Huntsman as pet?

[scairns]

So my son caught a huntsman and it is now in the bathroom in an aquarium with sand, logs and hiding spaces. My question is my son wants to handle it he has been handling spiders for years and at least this one isnt poisonous as the last "pet" he had was a black widow that he would hold until I found out he had it and it went away. I know they can bite and hurt but are they known for biting? Are these ok as pets generally? Is there a care sheet on them somewhere? He is a pretty thing kinda grey in color just looking for some advice on these guys as pets.
Thanks

 

[Ciphor]

So my son caught a huntsman and it is now in the bathroom in an aquarium with sand, logs and hiding spaces. My question is my son wants to handle it he has been handling spiders for years and at least this one isnt poisonous as the last "pet" he had was a black widow that he would hold until I found out he had it and it went away. I know they can bite and hurt but are they known for biting? Are these ok as pets generally? Is there a care sheet on them somewhere? He is a pretty thing kinda grey in color just looking for some advice on these guys as pets.
Thanks

Your son sounds smart

I guess I'll give you some general information as I doubt this will be his last 8 legged friend.

There are 2 main groups of spiders, Araneomorphae (true spiders) and Mygalomorphae (primitive spiders).

A majority of Mygalomorphae will bite without being provoked, it is their instinct to strike first, ask questions later. Tarantulas are some exceptions to this rule, they can often be friendly. Some examples of Mygalomorphae are trapdoor spiders, mouse spiders, tarantulas and Sydney funnel web spiders. You will know an aggressive one when you see it, they rear back and strike the air with threat poses.

Your son has been keeping Araneomorphs. Some examples of Araneomorphs are black widows, huntsman, wolf spiders, orb weavers, etc. These are the most common spiders and account for the the majority of spiders people see in their lifetime.

Araneomorphs, in general (there are exceptions) will not bite people unless provoked. Some examples of things that lead to a bite: Squeezing the spider, grabbing one of its legs, sitting on a spider, laying on one in a bed, applying pressure and sometimes general harassment such as poking it over and over to make it run etc. Generally, letting a spider of this type crawl on to you will never lead to a bite. Blackwidow bites (redbacks in your neck of the woods) are almost always the result of someone not checking where they put there hands when grabbing something, they accidentally apply pressure to the widow, and a bite follows. Your son owning a black widow, and holding it is perfectly safe in my opinion. Some will disagree as it does have the potential to do great damage, but that potential is only unleashed through human ignorance, which your son sounds like he lacks with his respect for life.

Now some hunstman are an exception to that rule. Some can be aggressive, however, aggressive behavior is easily identified. Your son could probably tell you best

As for huntsman being poisonous, you would have to eat one to find out, as poison is ingested. Yes it is venomous, all spiders are. No huntsman are known to have a medically significant venom to vertebrates (we are vertebrates). The worst case is some mild swelling and localized pain (think a bee sting). However, just like bee stings, people can be allergic to certain types of venom.

If you post a picture of your Huntsman, someone can probably tell you a lot more about the spider. Your son is not in any danger I promise you that. If anything, he is in less danger as he will develop a better understanding of arachnids through his fascination with them.

I guess I forgot to ask, how old is your son? if he is under 13 I'd exercise a lot more caution as they don't have as much common sense at those ages and have a lot of curiosity that can lead to being bit. I know when I was young I was bit by either a hobo or giant house spider thinking trying to pet my spider friend was a good idea. That would obviously be bad if he is handling widows.

Hope that helps some of your fears. I know my dad freaked out when he first found out I was keeping spiders as pets and feeding the ones around the house.

 

[scairns]

He is 12 has been in love with spiders since he was 2 when he was 5 he use to catch bugs and put them in the webs of the spiders in the backyard. I have a lot to learn because we are from the US and I know Australia can have some nasty spiders he is pretty happy to have this guy and had him out today but held him on a towel as he is not hundred percent comfortable because of his size. I posted a new thread with a picture of the one he has it is grey in color and pretty big.

 

[pavel]

Couple quick corrections to Ciphor's post ....

While the vast majority of spiders are poisonous, there are some that are not such as the Uloborids, & Liphistius.

We are vertebrates (we have a backbone) not invertebrates.

 

[Ciphor]

Lol yes, a few have no venom, but I did not feel they were worth mentioning as they are quite obscure and Scairns does not strike me as someone who needed all the details.

Auto correct got my bad spelling and I didn't catch it turning my word into invertebrate. Corrected it thank you for catching that. =)

One correction for you tho, spiders are not poisonous. They are venomous. "In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism. In medicine (particularly veterinary) and in zoology, a poison is often distinguished from a toxin and a venom. Toxins are poisons produced via some biological function in nature, and venoms are usually defined as toxins that are injected by a bite or sting to cause their effect, while other poisons are generally defined as substances which are absorbed through epithelial linings such as the skin or gut."

---------- Post added 11-26-2011 at 09:00 PM ----------

He is 12 has been in love with spiders since he was 2 when he was 5 he use to catch bugs and put them in the webs of the spiders in the backyard. I have a lot to learn because we are from the US and I know Australia can have some nasty spiders he is pretty happy to have this guy and had him out today but held him on a towel as he is not hundred percent comfortable because of his size. I posted a new thread with a picture of the one he has it is grey in color and pretty big.

I would lose the towel, that spider would likely bite right through it if it wanted to bite. Using a towel will in my opinion increase the chance of a bite as you have less control. Remember the worst case scenario is a bee sting type bite. I've been bitten a few times in my life by spiders, most the time I was asking for it and grabbing the spider in a poor manner.

I would however explain to him the dangers of widow spiders, including the long lasting effects of their venom (it's a neurotoxin that attacks your nervous system), and hold off on letting him handle those till he is a bit more mature. Maybe read some wiki articles with him so he understands the long lasting effects. Explain what his nervous system is and what hurting it can do. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrotoxin

Whatever you do, do not just tell him "Don't handle black widows, there bad and dangerous". As a parent your probably already aware that this approach will peak his curiosity and make it taboo. Detailed education is the best approach, he will listen as he is interested.

Maybe get your son some basic biology books, I wish my dad had when I was younger.

In all honesty, in a place like Australia, spiders are the least of your concerns lol. I'm paranoid and won't go near some of the shores there. Frigin Taipans, box jelly fish, GW sharks, venomous spiked shell fish and kangeroos too. What a predatory arms race that continent is.

 

[scairns]

Thanks guys

 

[Gnat]

Couple quick corrections to Ciphor's post ....

While the vast majority of spiders are poisonous, there are some that are not such as the Uloborids, & Liphistius.

We are vertebrates (we have a backbone) not invertebrates.

I dont think there are any poisonous spiders, I think they can all be eaten safely

 

[llamastick]

I dont think there are any poisonous spiders, I think they can all be eaten safely

As long as you don't bite down wrong and accidentally pierce yourself!