Handling didn't work out

[Rookie]

Hey all,
So, I worked up the courage tonight, and decided I'd try handling my first T. Unfortunately, it didn't work out too well (no, i didn't get bitten).

I ultimately decided to stop my attempt because Peso seemed too stressed. I'm not sure what went wrong.
I opened up his KK to let him crawl out. After a while, I tried a little poke or two with my finger (i didn't have a paintbrush nearby). At first he moved towards the top..but then he got to the very edge, but refused to leave. i gave him a 'poke' or two, but he actually resisted, and stayed plastered to the side. Figurin i better stop, i gave it one more try, but he whisked back down to his substrate. he seemed a little flighty and panicked, and decided not to take the risk, even if he/she is a calm G.Pulchra.
Now i'm afraid to try it in the future just because I freaked him out so badly this time.
Lastly, I had to have a spectator for pictures, but one turned into five, and that turned into conversation, and the room was small. the vibration may have spooked him.
Any suggestions as to why he/she wouldn't leave home? improvements for next time. I'd like to try again, and any help would be great.
Paul

 

[Lostkat]

Don't worry, he just got scared and ran off It was probably a mixture of being poked about by a finger and having a spectator. It's amazing how sensitive they are to being breathed on. I was taking pics of my sling when my bf was over. I was talking to him at the same time and she kept hiding because she could feel the vibrations, and me breathing on her. Poor baby

However, your T has probably forgotten all about it by now. Things you do generally don't affect their behaviour on a day-to-day basis afaik. I've picked my sling up a few times and she's been fine, but sometimes she just doesn't want to know and hunches up to hide from me. At that point, I leave her alone.

Next time I would adivse that if you do have a spectator, don't talk (just whisper) whilst your getting spidey out, and try not to breathe on it. Sounds silly, but I always make sure that I never breathe on mine when I'm handing her. It really stresses her out if I do. Also, use something very soft to poke him onto your hand. I use either a very fine make-up brush, which is basically like a soft paint brush, or a cosmetic bud (Q tip) to gently nudge her abdomen. If she doesn't move after a few nudges, I leave her be and try again later.

The key to this is to be patient and gentle

 

[Rookie]

my biggest fan

thanks for the help. i figured afterward that the biggest problem was my nudging. I wanted to use something softer, but it was a quick decision i made at about 1 in the morning, and since i live in a university residence, a paintbrush is hard to find at that time. i never thought of a q-tip.
i think the talking had a lot to do with it too. my spectators were all 20 year old males, and they weren't very quiet. i should've known better. i'll try this all again soon.

i thought it was cute yesterday. i was practicing some stand-up comedy i was doing later that night, and i practiced out loud in my room while looking in a mirror. i could see Peso's reflection, and he slowly left his hide and crawled towards me, and he eventually positioned himself on the side of his cage facing me. i don't know if it was my hurried speaking, or coincidence, but he acted well as an audience.
Paul

 

[Nixy]

Just be slow and gentle.
And I have noticed as well that air puffs like speaking tend to upset them.

Try sitting on the floor with her KK.
Open it and just rest your hand on the edge and watch TV.

Keep an eye on her too of course but let her get used to you.
She mind climb right up after a while.



Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Immortal_sin]

Rookie,
that's not a bad start! Sometimes my slings WILL NOT come out. They just won't. No problem, I just try again in a few days. Unless I have to move them for a reason, then I put my palm behind their little abdomen, and gently push. Did you see the pics I took for you on the other thread about how to do it?

 

[Tranz]

Re: my biggest fan

Originally posted by Rookie
[B i was practicing some stand-up comedy i was doing later that night, and i practiced out loud in my room while looking in a mirror. i could see Peso's reflection, and he slowly left his hide and crawled towards me, and he eventually positioned himself on the side of his cage facing me. i don't know if it was my hurried speaking, or coincidence, but he acted well as an audience.
Paul [/B]

If you're going to be a comedian, you're going to have to learn how to handle hecklers.

 

[MizM]

I have never had a failure with this method: Put your hand down flat in front of your T and gently nudge the butt. The whole trick is to get them somewhere flat. All my enclosures are flat and wide I have access to the entire open top so I have room to put both hands in.

Good luck and be patient!

