B. Albo thinks everything is food

[SpencerChase]

Hi!

I've tried searching for an answer to this question and couldn't find anything, but it seems like a fairly common question so I apologize if it's been posted already!

So I've had my male Honduran Curly Hair for about a year now. He's about 4 inches and I love him and his ways of living to death. I know they're supposed to be "docile" in nature and I wouldn't be asking this about a species that's supposed to be more defensive... but he thinks everything that touches him - paintbrush, forceps, dirt, anything - is prey. Immediately, within a microsecond of something touching him, he turns around and strikes and sometimes starts climbing up whatever made contact with his body... as he's getting bigger it's concerning me a little more. And it doesn't matter whether he's eaten in a while, this has happened every time I've tried on various feeding density periods.

Although it would be nice I'm not too concerned about handling him, but more about moving him away from his water dish to clean it, changing enclosures, removing boluses etc.

Again, if this was a more defensive species of T I wouldn't really be asking this, but since it's a species known to be more docile I can't help but ask if there's a way to get him to stop doing this. Am I poking him wrong? Is there a specific way to do it that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

 

[clive 82]

Hi!

I've tried searching for an answer to this question and couldn't find anything, but it seems like a fairly common question so I apologize if it's been posted already!

So I've had my male Honduran Curly Hair for about a year now. He's about 4 inches and I love him and his ways of living to death. I know they're supposed to be "docile" in nature and I wouldn't be asking this about a species that's supposed to be more defensive... but he thinks everything that touches him - paintbrush, forceps, dirt, anything - is prey. Immediately, within a microsecond of something touching him, he turns around and strikes and sometimes starts climbing up whatever made contact with his body... as he's getting bigger it's concerning me a little more. And it doesn't matter whether he's eaten in a while, this has happened every time I've tried on various feeding density periods.

Although it would be nice I'm not too concerned about handling him, but more about moving him away from his water dish to clean it, changing enclosures, removing boluses etc.

Again, if this was a more defensive species of T I wouldn't really be asking this, but since it's a species known to be more docile I can't help but ask if there's a way to get him to stop doing this. Am I poking him wrong? Is there a specific way to do it that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

Although B albos are generally docile some individuals can be more defensive than others.
Could it be it is hungry? How often are you feeding & what size prey are you offering?

 

[Crone Returns]

Don't poke him! I get angry, too, when somebody pokes me. And I agree with Clive82. My big female can consume 3 crickets a week if I let her lol. Also, is your male mature? If he is than he might be more defensive. And some spiders are more defensive than others.

 

[mack1855]

There is no " right way",to poke them.How about just opening his enclosure,and observe him for a while.See if he crawls out of the enclosure in a controlled area.Have a catch cup in case he decides to go off on his own.get to know it a little before hasseling him with anything.
maybe he will just sit and stare at you,as you stare at him.A bond will form,sort of.I would think after a year,you would have done this already.If hes been doing this for a year,then you already know his attitude.

 

[Trenor]

A bond will form,sort of.

No, it won't. The bundle of nerves they use for a brain doesn't work that way.

 

[mack1855]

Don't take that literally.Just meant stop poking it .let it move around of its own,and see how it behaves.
Yes we know they don't behave like Labs.didnt mean to imply that he would give you a kiss and hug.

 

[clive 82]

Hi!

I've tried searching for an answer to this question and couldn't find anything, but it seems like a fairly common question so I apologize if it's been posted already!

So I've had my male Honduran Curly Hair for about a year now. He's about 4 inches and I love him and his ways of living to death. I know they're supposed to be "docile" in nature and I wouldn't be asking this about a species that's supposed to be more defensive... but he thinks everything that touches him - paintbrush, forceps, dirt, anything - is prey. Immediately, within a microsecond of something touching him, he turns around and strikes and sometimes starts climbing up whatever made contact with his body... as he's getting bigger it's concerning me a little more. And it doesn't matter whether he's eaten in a while, this has happened every time I've tried on various feeding density periods.

Although it would be nice I'm not too concerned about handling him, but more about moving him away from his water dish to clean it, changing enclosures, removing boluses etc.

Again, if this was a more defensive species of T I wouldn't really be asking this, but since it's a species known to be more docile I can't help but ask if there's a way to get him to stop doing this. Am I poking him wrong? Is there a specific way to do it that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

You could also try feeding it & when its actually eating then go about doing your maintainance, refilling water dishes etc. He may be less likely to be defensive if he has some grub in his chops lol!

 

[Robyn8]

If somebody slapped my butt, i'd turn around and be pissed too. why are you poking him?

 

[mistertim]

Don't poke him. Problem solved.

 

[Estein]

Although it would be nice I'm not too concerned about handling him, but more about moving him away from his water dish to clean it, changing enclosures, removing boluses etc.

Tongs come in handy for things like picking up boluses and water dishes. If you're worried about your T striking the tongs and injuring a fang or something along those lines, I'd just place a cup over your T for the couple of minutes it takes to do maintenance. There probably won't be a maintenance need so pressing that it can't wait until your T is in an ideal area of the enclosure, so you won't have to worry about prodding it away from whatever you're trying to work with. When you're done, just let it be as you normally would because I imagine it's not that enjoyable to suddenly have a giant cup descend over you from the heavens.

