Nhandu Chromatus have the worst uricating hairs!!

PIaf94

Arachnopeon
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May 24, 2011
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34
So I've kept new world tarantulas before. Mainly Brachypelma and avicularia and I've been blasted or rubbed by uricating hairs before and they never seem to have bothered me except for a small rash that lasted a few hours, BUT OH MAN! These guys (Nhandu chromatus) hairs really are irritating. It's been 3 days now and I'm still waking up scratching my arms and hands. Found out they have the worst uricating hairs of the new world species along with theraphosa which sucks because I was really looking into getting one but I don't think I can deal with the hairs anymore. Strongly thinking about giving my nhandus away and sticking with old worlds
 

YagerManJennsen

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 3, 2016
Messages
508
So I've kept new world tarantulas before. Mainly Brachypelma and avicularia and I've been blasted or rubbed by uricating hairs before and they never seem to have bothered me except for a small rash that lasted a few hours, BUT OH MAN! These guys (Nhandu chromatus) hairs really are irritating. It's been 3 days now and I'm still waking up scratching my arms and hands. Found out they have the worst uricating hairs of the new world species along with theraphosa which sucks because I was really looking into getting one but I don't think I can deal with the hairs anymore. Strongly thinking about giving my nhandus away and sticking with old worlds
Try arm length gloves and just dispose them after each use, that way you don't have to deal with cleaning the hair off the gloves.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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Mar 21, 2005
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You can go to a feed store and get some on gloves for calving. They're shoulder length, thin plastic and disposable. You should be able to get a box of 100 pretty cheap.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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Feb 27, 2011
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Each person reacts differently to each species urticating hairs. In most cases, after the first adverse reaction, each subsequent exposure will be worse.
 

EulersK

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Feb 22, 2013
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Each person reacts differently to each species urticating hairs. In most cases, after the first adverse reaction, each subsequent exposure will be worse.
I can attest to that. Euathlus has the worst setae in the hobby to me. Yes, worse than T. stirmi, that species just has so much of it. It's gotten to the point that I slip their roaches through a crack and water them through an air hole. Nasty little critters.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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Oct 25, 2014
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I was in the same boat except I had to give away my Nhandus because of my reaction to them..

For most N/W species I would rarely even react but with Nhandu hairs it felt like a blistering type of sun burn and I started getting huge welts from changing water or spot cleaning.. They had to go...

Since keeping them I'm now much more sensititive to N/W Ts hairs in general..
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
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Aug 9, 2013
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Urticating setae in general make me feel very weak, not itchy, to the point where I have to lie down if I deal with all my NW's one after the other. Interesting to see peoples different reactions. Been planning on getting goggles, gloves and a facemask, I couldn't never sell the T's.
 

Poec54

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Mar 26, 2013
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4,745
Not even close. Theraphosa hairs make chromatus' look like kid stuff.
 

cold blood

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I've never had an issue with chromatus, and I've raised a lot of them...the worst one for me is easily Avic avic, drives me nuts, sometimes it reacts like poison ivy, blisters and everything.

In terms of Nhandu, coloratovillsus is considerable more flicky and has more irritating setae IME...I've heard tripepii is like coloratovillsus.
 

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
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Mar 23, 2011
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In terms of Nhandu, coloratovillsus is considerable more flicky and has more irritating setae IME...
Oh man don't tell me that. I've got a N. coloratovillosus who was an unexpected freebie. I've been waiting for the day to come that I break out in a rash and have to give it away.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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Feb 27, 2011
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To date (knocking vigorously on wood...) I haven't had much problem from any urticating hairs. None of my spiders have been particularly flicky, for one thing. When I had Theraphosa I did wear gloves and a mask to do tank maintenance, just because of their reputation. I've gotten in the habit of wearing gloves- more to protect the spiders from any pesticides I'm exposed to at work; and mask- because im allergic to superworm and cricket frass, and so I don't inadvertently breath on the spiders and set them off.
 
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