Handling, how?!

[Braden]

Guess there's not much more to say lol

 

[Royalty]

My friend sad a kid brought their curly hair to school. Had it for a few years and handled it a lot. I am not sure what happened but it fell to the floor and it's abdomen burst. There was no saving it.

 

[mellow]

If you really feel you need to try handling a tarantula who's going to stop you? handle your tarantula at your own and the tarantula's risk.

 

[Cemykay]

If you have to handle your tarantula, you can reduce risks by sitting on the floor and holding your hands VERY close to the ground or a soft surface. Please don´t handle tarantulas with a defensive temperament or potent venom though.

I know this is controversial, but the bigger the hobby gets, the more people want (and will) handle their tarantulas. I can understand where the wish comes from and don´t judge people because of it. It is selfish yes, but imho unavoidable in a growing scene, so let´s try to teach them a proper way of doing it.

 

[Matt Man]

My friend sad a kid brought their curly hair to school. Had it for a few years and handled it a lot. I am not sure what happened but it fell to the floor and it's abdomen burst. There was no saving it.

I am going to guess it bolted on someone, they panicked and it fell. My daughter (16) was doing an education demo with a curly, everything was done proper, the Curly scrambled, she didn't move, the Curly stopped and I retrieved it off her head. People where aghast at how she/I didn't react at all. Even on her head, we had that T covered from a fall as I was spotting with the ability to catch. We used as a moment to teach A) why you shouldn't handle Ts (because of the risk to them) and B) being an advanced keeper means you can stay dead calm. The dealer we work with was rehousing some small P Metallicas at a show and one escaped. Same thing, slow, calm, locate it, retrieve it safely.

 

[Frogdaddy]

If you have to handle your tarantula, you can reduce risks by sitting on the floor and holding your hands VERY close to the ground or a soft surface. Please don´t handle tarantulas with a defensive temperament or potent venom though.

I know this is controversial, but the bigger the hobby gets, the more people want (and will) handle their tarantulas. I can understand where the wish comes from and don´t judge people because of it. It is selfish yes, but imho unavoidable in a growing scene, so let´s try to teach them a proper way of doing it.

So is the number of people wanting to handle tarantulas linear or exponential to the number of people in the hobby?
How about if there's more people in the hobby there's an opportunity to teach more people that intentional handling is a bad idea and no good can come from it.
What you're saying is people are going to blow their brains out with a gun, we might as well teach them to load it correctly. Makes no sense.
Let's teach them to be responsible keepers, which means no intentional, unnecessary handling.

 

[Tarantula155]

Handling a A geniculata lol

Bad idea, mine want to eat my fingers.. holding them is just asking for trouble

 

[Cemykay]

So is the number of people wanting to handle tarantulas linear or exponential to the number of people in the hobby?
How about if there's more people in the hobby there's an opportunity to teach more people that intentional handling is a bad idea and no good can come from it.
What you're saying is people are going to blow their brains out with a gun, we might as well teach them to load it correctly. Makes no sense.
Let's teach them to be responsible keepers, which means no intentional, unnecessary handling.

No you are missing my point. People want to handle their pets, even if you don't like that they do it with tarantulas.

It's the same with alcohol. People want to drink it, even if it will harm them on the long term. You can try to prohibit alcohol and explain why alcohol is bad and drinking leads to health problems or accept the human need of occasional intoxication and teach a responsible use of alcoholic beverages.

 

[Frogdaddy]

No you are missing my point. People want to handle their pets, even if you don't like that they do it with tarantulas.

It's the same with alcohol. People want to drink it, even if it will harm them on the long term. You can try to prohibit alcohol and explain why alcohol is bad and drinking leads to health problems or accept the human need of occasional intoxication and teach a responsible use of alcoholic beverages.

Intentional, unnecessary handling of tarantulas is voluntary, risky, and has zero benefits. Just because people do it doesn't maker it right, nor does it make it acceptable by saying people are going to do it anyway so we might as well teach them how. Many many successful keepers have gone years and years without intentionally handling their animals. You condoning unacceptable behavior does not make it right. If people learn the dangers and risks associated with handling T's they may not do it, Not everyone wants to handle their pets. If you want to handle a pet, get a cat or a dog. I find your attitude and reasoning totally in the opposite direction of the best interests of the animals you claim to care for.
Anything other than discouraging people to handle their T's is encouragement for them to do it.

 

[Matt Man]

No you are missing my point. People want to handle their pets, even if you don't like that they do it with tarantulas.