 

[Vanessa]

I have a couple that I will feed before trying to perform maintenance in their enclosure. Eating will often preoccupy them while you do what you have to. Minimize your interaction with them and make sure that you aren't putting your hand in their enclosure. You should always work with tongs.
They're all individuals. And, while many species have a reputation of being more tolerant than others, that is no guarantee that every individual will be as tolerant as the species on a whole.

 

[Andrea82]

Tongs come in handy for things like picking up boluses and water dishes. If you're worried about your T striking the tongs and injuring a fang or something along those lines, I'd just place a cup over your T for the couple of minutes it takes to do maintenance. There probably won't be a maintenance need so pressing that it can't wait until your T is in an ideal area of the enclosure, so you won't have to worry about prodding it away from whatever you're trying to work with. When you're done, just let it be as you normally would because I imagine it's not that enjoyable to suddenly have a giant cup descend over you from the heavens.

This ^^^ Since my B.albopilosum male matured, he is extremely skittish and defensive. I just put a delicup over him when I need to refill his waterdish or do maintenance. If I wouldn't, he would chase me/the tongs through the enclosure, slapping and threatposing. Before he molted, he was one of the most docile spiders,but he molted into a grumpy MM.
And remember, their waterdishes are sacred. You are not allowed to take them away for anything, according to them, anyways.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

My female Albo is anything but docile . She readily charges anytime I have to do tank maintenance . She never postures but anything that goes in her enclosure is going to get bitten .

 

[Crone Returns]

I'm so glad that my AF B. albopilosum is docile. She had her hormonial moment of teenage defensiveness for a few weeks, then back to normal. Thankfully.

 

[SpiderDad61]

Hi!

I've tried searching for an answer to this question and couldn't find anything, but it seems like a fairly common question so I apologize if it's been posted already!

So I've had my male Honduran Curly Hair for about a year now. He's about 4 inches and I love him and his ways of living to death. I know they're supposed to be "docile" in nature and I wouldn't be asking this about a species that's supposed to be more defensive... but he thinks everything that touches him - paintbrush, forceps, dirt, anything - is prey. Immediately, within a microsecond of something touching him, he turns around and strikes and sometimes starts climbing up whatever made contact with his body... as he's getting bigger it's concerning me a little more. And it doesn't matter whether he's eaten in a while, this has happened every time I've tried on various feeding density periods.

Although it would be nice I'm not too concerned about handling him, but more about moving him away from his water dish to clean it, changing enclosures, removing boluses etc.

Again, if this was a more defensive species of T I wouldn't really be asking this, but since it's a species known to be more docile I can't help but ask if there's a way to get him to stop doing this. Am I poking him wrong? Is there a specific way to do it that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

U may just need to feed em a tad more BUT all my albop have mighty appetites. Even when not hungry they'll walk towards me shaking a brush in front of em. If u wanted to test his hunger/aggression, drip some water drops right in front of em and see if he attacks. If so, feed em...if not, do ur maintenance and whatever else.
It's not recommended by all on here but I hold most of my Ts once in a while. With my albop, when I open their enclosures I rustle around a bit, to show em it's not prey...it's me. Doing that gets them ready in that now they won't attack if a single hair is touched

 

[SpencerChase]

Although B albos are generally docile some individuals can be more defensive than others.
Could it be it is hungry? How often are you feeding & what size prey are you offering?

I've fed him anywhere from one large cricket in 2 weeks and sometimes 5 in a week. Unless in pre molt, he's never refused food!

There is no " right way",to poke them.How about just opening his enclosure,and observe him for a while.See if he crawls out of the enclosure in a controlled area.Have a catch cup in case he decides to go off on his own.get to know it a little before hasseling him with anything.
maybe he will just sit and stare at you,as you stare at him.A bond will form,sort of.I would think after a year,you would have done this already.If hes been doing this for a year,then you already know his attitude.

If I put his enclosure on a conveyer belt moving toward a wildfire, he wouldn't leave. I've had the top open for hours, he has never even climbed the walls.

Don't poke him! I get angry, too, when somebody pokes me. And I agree with Clive82. My big female can consume 3 crickets a week if I let her lol. Also, is your male mature? If he is than he might be more defensive. And some spiders are more defensive than others.

He is not mature.

You could also try feeding it & when its actually eating then go about doing your maintainance, refilling water dishes etc. He may be less likely to be defensive if he has some grub in his chops lol!

I have tried this, but the issue is he always eats on his feeding mat, which is attached to his water bowl... so if I have to pick it up, he kicks hairs!

If somebody slapped my butt, i'd turn around and be pissed too. why are you poking him?

Don't poke him. Problem solved.

Ok, I should be more literal... would "coax" be a better word? "Push"? I don't really "poke" him unless he's in the way of me changing/cleaning his enclosure, washing the water bowl, etc

In the end, I can definitely manage if he just "has that kind of attitude", but I was just wondering if anyone had any insight to whether I was doing something wrong! Thanks again!