P irminia defensiveness compared to other Psalmopoeus species

[Spoodfood]

I currently keep P. cambridgei, pulcher, and victori, for reference. Just curious if irminias are actually set apart from others of the genus in terms of temperament, or if they’re relatively the same but have a bad reputation. I placed an order for one last night after a long time of waiting and wanting one, because I heard that they were basically evil. Is the irminia more defensive than other psalmos in your experience? I’m not really worried about it either way, just curious why everyone points to them as evil and I’ve not really heard that about the others, nor experienced it with mine.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Clearly it’s not Psalmopoeus irminia nor Pterinochilus murinus itself that lives up to it’s bad reputations. It’s rather people misjudging / misinterpreting / misunderstanding / over exaggerating / treating wrongly, then stamp it with bad reputations.

I had / have them both, and I do not particularly see why they are different than any other tarantulas.

Yes, they may throw threat postures often than what not, but what’s wrong with that? It felt threatened by a giant creature, it’s only natural.

 

[Craig73]

I can only share my experience. Irmania was my first Psalmopoeus at .5” and a juvenile now sub 3”. I also have victori, cambridge, pulcher, ecclesiasticus, and reduncus slings.

I have yet to see any defensive behavior from the irmania, even when rehoused it was a sweetheart. In fact the victori was much more feisty at 1.25” when I lured it out of its web fortress to rehouse only to find my new enclosure was too small for its next growth phase.

My opinion is if you give it adequate space in its enclosure and a proper setup they will build a home base with multiple entrances allowing them to quickly dip back to a comfort zone and avoid any situation that would create a defensive reaction. I truly believe enclosure setup is a contributing factor in behavior.

Of course all T’s are their own, so one could get a mellower specimen or vice versa and have different experiences.

 

[Spoodfood]

I can only share my experience. Irmania was my first Psalmopoeus at .5” and a juvenile now sub 3”. I also have victori, cambridge, pulcher, ecclesiasticus, and reduncus slings.

I have yet to see any defensive behavior from the irmania, even when rehoused it was a sweetheart. In fact the victori was much more feisty at 1.25” when I lured it out of its web fortress to rehouse only to find my new enclosure was too small for its next growth phase.

My opinion is if you give it adequate space in its enclosure and a proper setup they will build a home base with multiple entrances allowing them to quickly dip back to a comfort zone and avoid any situation that would create a defensive reaction. I truly believe enclosure setup is a contributing factor in behavior.

Of course all T’s are their own, so one could get a mellower specimen or vice versa and have different experiences.

I also am a firm believer in that. When they feel like they don’t have a secure place to hide, of course they’re going to stand their ground. But if you give them space, the proper setup, and respect, I feel like they’re not as bad as people make out. Cambridgei was my first and I remember hearing that it was a “stepping stone” to old world arboreals. I got it and have had no problems at all. If keeping old world arboreals was as easy as my cambridgei, I could get any tarantula in the world without being nervous

 

[Sterls]

I have a ~4" female Psalmopoeus irminia which I have raised from a 1/4" sling. I have never so much as gotten a threat posture. She's shy, but just goes into her dirt curtains if disturbed. I can often see her out at night.

Give them space / don't screw with them and there's no reason they should give you any trouble, temperament wise. Of course there's always the chance you get one that's overly defensive, as with every species. And obviously dispositions can change between molts. I haven't kept any other Psalmos yet, but considering this one has the worst reputation I assume it'd be comparable to your others.

The speed got me more than her attitude. Only species I've nearly had escape during rehouse - ever since I always use a double bin system.

 

[Craig73]

The reduncus has been an amazing addition to my collection. Unlike all of the others I have it freely sits out in the open a lot and not as flighty. The ecclesiasticus in my observation seems like the fastest and most sensitive to movement/light of the bunch, and they all are fast as is.

Unlike @Sterls I have not wised up to using a double bin method, but strongly suggest it as a good practice. I’m sure my laziness will catch up to me sooner than later. Of course sub 3 inch free range Psalmopoeus are a little less intimidating, but still no fun chasing down if they do go awol.

 

[thedragonslapper]

I had one, an adult female, who never threatened nor tried to bite or bolt. She spent the majority of her time hiding behind the slab of cork bark I gave her for a hide so I hardly ever actually saw her. And when she was out she’d retreat whenever I had to open the enclosure. Just give them the respect they deserve and don’t do anything foolish and you should cope.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is the irminia more defensive than other psalmos in your experience?

Nope.

My adult female irminia is pretty well behaved, only ever had 2 threat postures from, the first was at a feeder because she'd just gone into pre-moult, and the second was because I'd backed her into a corner during a rehouse.

