Do you touch your spiders by hand ?

[SpiderRider1996]

Tarantulas are observational pets like fish, they don't enjoy being handled (at absolute best they tolerate it, right up until they don't) and get nothing out of being handled besides the risk of injury/death.

You shouldn't be attempting to emulate morons on social media who care more about looking edgy on the internet than the safety of their animals.

Yes, today I went to speak to someone and he said that some spiders might start tolerating touch based on frequent handling experience. However, if I attempt to handle mine then i might have trouble. Maybe one day i will ask to handle one in a spider show or exhibition

let’s just think about it. Why would someone want to handle there tarantula.
1. They enjoy it crawling on them which makes them want it to not be such a self centered enjoyment so they know say the spider enjoys it as well. The keeper denies all accusations of the t not enjoying it even when the evidence is clearly present. Now we have constructed a loop which will constantly cycle. This is why this question constantly pops up. Yes, to me tarantulas are fascinating, truly, and I have been obsessed with arachnids for a long time. There is a certain curiosity to keepers that what’s to see that tarantula walking on them. See the way there body moves and how they react. Although, the root of it is personal enjoyment and self centered.
Why should we not handle our tarantulas
1. It’s extremely stressful and uncomfortable to them.
2. It’s dangerous to them
3. It’s dangerous to the keeper.
4. There are many other pets out there that are meant for companionship.
There countless more reasons out there

Perhaps you are right about your way of thinking but in my opinion it is different. 1. I see fluffy cat and I go to touch it 2. I see fluffy spider and I want to touch it but I’m afraid. That’s about it. Nothing much to think about

 

[vicareux]

Perhaps you are right about your way of thinking but in my opinion it is different. 1. I see fluffy cat and I go to touch it 2. I see fluffy spider and I want to touch it but I’m afraid. That’s about it. Nothing much to think about

There is no opinion, its an objective fact that:
-(most)cats enjoy petting
-tarantulas do not, and never will
Simple

 

[TarantulaMel]

totally! I’m actually planning on redoing its enclosure soon and can send pix when complete - i just have the 1 and he’s a black mustard veil-tail - really cool and intelligent animal and there’s loads you can do with them too like name recognition, tricks, bioactive enclosures, etc

like owning a living work of art imo and their husbandry/water parameters are extremely simple and easy (even with the issues i have with obtaining clean water)

my insta account has just been for my arachnids and I’ve been struggling to take decent shots of my fish so I don’t have any at present

edit: I do have a close up of them

edit edit: here are some more - kind of get a feel of my tank but not really

I used to keep and breed bettas too.I still have a couple but most of them died of old age.

 

[Craig73]

Perhaps you are right about your way of thinking but in my opinion it is different. 1. I see fluffy cat and I go to touch it 2. I see fluffy spider and I want to touch it but I’m afraid. That’s about it. Nothing much to think about

This logic is like saying someone who is afraid of electricity go climb a power pole and touch a transformer or stick their finger in a power outlet to overcome that fear.

From someone who has a fear of spiders, I’ve never had a desire to touch or have them on me intentionally. You can learn to minimize fear through observation and education.

 

[SpiderRider1996]

This logic is like saying someone who is afraid of electricity go climb a power pole and touch a transformer or stick their finger in a power outlet to overcome that fear.

From someone who has a fear of spiders, I’ve never had a desire to touch or have them on me intentionally. You can learn to minimize fear through observation and education.

The enclosure is on my bedside table so now it’s ok. I can sleep alright and but still can’t touch spiders due to fear and that will remain so forever

 

[Jonathan6303]

The enclosure is on my bedside table so now it’s ok. I can sleep alright and but still can’t touch spiders due to fear and that will remain so forever

So if you were not scared you would touch them

Yes, today I went to speak to someone and he said that some spiders might start tolerating touch based on frequent handling experience. However, if I attempt to handle mine then i might have trouble. Maybe one day i will ask to handle one in a spider show or exhibition

What is his experience

 

[Introvertebrate]

If you’re into touching, get a hamster. That’s my opinion anyway.

 

[Craig73]

The enclosure is on my bedside table so now it’s ok. I can sleep alright and but still can’t touch spiders due to fear and that will remain so forever

Can I ask how long you’ve been keeping and what you have?

I’m just shy of two years. Took me about four months to get over the anxiety of just opening the enclosure to feed/water. I still jump scare easy regardless of size, but comfort level has progressed significantly for me; still have a long ways to go.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I went to speak to someone and he said that some spiders might start tolerating touch based on frequent handling experience.

