Can peat moss itch?

[skinheaddave]

I have an interesting observation for you guys and gals and I would like to know if any of you have also experienced something like this.

I was handling my new G.rosea today. She can be quite quick when she moves, but has never shown any signs of agression and generaly proceeds at a very gentle stop/go pace. Today she stopped in my hand and did what I thought was a hair flick. Only it was really, really slow and instead of making a puff of hair come up, just cleared some "lint"-looking material from around her spinerettes. At first I thought nothing of it, moved her to my other hand and dumped the "lint" in the trash. Now my hand has a mild-to-moderate burnign sensation where the lint was dropped.

Was she just cleaning and happened to release some hairs? Was she defensively hairing my hand? Does her regular substrate itch when haired? All I know is that the mild discomfort is well worth it. Previously I haven't been handling my Ts much, but I think I will start. I'm sure I'll have a post for your bite forum within a month.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Paul Day]

Naaa, I think it was just an isolated incident. It doesn't sound intentional. Tarantulas "shed" or itch like any other animal, it just happened to occur in your hand

If it didn't want you to hold it, it would if ran away or bit you. Just my opinion.

Pauly

 

[Henry Kane]

My guess is you got haired. It only takes a couple bristles. It doesn't necessarily have to be flicked at you either. I've picked up hairs from who knows where and the only reason I knew I picked them up was from the irritation. The slow kick is interesting though. I have no clue what that was about. Maybe a "love hairing"?
I've never been irritated by the peat though. I suppose if someone had an allergy to peat it seems feasible that a rash or irritation could develop.

Atrax

 

[savian]

I have notice some of my T's put there hairs down where they spend alot of time. And I am all way's very ichy after dueing any work in some of these tanks. The T doesn't due any thing while I am in the tank but man they might have well done it.

 

[Paul Day]

Peat it'self is acidic.. so if it touched a particularly sensitive part of your hand, it MIGHT burn or itch a little (theortically), though I've never experienced it. It isn't a good idea to get peat in your eye either

Pauly

 

[Botar]

I've had the same experience as Savian. After doing some cleaning in my T. blondi cage I noticed a lot of itching and tiny bumps. The T never even came out from under her terra cotta saucer.

Botar

 

[Immortal_sin]

I have been haired exactly as you describe SHD...
Interestingly enough, it has also been a Grammastola species..my G pulchra.
I think my C cyaneopubescens has also done it.
It's almost like they are scratching themselves, and inadvertently 'shed' a bunch of hair or something....and yes, it itches like crazy!

 

[Botar]

I read somewhere that the hairs were used as the active ingredient in itching powder years ago. Anyone else heard of this?

Botar

 

[TarantulaMan]

Me

I heard of that same thing I'll see if I can find it.

 

[Paul Day]

Botar:

I believe the Tarantula Keepers guide discusses the itching powder

 

[atavuss]

Dave, sounds as if you got urticating hairs on you......interestingly my m. robustums will slowly kick hairs like you described from your rosea, none of the frantic brachypelma kicking for them. there seems to be three stages before the robustums will kick hairs:
1) run and hide
2) spin and try to impale with their back legs
3) slowly rub their abdomens with back legs which releases COPIOUS amounts of hair in clumps.
Ed

 

[skinheaddave]

Hmm. First of all, the subject line may have been misleading. I was really asking whether peat moss could feel the itching of being haired on. Sort of a derivation of T's not "biting the ground," be it their substrate or your hand.

It really does seem more of an inadvertent thing, since she was completely calm. It may also have been the case that she had gotten a peat/hair mix caught around her spinerettes and it was the hair component of that compound that irritated me. I have never had any negative reaction to peat -- and I spend a fair amount of time with my hands in it.

Ed,

I know exactly what you mean by the Brachypelma kick. My B.vagans can be ... enthusiastic .. in their hairing. Fortunately, they have yet to get me.

Cheers,
Dave