# Tarantulas and Boredom?



## linkinpark68 (Oct 20, 2008)

So I have this Chilean Rose Hair, and her name is Miranda. I've had her for many months, and man she seems so bored. Same cage, same decorations, blah. All she does is sit there, maybe walks a few steps then sits there for more hours, I feel bad for her, like shes sad. I know it sounds lame, but can tarantulas get bored? I know shes not a dog and I can't take her for walks or play fetch but I mean, can I put her in a hamster ball and let her run around or something? Shes gotta be bored as hell in there. Any ideas for tarantula playtime/exercise? haha. Thanks guys.

P.S. I will not touch her, so the whole "hand treadmill" ive seen spider keepers do, yeah no lol, I dont know if im allergic to venom and don't wanna be dying in the ER to find out


----------



## Redapache (Oct 20, 2008)

I honestly don't think there brain is complex enough to have boredom thoughts,just eat,molt,crap,and breed.


----------



## HcUnderoath (Oct 20, 2008)

this is the way i think of brachys, rosies n such

rosies are like unemployed men.. they enjoy doing absolutely nothing and are to lazy to walk, i can relate 2 them


----------



## gvfarns (Oct 20, 2008)

linkinpark68 said:


> So I have this Chilean Rose Hair, and her name is Miranda. I've had her for many months, and man she seems so bored. Same cage, same decorations, blah. All she does is sit there, maybe walks a few steps then sits there for more hours, I feel bad for her, like shes sad. I know it sounds lame, but can tarantulas get bored? I know shes not a dog and I can't take her for walks or play fetch but I mean, can I put her in a hamster ball and let her run around or something? Shes gotta be bored as hell in there. Any ideas for tarantula playtime/exercise? haha. Thanks guys.
> 
> P.S. I will not touch her, so the whole "hand treadmill" ive seen spider keepers do, yeah no lol, I dont know if im allergic to venom and don't wanna be dying in the ER to find out


Haha.  Tarantula boredom.  Funny concept.  

They don't have any higher brain function and their bodies don't need or want exercise. 

I think a better way to think of tarantulas is as little machines.  Like mousetraps.  Under the right stimulus they react fast.  But if you leave them sitting there, they just sit.  

They are slightly more complex than any machines we know of, but not by that much.


----------



## Mushroom Spore (Oct 20, 2008)

linkinpark68 said:


> I've had her for many months, and man she seems so bored. Same cage, same decorations, blah. All she does is sit there, maybe walks a few steps then sits there for more hours, I feel bad for her, like shes sad. I know it sounds lame, but can tarantulas get bored?


Tarantulas have no capacity to feel boredom. What you are witnessing is the normal behaviors of a happy, healthy, content G. rosea (which is not very different from most tarantulas in that respect). In the wild, if left to their own devices, you know what they do? The same thing.

If you try to put a tarantula in a hamster ball, they will probably sit there and do nothing or injure themselves. They do not play, and have no concept of playing like mammals do. They kill things, hide from things that can kill them, mate when a suitable spider wanders by, maybe web a little. That's about it.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## testdasi (Oct 20, 2008)

When I read the title and then I saw G. rosea, I thought you were saying YOU are bored. 

Anyway, your G. rosea is a happy T, cuz she's not doing anything. There is nothing you can do about it.

If you want a T that "plays" with things, get a more active specie.


----------



## Mushroom Spore (Oct 20, 2008)

linkinpark68 said:


> I dont know if im allergic to venom and don't wanna be dying in the ER to find out


I just now saw this.

I'm pretty sure there has been no recorded instance, ever, of an allergic reaction to tarantula venom. The information I usually see posted in those threads (use the search) tends to lean towards it not even being possible due to the structure of their venom. Something about peptides, I dunno, I'm half asleep at my keyboard right now.

At most, you might be in trouble if a medically significant species bit your neck or face (due to swelling), or if you were a small child/elderly individual/otherwise had a weak immune system. G. rosea is not a medically significant species, and I'm pretty sure no one has ever died from a tarantula bite anyway.


----------



## linkinpark68 (Oct 20, 2008)

testdasi said:


> When I read the title and then I saw G. rosea, I thought you were saying YOU are bored.
> 
> Anyway, your G. rosea is a happy T, cuz she's not doing anything. There is nothing you can do about it.
> 
> If you want a T that "plays" with things, get a more active specie.


No no, im not saying im bored with her, im saying I want her healthy and to know shes alright and not bored. haha.


----------



## Shagrath666 (Oct 20, 2008)

I died of a g. rosea bite, and i now come to you as a corpse to tell you: it was only because i swallowed a bunch of sleeping pills and got bit by a tarantula, the coroner said it was the T because she was found on my body.:liar: 

take it from someone who has been bit, its nothing, and look in the bite reports and you will see that. The worst one i read in there i think was an H. maculata (Togo Starbust baboon) and the guy when to the E.R. (for what point idk, his life wasnt in danger) and had cramps for a few weeks. nothing at all bad.

Also, roseys are lumps that do nothing unless you poke them a lot (i dont recomend, not cause they are mean just cause would you like being poked a lot?) or you feed em. i have 2 and they are lazy, and content to be that way.


----------



## Bosing (Oct 20, 2008)

This is the reason why when I started out over a year ago I read that they are referred to as pet rocks.


----------



## Radamanthys (Oct 21, 2008)

testdasi said:


> If you want a T that "plays" with things, get a more active specie.


