Handling My Pet

[Desert Rose]

Hello, this is my first post so don't hate me if I sound stupid.

I've had my chilean rose for over 2 months now and still don't know exactly how to go about handling it. When I bought it, I knew it wasn't a hamster, but I still want to hold it. I've looked everywhere and can't find a decent caresheet that discusses how to get the tarantula from its cage and into your hand without poking it into a deli cup with a stick. Can anybody send me a link to a good site with pictures on how to handle it.

 

[Merfolk]

They were many furious debates on the subject here, but you couldn't know. Handling is not recommended, but some precautions can be taken to minimize any potential consequences.
We are not 100% against, but some behavior, like lifting the spider high above ground, pick it up even when it visibly don't want to be held or anything related to that macho attitude 'Look, I touch a big spider' and al should be avoided!

If you do a search function with the word handling, you'll find all the debates and arguments, even an article about various correct ways to handle, and the reasons why it should be avoided most of the time!

 

[KaineSoulblade]

Can I ask where you bought it from and how old it is?

Regardless, I would advise you to open its enclosure and watch how it reacts. Most roses aren't too skittish so it may very well sit there without response. But reading body langauge is probably the most important thing to do when handling. Every rose i've ever seen throw up a threat posture (most in pet shops, from being harassed by customers daily) are slow to react. So you've got that in your favor.

Test the waters, look for aggression. I would give it a very light pet on the rump. If its going to be aggressive you'll most likely see it after contact. If it just budges a bit, I would stick my other hand flat on the surface infront of the rose and give it another pet to the rump... If she goes on your hand just be confident and let her explore a bit. If she bolts for short distances to run away from your attempts, I would leave her be and try again another day.

I'm sure most people will advise you not to hold her at all or to use a paint brush in place of a finger, but that's how I do it. Do whatever your comfortable with. Just remember to watch and learn the spider's body language, aside from not handling at all its the best prevention from getting a nice venomous bite.

 

[JMoran1097]

i pretty much side with KaineSoulBlade. test the waters for aggressive and defensive nature. if you personally don't feel comfortable holding her, don't do it. don't be one of those cocky owners that feels they can pick up whatever they want, whenever they want. respect your spider's body language.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Can I ask where you bought it from and how old it is?

To be fair, unless you raise a tarantula from birth, it's impossible to know how old it is since growing speed is so dependent on outside factors over the course of its entire life.

 

[KaineSoulblade]

To be fair, unless you raise a tarantula from birth, it's impossible to know how old it is since growing speed is so dependent on outside factors over the course of its entire life.

I was getting at the possibility of a personal sale. Never know.

 

[Merfolk]

There is anyways some sort of consensus here: As soon as you open the lid, you can tell if the animal is nervous or jumpy sometimes. If it seems that it want to be left alone, leave it alone

 

[Desert Rose]

Well as for age, its a subadult ( I think ) and it's female for sure. It doesnt seem overly jumpy, usually I can touch it and it either crawls behind the plant or just doesn't move. I can gently prod it on to my hand but if it starts crawling I just kinda put my hand in front of it to guide it. However, every now and then it crawls to far and I dont want to grab it and startle it, so I just put it back in the deli cup and into its cage. Is there a safe way to pick it up and move it, other than just letting it walk? I havent seen it show any sign of aggression, but I dont want to find its evil side the hard way.