P. metallica enclosure size

Storm76

Arachnoemperor
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Jan 30, 2012
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3,796
I'm interested to see if one or both my little P. cambridgeis will become more defensive as they grow. Right now they are skittish and quite shy (I've only seen one of them a handful of times since I got them). They always run for their burrows when I go into their enclosures to feed or retrieve leftovers (or lately, uneaten prey...here's hoping for a molt in the coming days!) I did get a look at their speed when I unpacked both of them, though. That was a definite eye-opener! lol

I'm confident that I will never venture into Haplopelma species, either. Not with what I've read about them! :)
I'm pretty sure my P. cam is one of those exceptions to their general behavior. Funny enough, the breeder I got her from said she was never displaying any defensiveness, even had her run onto his hand with no incident. Since I got her, she molted twice in my care and becomes more and more evil - is always out sitting on the corkbark as well...usually they are considered the more mellow of the Psalms, but you'll never know :D And yes - they're fast - though my Tappie is way worse in that regard...just a blur.

Anyways, back 2 topic and sorry for hijacking ;)
 

catfishrod69

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Oct 1, 2010
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4,401
Once you get used to it, there are no problems. Just have faith in yourself, know what you are doing at all times, and keep 2 eyes on the tarantula, and 2 eyes on your hands lol. I just rehoused some nice ones today, ended up with a P. pederseni mm on my left arm. I just stuck the tarantula down to the enclosure, and coaxed him off. You will learn to read which ways the tarantulas are going to go when they decide to bolt or move. Doesnt always happen that way, but a good amount of the time it does.
To be honest, I'm not sure whether I will ever not be just a little nervous about rehousing a fast-moving, possibly defensive OW tarantula. I don't see this as a deficiency or even a sign that I shouldn't own a fast, defensive species. I see it as a human reaction to entering into a situation that carries the risk of harm to me or my pet. At this point, I've read enough forum posts and watched enough YouTube videos to know that I am far from the only T keeper who feels this way. Many keepers approach certain tasks with a good dose of caution (tongs awkwardly snaked through barely-opened enclosures, tarantulas-in-a-bag, and more). I've read many admissions of slight anxiety during rehousings and tank maintenance. I've watched experienced keepers of potent OW's literally shake on camera after a particularly tricky rehousing or escape attempt. These are all human reactions. I am confident that despite my nerves, I can do what needs to be done. Much of that confidence springs from the fact that over the past year, I have done all kinds of things I never would've thought I could do (including keeping tarantulas in the first place). I've discovered what a capable person I really am.

Food for thought: How does one overcome anxiety about performing certain tasks if not by doing them? :)
 
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