Defensive posture?

[Miss Bianca]

I read today that a tarantula standing with its actual body lifted up off the substrate is in a defensive posture and to beware....

I have a juvi B. Boehmei who's in that position 90% of the time.. and she's pretty docile... I mean sometimes her body's on the substrate and sometimes she's up on the sides, but most of the time its lifted up in the way that was mentioned...

does this mean she'll be aggressive later? Or maybe what I read just doesn't apply to this particular T?? Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[Aurelia]

A threat display is when a tarantula raises its pedipalps and front legs and shows its fangs. Usually when they raise their body up off of the ground but all legs are on the ground, they are either grooming or eating.

 

[hairmetalspider]

This is a threat pose:

 

[Mushroom Spore]

So is this (found one with brighter colors, little easier to see what's going on): http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/showimage.php?i=8634&c=50

tortuga00, your tarantula is not in a threat pose. It's just standing around.

 

[Zoltan]

Actual body lifted up from the substrate + legs on the substrate = stand.
Pedipals and front legs raised up, fangs made visible = thread posture (they mean "piss off").
They do it to appear to be bigger and to show those nice fangs, thus scare away the intruder. You can post a pic just to be sure, but I'm pretty confident that what the others said before me is right. It's not very likely that a B. boehmei is gonna give you a threat pose anyways.

 

[Moltar]

I read today that a tarantula standing with its actual body lifted up off the substrate is in a defensive posture and to beware....

I have a juvi B. Boehmei who's in that position 90% of the time.. and she's pretty docile... I mean sometimes her body's on the substrate and sometimes she's up on the sides, but most of the time its lifted up in the way that was mentioned...

does this mean she'll be aggressive later? Or maybe what I read just doesn't apply to this particular T?? Thanks in advance for any insight.

I think what you heard was referring to a NW terrestrial raising it's abdomen high in the air, not it's whole body. Some t's like brachy's, and particularly aphonopelmas will sometimes stick their butt in the air as a warning instead of showing the fangitude. It doesn't really seem threatening until you think about the urticating cloud that they're about to launch at your face.

For example, the T pitured in this thread is exhibiting a threat display. The pics above show the more often seen, "regular" threat display.

 

[Widowman10]

here's one from a few different angles to give you a good idea (something like this anyways ):

and etown, i think you are correct as well, when a T spreads its fangs and lifts it's abdomen, you'd better start looking out for those hairs!!

 

[josh_r]

many aphonopelma actually show fangs as well. they very rarely bite however. here is a very common aphonopelma threat display, abdomen in the air, fangs exposed, drunken tall walk.... all bark, no bite.

 

[Zoltan]

many aphonopelma actually show fangs as well. they very rarely bite however. here is a very common aphonopelma threat display, abdomen in the air, fangs exposed, drunken tall walk.... all bark, no bite.

That is so sweet! Awesome picture! :drool:

 

[Miss Bianca]

Thanks guys... LOL @ "Fangitude"............

 

[Spike]

That is so sweet! Awesome picture! :drool:

What is that? looks kinda cool

 

[Spike]

many aphonopelma actually show fangs as well. they very rarely bite however. here is a very common aphonopelma threat display, abdomen in the air, fangs exposed, drunken tall walk.... all bark, no bite.

Woops wrong quote haha. Is that some sort of dwarf sorry havent been on forums in a bit.

 

[josh_r]

that is a dwarf aphonopelma. A. joshua to be exact. just about all the dwarf aphonopelma do this. its amusing.

 

[cabey0201]

That's one of the cuter T pictures I've ever seen. Little hard-ass.