My nephew got spooked and dropped my Chilean rose tarantula, will she bite me if I pick her up now

[lovelylady24]

Oh you thought the tarantula would eat the toads - I didn't get that. Actually I'm against feeding things other than insects to tarantulas - those toads or mice die a slow and very painful death. Some people still do it and I don't say it's morally wrong, I'm just saying I don't like it. But Tarantulas don't need anything else but insects to live very long and healthy lives, so there's no need to feed them animals with advanced pain receptors and make those animals suffer.

Oh, and there's some rumours that a tarantula like yours can get 30 to 40 years old - so you may have her a very long time .

Wow. I heard 20 years. 40 is amazing

 

[cold blood]

Let me start by offering my condolences...Its always painful to lose a parent, I lost my father many many years ago and I can't imagine if he had died and laid there a full week...my heart truly goes out to you.

I plan on getting her a bigger tank.. I feel bad hers is so small. And this log won't move. It's from our woodstove supply it's solid and had good texture for her to grip.

That enclosure is already very large for her, I would downsize before I upsized...they just don't require that much room.

The one thing to remember though when setting it up fresh, is that that particular enclosure will need to be filled 3/4 of the way with sub to make it a safe place..as you know, falls are quite dangerous for them and doing all you can to discourage climbing is a good start. Also remove that rock, rocks are just something to fall on.

You have to be careful with regards to what wood you use...most wood you find outside will hold some degree of moisture within, and thus be a haven for molds. IME the best wood to use is driftwood...or just go buy a cork bark hide.

The plus is that this species is kept bone dry, which will reduce molding chances...so you might get away with it with her. Having a hide is a good idea, but frankly its not a species that typically uses a hide at all. Its been well over a decade since I have seen mine even near the hide.

Wow. I didn't realize they ate so little. The first week I got her I put in 2 doz mini crickets. I thought she was starving because my dad was there for a week before anyone realized what happened and she fasted the whole week. I only added the frogs because I read they eat small creatures like that... I feel like Tom green from the movie road trip trying to feed the snake..... Lmao. I have never seen her eat.. She must be doing it at night. I'm terrified of spiders and have a phobia of them.. But I love her. Her name is Itsy. Itsy bitsy spider

They have ridiculously low food requirements...not eating for a week is nothing, in fact, not eating for a month isn't even something to blink an eye at. Literally one or two crickets per month would keep that t plump. Feeding a dozen crickets in a sitting is literally like feeding 9 months of food in one single sitting.

Because of this crazy low food requirement, they are almost always over fed in captivity, and as a result, long long fasts are incredibly common...as mentioned, they can fast for 2 years.


The general inactivity of the species does make them a great species to get over arachnophobia as they typically don't do any of the things that cause one to freak out...handling should be discouraged for the nephew...its better to teach him that spiders are like fish, for looking at, not holding.....there are plenty of small mammals available to satiate that handling need.

Thank you and yes I'm excited to have her. I was told females can live to around 20 years.. I think he got her around 2004-2008

Ha....Many (myself included) speculate that they can live in excess of 40 years...I know for a fact that 30 is no issue, as mine is at least that age. Slow growth has its advantages

Oh you thought the tarantula would eat the toads -

Ooooh! Toads do have large poison glands and are pretty much a poor food choice for any animal as mentioned by vespers earlier...but I thought it important to mention again. As mentioned, any wild caught food is quite dangerous as pesticides are everywhere nowadays and winds can bring them from far distances even of you think your area is ok.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to send me or another member you trust a private message

Best of luck with your new critter

 

[lovelylady24]

The thing is terrestrial tarantuals like yours don't walk around in the wild, either. They are very much homebodies: they create their burrow and then they stay there forever - really forever. Everything they don't know is dangerous for them and can be extremely stressful. What we humans think of as exitement is pure naked panic inducing for a tarantula (or whatever a tarantula feels when it's really scared). I don't think your tarantula would like a walk in the grass. They seem to mostly just want some peace and quiet.

