I get to demonstrate at a school!

Kat Maehl

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
19
I've got some really good news.

Today I was up at a homeschooling 'school' and speaking to the owner. Who used to babysit me as a kid, and told her I had a few t's.

She was kind enough to be interested and ask me to come and show off my tarantulas, in hopes of teaching these kids that they're not to be feared or killed.
:)

I'm sad that I let my best handler go yesterday. Danni was such a sweet little sling. She was perfect for showing off. Didn't bolt much, was calm and easy to hold.

Just wanted to share! So I'm helping the community in helping educate people!
 

Devin B

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
326
Thats really cool that you get to do that. Be sure you warn them of the dangers of owning T's. By that I mean how easily it is to get addicted to the hobby and thats the only danger whatsoever lol.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
That's fantastic! I love doing classroom demonstrations. It's so much fun sharing your passions with others - especially kids! - and so rewarding, too! I have one coming up next week for a girl scout troop, and I can hardly wait!
 

Kat Maehl

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
19
That's fantastic! I love doing classroom demonstrations. It's so much fun sharing your passions with others - especially kids! - and so rewarding, too! I have one coming up next week for a girl scout troop, and I can hardly wait!
Any idea what I should do for my first time? :D

And great! Good luck!
 

Devin B

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
326
Any idea what I should do for my first time? :D

And great! Good luck!
I think everyone would really like it if you get one to eat. That would be exciting.

That why you could go into a discussion about how little they eat and how long they can go without eating, or how they eat and all that jazz.
 

Kat Maehl

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
19
I think everyone would really like it if you get one to eat. That would be exciting.
Thats a good idea.
Celeste might be gravid now, so she's been eating a beetle nearly every day. She's a pig xD
 

Devin B

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
326
Thats a good idea.
Celeste might be gravid now, so she's been eating a beetle nearly every day. She's a pig xD
I think if you had one eat, then everyone would be interested in watching because thats one of the most exciting things about tarantulas.

Also as im typing this my 1.25 inch B. Hamorii just took down a roach and is doing the T happy dance.
 

Kat Maehl

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
19
Don't you love the T happy dance? :D Celeste had a beetle this morning in prep for her meeting Studley. She rejected him, and Blueness, my Reduncus
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
Any idea what I should do for my first time? :D

And great! Good luck!
Yeah, the kids love watching them eat - especially if you have an aggressive feeder!

Another fun thing/educational thing is to talk about how arthropods like tarantulas have an exoskeleton instead of having bones on the inside, and how they need to molt to grow. I like to bring in old molts to show them - and let them (gently) touch the OW molts (but not the NW's because of the urticating hairs). I also sometimes do demonstrations to show them how a big tarantula can come out of a small molt. I take a regular balloon and stuff it into a water balloon, then blow up the regular balloon as far as the water balloon will allow it to go and clamp (not tie) the neck to keep the air in. I let the kids feel how tight the "exoskeleton" is on the balloon and explain that this is how the spider's exoskeleton is when they need to molt. I then carefully cut the water balloon with a small pair of scissors (it usually just takes a tiny cut to get it started, then it splits open and pops off of the inflated balloon) to show them how the spider emerges from the old exoskeleton. Finally, I explain how the new exoskeleton is still soft and stretchy when the spider first emerges, allowing the spider to expand it with air and body fluids so it can be substantially bigger than it was before. To demonstrate this, I pinch the neck of the balloon and unclamp it, them blow it up the rest of the way.
 

Devin B

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
326
I do love the happy dance. Also Ive been very entertained by by GBB latly. I just rehoused him yesterday and hes been doing laps in his new enclosure exploring everything.
 
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