My Blog Post on why Tarantulas Shouldn't be Handled

[Effexion]

I posted this on the Facebook group but it was swiftly removed (I didn't think about it containing handling pictures). I contacted the admin as I initially thought it was due to it being on my site, but was told it was down to the pictures but I could post it here. Quite worried about the reception this may receive but looking forward to reading your thoughts.

https://tarantulair.com/uncategorized/handling-tarantulas/

 

[Ungoliant]

Quite worried about the reception this may receive but looking forward to reading your thoughts.

https://tarantulair.com/uncategorized/handling-tarantulas/

Most of the experienced keepers here do not handle, so you wouldn't get a hostile reception to recommendations not to handle.

That being said, I would go a step further and change the title from "Handling Tarantulas and Why it Should be Left to the Experienced" to "Handling Tarantulas and Why Not to Do It."

 

[Effexion]

Most of the experienced keepers here do not handle, so you wouldn't get a hostile reception to recommendations not to handle.

That being said, I would go a step further and change the title from "Handling Tarantulas and Why it Should be Left to the Experienced" to "Handling Tarantulas and Why Not to Do It."

That's great to hear. I was initially going to call it exactly that but changed my mind due to the possible reactions in the community. Not sure how it would lay with Google if I was to change the title now (they are important for SEO). Thanks for the reply .

 

[Mychajlo]

I really enjoyed that. I think it sounds great and states clearly the reasons to not handle.

 

[starnaito]

Great post! I wish more people would think about the risks before handling.

When I looking to buy my first T, a pet store employee, who saw I was interested in a rosie, swiftly scooped her up and placed her in my hands without even asking me first. And I thought, "How often do they do this, and how much stress is it causing this tarantula?" Even then, when I was just starting out, I could tell by the rosie's behavior that she was not comfortable being plucked out of her home like that. She was moving from hand to hand so fast I was afraid she might fall, and I quickly asked the employee to put her back. (I did come back later to buy her and she hasn't been handled since.)

I know pet stores are just trying to sell their animals, but it's not like test driving a car. We don't need to handle the T to determine whether or not we're going to buy it...

 

[D Sherlod]

Great blog, everything sounds great. I would be concerned the pictures may come across as hypocritical as you are handling.
Pictures of the Tarantulas sitting relaxed may be more effective. But that is just my opinion.
Great job.

 

[nicodimus22]

"...can be fatally damaged by just dropping them from a few, short inches."

That comma doesn't belong there.

"When handling tarantulas many will think that this won’t happen..."

A comma does belong after the word 'tarantulas' here.

You're already fighting an uphill battle with most people on this topic. Don't give them any reasons to doubt your credibility.

 

[Effexion]

"...can be fatally damaged by just dropping them from a few, short inches."

That comma doesn't belong there.

"When handling tarantulas many will think that this won’t happen..."

A comma does belong after the word 'tarantulas' here.

You have a good point. I was fighting with whether or not I should add the first comma as it sounded right in my head lol. The second instance was sloppy proofreading on my part. Fixed!
Cheers!

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Talk about going even further off-topic, but...

Could the first comma be considered an Oxford comma? It doesn't sound exactly wrong in my head either. But I can't decide how grammatically correct it is.

 

[Ungoliant]

Could the first comma be considered an Oxford comma? It doesn't sound exactly wrong in my head either. But I can't decide how grammatically correct it is.

No. An Oxford comma is the comma before the and in a series of three or more items. For example:

"My three tarantulas are named Larry, Curly, and Moe."

 

[Effexion]

No. An Oxford comma is the comma before the and in a series of three or more items. For example:

"My three tarantulas are named Larry, Curly, and Moe."

I still think the first comma belonged there lol. It sounded right in my head too.

 

[Effexion]

"Few" and "short" were both describing the size of the fall.

Like "I just took a long, hard look at that".