It's the same with alcohol. People want to drink it, even if it will harm them on the long term. You can try to prohibit alcohol and explain why alcohol is bad and drinking leads to health problems or accept the human need of occasional intoxication and teach a responsible use of alcoholic beverages.

I don't take this as condoning. I take this as simply facing the reality of the situation. All we can do is advise people of the dangers, encourage them to NOT handle it, and provide them with information that if they do, how to minimize the danger. I tell folks "Do you pull your fish out of the tank and show them?" But people are going to handle them, so at least if they are educated on the risk, we can reduce the mortality

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Handling is risky to the tarantula, but what I don't understand about the debate is why people argue that it should never be done because it's "selfish" and "has no benefit to the spider".

If arthropod welfare and ethics is what you're concerned about, isn't it even more selfish to kill hundreds of feeders just so you can have T's to look at? Only difference between a cricket and a T is that one is bigger and more expensive. As long as it's understood that there's a risk involved, why try to police what people can do with their own bugs?

 

[EggSack]

Handling is risky to the tarantula, but what I don't understand about the debate is why people argue that it should never be done because it's "selfish" and "has no benefit to the spider".

If arthropod welfare and ethics is what you're concerned about, isn't it even more selfish to kill hundreds of feeders just so you can have T's to look at? Only difference between a cricket and a T is that one is bigger and more expensive. As long as it's understood that there's a risk involved, why try to police what people can do with their own bugs?

I couldn't agree more, just didn't find the words to spell it out myself

 

[Frogdaddy]

Handling is risky to the tarantula

Exactly. That's the end of the debate right there. Glad you agree.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

If that was the end of the debate people wouldn't make a fuss when someone says they're ok with taking the risk

 

[Frogdaddy]

If that was the end of the debate people wouldn't make a fuss when someone says they're ok with taking the risk

Do they have consent from the tarantula who is at the most risk?

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Do they have consent from the tarantula who is at the most risk?

do you have consent from every bug you've tossed in your T's enclosure

 

[mellow]

Exactly. That's the end of the debate right there. Glad you agree.

That sounds like something my dad would say. lol

 

[Frogdaddy]

I don't understand your logic. How it is unethical to feed an animal something that was bred, raised, and sold specifically for the purpose of being a feeder? We're not talking about making horses into dog food or glue. We're talking about invertebrates that can't think, have feelings, or feel pain.
It would be unethical to take wild bugs and turn them into feeders as that may damage the wild population. Here's a life lesson for ya kiddo, ethics is doing the right thing when no one is watching.

I'm not trying to police what people do with their spiders, I'm not coming to your house to issue a citation. My point is how can you justify handing a spider when you know the consequences (Stress or possible death, or perhaps a bite) and the spider gains NOTHING from you handling it. So what's the point of handling it? Anything less than discouraging handling is encouraging it. That's being unethical right there.

That sounds like something my dad would say. lol

Are you my long lost son? I am old enough to be your dad. At least you're cool enough to keep T's

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I don't understand your logic. How it is unethical to feed an animal something that was bred, raised, and sold specifically for the purpose of being a feeder? We're not talking about making horses into dog food or glue. We're talking about invertebrates that can't think, have feelings, or feel pain.
It would be unethical to take wild bugs and turn them into feeders as that may damage the wild population. Here's a life lesson for ya kiddo, ethics is doing the right thing when no one is watching.

I'm not trying to police what people do with their spiders, I'm not coming to your house to issue a citation. My point is how can you justify handing a spider when you know the consequences (Stress or possible death, or perhaps a bite) and the spider gains NOTHING from you handling it. So what's the point of handling it? Anything less than discouraging handling is encouraging it. That's being unethical right there.

I don't understand your logic either. All I see is contradictions.

I'm not condemning using feeders, obviously I feed insects to my tarantulas too (though I don't see how the purpose an animal is bred for has anything to do with the ethics of killing it).

Tarantulas are mindless invertebrates just the same as crickets. Crickets don't gain anything from being fed to tarantulas, tarantulas don't gain anything from being handled. Why is it justifiable to use feeders for the benefit of keeping your tarantula (which you keep because you enjoy it), which has a 100% chance of causing harm an animal whose fate you're responsible for, but not justifiable to handle the tarantula (because some people enjoy handling them) which carries a small risk of causing harm to an animal you're responsible for?

 

[Matt Man]

the only argument one could make would be about the economic risk/reward of handling them. As far as the ethical side goes, it's been explained here pretty well. Similar to 'ethical vegetarians' who wear leather.