but I'd beg to differ in that regard. I'd rather interpret a flight reaction as a survival instinct and the realization of the "predator" or threat that the other is fleeing as an interpretation of that reaction. The same goes for walking, it's just the oposite interpretation.


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## becca81 (Nov 10, 2005)

Lopez said:
			
		

> What a bizarre thread. You people really "cuddle" your tarantulas?  :?
> Do you feed them from a bowl in the kitchen and take them for walks as well?


Hehe, good to know I'm not the only one thinking this...


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## jbrd (Nov 10, 2005)

Why dont someone come over and cuddle our *T.blondi* and put an end to this thread.   ;P


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## AussieTkeeper (Nov 10, 2005)

Cirith Ungol said:
			
		

> OK. You beat me. I respond to this one. If I could sit motionless for a month or two, didn't have anything else to do, wouldn't get insane from lack of stimulation, wouldn't need food or water and would get neither muscle cramps or other ill effects from my lack of activity I wouldn't mind sitting in a comparatively small terrarium for people to look at me. But obviously I can't do any of the above, nor do I have the time to. A rosea can and will and she'll do that all by her own will and not because any requirements for her are missing.
> 
> So how do you see that you can compare a spider sitting in a terrarium with a human sitting in an equally restricted space? Because *you* wouldn't agree with it doesn't mean a T doesn't agree with it.
> 
> ...


 Finally someone with some sense, Well said...... i take my hat off too you


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## AussieTkeeper (Nov 10, 2005)

Cirith Ungol said:
			
		

> Attaching human emotion to an animal as primitive as a Tarantula is in my oppionion rather fantastic (unrealistic). The funny argument that often comes up is "We don't know enough so we can just as well assume they have emotions". Tarantulas have been on earth for more than 350million years - at what point would anybody see that evolution has provided them with emotions like love, hate or any others some say they've seen?
> 
> I think it's much more likely that humans in the need for bonding read emotions into 100% instinctive decisions a Tarantula makes. Another aspect is that at least 99.9% of all tarantula species have to live in solitary in order to avoid cannibalism. So I don't see any social capacity or need for it there either.
> 
> ...


 Another excellent answer, (but i bet there will still be some people that thinks their T's like to be cuddled or like watching tv, which i reckon is a load of baloney).

Jase


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## pwilfort (Nov 11, 2005)

Ekkk! I want to cry when I see your picture of the usumbura on your face.
I been bitten by one before and it's not a fun game.
Good luck with your one. :clap:


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## Aviculariinae (Nov 11, 2005)

I personally don,t cuddle them,but i do like to juggle them from time to time especially T.blondi, its great craic.


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## becca81 (Nov 11, 2005)

IMO, it's easier to over-anthromorphize (applying human emotions/feelings to an animal) your spiders when you have only a small number.  I also think it has to do with what you consider your tarantulas to be - personally, I don't consider any of mine, "pets."  I don't connect with them in the same way that I would a dog or a rat.  

I think if you spend too much time anthromorphizing your Ts, then you miss out on a lot of their natural intrigue and beauty.


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## GabooN (Nov 11, 2005)

you could probably associate the exploring with more of a searching for safe haven type thing. I don't think they enjoy exploring over large areas. They might feel safe enough on a steady hand not to deem it as a threat but still be looking to improve their situation, hence the crawling around, misinterpretted as something else. In short, I think they only move when they have purpose, and I don't beleive this purpose is likely to explore.


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## kyle_de_aussie (Nov 11, 2005)

quinquestriatus said:
			
		

> Actually I'm not throwing arachnids and reptiles together in the same catagory. (I do keep them in the same room though.) They're totally different but, I garuantee you arachnids have feelings. And I garuantee you that they do infact like coming out of their "box".


I think your wrong there both times, and whats with the "i garauntee you" thing lol... i'd like to see you PROVE this, if you cant its not smart to say you garauntee it


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## Camberwell (Nov 11, 2005)

i dont cuddle my T's but 1 of them is learning morse code, i'v got a sheet of paper with the code taped to the wall of his tank, quite often at night i can make out the dots and dash's as he drums away practicing. i think 1 night he even called my name  

LMAO gees this thread is good


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## Pathogenic (Nov 11, 2005)

I've held my male rosie in my hand alot since I got him.  I'm always sure to be close to the ground, and never abuse him, just let him sit there.  it seems as of late that he's become accustomed to the feel of being on my hand, because i practically have to tear him off to get him back in his cage, whereas on any other surface he's always making a dash for it.