Or try buying a dog, or a cat ;P 

just kidding, don't worry about her, she likes doing nothing. i would like to be a tarantula, they are the laziest , and they are ment for that


----------



## tabor (Oct 21, 2008)

See I have the opposite problem. I get bored and then spoil my T's 

man my last post made me depressed.

after college all my friends moved off to real jobs, while I wait for law school to start. NONE of my friends live here, so I spend my days playing Hendrix behind my head on guitar (yes I got that bored) and checking in on my inverts and geckos like 5 times a day.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## gvfarns (Oct 21, 2008)

tabor said:


> man my last post made me depressed.
> 
> after college all my friends moved off to real jobs, while I wait for law school to start. NONE of my friends live here, so I spend my days playing Hendrix behind my head on guitar (yes I got that bored) and checking in on my inverts and geckos like 5 times a day.


I've been there.  Only I don't know how to play guitar.  

Nothing to drive you crazy like having a lot of free time and trying to make yourself wait for tarantulas that don't want to molt.


----------



## Shagrath666 (Oct 21, 2008)

tabor said:


> man my last post made me depressed.
> 
> after college all my friends moved off to real jobs, while I wait for law school to start. NONE of my friends live here, so I spend my days playing Hendrix behind my head on guitar (yes I got that bored) and checking in on my inverts and geckos like 5 times a day.


i feel your pain, all my friends went to diff colleges, and i just sit and watch my fish, hold my dragons and look in on my Ts


----------



## ReMoVeR (Oct 21, 2008)

linkinpark68 said:


> So I have this Chilean Rose Hair, and her name is Miranda. I've had her for many months, and man she seems so bored. Same cage, same decorations, blah. All she does is sit there, maybe walks a few steps then sits there for more hours, I feel bad for her, like shes sad. I know it sounds lame, but can tarantulas get bored? I know shes not a dog and I can't take her for walks or play fetch but I mean, can I put her in a hamster ball and let her run around or something? Shes gotta be bored as hell in there. Any ideas for tarantula playtime/exercise? haha. Thanks guys.
> 
> P.S. I will not touch her, so the whole "hand treadmill" ive seen spider keepers do, yeah no lol, I dont know if im allergic to venom and don't wanna be dying in the ER to find out


rosies and their normal behaviour uh ?:\ thats why im not buyin one :F


----------



## betuana (Oct 21, 2008)

gvfarns said:


> Nothing to drive you crazy like having a lot of free time and trying to make yourself wait for tarantulas that don't want to molt.


Need more slings. Slings seem to molt like crazy. Of course, as they grow they'll molt less, but still...

but yeah, I've been there too, while I was working on prereqs for the program I'm in. Now it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day.

Balance between the 2 would be nice...

OP - my rosie sits around doing nothing too. Its when she does a lot that I get concerned. Like recently she literally dug up her entire cage - she had webbed it all nicely, and been living contentedly in there for a while. I think its because of the pinheads that just hatched out from the damp spot next to her water bowl again. Now that I got them out of there she's back to sitting in her hide motionless....a very pretty looking pet rock...


----------



## Arachnobrian (Oct 21, 2008)

Probably the reason collections grow quickly.


----------



## gvfarns (Oct 21, 2008)

betuana said:


> Need more slings. Slings seem to molt like crazy. Of course, as they grow they'll molt less, but still...
> 
> but yeah, I've been there too, while I was working on prereqs for the program I'm in. Now it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day.
> 
> Balance between the 2 would be nice...


Bah, I've had an LP sling for a month now, and that's supposed to be as molty as they get.  Stupid thing just dug a hole and has been down there the whole time.  MOLT!

Tarantula molts are like water boiling.  It only happens when you are not looking or waiting.

Though I just got a dang job that keeps me out of the house a lot.  Probably they will all molt now.  That would be kind of cool, actually.


----------



## Garnet3942 (Jun 19, 2020)

tabor said:


> See I have the opposite problem. I get bored and then spoil my T's


Whoops I clicked on the thanks emoji lol I meant to do the laughing one XD and by the way I would totally do the same lol.



linkinpark68 said:


> So I have this Chilean Rose Hair, and her name is Miranda. I've had her for many months, and man she seems so bored. Same cage, same decorations, blah. All she does is sit there, maybe walks a few steps then sits there for more hours, I feel bad for her, like shes sad. I know it sounds lame, but can tarantulas get bored? I know shes not a dog and I can't take her for walks or play fetch but I mean, can I put her in a hamster ball and let her run around or something? Shes gotta be bored as hell in there. Any ideas for tarantula playtime/exercise? haha. Thanks guys.
> 
> P.S. I will not touch her, so the whole "hand treadmill" ive seen spider keepers do, yeah no lol, I dont know if im allergic to venom and don't wanna be dying in the ER to find out


Honestly lol I wanna put mine in a hamster ball because that would be hilarious!  But I would watch the spider to make sure it does not go to fast or get it's leg stuck.  If I'm being honest some T's are like cats they are lazy.  My T is pretty active well it can be my sling will wander around a lot it will go somewhere stay in that place for like an hour or more and move.  I have a G. Pulchra and it is adorable!  It loves to show off I guess yours likes to rest. I do believe tarantulas have the possibility to have feelings but not like we do. I don't beleive in evolotion and most people believe that they evolved that way.  I don't think we were ever monkeys. But that's my opinion everyone has their own and that's fine I'm not gonna yell at anyone for believing something they have been told all their life. Afterall whats the point in that?


----------

