Can i hold spiderlings?

stephen sav

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2016
Messages
34
Hi just got another T, the avic versicolor. its so cute about 1/2 inch or so. can i hold it or will it bite me? also will the bite hurt at such a young age?
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
437
A.versicolor can be pretty quick when startled, I wouldn't recommend holding it for the safety of the tarantula. The only participant in handling that enjoys it is you, the T will not gain anything from handling other than stress,your spider does not enjoy handling, it does not want to be handled. Out of respect for the T you shouldn't handle it, but if you're going to ignore this and handle it anyway, it always has the potential to bite you, it's an animal, nobody here can predict whether it will bite or not.
 

Bugmom

Arachnolord
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
646
Don't do it. The tarantula wants nothing to do with you. It's not a hands on pet, and Avics are fast and they jump. It's VERY easy for an accident to happen to them especially slings.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Discover that by yourself, then feel free to start a thread about where I will fosho uber-duper glad to reply, rest assured :-s
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Sorry, but tarantulas are a bit like fish. Look, don't touch.

Sure, you can hold it. Doesn't mean it's the best of ideas.
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
I've had one Rosie for two years and handled her a zillion times. I have two pink toes that I don't handle. They wouldn't bite me, they r just too quick and could fall. But I do think certain spiders aren't too put off to being handled. I don't make a habit of handling my tarantulas, but usually get the big Rosie for show and tell.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
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Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Asking if you can handle is like asking if you can drink a liter of vodka. Sure, its your choice, and it may work out sometimes, but its a very risky habit.

There's almost no risk of a sling biting, and I can't imagine it would hurt too much, but even a flinch could send it flying.
 

Crone Returns

Arachnoangel
Joined
Mar 22, 2016
Messages
990
Asking if you can handle is like asking if you can drink a liter of vodka. Sure, its your choice, and it may work out sometimes, but its a very risky habit.

There's almost no risk of a sling biting, and I can't imagine it would hurt too much, but even a flinch could send it flying.
Not to mention the shooting poop...
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
^^^I wouldn't handle my big Rosie if she seemed bothered, but she just sits in my hand when I gently get her out. She's never kicked hairs or gotten into a threat poseeither.

To be more specific to the op, I would NEVER handle a baby. way too small and fragile.to be messing with. I had a super small one run up my arm onto my back trying to house it Saturday. I wasn't worried about getting bit, I was worried about losing the spider or accidentally killing it.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
As everyone else has already said, slings are far too fast, fragile, and skittish to handle. It could easily take a flying leap off your hand and end up with a ruptured abdomen. If the fall/jump doesn't kill it, it could end up lost in the house - behind the book case, under the bed, or any of a thousand other places - where it could fall prey to other household pets, free-range house spiders, the vacuum cleaner, arachnophobic roommates or family members, cleaning products or other chemicals, or starvation/dehydration. Escaped slings are very small and really good at hiding, making a successful recovery unlikely. No, the sling is not going to hurt you - but you should consider what is best for the spider.
 

Robyn8

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
194
My versicolor slings but especially holothele incei gold slings have handled me on occasion. they are so fast they can be gone in a blink of an eye (or in the above case, on my back, this was when unpacking my holothele incei gold slings)

So no dont do it.
 

Goodlukwitthat

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
178
Not to mention the shooting poop...
Nothing beats the shooting poop of a freaked out Tokay Gecko.... Had one once, had to get her out of her tank to clean it....she decided to shoot poop across my living room. I kid you not it shot out at least 6 ft and went EVERYWHERE. After that, she got put in a reptile bag for each tank cleaning.
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
It's pretty much never advisable to handle (as tempting as I know it can be). Tarantulas are very delicate animals and young ones are even more so. I've had a few spiderlings on my hand but it was inadvertent (they decided to run out of their packing and explore immediately) and I quickly got them into their enclosures.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
4,096
Avicularia slings are particularly fragile... as has been said, they are fast and they jump. If you want to interact with your T, let it grow larger and more sturdy first.

Everyone will tell you that handling Ts stresses them out... but I don't believe that is always true. If the T is not doing defensive behaviours - hair kicking, threat pose, etc - then they are just checking out a new environment.
 
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