Has anyone here ever been bit by a adult T. blondi? If so how much machanical damage did it cause, was it a dry bite and if not what effects where there from the venom? The reason I ask is my 11 year old son has become worried about me keeping T's because of what he read in a book he brought home from his school library called Venomous Creatures. The book stated that in Brazil they have a severe problem with people being bit by T. blondis and that they keep a supply of anti venon at all hospitals because T. blondi venom is so potent. Sounds like a load of bull s@$t to me but didnt want to tell my son that till I new the facts first hand from someone who has been bit by one. I did explaine to him though that my first T was going to be a G. pulchra and that they were very calm and there venom was like a bees and I am not allergic to bees so he didnt need to worry. If this is a myth please help me explain it to my son so he can stop worrying. Sean L.
Anyone here ever been bit by a adult T. blondi?
- Thread starter Sean L.
- Start date
I don't have any of those yet but from everything I've read and seen on wildlife shows, there has never been one confirmed death from a tarantula bite. That's not to say it's not possible but if it has never been documented, there's a good chance that they are not that leathal to humans. I have been bitten by my Rose hair and I have to say that I've had mosquito bites that bothered me worse. It really wasn't bad or that painful in my opinion.
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 1,403
I have never read anything about T Blondies venom being very bad, could be wrong. The pain from the bite itself though OUCH!!!!!! those are some big a** fangs
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2003
- Messages
- 274
At least two pieces of information in the book don't make much sense. First, T. blondi is more common in Venezuela and only exists in northern Brazil, and if T. blondi was really so evil I think people in Venezuela had more troubles with them, not Brazilian.
Besides, T. blondi is not so aggressive and bites by T. blondi in the wild should rarely happen. It is quite absurd to suggest that the local hospitals run out of antivenom. In fact I don't think New World T's have potent venom at all. T. blondi's urticating hairs are among the most effective weapon out there (only surpassed by its cousin, T. apophysis) and I think the locals have more problem with itching if T. blondi was so evil that it actively wandered out from its burrow and seeks out human for troubles. T. blondi is known to kick hairs more often than biting, and its hairs are said to be more nasty than its bites.
Unless a scientific book is written by a scientist who really works on that particular field, more than likely it is full of errors. And sometime the errors are even intentional. I think most of you know J. Horner and his T. rex scavenger theory which is a load of sh!t. He specializes in duckbills in the science community while he exploits media and popular culture to mislead the general public. After one decade he still says that he has some unpublished data to support T. rex as a scavenger that will be published soon, yet he has been never able to give any scientific evidence to suggest his ridiculous theory since day 1. In the science community including many of his students don't really listen to him, yet most of the general public (at least in Hong Kong) now believes that T. rex was a scavenger. His influence is so great that his books are the only translated dinosaur books in Hong Kong, although books from famed paleontologists like Robert Bakker, Gregory Paul, Thomas Holtz, Phil Currie etc never find their way to the chinese market.
I don't mind some new and revolutionary theories but I really hate those who present their theories to the general public as if it had been proved. One of the most plausible explanation for this sort of act is that they want to draw people's attention. It is quite successful isn't it?
Besides, T. blondi is not so aggressive and bites by T. blondi in the wild should rarely happen. It is quite absurd to suggest that the local hospitals run out of antivenom. In fact I don't think New World T's have potent venom at all. T. blondi's urticating hairs are among the most effective weapon out there (only surpassed by its cousin, T. apophysis) and I think the locals have more problem with itching if T. blondi was so evil that it actively wandered out from its burrow and seeks out human for troubles. T. blondi is known to kick hairs more often than biting, and its hairs are said to be more nasty than its bites.
Unless a scientific book is written by a scientist who really works on that particular field, more than likely it is full of errors. And sometime the errors are even intentional. I think most of you know J. Horner and his T. rex scavenger theory which is a load of sh!t. He specializes in duckbills in the science community while he exploits media and popular culture to mislead the general public. After one decade he still says that he has some unpublished data to support T. rex as a scavenger that will be published soon, yet he has been never able to give any scientific evidence to suggest his ridiculous theory since day 1. In the science community including many of his students don't really listen to him, yet most of the general public (at least in Hong Kong) now believes that T. rex was a scavenger. His influence is so great that his books are the only translated dinosaur books in Hong Kong, although books from famed paleontologists like Robert Bakker, Gregory Paul, Thomas Holtz, Phil Currie etc never find their way to the chinese market.
I don't mind some new and revolutionary theories but I really hate those who present their theories to the general public as if it had been proved. One of the most plausible explanation for this sort of act is that they want to draw people's attention. It is quite successful isn't it?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2002
- Messages
- 1,328
T blondi isn't supposed to have bad venom but I would imagine they can pump a good bit into you. That being said they aren't dangerous and at the worst might be somewhat painful.
The not allergic to bees thing really doesn't factor in though since one has nothing to do with the other. They are completely different venoms and while someone allergic to bees might want to excercise caution it doesn't mean that it has any more chance of a reaction than someone who isn't.
Personally however if I were one of the allergic ones I wouldn't chance it as if allergic to one invert you may be sensitive to others.
Phil
The not allergic to bees thing really doesn't factor in though since one has nothing to do with the other. They are completely different venoms and while someone allergic to bees might want to excercise caution it doesn't mean that it has any more chance of a reaction than someone who isn't.
Personally however if I were one of the allergic ones I wouldn't chance it as if allergic to one invert you may be sensitive to others.
Phil
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
- Messages
- 1,022
"I don't mind some new and revolutionary theories but I really hate those who present their theories to the general public as if it had been proved"
i think that sort of thing happens all too often, and of course a lot of people's theories are based on other theories which only makes things worse....
i think that sort of thing happens all too often, and of course a lot of people's theories are based on other theories which only makes things worse....
What worrys me most is that this was printed in a childrens book as a fact not a theory. Now my son is under the immpresion that T's are deadly or at the least very dangerous. Hmmm makes me wonder what outher "facts" my son is learning in school. Sean L. P.S. The only reason I told him the bee sting thing is to get him to stop worrying about me getting hurt when I get my G. pulchra. But it does feel good to know he cares enough about me to worry.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2003
- Messages
- 274
T. rex as a scavenger theory is also presented by J Horner as a proven fact. Just see how he said in his books and in those boring Jurassic Park 3 "The making of" series (I think JP3 is better called Monster Inc since none of the materials presented in JP3 by J Horner is scientific). I am a Chinese and the Chinese books for children are even worse. I was plaqued by all these loads of sh!t but when I grow up my mind undergoes some sort of renaissance and these wrong concepts vanish themselves. I am sure that with your careful guidance, careful selection of good books (there are children books written by true scientists) and careful demonstration (with your docile Brazilian Black), he will eventually learn the truth
