People that handle their hot T's

[kyla 84]

I only handle 4 of my T's i will not handle my OBT cuz she's mental and i kinda like living and i don't handle my A. geniculata cuz she's always in a bad mood and i get hairs kicked at me pretty much just for opening the tank.

 

[venomous.com]

Sorry, but doing something that is potentially dangerous ,and medically detrimental towards your own self, for the heck of it , with no benefict whatsoever for either parts, it is stupidity in my book.

That makes anyone who's ever drank, smoked, or partied stupid. Let alone played with a dog, a big constrictor, etc. Life is meant to be lived, not ran from.

And I don't even handle my T's!

 

[Fran]

That makes anyone who's ever drank, smoked, or partied stupid. Let alone played with a dog, a big constrictor, etc. Life is meant to be lived, not ran from.

And I don't even handle my T's!

Correct. Life is meant to be living...to his max life span, hahaha. I dont know, I have much better and exciting plans for my life than spending the night on the ER.

Phoenixavierre:

You are the one manipulating here. When did I say that YOU did WHAT?

The only thing im saying is that some of us consider those actions like very stupid and unnecessary risks. Besides that, if you play soccer with your spiders, I couldnt care less.

And you know me? hahaha

---------- Post added at 03:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:59 PM ----------

That makes anyone who's ever drank, smoked, or partied stupid. Let alone played with a dog, a big constrictor, etc. Life is meant to be lived, not ran from.

And I don't even handle my T's!

And sorry but... Maybe here getting drunk is as risky as handling a "hot" animal... I mean :? When I did have some drinks with my friends, we all have a great time as funny and goofy as we could be. Nobody ever went balistic on someone , or jump into a car to drive home. Its quite a diff culture.

---------- Post added at 03:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM ----------

Just remember to keep it real when it really matters.

Wait...hahaha to keep what real? Listen, lets do this openly. Since you know me so well, and you know about steroids,lets " keep it real" and bet a few grand. Pay for a reliable lab work, ill take the tests and we will put the results in the open. Hows that? Lets pm about it.

 

[LondonLegs]

I know that I'm relatively new here, and as such have little place in arguments, but I thought I'd throw this out there after seeing the vicious "Thrill or no?" battle among the five other simultaneous fights.

I handle T's (all t's, if they have a decent record of being docile) because I like the way it feels. I like the funny fuzzy feeling, the light, sticky feet, and the tickle of their walk. My preference when handling is to pick them up and let them do as they please, and not attempt to push or guide them in any certain direction (my g. rosea is a bizzatch, so I'm always thoroughly clothed with him/her). While the initial pickup always seems to weird him/her out a bit, after that s/he seems to enjoy the radiating warmth I put out. Of course, this was before s/he went typical rose psycho and has become unhandleable.

What I was really trying to say is that I don't see where thrillseeking or power really comes in to it. I just happen to find t's cuddlier than an irritating, in-your-face dog. I'm sure very few people here outright disrespect their t's on purpose. Handlers do so because it is enjoyable and the emotional benefits outweigh the bite risk. Don't mistake my use of "emotional" for love and bonding, because my use is merely meaning the emotion of pleasure or fun, or contentment. Non-handlers do so because their feeling is that it would be rude and unsettling to their T's to do so.

I personally believe that T's don't give two sticks either way, and even after a bad experience will forget about it all after a relatively short period of time.

 

[venomous.com]

And sorry but... Maybe here getting drunk is as risky as handling a "hot" animal... I mean :?

I guess that's the difference, I've kept real 'hots' where you could lose a limb or possibly your life. I was very careful and respectful of those animals and never came close to getting tagged in over 10 years of keeping.

T's aren't anywhere near 'hot' status. Envenomation may be painful but it's certainly not going to kill you, and no worries of anaphylaxis either.

Not much of a risk IMO

 

[killy]

My attitude toward handling my Ts hasn't changed - I love just because it's fun to interact with another living creature that way ...

