Handling an A. Seemani.. Yes .. no...carefully???

[demicheru]

*sigh*



It gives you an idea of what is LIKELY to happen - not what WILL happen.

Your little dice example makes no sense here. On a 6-sided die, we know that the chance of getting a 1 is 1/6. Even if you roll a 1 a hundred times in a row, a generalization can not be made that you will typically get a 1 since we know all the possible outcomes and the likelihood of them happening.

Of course, believing that every P. murinus you encounter will be highly defensive and always try to bite you isn't accurate. However, realizing that the typical temperament of these spiders is rather defensive can help you be prepared to own one, handle one, etc.

Generalizations are made in this context in order to allow preparedness and decision-making.

Until the spider in question has been held, all we can do is give examples of the typical behavior of the species. No one ever said that that particular spider would exhibit those characteristics, but there is a likely chance that it will.

Those who bothered to actually read the words I used will recognize the difference between what I said and what you said I said. I said "the die comes up one most of the time" not "the die will come up one next time". I specifically made the point to distinguish between descriptive and prescriptive statistics, which is why I brought the dice example up in the first place. I don't need a lecture on statistics. I taught and tutored statistics at the college level.

Also, I thought I was pretty clear on the "generalizations" issue. I never said to completely disregard the generalizations. I said they can give you a range of observed outcomes and that they are less useful than direct, personal observation of the tarantula in question.

 

[becca81]

I said "the die comes up one most of the time" not "the die will come up one next time""

I never said that you predicted what would happen next. If I have completely misunderstood you, then I apologize.

However, my point is that you can't use something with known outcomes and the known likelihood of those outcomes to represent spiders. Yes, I understand what point you're trying to make and they aren't being compared directly.

Based on observation and anecdotal evidence by hundreds or possibly even thousands of hobbyists, we can say that a certain species will likely demonstrate a certain characteristic.

I do understand your point that we can't predict what, exactly, the temperament of this spider will be (I never said we could). However, we can make a good guess based on generalizations. That's all.

Once again I will say - in this context generalizations can be very useful in preparing yourself for any given species. Just because her spider may be atypical in terms of temperament doesn't mean that she shouldn't take precautions until she learns the temperament of her spider.

 

[Talkenlate04]

On a much lighter note this Thread was tons of run to read lol

 

[tmanjim]

WOW,
A simple question really gets some air time. Roll the dice, take a chance. If you want to handle your T's, make sure you do it carefully, over a bed, close to the ground, just be a safe as you can and think about the safety of the T. There is a distinct fascination holding a tarantula. I have felt it, but you always have to remember, these are not pets as dogs and cats. T's are totally unpredictable whatever type they are. Have fun with the addiction but BE CAREFUL.

 

[Binky/Carol]

Or like me the person who Started the thread.. now it has a mind of its own, and I have a bunch of bumps, a rash and some other icky stuff on my hands..
Perhaps I should NOT have handled the Seemani...
Of all the T's in the world.. perhaps I am allergic to the genus...
Sigh..
well it should be interesting to see if this like my other post earlier this evening is ignored...
I will continue to handle my t's ... once my hands have healed. And I will wear rubber gloves and a bio hazard suit.. (JK.. LOL)
Carol

 

[Mina]

It depends on you, and your comfort level and to a great degree, the tarantula in question.
I have a young female semanni. I don't handle her. She isn't aggressive, in fact she is a real sweetie, but I've seen her move, and I wouldn't want her to be outside of her enclosure and decide to take off with the speed she has shown me she is capable of. I don't handle any of my T's, but that is because of fear they will become hurt.