Handling Baby Ts

bness2

Arachnoknight
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Beings I have four slings at the moment and all are in the typically docile category, does anyone with more experience know if handling them when they are this young (1/2"-1") can help make them more docile and less skittish when they get older? I held my Paraphysa scrofa a little yesterday and he seemed to be very cooperative. On the other hand, my A. avic, I fear, would never allow such intimacy. He runs and jumps in his enclosure, so I would hate to see what he did outside of it.

My other two slings are diggers, so I guess this is a moot question for now in their case.

Bryan
 

VI6SIX

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the only reason I ever handle T's that small is for shiping reasons but you pose an interesting question that I might have to give a try I know you can desenseatize T's but since most are realy docile when they're little you might be able to keep them gentle by handling them through the transition period (about 2 ")when they start to show there true nature
 

Vayu Son

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><

Some T's have inherently nasty natures, some can be worked with. Hysterocrates gigas is usually very aggressive, but joy handled her adult with no problem. I personally believe that working with a T as a spiderling will help it classify that stimuli as non-threatening, but if it is not constant through their life they may revert to instinct.


-V
 

Wade

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I sold some 1-2" "Usambara" slings to Rosemary Kraft (whom Joy also knows, I believe) at the ATS conference in 2000. She told me she intended to start working with them immediately. Lo and behold, the next year she was indeed handling them! I didn't really have any doubt, as I had seen her handle many fiesty spiders before.

In answer to the question..."possibly"!

Wade
 

happymeal

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bness2

I also have a p.scrofa about the same size. Does yours borrow, web or anything. Mine does nothing she is (I guess content to being in the open.

H.M.
 

bness2

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Originally posted by happymeal
I also have a p.scrofa about the same size. Does yours borrow, web or anything. Mine does nothing she is (I guess content to being in the open.
Very much an in the open spider for mine too. I even put an upside-down tiny cup in the cage for it to go under and it never does. It does climb the saides a bit, almost like it thinks it is an arboreal. I held it again today for a couple minutes and it isn't skittish at all.

Bryan
 

Immortal_sin

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good question, I intend to find out by experimenting with my own Usambara slings :D
I will probably get bitten, however!
I have handled my L parahybana from the time I got him at 3", and he's pretty mellow about it. My L cristatus, however, I would not attempt to handle...what a psycho!
And I got him when he was smaller than the L para. It's hard to say...but it might be worth experimenting with!
 

Devildoll

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well, i refuse to handle my slings unless for shipping....
they are just too fragile....

P. scrofa.... mine burrows like you wouldn't believe..... non-stop....

really cool burrow too!

as far as desensitizing slings to handling at an early age... i don't believe it...
I don't believe any invert has a memory of that nature.
i think they are what they are.... but like i've said before... any species is capable of being handled..... just not every spider of every species.
 

kellygirl

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Originally posted by bness2
[/I] I guess this is a moot question for now in their case.
teeheehee, you said moot! such a funny word! :)

sorry, totally off topic, i just enjoy that word....

kellygirl
 

happymeal

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My L cristatus, however, I would not attempt to handle...what a psycho!
I know what you mean!!! My thinks she owns the house, land and my car. =D She's not scare to let me know who's the boss.

H.M.
 

Chris

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I personally think its worth a shot... its stands to reason that handling a spider while its a baby will have it used to you by the time you are an adult.

Some argue the fact that T's can learn and think... but my proof that they can is that usually after having a T for a long period of time (6 months to a year) they all seem to calm down and aren't nearly as jumpy as when I first get them. They often allow me to do cage maintainance without even acknowledging that I am there rather than threaten me or run to their burrow.

I guess what it all boils down to... is that I would much rather take a bite from a s'ling with small fangs than an adult with big ones :D
 

Rookie

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Gentle caress

If you want to expose yourself to your s'ling, but you're too wimpy to actually handle it...could you...touch it every now and then, just so it can distinguish human contact as a non-threatening instance? I'm afraid to attempt to handle Peso, but like others have said, it's worth a shot to see if they can indeed grow accustomed to you. Then again, i probably have the gentlest species of T you can get, so I'm not really sure why I'm sweating it. :)
Anyway, just curious.
The Rookie
 

Code Monkey

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Whether it's very bright or not, I tend to not really worry about anybody under 1.5". Of course, I am getting my first Usambara slings today so I might change my mind shortly :)

Since I handle infrequently, mainly for cage transfers or substrate changes, I don't really worry about desensitising to handling. My experience has been that almost any T can be handled/wrangled to some degree without freaking you and the T out so long as you are observant of the T's and your body language and movements. On the whole, Ts don't want to bite you ever, so by paying attention to them, you know the individuals or the days that you'll be better off just grabbing a cup and your paintbrush and moving them that way.

It's even possible that a large amount of calming when being handled is on your end - these guys have a lot of chemoreceptors and extremely well tuned abilities to sense physical vibrations and movement. A lot of it may just be as you get more confident you feel less threatening to the T compared to the adrenaline pumped, hopped up pheremone exuding nut you were when you first started handling it.
 

krystal

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since i am a wuss, i do not hold my bigger (meaning older) tarantulas (a. geniculata, b. boehmei and pterror). however, i have gathered up enough courage to hold my slings (l. cristatus and l. parahybana). both are somewhat skittish, but they behave themselves when i am holding them. that's not to say they _enjoy_ being handled, but i am going to do so until one hops of my hand and runs away or bites me.
 

Mastercody2002

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I love holding my baby Goliath Bird eater :)
It,s about 2".
This is also my first time replying...
 
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Lorgakor

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Holy old thread Batman!!!! :eek:
But welcome to the boards! :)
 

Mastercody2002

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Thanks for the welcome.
There easy to hold when there spider lings just be careful.
But they may bite!
never been bit.
 
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Jmadson13

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I don't, just too worried that I'll drop an animal. Though some of my small Poecilotheria, and P. irminia have run out of their containers upon arrival.
 

jbrd

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Has anyone ever had a sling get awa from them while trying to hold it? What kind of conditions do you people try to hold your slings in? On a desk, near the floor what?
I have recently aquired a half to three quarter inch L.parahybana sling, seeing as how i usually do not handle my T's, would this be a good sling to start out with? I also have P.murinus, GBB, and G.aureostiata slings too. Also a five plus inch G.rosea.
What do you think would be a better choice?
My six inch T.blondi is definetly not a good choice lol
 
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