Tarantulas cannot be tamed so even if you get one that is initially fairly tolerant of being screwed around with there is absolutely nothing to stop it from deciding that it's completely done with that and then sinking its fangs into your flesh. I've literally had tarantulas completely switch temperaments from moult to moult

 

[SpiderRider1996]

So if you were not scared you would touch them


What is his experience

Well he is entomologist so he knows a lot about bugs so I ask questions sometimes.

If you’re into touching, get a hamster. That’s my opinion anyway.

Nono i won’t touch it it’s dangerous if it bites you.

Can I ask how long you’ve been keeping and what you have?

I’m just shy of two years. Took me about four months to get over the anxiety of just opening the enclosure to feed/water. I still jump scare easy regardless of size, but comfort level has progressed significantly for me; still have a long ways to go.

I keep spiders for less than half an year but I stopped buying spiders as people here were telling me so. Now I have 5/8 spiders and they are all still alive and thriving. Maybe next year I will go to a spider show and I will buy one more Brachypelma spider but this is not 100% sure.

Tarantulas cannot be tamed so even if you get one that is initially fairly tolerant of being screwed around with there is absolutely nothing to stop it from deciding that it's completely done with that and then sinking its fangs into your flesh. I've literally had tarantulas completely switch temperaments from moult to moult

Yes don’t touch it as it can be dangerous. And I’ve seen some people touch old world spiders! Also I’m in one WhatsApp group where people have venomous snakes like pets you won’t believe what I see

 

[Jonathan6303]

Just think about it.
Tarantulas are primitive animals that are very cautious and aware of predators and bolt to there hide at the first sign of predator movement. Do you think they would want a giant being a hundred times there size playing with them.

 

[Neonblizzard]

Yes don’t touch it as it can be dangerous. And I’ve seen some people touch old world spiders! Also I’m in one WhatsApp group where people have venomous snakes like pets you won’t believe what I see

Thing is you'll always see people doing stupid stuff with their pets, and their reasons are purely selfish; what's important is that you see this kind of stuff and understand that that's what the minority of people do.

Don't let the stupidity of a few people influence you into bad practices

 

[MarkJ]

Wow that video is a lesson on what not to do. There is absolutely no beneift to the animal to do that, it's all unnecessary risk.

 

[Neonblizzard]

Wow that video is a lesson on what not to do. There is absolutely no beneift to the animal to do that, it's all unnecessary risk.

It's true the tarantula might get hurt, but hey those sweet sweet likes and upvotes are worth it though right???

 

[Dorifto]

Please do not close the thread, it makes more entertaining the wc time.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Disclaimer:

I know alot about spiders too.

In fact my knowledge is so good that after eating dinner when I have food stuck in my teeth I grab my biggest tarantula and press it against my face using it's fangs as toothpicks.

Yeah....so I swallow venom and maybe some urticating bristles once in a while but it's all good my tarantula loves it.

 

[Neonblizzard]

Disclaimer:

I know alot about spiders too.

In fact my knowledge is so good that after eating dinner when I have food stuck in my teeth I grab my biggest tarantula and press it against my face using it's fangs as toothpicks.

Yeah....so I swallow venom and maybe some urticating bristles once in a while but it's all good my tarantula loves it.

I use my LP for my face scrubber because i have quite sensitive skin, but i use my T. Stirmi for my armpits and other problematic areas

 

[SpiderRider1996]

It's true the tarantula might get hurt, but hey those sweet sweet likes and upvotes are worth it though right???

It’s dangerous for the spider and human too. If the spider bites you will go hospital with a lots of pain for at least a week. I know that

I use my LP for my face scrubber because i have quite sensitive skin, but i use my T. Stirmi for my armpits and other problematic areas

Yes very dangerous

 

[Dorifto]

It’s dangerous for the spider and human too. If the spider bites you will go hospital with a lots of pain for at least a week. I know that

You should start learning about ts honestly. It's not only a week in the hospital, sometimes a leg, a harm... etc should be amputated, and in the worst case a head transplant is necessary

 

[SpiderRider1996]

Disclaimer:

I know alot about spiders too.

In fact my knowledge is so good that after eating dinner when I have food stuck in my teeth I grab my biggest tarantula and press it against my face using it's fangs as toothpicks.

Yeah....so I swallow venom and maybe some urticating bristles once in a while but it's all good my tarantula loves it.

I blocked one guy who said that he likes to eat tarantulas!