P.S. to Nixy; You ARE a goddess! Your kind words and helpfulness are so encouraging. I see how you can handle toddler twins! Next time I do something really stupid and embarrasing to my T's, I'm e-mailing YOU!!!

 

[Godzilla2000]

I try not to handle my arachnids as much as possible.The only time I do touch them is whenever I necessarily have to, like giving a nudge to my pinktoe so that I don't clip her legs inside the snap tight lid of my tank. I find my T's are happier with less contact, especially my Rosehair who was quite pestered by unattended children at the petshop I bought her in. After having her a week or so she's starting to finally trust me to the pint where she doesn't scurry away whenever I put my hand in her tank to change her water or give her crickets like she had a few days ago. I tend to treat my Tarantulas as a look and see kind of pet that are definately hands off. I even got after my neice for tapping on the glass which is a definite no-no as far as my Tarantulas are concerned.

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by Rookie
Any suggestions as to why he/she wouldn't leave home? improvements for next time. I'd like to try again, and any help would be great.
Paul

Well, tarantulas don't like to be handled at all, it's foriegn ground to them. Sometimes people just like to handle them for the hell of it, that's their option and I for one won't put anyone down for it if they choose to do so. But it would be nice for everyone who does handle to understand that the T's just don't like it for the most part. Your spider did nothing unusual at all. The strongest senses of the tarantulas are placed on the tips of those legs and they can tell when they are sitting on another animal, make no mistake about it.

And I'd also suggest that if this is the first time you might want to build up the courage to try it by yourself, away from spectators. Anyone can handle a spider so it's no big deal, I'd keep your buddies away, they'll definately stress the spider out more.

Maybe give it a go when you need to, like an enclosure clean out or something, after all, why stress the spider out for no reason? Of course this is just my personal opinion and I'm damn sure a lot of other people feel differently about it, I just thought I'd give you another perspective.

Good luck

Steve

 

[rapunzel]

How about:

Originally posted by Godzilla2000
I I even got after my neice for tapping on the glass which is a definite no-no as far as my Tarantulas are concerned.

Boyfriend's teenage daughter (waaayyyyy old enough to 'know better') snatches sling vial off my dresser and proceeds to run down hallway chasing her screaming friend.....

I almost had a heart attack. My four year old knows better. I certainly expected better from a seventeen year old.

Kim

 

[Steve Nunn]

Re: How about:

Originally posted by rapunzel
I almost had a heart attack. My four year old knows better. I certainly expected better from a seventeen year old.

Kim

Hmmmm, that would call for some "teen handling".

Steve

 

[Godzilla2000]

Re: How about:

Originally posted by rapunzel
Boyfriend's teenage daughter (waaayyyyy old enough to 'know better') snatches sling vial off my dresser and proceeds to run down hallway chasing her screaming friend.....

I almost had a heart attack. My four year old knows better. I certainly expected better from a seventeen year old.

Kim

That would send me into the stratosphere. I get nervous even nudging my Pinktoe so I don't hurt her when replacing the lid after misting her tank. I'd be going ballistic if someone of that age were dashing through my apartment with my baby Tarantula. And she'd be one person I'd bar from seeing my Tarantulas again.

 

[Rookie]

But it would be nice for everyone who does handle to understand that the T's just don't like it for the most part. Your spider did nothing unusual at all. The strongest senses of the tarantulas are placed on the tips of those legs and they can tell when they are sitting on another animal, make no mistake about it.

Steve,
Thanks for the advice, and I understand what you are saying. I know that they don't want to be handled, and I understand they would prefer little or no human contact at all. I'm trying this for two reasons:
1. Because Peso got out for the first time last week, and if it wasn't for sheer luck, I would have had no means, and no experience, for getting him back home. I was nervous as hell to see that he was out, and I may have had to handle him at that point. I'm sure any keeper would agree that my racing heart and sweating palms would not be the best human conditions for handling a Tarantula for the first time. I want to do this because a scenario may arise again where I will have to handle Peso. I want to be calm if this happens.
and:
2. I'm simply curious. I want to know what it feels like to have my tarantula crawling around on me. I've never experienced it before, and I want to quench my curiousity.

I've just tried a second time with the same results. I used a Q-tip instead of a finger, but he tensed up and stayed put. I read a few chapters and waited for movement, but none came, so I gave up.
Paul

 

[Grael]

my sisters rosea loved being out she was hyper when u had her out would venture everywhere but my sling i got out by myself when i was alone seemed quite scared and crunched herself up so i put her back in but strangley when i had my 2 best friends down and he got her out she was fine and seemed quite ok....