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## eman (Nov 11, 2005)

becca81 said:
			
		

> IMO, it's easier to over-anthromorphize (applying human emotions/feelings to an animal) your spiders when you have only a small number.  I also think it has to do with what you consider your tarantulas to be - personally, I don't consider any of mine, "pets."  I don't connect with them in the same way that I would a dog or a rat.
> 
> I think if you spend too much time anthromorphizing your Ts, then you miss out on a lot of their natural intrigue and beauty.


I couldn't have said it better myself...  

Let's also not forget the fact that regardless of what we think, most Ts spend the majority of their lives tucked away in the comfort of their burrows... why some people feel the need to philosophize on a Ts "sentiments" is beyond me.  I’m sure they posses the ability to “sense” or “perceive” to a certain degree, i.e. if you are scared or nervous.  But this is purely based on survival instincts – no emotional content there.


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## syndicate (Nov 11, 2005)

demicheru said:
			
		

> well, in regards to the question of whether t's have emotions or not, occam's razor tells us to pick the option that requires less complicated/unfounded explanations...it's a philosophical tool that has withstood the test of time for centuries. it is more likely that, like the rest of the animal world, tarantula behavior is guided by instinct/evolution and the chemical interactions known (or at least believed based on scientific study) to occur. because of their inherently different physiology, there is little if any scientific merit in arguments comparing their response to a human response for a situation or stimulus. tarantula's obviously lack most of the developed brain regions that humans have, and it is these regions that are responsible for the cognitive processes that separate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.
> 
> QUOTE]
> yeah what this guy said


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## Mendi (Nov 12, 2005)

Personally I really enjoy cuddling with Shalimar, my P.regalis best of all...






[/IMG]


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 12, 2005)

Bravo Mendi, she's beautiful


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## Sobrino (Nov 12, 2005)

Ofcourse I cuddle! :liar:  Who doesn't?


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## syndicate (Nov 12, 2005)

Mendi said:
			
		

> Personally I really enjoy cuddling with Shalimar, my P.regalis best of all...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


<EDIT> :clap: that regalis is amazing


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## Beccas_824 (Nov 12, 2005)

These debates always make me a little mad, because different poeple treat their t's differently and some poeple get 'feelings' for their T's. i don't think there is anything worng with liking or maybe even loving a T even if it doesn't give any love back to you. If I had a T die i would be sad, maybe even cry depedning on which one. Not because I 'cuddled with it while I watched CSI. "but because it was a living breathing thing I had to take care of.
Obviously, they don't get treated like my ferrets (which are indeed, spoiled rotten) but I do check on them everyday and have given them all cute little names. So, because they have names like Pumpkin and Harry Potter, does this mean i gave them 'personifications' so to speak?
I just feel like there are poeple who treat their T's like science experiments an don't understand that that is not everyones motivation for keeping T's


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## Cirith Ungol (Nov 12, 2005)

> i don't think there is anything worng with liking or maybe even loving a T





> I just feel like there are poeple who treat their T's like science experiments an don't understand that that is not everyones motivation for keeping T's


Is this directed at me?

I don't see that the point in the first quote was ever in dispute. It was rather the notion that T's have feelings and a lot of other stuff that's rather questionable. I have feelings for my T's, ofcourse I have. But I doubt any T in the world could ever develop feelings for me or any other person.

Quote 2:
I, and I guess most serious people here, don't care what other people think of their tarantulas, but this board is still more concerned with facts or at least scientific theories than faith and fiction. Very many here have learned that you can in fact learn a lot more about your T if you look at it scientifically, which helps in determining the detection of moult cycles, feeding shedule, humidity issues, lighting and more. I'm not saying that anybody who want's to believe "whatever" is an irresponsible keeper, but I'm saying it helps the observation and understanding of those very foreign creatures if you distance yourself from them a bit and just take in what you can see, but nothing more.


