A question for you.

[whoami?]

What is the scariest tarantula you've ever handled?

For me, it's probably my Usambar red baboon. Not because the actual spider was scary, but just because I've heard REALLY bad things about that particular species. My T. blondi comes in at a close second. The SOB isn't as scary as my late H. gigas, but it makes it quite clear that it doesn't like to be f***ed with.

Both of these were handled when attempts to transfer them to larger containers went horribly wrong. I wasn't bitten, but I was scared silly.

 

[Devildoll]

i've personally never been scared handling my Ts.... i only do the skittish ones when no one is home and it's very quiet...
It's sort of meditation to me.

I've handled both my P. ornatas.... My C. crawshayi..... my P. cambridgei.....

non ever scared me..... i just caught them in the right moods...

unfortunatly i had to handle my H. minax when it jumped unexpectedly from it's enclosure onto my shirt when i was going to show it off on new years....

i was drunk, and didn't think it would jump out the second i opened it's lid.... but it did....

i nearly wet myself... i actally may have wet myself..... i don't remember.

 

[whoami?]

H. minax?

I'm a little rusty on scientific names. that's the Thailand black, right?

And if you did wet yourself, don't feel too bad. I once wet myself when I was drunk. And believe me, the effects of alcohol make it much less embarassing.

Anyway, I find it strange that you handled a Pokie. That brings up another question, which I will address tomorrow in another thread.

But right now, I have a question. Did you handle it intentionally, or accidentally (like, if it unexpectedly ran up your arm)? If you handled it intentionally, WHY?

I'm very curious abouyt this. P. ornata is just about the prettiest tarantula I have ever seen, but pokies scare me. Is it not as venomous as I think it is? Or is it not as aggressive as I think it is? Or do you just have bigger balls than I think you do?

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by whoami?
What is the scariest tarantula you've ever handled?

Hi,
Selenocosmia crassipes at 18cm legspan. It's probably not one anyone here is familiar with (Holley's an exception), but to give you an idea, they drip venom from their fangs and they stridulate like there's no tomorrow. Big and nasty. I found one with a rat carcass in it's burrow. They can kill cats and dogs within fifteen minutes (Raven 2000). Imagine a big pokie as a terrestrial

The worst mygale was a funnel-web, same as the one you'll see to the left there, another venom dripper, potentially lethal. No, I didn't try to handle it, I just didn't have an option at the time. I don't keep them any more

Steve

 

[Devildoll]

i definatly handled the pokie on purpose....

their venom may be potent... but i trust myself.

and whats the worst that can happen....

as far as their personality.... both of mine are incredibly un-aggresive, which is like most pokies.

they are skittish... very flighty most of the time... but not aggresive.

now, don't go sticking your hand near it's hidey hole though... then you're asking to get bit by most any spider.

 

[galeogirl]

I don't find any of my ts particularly scary, but I do keep a close eye on the location of my H. albostriatum before I open the cage. That spider is faster than thought and has a serious attitude problem. My Usambara is a close second.