Anyone have a friendly OBT?

[Toxoderidae]

"I am going to say that "aggressive" OBT's are due to husbandry."

This statement is false. They defensive because of predation, competition, and other factors of their native habitat. It's reinforced/rewarded behavior from many thousands of years of evolution. Africa has many ruthless predators that eat tarantulas: mongeese, honey badgers, baboons, etc. The strategies that are successful most often for OW tarantulas are: 1) running at top speed in an unpredictable direction, 2) remaining motionless and exploding in a fast run if touched, & 3) instantly becoming defensive and employing their relatively strong venom if the warning doesn't work. Without urticating hairs, they can't throw projectiles from a safe distance like most NW terrestrials can. There is variation within any tarantula species, with most doing what works the majority of the time, and a small number trying something different. This is the key to evolution for all living things, that allows them to adapt to changes in their habitat.

Having gotten my first tarantula over 40 years ago, I've owned and worked with many hundreds of tarantulas, both w/c and captive bred, and have seen no pattern in defensiveness being higher in one group than the other, in any species. Instinct drives their responses.

Poec! You're back!

I can't comment at all on making OBTs and their defensiveness, the closest thing I own to one is a C. darlingi or a C. vonwirthi. What I would like to ask OP is why you want a super mean defensive one?

 

[ireleana]

My OBT has not shown any defensive behavior yet, just very skittish and unpredictable. It is due for it's final enclosure so we shall see lol. If I move the container, it will stick it's legs out and in, out and in of it's favorite entrance.. like it can't decide if it wants to bolt or stay put. It has done laps around the container too. But it usually just chills. Very unpredictable. I can't believe people attempt to handle them. Honestly out of all my tarantulas, my Nhandu chromatus has shown to be the most defensive of my collection so far. I tend to leave them all alone and give them plenty of substrate and hide and I usually have no problems. If I have to do maintenance they usually just go in their hides or stay put. I will use a piece of cardboard to block the entrance to the hides of a few if I can, so I can do maintenance if I feel it is in a mood lol.

 

[Hellblazer]

I give mine more substrate than most people do and a good place to hide. They usually only come out to grab food, but if I do see them while doing maintenance they retreat instead of getting defensive. Fifteen years ago when I didn't know better, I kept one on about 1" of substrate with nothing else and it was an orange demon. I still wouldn't ever call them "friendly" though.

 

[Timc]

The two I've owned (one currently)=total peckers. The one I own now is called the Irish princess because she's a ginger that's always ready to fight.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

she's a ginger that's always ready to fight.

redheads are so sexy and unruly :-s

 

[Formerphobe]

I've raised several. All have been more inclined to flight than fight. I also avoid doing anything to agitate them.

 

[LucasNMissy]

I love my OBT she is amazing !

 

[Vanisher]

Theraphosid spiders are mostly territorial defenssive, meaning that when they have astablished a burrow, they will defend their territory. Thats why very few are not that defenssive when out of their burrow like in a catch cup. I have had some that will assume threat posture and striking even when outside their burrow. My Ephebopus murinus was one example. It was a pain to get out of the catch cup, cos it stoid its ground and striked, turning against me from every angle i tried. I have had some others that behaved that way. But in 90% of the tarantulas i have had was not. They could be very defensdive in their terrarium, but once outside of it they act much calmer. I have had highly defenssive obt, but once they are in a catch cup they are not that defenssive

 

[Arachnophoric]

View attachment 318036 View attachment 318037

Damn good way to get tagged.

 

[Vanisher]

This handling thing must stop, because of 2 reasons.

1. It it irresponsible against the spider. It can fall and die, or get stressed, and

2. One can get bitten, and if one happens to get serious reactions this can jeopardize one self and the hobby!

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

That first photo is a perfect storm in regard to getting tagged in my opinion. While obviously it didn't happen, the moment that spider decided it was being squeezed by a predator, it could have been game over.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

I'd love to get one in the future. Thing is, I've seen videos of people handling them like any other T and they were quite docile. That will ruin everything. I want a really grouchy OBT! What, if anything, mostly affects their temperament?

i dont own one personally because i dont think ive been in the hobby long enough to keep old worlds but when i went to the reptile store yesterday to buy my LP the clerk told me that he had seen a few friendly ones in his time in the hobby but i wouldnt gamble on it by handling one thats basically the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with your pain receptors