Can you handle it?

Do you handle your tarantula/s

  • All the time!

    Votes: 22 36.1%
  • I've tried it, but I don't regularly.

    Votes: 25 41.0%
  • No way, I don't want to put my T in danger.

    Votes: 9 14.8%
  • No way! I don't want to put ME in danger!

    Votes: 5 8.2%

  • Total voters
    61

Rookie

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
283
Hey all,
Thought I'd cook up a poll to re-establish myself in the arachnopets community. It's about handling just because I've been asking about it lately.
So how about it? Do you handle, or do you not handle? What's the riskiest species you've tried? What's your favourite species to cuddle up with?
It's kinda for fun, so just say whatever. It'd be cool if you guys tossed in some pics too.
Paul
 

JacenBeers

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
1,264
Originally posted by Rookie
Hey all,
Thought I'd cook up a poll to re-establish myself in the arachnopets community. It's about handling just because I've been asking about it lately.
So how about it? Do you handle, or do you not handle? What's the riskiest species you've tried? What's your favourite species to cuddle up with?
It's kinda for fun, so just say whatever. It'd be cool if you guys tossed in some pics too.
Paul
I sometimes handle spiders but mostly just to show other people that it is possible. I dont do it unless there is an audience because I know the tarantulas are not too keen on being disturbed so it is definitely a rare event. The onsly species I have handled are B smithi, G rosea, H maculata, B albopilosum and A avicularia.

I personally like holding my Rose hair the best.
 

conipto

ArachnoPrincess
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 27, 2002
Messages
1,256
I've picked my B. smithi, and my A. versicolor up. Other than that, all of mine are mean and nasty. I generally don't, since they get no benefit from the arangement.

Bill
 

pategirl

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
788
I think the "riskiest" T's I've handled(not all by choice) have been my dodoma baboon, though she's a sweetheart, my H. "Longipendum"(spelling?), and my cobalt blue. The latter was not my idea, the T didn't want to be put in her new house and ran up my arm onto my back....it's not very comforting to have a large female H. Lividium running loose on one's back. My Chilean rose, Betty, doesn't tolerate me touching her dirt much less let me get my fingers anywhere near her. She rears up and does a really exaggerated threat posture. The only T that I handle often is my male A. Avicularia. He's a calm little tarantula.
 

Grael

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 3, 2003
Messages
606
i handled my 2 icnh sling A. Geniulata once but she seemed very frightened and stressed so i dont think im gonna do it often
 

ceaser68

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 2, 2003
Messages
90
I have held all of mine.. except my L. parahybana..some them just once and that was enough. but my G.rosea it's no big deal she likes to come out and wonder around.. and she doesn't startle easlie --- thank god ! :}
 

Nixy

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 6, 2003
Messages
1,486
I've held all of ours save our Trinidad Chevron and she's next one day.
I am Very careful handling to keep the T safe.

The most " dangerous" I've held is our P. murinus. (Usambar) Keoche.

But that was a one time " Had to, just Had to." Thing.
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
yes, I'm sure you all know I handle my Ts, sometimes regularly, sometimes not...
here are some of the more difficult ones:
 
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Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
and this one, but only because the hairs are ITCHY, and she's quite the large one :)
 
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Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
one more...this was my bravest attempt..a male P regalis. I would NEVER have tried this unless Rosemary Kraft was sitting right there!
 
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Nixy

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 6, 2003
Messages
1,486
They are lovely Sin.
Can't wait till Willy gets some size on her. :).
 

Tarantula Lover

Psalmopoeus Lover
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 21, 2002
Messages
1,373
hey

I always hold my T's, i just like to, my most favorite one that i like to cuddle up with is my Rio Grande Gold (A.moderatum) the most risky on i have held would be my Avicularia laeta, fast little demons, but she jus zipped throught her cage on my hand, and i saud oh heck, might as well hold her, took me a while to get her back, and when I did she spit out web from her abdomen:eek:
I have no pics now, but soon will! all in all i have held all my t's except my King Baboon, my usambara, all my Psalmopoues, my H.gigas, ect!


James
 

belewfripp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
344
Pokie Digs Armpit Funk Smell, Film At 11

I've got a Poecilotheria regalis female that is either mature or close to it as she's a good 8" in legspan at this point. When I first got her last April I tried to handle her and ended up with her on top of my head. I swore off handling her since but the other day I decided to try it again. For awhile she lay resting on the inside of my lower arm, reminding me almost of when nurses feel around on the inside of your elbow looking for a vein to use when drawing blood for lab work.


