Old world Fear. Here's the thing guys...

Methal

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
61
Go slow.
Calm down.
dont poke them.

I started out the...eh "not typical way" The first T I had, was a male A. Iodus. I didn't know about these glorious forums. I literally googled "how to care for a Tarantula"
Having kept several "icky" species of true spiders before, mainly black widows, I though they would be simple. In a way I was right. Food, water, and leave them alone. They are living growing paintings.
Found a web site with care info, Mike's web site (the bright green one, sure you all know it) and read up on the "orange one with all the fangs"
My 2nd T was an OBT, 3rd was the M Balfouri. 4th were 3 pokies, and the list goes on.
I then found these forums and saw all the, what I then thought, was "elitist jerks" telling people to avoid the old worlds. "why" I thought, just give em some respect!

Seriously though, since then (coming up on 3 years ago) I have had ~15 OBTs, 8 or so pokies, and a few other old worlds cross my hands...not literally, but you know....

New guys, (and some of you old guys) Please just understand, I am not the best, brightest, or most experienced keeper out there, but what I can say from my limited experience,
Treat the Old worlds different, and you'll be just fine, My rules are these:

1) Bigger cage. So you dont have to rehouse as often.

2) Go slow. Just let the OW T. decide when it wants to move.

3) Be calm. Nothing will get you bit faster than the "GGAAAAAAHHHAHADDDDAHH!!11" action when OW T. gives you some attitude. Essentially you are keeping a pregnant woman who just found out you slept with her sister as a "pet" (sorry i dont mean anything rude to any of those pregnant ladies out there)
I know this rule best, my hands shook like you wouldn't believe when I did my first rehousing.
several times before I even did anything i had to close the enclosure and take a deep breath.
just breath and control yourself.

4) Dont poke the T!!!! i can't stress this enough! watching people do rehousings gone wrong videos, every time the fit hits the shan its when the guy with the paint brush decides things aren't going fast enough and jabs at the T! When you get the T, just let it move into its new house at its own pace. I know you are eager to dump the guy into its new dwelling right now, but seriously, if you are inexperienced, and nervous about it, place the old container inside the new and shut the lid. When the T moves out, slowly remove the old house. If its too big to fit inside, use your imagination, connect the two with a tunnel of toilet paper roles and duct tap.
Think it through before you open the gateway to lightning and pain.

5) Don't tong feed! I know it looks cool on the ol' youtube, but you're not jon3800, or tarantulaAddict, or GregRice, or Deadly Tarantula Girl or the annoying "BAM!!" guy who just disappeared into oblivion after Zilla died. Just open the lid, drop the food in, and close the lid.

6) They are not pets. Dont give them cute names, or fancy toys in their enclosures, or anything else that will emotionally attach you to the tarantula. Some (a lot I assume) will disagree with this or be puzzled by it. However when you attempt to create an emotional bond with an snarky Old world Tarantula, you will start to get careless. "oh Sally wont bite me, shes my snooky wooky!" You will create a level of familiarity that i assure you will be completely one sided. Your feelings for that OBT will not change how quickly it will climb up your hand with its fangs leaving a trail of holes filled with a very expensive trip to the ER.



Last but not least:
7) Use your head. Just think before you do something. just slow down, calm down, and think it through. What might happen if you piss off that illusive P. JackyChan?

Anyway thats my list. Hope it helps someone, if you are nervous about getting an old world, i'd just say dont then. or start with an "easy" species.

anyway back to your regularly scheduled program =)
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Nah, I think I have reached the point of no return :-s

Just the other day I was talking with a mod here about if feeding or not my S.subspinipes that was gravid (she gave birth to 25 pedelings, more or less, few days ago) and yesterday I've noticed her trying to escape from the enclosure... throwed a fat female B.dubia for calm her down and went to sleep.

The first thing I've noticed this morning were roaches remains, so I assume she's under the cork bark (her home) again but I tell you, if she wants to leave the Father's House for wandering, I wouldn't forgive her. No betrayal allowed.