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## AussieTkeeper (Nov 12, 2005)

TarantulaKid said:
			
		

> Ofcourse I cuddle! :liar:  Who doesn't?


 i dont for one!!!!


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## Beccas_824 (Nov 13, 2005)

Cirith Ungol said:
			
		

> Is this directed at me?
> 
> I don't see that the point in the first quote was ever in dispute. It was rather the notion that T's have feelings and a lot of other stuff that's rather questionable. I have feelings for my T's, ofcourse I have. But I doubt any T in the world could ever develop feelings for me or any other person.
> 
> ...


My post wasn't aimmed at you or anyone in particular. I just see a lot of people who keep T's for different reasons then me. hence I keep t's because i think they are cool. I keep feeding records only so I don't over fed and harm one while its in pre/post molt. I could care less about the differnece in humididty and growth rates-if i wantted all that i would go take a dull science class. There is nothing wrong with being interested in that, i just think that not everyone cares about it and poeple do keep t's for recreational purposes. 
And I know this actual thread hadn't become a debate, but I know this topic comes up a lot and i know it gets heated. i just felt like it was a good place to express my perosnal believes on the subject.


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## pwilfort (Nov 14, 2005)

What a beautiful regalis Mendi,


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## Keith Richard (Nov 15, 2005)

Pathogenic said:
			
		

> I've held my male rosie in my hand alot since I got him.  I'm always sure to be close to the ground, and never abuse him, just let him sit there.  it seems as of late that he's become accustomed to the feel of being on my hand, because i practically have to tear him off to get him back in his cage, whereas on any other surface he's always making a dash for it.


He's exothermic!


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## ilovebugs (Nov 15, 2005)

Beccas_824 said:
			
		

> . I could care less about the differnece in humididty and growth rates-if i wantted all that i would go take a dull science class.


some people enjoy seeing life in a scientific manner.

for myself, my veiws of my spiders(and all my animals in general) is kind of split up into different aspects, science, religion and amusment.

I know some people in here veiw things differently, especially on my second point. but we won't go into that here or now (I hope)

I handle most of my Ts, I always have. so far no problems.
but no "cuddling"


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## Ewok (Nov 15, 2005)

lol, wow, i did not think this thread would bring such response, some of you even wrote short essays on the subject(s), i thought i would just get a few lols out of it.


hmm ..


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## Ewok (Nov 15, 2005)

becca81 said:
			
		

> IMO, it's easier to over-anthromorphize (applying human emotions/feelings to an animal) your spiders when you have only a small number.  I also think it has to do with what you consider your tarantulas to be - personally, I don't consider any of mine, "pets."  I don't connect with them in the same way that I would a dog or a rat.
> 
> I think if you spend too much time anthromorphizing your Ts, then you miss out on a lot of their natural intrigue and beauty.



  I think she must of meant cat and not rat


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## Nerri1029 (Nov 15, 2005)

-palau- said:
			
		

> I think she must of meant cat and not rat


I don't think so.. 

Rats are VERY social and smart..

I would prefer one to a cat ANYDAY

As for T's "feeling" any kind of emotion .. impossible in my opinion..
what brain capacity there is in T's is devoted to processing ALL the nervous system input.

They do however respond to MANY kinds of stimuli... chemical, vibrational ( that we don't notice), photoperiod? ( has there been a study?)


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## Beccas_824 (Nov 15, 2005)

Well I can think of only one thing that rats are good  for..well at least their babies...feeding them to your T's!


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## becca81 (Nov 15, 2005)

-palau- said:
			
		

> I think she must of meant cat and not rat


Nerri's got it.    I did mean "rat" and would rather have one anyday than a cat.  

I'm also very allergic to cats.


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## moricollins (Nov 15, 2005)

I cuddle with my tarantulas every night, they love me, and don't try to say they can't love, I'M not listening


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## Cpt.nemO (Nov 17, 2005)

i cuddle some times with my aeuriostriata ou sorocabae in my lap while on the pC


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## Socrates (Nov 17, 2005)

I cuddle daily with my dogs and birds, who obviously love to be showered with affection, while I leave my Ts in their enclosures, where they appear to be quite content to be just left alone.

---
Wendy
---


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