How often do you hold your Ts?

[Marvin]

Which should I handle?

I think it is not a very good idea to handle T's.
They get nothing from it and there is always the risk of you harming the T.
I have not always thought like that but I am now starting to think this way.
I now appreciate my ones from a distance.
I have some very large snakes to handle,which is more fun anyway

Hey guys! I'm new in this forum and in the world of tarantulas in general. A couple of months ago, i decided to no longer be afraid of spiders! So I went out and bought a tarantula. First of all because I was tired of being afraid of spiders, but also because a friend of mine has alot and I really think they look awesome, and its interesting to see how they live and survive in an enclosure. I started to really enjoy tarantulas and now I have 6 of them! Two B.Boehmei's(9-10cm) - One B.Vagans (12-14) - One B.Auratum(14-16) and a C.Marshalli and a very small G.Rosea.

The thing is that now when I'm no longer afraid of them I'd really like to try to hold one of them, just once. I read alot about that its no good for the spider to be held, but after reading this thread I'm starting to think that I should maybe allow myself to handle one of them, just once. So, which of my T's would you recommend for me to hold? Of course one of the Brachypelmas. The Vagans and Auratum are really docile and Ive only seen them flick hairs once. I even let my mate hold my Auratum once and it went pretty well. So, please come with some input

I did read the forum rules and stuff, so I hope its alright that I post my question in this thread? Since its about the same topic

I'm very sorry for this awfull spelling. I'm 16 years old and from Denmark I hope you can read what I write!

 

[Xian]

Hey guys! I'm new in this forum and in the world of tarantulas in general. A couple of months ago, i decided to no longer be afraid of spiders! So I went out and bought a tarantula. First of all because I was tired of being afraid of spiders, but also because a friend of mine has alot and I really think they look awesome, and its interesting to see how they live and survive in an enclosure. I started to really enjoy tarantulas and now I have 6 of them! Two B.Boehmei's(9-10cm) - One B.Vagans (12-14) - One B.Auratum(14-16) and a C.Marshalli and a very small G.Rosea.

The thing is that now when I'm no longer afraid of them I'd really like to try to hold one of them, just once. I read alot about that its no good for the spider to be held, but after reading this thread I'm starting to think that I should maybe allow myself to handle one of them, just once. So, which of my T's would you recommend for me to hold? Of course one of the Brachypelmas. The Vagans and Auratum are really docile and Ive only seen them flick hairs once. I even let my mate hold my Auratum once and it went pretty well. So, please come with some input

I did read the forum rules and stuff, so I hope its alright that I post my question in this thread? Since its about the same topic

I'm very sorry for this awfull spelling. I'm 16 years old and from Denmark I hope you can read what I write!

Welcome-

First, your spelling is better than alot of Americans on here.
I'd hold whichever one that YOU feel most comfortable with. Just stay low and do it close to the bed or floor, for the spiders safety.
Enjoy!

 

[Marvin]

Welcome-

First, your spelling is better than alot of Americans on here.
I'd hold whichever one that YOU feel most comfortable with. Just stay low and do it close to the bed or floor, for the spiders safety.
Enjoy!

Cheers mate! Thats what I thought, I just wanted to hear it from someone more experienced then me. Anyway, I'm new in the hobby, but I really really did alot of reading and studying, so I think I have it all under control.

There is one thing tho, I used to be very scared of spiders, now I'm not really anymore, but I'm not sure if I I will become alitle scared when it crawls on my hand? In case of getting scared while holding it, I know I won't panic, Ill just put it slowly back in the enclosure. But will it feel my fear, and bite me? Or can it not feel that I'm afraid, unless I really panic?

 

[paul fleming]

Not the marshalli,that's for sure.Anything with "baboon" in the name is not really a spider that should be handled,especially by a novice
you know how I now feel about handling but they are your spiders and it is your decision......hope it goes well for you buddy

 

[Xian]

Cheers mate! Thats what I thought, I just wanted to hear it from someone more experienced then me. Anyway, I'm new in the hobby, but I really really did alot of reading and studying, so I think I have it all under control.

There is one thing tho, I used to be very scared of spiders, now I'm not really anymore, but I'm not sure if I I will become alitle scared when it crawls on my hand? In case of getting scared while holding it, I know I won't panic, Ill just put it slowly back in the enclosure. But will it feel my fear, and bite me? Or can it not feel that I'm afraid, unless I really panic?

Opinions may vary here, I think you'll be Okay. It shouldn't sense your fear like a dog or other animal will. As long as you remain physically calm you'll be alright.
I first started collecting T's out of my fear as well.