Christ, I'm the hand that feed you, no more gratitude these days? Only the Goddess 0.1 Pelinobius muticus and Liz Taylor former husbands can understand me and my mutual relationship with my 'pede -.-
 
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EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
5) Don't tong feed! I know it looks cool on the ol' youtube, but you're not jon3800, or tarantulaAddict, or GregRice, or Deadly Tarantula Girl or the annoying "BAM!!" guy who just disappeared into oblivion after Zilla died. Just open the lid, drop the food in, and close the lid.
This is the big one in my opinion. I mean really, don't tong feed any tarantula, but especially OW's. They're known to scurry up tongs very quickly. Further exemplifying that most YouTube tarantula videos are garbage. So happy that Rob ("BAM!" guy) isn't around... I never understood his following.
 

Moonohol

Two Legged Freak
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
115
This is the big one in my opinion. I mean really, don't tong feed any tarantula, but especially OW's. They're known to scurry up tongs very quickly. Further exemplifying that most YouTube tarantula videos are garbage. So happy that Rob ("BAM!" guy) isn't around... I never understood his following.
Is that the guy who quit making videos after he got bit by one of his Pokies?
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Is that the guy who quit making videos after he got bit by one of his Pokies?
No, not sure who that is. RobC was an avid pokie collector that pretty much only did feeding videos with the rare exception. He never got over his fear of tarantulas, apparently, because he threw a pokie on the ground during a rehousing video :shifty: Arrogant, blowhard, showoff. You're not missing much.
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
Go slow.
Calm down.
dont poke them.

I started out the...eh "not typical way" The first T I had, was a male A. Iodus. I didn't know about these glorious forums. I literally googled "how to care for a Tarantula"
Having kept several "icky" species of true spiders before, mainly black widows, I though they would be simple. In a way I was right. Food, water, and leave them alone. They are living growing paintings.
Found a web site with care info, Mike's web site (the bright green one, sure you all know it) and read up on the "orange one with all the fangs"
My 2nd T was an OBT, 3rd was the M Balfouri. 4th were 3 pokies, and the list goes on.
I then found these forums and saw all the, what I then thought, was "elitist jerks" telling people to avoid the old worlds. "why" I thought, just give em some respect!

Seriously though, since then (coming up on 3 years ago) I have had ~15 OBTs, 8 or so pokies, and a few other old worlds cross my hands...not literally, but you know....

New guys, (and some of you old guys) Please just understand, I am not the best, brightest, or most experienced keeper out there, but what I can say from my limited experience,
Treat the Old worlds different, and you'll be just fine, My rules are these:

1) Bigger cage. So you dont have to rehouse as often.

2) Go slow. Just let the OW T. decide when it wants to move.

3) Be calm. Nothing will get you bit faster than the "GGAAAAAAHHHAHADDDDAHH!!11" action when OW T. gives you some attitude. Essentially you are keeping a pregnant woman who just found out you slept with her sister as a "pet" (sorry i dont mean anything rude to any of those pregnant ladies out there)
I know this rule best, my hands shook like you wouldn't believe when I did my first rehousing.
several times before I even did anything i had to close the enclosure and take a deep breath.
just breath and control yourself.

4) Dont poke the T!!!! i can't stress this enough! watching people do rehousings gone wrong videos, every time the fit hits the shan its when the guy with the paint brush decides things aren't going fast enough and jabs at the T! When you get the T, just let it move into its new house at its own pace. I know you are eager to dump the guy into its new dwelling right now, but seriously, if you are inexperienced, and nervous about it, place the old container inside the new and shut the lid. When the T moves out, slowly remove the old house. If its too big to fit inside, use your imagination, connect the two with a tunnel of toilet paper roles and duct tap.
Think it through before you open the gateway to lightning and pain.

5) Don't tong feed! I know it looks cool on the ol' youtube, but you're not jon3800, or tarantulaAddict, or GregRice, or Deadly Tarantula Girl or the annoying "BAM!!" guy who just disappeared into oblivion after Zilla died. Just open the lid, drop the food in, and close the lid.