In my experience, pulcher and victori are more defensive with victori being by far the most defensive species from the genus, all 3 of them will readily throw up threat postures and start slapping at disturbances.

Just curious why everyone points to them as evil and I’ve not really heard that about the others

I imagine it's the same reason why they have a reputation for being overly reclusive (I see my AF daily unless she's in pre-moult), people stick them in a bare enclosure with just a cork tube to hide in and wonder why they have a cranky tarantula that never comes out.

 

[viper69]

I’ve owned male and female irminia and a female pulcher.

IME hands down irminia were way more reclusive.

 

[Smotzer]

My experience with P. irminia is that mine is super laid back, the easiest rehouses so far have been with this suspect gal. I have never seen any defensive postures from her at all. So much less high strung than the P. cambridgei, but individual temperaments vary obviously.

May try and get a photo of her today!

 

[Ungoliant]

My irminia gets slap happy when I do maintenance. My cambridgei just sits there or runs away.

 

[Craig73]

May try and get a photo of her today!

Do it! I’m catching mine out more and more lately. Currently it’s acting like an arboreal I. mira with its legs sticking out of its top entrance looking like it’s waiting for food it doesn’t need.

 

[Smotzer]

Do it! I’m catching mine out more and more lately. Currently it’s acting like an arboreal I. mira with its legs sticking out of its top entrance looking like it’s waiting for food it doesn’t need.

Not the easiest bugger to get great photos of! Doesn’t luke to stay in one place out in the open too long.

 

[Craig73]

Not the easiest bugger to get great photos of! Doesn’t luke to stay in one place out in the open too long.

Here‘s mine. Only fully out in the dark. Second one is my P. reduncus, little bold one always out on top chilling. Everyone else is a bunch of wieners hiding.

 

[Smotzer]

Here‘s mine. Only fully out in the dark. Second one is my P. reduncus, little bold one always out on top chilling. Everyone else is a bunch of wieners hiding.

View attachment 381650 View attachment 381651

Awesome, gotta love that little leg poking out!!! Ill probably upload the one I got with my Camera today, ill tag you in it or post it in here!!

 

[Craig73]

Awesome, gotta love that little leg poking out!!! Ill probably upload the one I got with my Camera today, ill tag you in it or post it in here!!

I’ve got to start taking more decent pics and create a photo gallery. Half the time I’m standing there saying don’t move, don’t move...damn it, why’d you move! Lmao.

 

[Smotzer]

I’ve got to start taking more decent pics and create a photo gallery. Half the time I’m standing there saying don’t move, don’t move...damn it, why’d you move! Lmao.

Thats exactly what I was doing today LOL id only get like 15sec to take thhe photo before it moved, and yeah I still dont have a photo gallery lol but heres the one good shot I got today!
View media item 76789

 

[CommanderBacon]

TBH I got a P irminia because people recommended it as a stepping stone to OW species. I think they meant OW arboreals, because my OW fossorials do not act anything like P irminia.

In any case, I never saw him until he was too large for his cork bark, and then he matured out. He was skittish, but never defensive. When I rehoused him to bring him to a friend's place for breeding, he was a proper gentleman.

I really just don't get why anyone would think this species is defensive or aggro, but it's also my only experience with the genus so far. I intend to get more down the road.

 

[Smotzer]

TBH I got a P irminia because people recommended it as a stepping stone to OW species. I think they meant OW arboreals, because my OW fossorials do not act anything like P irminia.

In any case, I never saw him until he was too large for his cork bark, and then he matured out. He was skittish, but never defensive. When I rehoused him to bring him to a friend's place for breeding, he was a proper gentleman.

I really just don't get why anyone would think this species is defensive or aggro, but it's also my only experience with the genus so far. I intend to get more down the road.

Mine is the least agro of anything , while it was out it was relaxed and occasionally I’d touch it back leg with a paint brush to get it to reposition, and did so graciously and never even went into stress pose either. Mine is the least skittish I think I own!

 

[CommanderBacon]

Mine is the least agro of anything , while it was out it was relaxed and occasionally I’d touch it back leg with a paint brush to get it to reposition, and did so graciously and never even went into stress pose either. Mine is the least skittish I think I own!

I've started thinking that if people see a lot of threat poses from their spider, they should maybe take a look at their husbandry. If a spider is being kept properly, it seems like they feel more secure and threat pose less. Of course, there are sure to be individual specimens that are just aggro, but I don't know how some species get the rep that they do.

I've received less than a handful of threat poses from all of my spiders in five years of keeping.