That makes me feel alot better. She has a "favorite" spot in her box, I was worried she was depressed or stressed. She sits in the same corner all day and night. I added a small log to give her something to walk on and crawl under

 

[boina]

I am sorry to hear about your father. Follow the advice of the others in this thread and you will have a much better environment for your spider. And the toads as well.

@boina how do you know they can think? First I heard of that. Any article links?

Ok, I went and selected some articles that I think can stand as examples. I tried to find something about arachnid learning that didn't focus on jumping spiders and here's a collection. Sorry, there's some worms in there, too, but I think it's just impressive that even worms can learn .

Here goes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23771493

http://www.cell.com/current-biology...rieve/pii/S0960982204005482?showall=true&cc=y=

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24406509

http://www.livescience.com/34775-spiders-learn-snag-prey.html

Observational Learning in the Jumping Spider <i>Phidippus audax</i>

And there's a book called "Spider Behaviour: Flexibility and Versatility" that has a whole section on learning behaviour in spiders. I think you can get it from google books.

 

[Venom1080]

if you would have read my full post you would have seen that I inherited her from my dad when he died a few weeks ago.. Not my choice of a pet but I'm trying. And the toads were because of a link I saw online about what tarantulas eat.. I thought she would like something besides crickets. That's all my dad has fed her for 8 years. They were in her habitat for 3 days.

im sorry for your loss..
i usually dont read every post before responding, usually just skim through and see if what i have to say has already been said. my porteri would take toads, she has before, but much smaller ones, i wouldnt even try ones a little over the size of her carapace. and even then, i wouldnt risk wild caught prey. store bought is the safest and best.

 

[Nixphat]

That makes me feel alot better. She has a "favorite" spot in her box, I was worried she was depressed or stressed. She sits in the same corner all day and night. I added a small log to give her something to walk on and crawl under

Yeah, they do that a lot, welcome to the 'pet rock' community

 

[lovelylady24]

Yup! And they can go longer with proper care

You're doing exactly the right thing by researching. Don't feel bad about mistakes.... it's all about learning. And we've all been there, trust me

Next step is to figure out which resources are the most credible for information. You've come across this forum from google searching, no doubt! Treat this forum like gold! No where else will you find such a collection of experienced people who keep and breed every species you can possibly find With that said, avoid online caresheets like the plague! They seem credible to a novice, but are often written by people with very little experience with tarantulas. Come here for all your questions! And be sure to keep a camera handy to share all the awesome pictures with us

Let me start by offering my condolences...Its always painful to lose a parent, I lost my father many many years ago and I can't imagine if he had died and laid there a full week...my heart truly goes out to you.





That enclosure is already very large for her, I would downsize before I upsized...they just don't require that much room.

The one thing to remember though when setting it up fresh, is that that particular enclosure will need to be filled 3/4 of the way with sub to make it a safe place..as you know, falls are quite dangerous for them and doing all you can to discourage climbing is a good start. Also remove that rock, rocks are just something to fall on.

You have to be careful with regards to what wood you use...most wood you find outside will hold some degree of moisture within, and thus be a haven for molds. IME the best wood to use is driftwood...or just go buy a cork bark hide.

The plus is that this species is kept bone dry, which will reduce molding chances...so you might get away with it with her. Having a hide is a good idea, but frankly its not a species that typically uses a hide at all. Its been well over a decade since I have seen mine even near the hide.



They have ridiculously low food requirements...not eating for a week is nothing, in fact, not eating for a month isn't even something to blink an eye at. Literally one or two crickets per month would keep that t plump. Feeding a dozen crickets in a sitting is literally like feeding 9 months of food in one single sitting.

Because of this crazy low food requirement, they are almost always over fed in captivity, and as a result, long long fasts are incredibly common...as mentioned, they can fast for 2 years.


The general inactivity of the species does make them a great species to get over arachnophobia as they typically don't do any of the things that cause one to freak out...handling should be discouraged for the nephew...its better to teach him that spiders are like fish, for looking at, not holding.....there are plenty of small mammals available to satiate that handling need.