After awhile she started climbing further up, and I was unsuccessful in getting her to come back down. I was, contrary to my usual habit of not wearing a shirt (I don't like getting urticating bristles on my clothing and they make it tough to know where the spider is if it gets onto your back as they can walk along on my clothing and I can hardly feel it), wearing a t-shirt and she decided that she was going to crawl inside. With my arm lifted up in the air she proceeded to crawl right up into my armpit. I would be lying if I said I wasn't suffering a touch of nerves at this point but with some gentle prodding from the outside I got her to come back out and got her back into her tank. No threat postures or even mad dashing on her part, but I think it will be awhile before I try to handle her again.


Still, there's nothing like an 8-inch Pokie sniffing your 'pits.


Adrian
 

safetypinup

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 17, 2003
Messages
118
I handle most of my spiders, including some "defensive" ones (just check my Avatar :p). I believe the "trick" is to just be calm and comfortable with them, and they really won't know the difference between you and a piece of cork bark.
Here's a list of a few T's I've handled recently, though...(Of course, this is not to say that everyone should be/is comfortable handling T's...Handle at your own risk, etc, etc).

Acanthoscurria geniculata
Aphonopelma chalcodes
Aphonopelma hentzi
Aphonopelma moderatum
Aphonopelma species(various)
Avicularia avicularia
Avicularia minatrix
Avicularia purpurea
Avicularia versicolor
Brachypelma albopilosum
Brachypelma auratum
Brachypelma emilia
Brachypelma pallidum
Brachypelma smithi
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Citharischius crawshayi
Cyriopagopus thorelli
Eupalaestrus campestratus
Grammostola pulchra
Grammostola rosea
Haplopelma longipedum
Heteroscodra maculata
Lasiodora cristata
Lasiodora parahybana
Megaphobema robustum
Poecilotheria fasciata
Poecilotheria formosa
Poecilotheria miranda
Poecilotheria ornata
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
Psalmopoeus irminia
Poecilotheria regalis
Pterinochilus murinus
Pterinochilus weidenmanni
Tapinauchenius gigas
Theraphosa apophysis
Theraphosa blondi
 

Mojo Jojo

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 3, 2002
Messages
2,122
I don't normally hold my spiders just for the sake of holding them. Although I occaisionally do. I think that it is a good idea to be comfortable at holding them. There are going to be occaisions where you might have to, and I think that it is good to be used to it so that you don't freak out when it happens. There have been plenty of times when I have been cleaning out my spiders's terrariums or feeding or changing waterdish, where they just decided to make a mad dash for the top of the enclosure. If I wasn't comfortable handling them, they could have taken some dangerous falls. I have read reports of some spiders running right up cleaning forceps, to the hand and up a persons arm. Spiders can be lightning fast. What would a person do if this happened to them and they had never handled their spiders?

This is why I don't keep species known or thought to be on the hotter side of the venom scale.

Jon
 

LPacker79

ArachnoSpaz
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
1,054
The only ones I've handled are my juvenile G. rosea and my 2 inch A. avicularia, mainly to prove to a friend that they aren't evil and viscious. After a while he allowed the rosea to sit on his hand (with his hand laying on the floor) and thought it was pretty neat.
For the most part though, I put them in the same category as my frogs. Interesting to observe, but for looking, not touching.
I also think Jon has a point about handling them so you're not freaked out if something happens and you absolutely must handle them.

Leanne
 

blackacidevil

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Messages
315
Just a bit.....

the only T's I've handled have been pretty small, either slings or juvies. I purposely wanted to get used to handling them in case one ever got loose and I had to grab it immediately. I don't take them out on a normal basis or anything 'cause I would never forgive myself if I dropped them or hurt them some other way.
 

Devildoll

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
267
I handle a lot of my tarantulas.... Cronoss (Bryan) thinks i want to get bit because i have a strange fascination w/ holding my Poecilotherias. I don't know what it is about them, but i trust them more than any of my other spiders....

I enjoy handling my tarantulas... there is nothing more fun than chilling out in the middle of the night tripping and handling big furry spiders till the crack of dawn :)
 

Lopez

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Messages
2,040
I hold my adult Chile rose, as people are always fascinated how docile she is.
My B albopilosum gets handled every once in a while too.

Both Baboons stay intheir tanks, though I'm confident I could handle the Golden Starburst.
I'm more concerned about them doing a runner - escaped Aftrican spiders won't live long exposed in Wales .......
 

dennis

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
770
I handle my t's very rarely. I have the feeling they dont really need to be handled, and so do they feel. I have handled about all of my t's, g. rosea, a versicolor, b boehmei, c fasciatus, p platyomma, a brocklehursti except my p. cambridgei, i dont want to take the risk of getting bitten.

All my t's appear to feel good without getting handled all the time, so I will just leave it this way.


Dennis
 
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