6) They are not pets. Dont give them cute names, or fancy toys in their enclosures, or anything else that will emotionally attach you to the tarantula. Some (a lot I assume) will disagree with this or be puzzled by it. However when you attempt to create an emotional bond with an snarky Old world Tarantula, you will start to get careless. "oh Sally wont bite me, shes my snooky wooky!" You will create a level of familiarity that i assure you will be completely one sided. Your feelings for that OBT will not change how quickly it will climb up your hand with its fangs leaving a trail of holes filled with a very expensive trip to the ER.



Last but not least:
7) Use your head. Just think before you do something. just slow down, calm down, and think it through. What might happen if you piss off that illusive P. JackyChan?

Anyway thats my list. Hope it helps someone, if you are nervous about getting an old world, i'd just say dont then. or start with an "easy" species.

anyway back to your regularly scheduled program =)
You nailed it, truer words have not been spoken. This should be a pinned post. I've said basically the same things many times, you just laid it out much better and more broadly. I treat my OW's pretty much the same way. Some new person may interpret this, after reading what they want, as see "it's as easy as that guinea pig I had as a child". It isn't easy, but it isn't hard if you stay within yourself, take your time, and respect the hell out of it. Otherwise it is playing with fire. IMO, OW's are more fun anyway.
Again, great post
 

dopamine

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
341
His youtube name was tarantulaguy1976 i believe. Yeah he had a pretty decent following then he just up and disappeared a few years ago.

Anyway, some good points made by the OP, but i feel this topic has been discussed to death lol. Owning an OW really requires nothing more than some common sense, same as any NW. I'm not saying someone just getting into the hobby with zero experience should own one, but as long as you do a little research beforehand and don't expect to try and hold it, they're really a no brainer to keep. Like the OP said, they're not "pets" but rather living, growing paintings.
The only T's I'd advise against owning barring years of experience, would be anything Theraphosa.
 
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Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Is that the guy who quit making videos after he got bit by one of his Pokies?
Not sure if that was the reason to quit making videos, but he got bit by a pokie, yes. And filmed the effects afterwards.
Nervous, edgy kind of man. Sometimes youtube pulls an autoplay on me and plays one of his videos...first thing I do is mute the damn thing while searching another video. That guy is loud.
 

elysium

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Messages
69
despite all the negative comments about Rob, i learned a whole lot by watching his videos when i first started in the hobby. granted some of the info and practices are misleading to beginners, the bulk of it was informative and i rather enjoyed watching all his vids - it was obvious he was very passionate about his Ts, and that is never a bad thing.
 

dopamine

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
341
Nervous, edgy kind of man. Sometimes youtube pulls an autoplay on me and plays one of his videos...first thing I do is mute the damn thing while searching another video. That guy is loud.
"BAM that was awesome...alright guys.." has been burned into my head from his videos.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Why would you tongue feed anyway?


Dr. Alan Grant.

T-Rex doesn't want to be fed. He wants to hunt. Can't just suppress 65 million years of gut instinct.
 

Bugmom

Arachnolord
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
646
Something to remember also is that many YouTubers, such as myself, Deadly Tarantula Girl (who is one of my good friends IRL), or Brian from SnakeBytes TV, have been around animals (including venomous ones) longer than some of you reading this have been alive. We aren't amateurs, and there's a LOT going on behind the scenes to ensure our and the animal's health that isn't shown in a video.

And sometimes it does come down to your own personal comfort level around venomous animals, and while tarantulas aren't lethal, they are still venomous. I've said it before, but I've felt more comfortable photographic eyelash vipers than I have doing some tarantula rehousings, because the vipers were more predictable than the tarantulas. I've stood inches from rattlesnakes in the wild, and still walked away feeling completely comfortable with what just happened, than I did rehousing an H. mac. Why? Because I feel that tarantulas are less predictable than reptiles. Tarantulas react far more based on instinct than reptiles, in my opinion and experience.

If you aren't comfortable with tarantulas, be it OW or NW, then please exercise as much caution as you need to, because just as the OP said, reactions due to fear are the #1 way to get bit.
 

Moonohol

Two Legged Freak
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
115
Something to remember also is that many YouTubers, such as myself, Deadly Tarantula Girl (who is one of my good friends IRL), or Brian from SnakeBytes TV, have been around animals (including venomous ones) longer than some of you reading this have been alive. We aren't amateurs, and there's a LOT going on behind the scenes to ensure our and the animal's health that isn't shown in a video.