 

[Godzilla2000]

Originally posted by Grael
my sisters rosea loved being out she was hyper when u had her out would venture everywhere but my sling i got out by myself when i was alone seemed quite scared and crunched herself up so i put her back in but strangley when i had my 2 best friends down and he got her out she was fine and seemed quite ok....

Tarantulas are crazy aren't they? I think I've stated this numerous times before but my G. rosea I bought at a petstore. The owner told me that she's been having to get after kids because they've been pestering the exotics in the small tanks, my tarantula included. These kids would tap on the glass, even going so far as lifting up these lids and shoving their hands in the tanks traumatizing these poor creatures. So now my Tarantula hates having human contact and will bite if provoked meaning any kind of touch from a human hand or whatnot. But she's starting to get used to my hand being in the tank when I change her wayer and feed her crickets. She's starting to develop a little trust that I won't hurt her. But I still won't handle her. Because of the immature actions of those kids she's a little jumpy and rightly so.

 

[Grael]

Originally posted by Godzilla2000
Tarantulas are crazy aren't they? I think I've stated this numerous times before but my G. rosea I bought at a petstore. The owner told me that she's been having to get after kids because they've been pestering the exotics in the small tanks, my tarantula included. These kids would tap on the glass, even going so far as lifting up these lids and shoving their hands in the tanks traumatizing these poor creatures. So now my Tarantula hates having human contact and will bite if provoked meaning any kind of touch from a human hand or whatnot. But she's starting to get used to my hand being in the tank when I change her wayer and feed her crickets. She's starting to develop a little trust that I won't hurt her. But I still won't handle her. Because of the immature actions of those kids she's a little jumpy and rightly so.

aww poor thing well my sling is only a baby so i think it would naturally be a little scared seeing as i dont think its had hardly any human contact she was looked in a case with the other slings so the kids couldnt harass her anyway but im sure she will get me used to changing her water etc like u said she doesnt seem to bothered with it at the mo doesnt even move lol

 

[Nixy]

Originally posted by terridumonte
P.S. to Nixy; You ARE a goddess! Your kind words and helpfulness are so encouraging. I see how you can handle toddler twins! Next time I do something really stupid and embarrasing to my T's, I'm e-mailing YOU!!!

Aaaaaaaaawwwww Thank you!

Your so so sweet.

 

[Nixy]

Re: How about:

Originally posted by rapunzel
Boyfriend's teenage daughter (waaayyyyy old enough to 'know better') snatches sling vial off my dresser and proceeds to run down hallway chasing her screaming friend.....

I almost had a heart attack. My four year old knows better. I certainly expected better from a seventeen year old.

Kim

Boyfriends teenage daughter would be doing some cricket chopping to make up for stressing the living creature she should have thought about before playing freak her firend out....

Trent tried Once to show off for friends.
I told him if I caught him opening a lid with his friends in again he would be chopping crickets for a month.
And I would never let him handle one for a LONG Long Long time..

I'm a tough mom.
But fair.

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by Rookie
Steve,
Thanks for the advice, and I understand what you are saying. I know that they don't want to be handled, and I understand they would prefer little or no human contact at all. I'm trying this for two reasons:

Hi Rookie,
I understand your point and it is a good one, for sure. Personally, I kinda sit on the fence about handling, niether here nor there. I'm glad you understand about the T's not liking handling, it's an important factor and one that is too easily overlooked IMO. I'm sure if you continue to practice, you'll get into the swing of things, it's confidance that'll get you there. It's true that any species can be handled and with the more defensive species, I've found the quicker you are to just get in there and get the spider onto your hand, the better. I've handled wild caught Selenocosmia species that I've just dug up, right when they are most upset and never received a bite. I swear, confidance and being relaxed IS the key. The more you try, the more you'll become comfortable with it.

This might sound a bit scary to you, but, just go straight on in there, place your hand right in front of the spider with some force to the ground (so she doesn't mistake you for prey, not a thump, just a strong slow push to the ground ) and usher the spider straight on with a feather or brush (if you can get one). Try it with a passive species hough, G.pulchra is ideal in your case.

Good luck,
Steve