 

[Marvin]

Opinions may vary here, I think you'll be Okay. It shouldn't sense your fear like a dog or other animal will. As long as you remain physically calm you'll be alright.
I first started collecting T's out of my fear as well.

Great! Thank you for some great answers. I'll try to handle my B.Auratum sometime tommorrow then, when I'm alitle more awake.

Cheers

 

[paul fleming]

Great! Thank you for some great answers. I'll try to handle my B.Auratum sometime tommorrow then, when I'm alitle more awake.

Cheers

If you are going to do it,may as well post some pictures

 

[Marvin]

If you are going to do it,may as well post some pictures

Yeah for sure! I'll give it a go tommorrow. Can I just post them in this thread?

 

[paul fleming]

Yeah for sure! I'll give it a go tommorrow. Can I just post them in this thread?

May be best to start your own thread......otherwise it may be seen as hijacking the OP's thread mate

 

[jellybean]

Pictures please

lol, ive gone all shy now

 

[Draychen]

T Handling

Starting off - I am not in the least bit afraid of getting bit by anything (I have been bit by B. Widows, B. Recluses, Water Moccisons, dogs... There's a lot of things worse to be bitten by. I guess it helps to take the mentality of 'I'm already bitten, I just haven't felt it yet'). I handle all my T's (Granted all the ones my roomate and I have are 'docile). Perhaps stupidly, I stick my hands all in their enclosure (though I am VERY alert and slow moving).. I have never had a T go into a threat posture since I've had them. I have never had a T Kick hairs either, and my hands have NEVER itched in the slightest after handling one. I have had two avics shoot poop once each when taken from their habitats, but I chalk that up more to excitement than anything else as they will crawl further onto my hand and either sit there or explore in a slow fashion. I never coax the T into my hand other than a single light tap on the rear to get them moving. If they touch my hand and move away, i leave them be. If they climb aboard (and most do it without needing a tap at all), then I pull them out. My smallest avic versi (about 2" now that she's molted) is the most energetic. I'll let her run around my bed and she will literally climb onto my hand as I play games or watch movies. She likes resting on my head and will frequently jump down onto my hand and repeat the process. My Avic Azuraklassi likes playing in my arm hairs but she is generally best left alone to wander as she pleases. My 5" G. Rosea (Goliath) will literally roll over in his cage or on my bed so I can tickle his belly. He is also my 'Shoe Bandit' as he will hide in my shoes if I put them on my bed. On top of that, when he wants out, he will try to 'fang-hang' from the top of his cage, or he will literally plant his entire body to the glass where I am nearest. My other rosie likes to be out of his cage, but like my azuraklassi, would rather wander around on his own. My roomate's Avic Metallica will literally jump onto my arm if I put it in his cage and will literally stick there. He is the only one to ever bite me, and it really wasn't a bite. He was slipping from my hand and used his fangs to stop himself. I hadn't even noticed it until i saw the two red holes which arent even deep at all (He's nearly 4"). My roomate's B Emilia loves to be handled and will often fall asleep in the palm of my hand.. I rescued her from freezing by cupping her in my hands together to create warmth and used a medicine dropper to feed her water a month ago. My largest (which I recieved from ken a week back, 6"+ Avic Metallica) will lay on my belly for hours at a time as I gently pet her opisthosoma. When it try to put her back into the cage, sometimes she will literally push my hands away with her feet and want to remain there. Sometimes she will willingly go right back into her enclosure, and sometimes she will walk right back out and towards my hand. I hand feed all my T's without tongs (Which they take the food VERY gently until my hand is away), except my Rosies (one will ONLY take them from tongs, the other refuses them unless no one is watching him eat.. guess food isn't a spectating sport for him and he seems to enjoy 'fast' food).

I could be extremely mistaken at their actions and behaviours and what they mean. Or they could be like any other well taken care of pet: Shown love, they show love back. After watching these tarantulas and many other exotic pets, I find the statement that; 'they are just doing what they'd do in nature' or are pre-programmed to do quite wrong. In fact, I would have to say, after wittnessing some of the things these creatures do; they're pretty damned smart. My Azuraklassi did not want to be handled for about 2 weeks: She literally webbed ALL access points of her cage closed. I didn't bother her. After the time was up, she had removed her webbing, and as soon as the cage opened, she crawled right out onto the cage door and was reaching out with her front legs to my hand (No, she did not molt). I moved it closer and she hopped right on (Just a small example as this post is getting extremely long). Just my 2 cents (erm, judging by the size of this post... $2) on the subject.

:worship::?