Ha....Many (myself included) speculate that they can live in excess of 40 years...I know for a fact that 30 is no issue, as mine is at least that age. Slow growth has its advantages



Ooooh! Toads do have large poison glands and are pretty much a poor food choice for any animal as mentioned by vespers earlier...but I thought it important to mention again. As mentioned, any wild caught food is quite dangerous as pesticides are everywhere nowadays and winds can bring them from far distances even of you think your area is ok.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to send me or another member you trust a private message

Best of luck with your new critter

Thank you so much. That was a ton of useful information. She has 1 small rock in there but the big thing is a fake plastic hollow rock. Her home. She is in it quite a bit. I think it makes her feel safe. I will take it out when I replace her subfloor I would love to see an awesome burrow.

 

[darkness975]

Thank you so much. That was a ton of useful information. She has 1 small rock in there but the big thing is a fake plastic hollow rock. Her home. She is in it quite a bit. I think it makes her feel safe. I will take it out when I replace her subfloor I would love to see an awesome burrow.

Welcome to our fascinating world.

As mentioned before, once you get the Habitat set up properly there is no reason not to think you will have her for a great many years to come.

I also lost my father in 2015, I know what it feels like. My condolences to you and your family.

 

[Leila]

Everybody here gave great advice, and there are some great links provided for you above. I've nothing to add to the aforementioned guidance; but I do want to offer my condolences to you, as well as send good vibes to you and your gorgeous tarantula.

Welcome to the boards, @lovelylady24

 

[Magenta]

I really have no advice to give that hasn't already been covered. I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry that you lost your dad.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Btw, if you start browsing photos on here, I'd be surprised if you don't end up starting a spider collection This hobby causes a bit of "potato chip syndrome." Can't have just one, right?

Welcome to a fairly large community of arachnophiles you probably never knew existed

 

[TarantulaArvind]

Firstly, sorry for your loss..

you've come to the best place at the right time to get information. You won't find a much better place than this for all your tarantula queries.. That willingness to learn, that's most appreciated.

Next, we may sound rude sometimes(sorry for that ), but don't take it to heart.It's only our enthusiasm to see the T and the keeper be safe.

You may have become an accidental T owner. But mark my word.. In no time you'll be rid of your arachnophobia and you'll be wanting more of these lovely creatures. You'll never feel complete with with owning just one.

Regarding the setup, first thing remove the wood chips and the sponge. Those are never good for the T.

I can't tell you not to handle Ts coz that your choice. But if you do decide to handle them, keep them at a very low level.. Especially since these are land dwelling species (ie terrestial), they're very likely to rupture their abdomen on falling and might very likely die.

Those frogs.. They not right food for the T on very many levels...
- they are not regular food source for the T since both these are from very different habitats and don't cross paths.
- the frog will die in the enclosure.
- it may harm you T when it's molting (shedding it's exoskeleton). The T are the most vulnerable at this stage
- as somebody said above, these frogs (or toads) secrete proteins on their skin that maybe poisonous to the T of ingested.
- regularly feeding vertebrates as a food will cause the T to have molting problems.. Stick to dubia roaches, crickets, meal worms, wax worms (none of these to be exposed to any external chemicals- even trace amounts of pesticides in the food will be fatal to the T) Rotate between these on a regular basis.
- One or two of these per feeding is enough. But take them out of the cage the next day if they've been left uneaten..

Next, don't ever follow youtube videos (except those by some of the renowned owners here who do very good tutorial videos), online care sheets and pet store advice. You'll find answers to all your queries here.

I guess all the others have covered everything else.. Enjoy..

 

[Ungoliant]

Actually I'm against feeding things other than insects to tarantulas - those toads or mice die a slow and very painful death. Some people still do it and I don't say it's morally wrong, I'm just saying I don't like it.

Not to mention that the whole process can be very gross and smelly, since a lot of the digestive process occurs externally.

I would definitely stick to insects as feeders. As a new keeper, I used crickets, because I only needed a few, and they are readily available in pet stores. Now that I have a few more tarantulas (seven), I have been moving away from crickets, as they smell bad and don't seem to be very hardy. But for one tarantula, it's no big deal to pick up a few crickets from the pet store.