I can't say the same for my Ts ... my pulchra was a sweetheart until the last molt and now he's terrified of me, so it's hands off with him ... my GBB was NEVER a kicker - until the last molt ... And my vagans, well, handling is a moot point because I don't dare get close enough to him to try ... my pulchripes, by contrast, lets me know when he wants to come out and play, and he climbs right aboard ... GO FIGURE.

I'm a firm believer in backing off when the tarantula says "NO," but on the other hand, not handling a taranutula when the tarantula is actually amenable to it is, to my thinking, missing out on one of the very special opportunities this hobby has to offer. I know there are those out there that disagree with me (oh BOY do I know it) to which I say, well, I've got a couple of Ts that are in complete agreement with YOU.

 

[Fran]

Im not seeing handling as a capital sin...But I preffer to respect them in their space and let them be as aclimated and "content" as possible.

The behavior is extremely different in some sp. Mess with a Blondi from time to time, handling or taking her out of her cage, and that T is gonna be climbing and pacing NON STOP.
Let her be and she will digg her own burrow, web quite more than expected by the sp, and behave more in a "wild like" way.

 

[arachi american]

i think it's funny some of you talk like you know me or something...

here's the thing..i dont have to justify any of my actions to any of you.

my intent was to show that "unhandleable" t's are just not so. i dont normally take them out just for the heck of it, i was making a video. still never been bit by any of my t's, from avicularia to stromatopelma and everything in between.


snakes....snakes bite me all the friggin time.

the only envenomations ive had were an emperor scorpion and a sidewinder. you can read all about the scorpion in the sting reports (5 intramuscular stings on calf). it was actually quite severe and might make anyone that's ever been stung or bitten by anything re-evaluate how severe their case was. pics included.

oh...and if it's a choice between getting bit by a featherleg and tossing it on the ground from 2-3 feet, i dont think theres a question there. i'm not taking that bite. also, if i want to cut all my spiders legs off and eat them one by one, i'll do it, and not care what any of you think. it's MY spider and i could care less if i'm popular in your little online club.


in the video i took the spiders out for the specific purpose of showing handling, that's probably the more interaction than i've had with them since. i work with snakes all day every day, it's the last thing i wanna do when i get home.

if you wanna extrapolate what you see in 5 minutes of video to your assumption of a persons entire life that's up to you.


<3 mike

---------- Post added at 09:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 PM ----------

Hahaha... that's my friend Mike. He lost a finger to a sidewinder bite recently. I'm sure you're shocked.

long time bud...call me.

---------- Post added at 09:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------

and whoever said i've bene around for a while and know my stuff, but i'm a complete douche...pretty spot on. =D

 

[kristinnandbenn]

Just because a tarantula is considered aggressive, or has stronger venom than others doesn't mean that it's going to bite you every time it comes in contact with you. Yes a "hot" tarantula will most likely try to bite at you if you stick your finger in front of its face, but if you let the spider crawl onto your hand and if you don't pose any threats to it, you probably won't get bit. I agree that it isn't wise to hold a "hot" tarantula, but it's not anything insane or incredibly dangerous in my opinion. It's not like you're going to die if you are bitten, if anything it's more dangerous for the tarantula.


This is a video I found on youtube a while back. I do not agree with the way this individual treats his tarantula.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YSBgETQn18

 

[Rob1985]

Darwinism at it's finest lol

 

[Aschamne]

Correct. Life is meant to be living...to his max life span, hahaha. I dont know, I have much better and exciting plans for my life than spending the night on the ER.

I hate to inform you, but there are things that you do that are more likely to land you in the ER than handling a tarantula. First off you are a weight lifter and I know plenty of people that have hurt themselves lifting and some of the injuries are severe. And if I remember correctly, you also like to play sports. Which again has landed plenty of people in the ER. Yet, unless someone is a child, elderly or a total wimp a tarantula bite should not incur a visit to the ER. There have been plenty of people that have been tagged my copperheads here in the US, but I would say that most of those did not even incur a trip to the ER.

