My rose hair is being aggressive

[Nickolas309]

I have a rose hair and it has always been a great spider ive had it for over a month now and it used to let me pick it up or pet it at all times and it was always walking at a slow pace now it runs and it wont let me touch it and any time i try it goes into striking pose why is it doing this

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Ancient predators refuse to been cuddle up, now? Eh, we aren't in Kansas anymore, my man. Mark my words.

 

[Flexzone]

G. rosea's are known for they're sudden mood swings, being wild animals they're behavior is always gonna be unpredictable, that is why its best to treat them as an observatory animal then one that you pet or handle as it serves no benefit to the T. They have no concept of loving relationship towards you so every time you interact with them and they threat pose, they're considering you as a large, potential predator that they must preserve themselves from.

 

[Josh33Baboons]

I dont handle any of my T's but my female is hit and miss w her mood during maintenance nut my mature male rosea is absolutely mean lol. I cant even open the lid wothout him going OBT lol

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I have a rose hair and it has always been a great spider ive had it for over a month now and it used to let me pick it up or pet it at all times and it was always walking at a slow pace now it runs and it wont let me touch it and any time i try it goes into striking pose why is it doing this

Well, obviously it doesn´t want you to touch it. It´s best not to handle your T´s. They are more fragile than you might think and a fall, even from a small height, might injure it or in the worst case even kill it.

 

[magicmed]

I have a rose hair and it has always been a great spider ive had it for over a month now and it used to let me pick it up or pet it at all times and it was always walking at a slow pace now it runs and it wont let me touch it and any time i try it goes into striking pose why is it doing this

I have heard this species can start off rather docile and turn more defensive over time, it could be in its temperament changing time.

It could also be in premolt and not want anything to do with anyone or anything

As others have said, it could also be an ancient instinct driven predator that doesn't pocess the intelligence to understand that you're it's caretaker and not a predator. When I first got into T I knew they were not cuddly and friendly but I hoped for an intellect around the level of my ball python, sadly I was mistaken as T don't seem to "get used" to the caretaker like reptiles can. That does not mean that I can't appreciate and enjoy them greatly, just hold a respect for their personal space

 

[BorisTheSpider]

When it comes to my collection my big female is a terror . Any incursion into her enclosure is met with a full on charge and attack on the tongs . Even my OBTs don't do this . They run . My big rose wants to fight . I had debated pairing her but I have no doubt she would just kill my male . I have said it before and will say it again . . . rosies are not beginner Ts . They and OBTs make the starter list because they are cheap and readily available , but neither should be kept by a newbie . Their unpredictable nature lends them more towards the intermediate keeper .

 

[Andrea82]

Your rosehair is telling you to leave her alone. Doesn't get any clearer than this. Feed, change water, and remove boli. That is all it needs from you.

 

[viper69]

I have a rose hair and it has always been a great spider ive had it for over a month now and it used to let me pick it up or pet it at all times and it was always walking at a slow pace now it runs and it wont let me touch it and any time i try it goes into striking pose why is it doing this

You are mistaken. Your Rose Hair is being defensive. That's a significant difference.

Threat poses equal "LEAVE ME ALONE, Enough is Enough", no one technically knows why their mood changes in what seems "on a whim".

I'd run away from a giant too! They don't like to be held and derive no benefit from it. Do your T a favor and leave it alone, as it's clearly telling you to do so.

 

[cold blood]

Handling...well I can see that I guess if you don't know better or new and getting used to things....

But petting it?? You pet your tarantula? really? You realize its a spider... right? I don't at all get what would motivate someone to pet their spider. I could not think of a better way to elicit defensive behavior from a spider. Mammals are much better "petting" type pets....I'd consider a t just like I would a fish.

 

[Kymura]

I have two adult females. One will attack with zero warning just because. The other is your atypical rosie. Solid rock one day skittish and ready to threaten others. Adore them both however, I would not handle either of them as their moods change like the wind. It's to late if it's on your hand and suddenly threatens, thereby causing you to jump and possibly sending the T to the floor and death. Just enjoy watching them be spiders. Safer by far for you and your T.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Mammals are much better "petting" type pets....I'd consider a t just like I would a fish.

So whatcha saying there Cold blood , you don't pet your fish . Dude , you are cold blooded .

 

[mistertim]

I have a rose hair and it has always been a great spider ive had it for over a month now and it used to let me pick it up or pet it at all times and it was always walking at a slow pace now it runs and it wont let me touch it and any time i try it goes into striking pose why is it doing this

Remember that ALL tarantulas are wild animals, no matter how docile they might seem. Rosies are known for their mood swings (just one of the reasons they shouldn't be so heavily recommended as first tarantulas) but any tarantula at any time could suddenly see you, your tongs, whatever...as a threat to their life and will defend themselves if need be. Sure, some species are far more inclined to be that way than others, but that doesn't change the underlying fact.

But the best explanation in the whole thread is also the simplest: it is doing that because it doesn't want you to touch it or bother it. You should respect its wishes.

 

[Jones0911]

Handling...well I can see that I guess if you don't know better or new and getting used to things....

But petting it?? You pet your tarantula? really? You realize its a spider... right? I don't at all get what would motivate someone to pet their spider. I could not think of a better way to elicit defensive behavior from a spider. Mammals are much better "petting" type pets....I'd consider a t just like I would a fish.

I pet cone snails all time lol...

 

[gypsy cola]

Rose hairs are one the moist frustrating T's to keep in the hobby.

Commons questions that are asked when keeping these T's

Do they burrow?
Are they pet rocks?
Do they need more humidity?
Are they active?
Are they docile?
are they defensive?
Are they expensive?
Are they cheap?
Do they prefer it on the dry side?

The answer to all of these questions and more is yes... Are you confused? Cool, so is everyone else.

I have 2 "rose hairs at the moment" one is on the dry side and constantly roams (female). The other burrows and will build a complex tunnel system and prefers moist substrate.

I have my theories about rose hair care but refuse to test them out. If I buy a few more rose hairs, they are all going to do something way different from each other. Actually, they may not even be rose hairs but.. I am not going to talk about hybrids and localities.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Handling...well I can see that I guess if you don't know better or new and getting used to things....

But petting it?? You pet your tarantula? really? You realize its a spider... right? I don't at all get what would motivate someone to pet their spider. I could not think of a better way to elicit defensive behavior from a spider. Mammals are much better "petting" type pets....I'd consider a t just like I would a fish.

Certain shark, stingray, and gar species love to be pet! I don't understand where you're coming from.

 

[cold blood]

Certain shark, stingray, and gar species love to be pet!

Love to be pet?? No they don't.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Love to be pet?? No they don't.

I don't think you've ever seen a bamboo shark or a stingray when you have shrimp in your hand. Bamboo sharks are like little aquatic cats.
EDIT: After seeing a python would require more space than one of these sharks, I want one, simply to have little parties with it. The Ghost crabs dont make good party pals, they just dig tunnels in the ground and squat there.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Thought I should add this in. Whilst bamboo sharks and their relatives are very tolerant and fearless of humans, they do not enjoy human contact. I was simply being sarcastic. Except for the keeping part. That'd be awesome.

 

[magicmed]

Thought I should add this in. Whilst bamboo sharks and their relatives are very tolerant and fearless of humans, they do not enjoy human contact. I was simply being sarcastic. Except for the keeping part. That'd be awesome.

In my younger years I seriously considered making a giant concrete "tank" in my basement to keep a small shark or ray. I ended up figuring it would be way to expensive for me when getting all the dehumidifiers to do it right, so I abandoned it. Maybe someday I'll have a mote haha