Other common feeder options include mealworms (the larvae of darkling beetles), superworms (the larvae of a bigger species), dubia roaches, and red runner roaches (smaller and faster than dubias). If you can get over the gross-out factor of roaches, they make pretty good feeders, as they don't smell as bad as crickets, are hardier, and can't jump or climb (a big plus).

If you feed mealworms or superworms, be sure to crush the head. This prevents injuries to your tarantula (they have strong mandibles) and prevents them from burrowing. You can also crush roach heads to stop them from burrowing. (Both mealworms and roaches will continue to wriggle for a long time despite having crushed heads; I think they actually die of thirst/hunger.)

I feel bad she is caged up. Is it OK to take her outside and let her walk around in the grass?

There's no need to feel bad for a tarantula in captivity. They don't feel depressed or confined in a small enclosure. In fact, they seem to prefer it. (If you give them one giant hide and one cozy hide, they will usually choose the cozy hide.)

I wouldn't take her outside, as you could lose her. In fact, she'd probably prefer if you didn't handle her or take her out at all, but if you want to do it occasionally, do it in a safe place with a soft surface, and never lift her more than a few inches above the ground. Keep a catch cup handy in case she bolts.

Thank you so much. That was a ton of useful information. She has 1 small rock in there but the big thing is a fake plastic hollow rock. Her home. She is in it quite a bit. I think it makes her feel safe. I will take it out when I replace her subfloor I would love to see an awesome burrow.

Even if she decides not to use it much, I would always include a hide, as it gives her somewhere dark to go if she feels threatened. (Even my tarantulas that are out in the open will usually go into their hides to molt.)

The best hides are light-weight (in case she undermines the hide, so it won't crush her), do not have a surface that is jagged or sharp (in case she falls onto it), and don't have a bottom, so they can dig deeper if they want. Cork is a very common hide, as it meets all of these criteria, but there are many options that will work.

Whatever you end up using as a hide, bury most of it and dig out the entrance as a starter burrow. They will excavate more space if they need it, but they don't seem to figure out that they can move substrate into a hide that's too big.

One last bit of advice: if you ever see her on her back or on her side, do not disturb her. This is perfectly normal. It means she is molting (shedding her old exoskeleton). That's a vulnerable time for tarantulas, so you don't want to risk injury by messing with her or startling her. The same goes for the week or two after her molt while she is recovering. Just keep her water dish full and leave her alone.

 

[viper69]

basic learning abilities

Learning is a form of thinking IMO.

 

[nicodimus22]

Is it OK to take her outside and let her walk around in the grass?

Something to consider that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you need to minimize her contact with any chemicals. Fertilizer or pesticide, even in trace amounts, that might be on your lawn could be really bad news if she was exposed to it. For the same reason, you never want to feed her insects that you find outside...you don't know what chemicals or parasites they might be carrying that might hurt your T.

Indoors, try not to spray any cleaning products in the air near her enclosure. If you ever have ant problems, use the Terro (boric acid) traps instead of spraying with an aerosol ant spray, which could be fatal if it was in the air around her.

My condolences on your loss, and I hope you grow to enjoy this pet!

 

[cold blood]

regularly feeding vertebrates as a food will cause the T to have molting problems..

While the rest of the post was great...the above line is simply not true and should not continue to be perpetuated.

 

[TarantulaArvind]

While the rest of the post was great...the above line is simply not true and should not continue to be perpetuated.

Thank you for the info .. I've tried editing to remove it.but Didn't get the "edit" option itself.

 

[TarantulaArvind]

- regularly feeding vertebrates as a food will cause the T to have molting problems..

Apparently, eating vertebrates doesn't cause molting problems.. Sorry for the wrong information on my earlier post.

PS: couldn't edit that earlier post of mine . So I've quoted and replied to it..

 

[Ungoliant]

I've tried editing to remove it.but Didn't get the "edit" option itself.

The editing option expires after a certain amount of time. (Active members and supporters have extra time to edit posts.)

 

[Ellenantula]

Can't wait for this tarantula to receive a better/safer enclosure setup. Any new enclosure pictures to share?

I am sorry for the loss of your father.