And sometimes it does come down to your own personal comfort level around venomous animals, and while tarantulas aren't lethal, they are still venomous. I've said it before, but I've felt more comfortable photographic eyelash vipers than I have doing some tarantula rehousings, because the vipers were more predictable than the tarantulas. I've stood inches from rattlesnakes in the wild, and still walked away feeling completely comfortable with what just happened, than I did rehousing an H. mac. Why? Because I feel that tarantulas are less predictable than reptiles. Tarantulas react far more based on instinct than reptiles, in my opinion and experience.

If you aren't comfortable with tarantulas, be it OW or NW, then please exercise as much caution as you need to, because just as the OP said, reactions due to fear are the #1 way to get bit.
Tarantulas are definitely unpredictable. I can't speak for reptiles as I've never kept any, but I entirely believe it. This is why I always prepare for the worst case scenario when working with my Ts. Complacency and laziness are a T keeper's worst enemies.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Something to remember also is that many YouTubers, such as myself, Deadly Tarantula Girl (who is one of my good friends IRL), or Brian from SnakeBytes TV, have been around animals (including venomous ones) longer than some of you reading this have been alive. We aren't amateurs, and there's a LOT going on behind the scenes to ensure our and the animal's health that isn't shown in a video.

And sometimes it does come down to your own personal comfort level around venomous animals, and while tarantulas aren't lethal, they are still venomous. I've said it before, but I've felt more comfortable photographic eyelash vipers than I have doing some tarantula rehousings, because the vipers were more predictable than the tarantulas. I've stood inches from rattlesnakes in the wild, and still walked away feeling completely comfortable with what just happened, than I did rehousing an H. mac. Why? Because I feel that tarantulas are less predictable than reptiles. Tarantulas react far more based on instinct than reptiles, in my opinion and experience.

If you aren't comfortable with tarantulas, be it OW or NW, then please exercise as much caution as you need to, because just as the OP said, reactions due to fear are the #1 way to get bit.
Can't stand Brian from snakebytes. His enclosures are atrocious.

To be fair T's do give you a warning much like reptiles if you're in their face/space a lot of the time. Reptiles just give you a more audible warning more often than not if you're seen as an annoyance or threat. And you do tend to be more confined when dealing with a T at home so that makes a difference too.

I've never been bothered catching any of my T's if they've needed rehousing etc. It's pretty straightforward and low risk.

I am terrible at trying to get my point across so if the above has left you scratching your noggin don't worry.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
And to be fair I feel like you always know where you are with an OW. They will nail you. Where as a PET snake (non DWA) you tend to see them slightly blinkered.

I was very shocked when one of my retic girls bit me because she'd never done it before. Where as if one of my T's bit me I wouldn't be surprised at all and would expect it.
 

Bugmom

Arachnolord
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
646
Can't stand Brian from snakebytes. His enclosures are atrocious.
Is it because he uses racks? I use snake racks, much like he and many other keepers do. For ball pythons, which are basically lazy reptile lumps, they work great. But I do keep a lot of animals and space is at a premium. I need a bigger house.

To be fair T's do give you a warning much like reptiles if you're in their face/space a lot of the time. Reptiles just give you a more audible warning more often than not if you're seen as an annoyance or threat. And you do tend to be more confined when dealing with a T at home so that makes a difference too.
Fun fact! I've never heard a rattlesnake rattle in the wild. Not once. They have learned that rattling means more likely to die. It's pretty neat, really.

My ball pythons like to hiss at me though. Kinda funny cause they're not the ones I'd be worried about biting me lol.

I don't know about T's giving you a warning - that can't be assumed or expected, in my experience. Which is what makes them unpredictable.

I've never been bothered catching any of my T's if they've needed rehousing etc. It's pretty straightforward and low risk.

I am terrible at trying to get my point across so if the above has left you scratching your noggin don't worry.
I've only been legit worried a few times, and that's been with H. mac and pokie juvies. But I've certainly been cautious more often than not; I've had plenty of my "calm" tarantulas decide that I was a threat when they'd never so much as flicked a hair at me.
 
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