Art

---------- Post added at 08:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------

I'll just mention this without argument and quietly slink away. About 2 years ago (the thread is on the ATS forum if you care to search for it) one of the members built a beautiful new habitat for their Poecilotheria metallica and spent all day creating it. Tired and much later in the day, he moved his beautiful girl into her new home and promptly forgot to properly fasten the front screen to the cage. You can read the details, but she escaped and got into the crevices of his masonry fireplace. During his attempt to retrieve her he was tagged. This resulted in several hours passed out on the tile floor and the ultimate loss of his job due to the physical effects of the bite. This was an ACCIDENTAL situation. Risking something like the cost of an emergency room visit, weeks of cramps and debilitating pain so you can impress others voluntarily with your "skills" might be what floats some of your boats and that's your choice, but mentioning that you may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer is mine.
Diane

I'm sorry, but my bullcrap detector is going off from that story. My wife did not visit a doctor much less the ER, nor did she miss any work during the following weeks of severe cramp when she was tagged by a Poecilotheria ornata. Sounds to me like the guy was just wanting attention from the situation, which he did get even if it was not the results he was looking for.

Art

 

[TomM]

I've always preferred the "pet fish" view on handling spiders. Pretty to look at , no need to handle.

Later, Tom

What Tom said. Maybe it's a name thing but I think he's made the most sense. The only thing that you can get from handling a tarantula is either a bite or an injured (or dead) tarantula. Even if you've handled it "properly" and got it back into its enclosure, what does it get from it? It isn't socialized; it didn't learn your "smell"; why risk being envenomated or dropping your tarantula? I can understand how one might get a "thrill" from holding it, but I'm sure you get also get a "thrill" playing Russian Roulette. There's no point, just my opinion.

---------- Post added at 10:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------

I hate to inform you, but there are things that you do that are more likely to land you in the ER than handling a tarantula. First off you are a weight lifter and I know plenty of people that have hurt themselves lifting and some of the injuries are severe. And if I remember correctly, you also like to play sports. Which again has landed plenty of people in the ER. Yet, unless someone is a child, elderly or a total wimp a tarantula bite should not incur a visit to the ER. There have been plenty of people that have been tagged my copperheads here in the US, but I would say that most of those did not even incur a trip to the ER.

Art

Lifting weights and playing sports gets you in shape and keeps you healthy. There is no positive side to handling "hot" pets. (Again, just my opinion.)

 

[Hatr3d]

What Tom said. Maybe it's a name thing but I think he's made the most sense. The only thing that you get get from handling a tarantula is either a bite or an injured (or dead) tarantula. Even if you've handled it "properly" and got it back into its enclosure, what does it get from it? It isn't socialized; it didn't learn your "smell"; why risk being envenomated or dropping your tarantula? I can understand how one might get a "thrill" from holding it, but I'm sure you get also get a "thrill" playing Russian Roulette. There's no point, just my opinion.

+1

And I'dd add that prolly 80% of the times people handling T's does it just to impress others or even worse to film it and get it on the net.. I pity them if they need to do something like this to boost their self-esteem / e-penis

 

[Moltar]

Well, if there's one thing that's been proven by this thread it's that people do love to talk smack. I find it pretty amusing that everybody jumped on arachni-american's video like he had cooties then he actually showed up here to defend himself.

People, there's no reason to make someone into a pariah because you don't agree with their husbandry practices. Personally, I'll give my opinions when asked but generally speaking, what somebody does with their animals is their own business right up to the point where they are distributing tarantula hybrids or grossly neglecting their animals. Then somebody needs to say something.

 

[TomM]

I pity them if they need to do something like this to boost their self-esteem / e-penis

+1,000

I feel like the bigger someone acts online, the smaller they truly are, in size and intellect. And I can understand why someone might want to interact with their tarantula, but why film and upload it to YouTube it to show off to people that you will probably never meet (or even know what they look like)? Just seems kinda foolish to me.

 

[killy]

The only thing that you get get from handling a tarantula is either a bite or an injured (or dead) tarantula.

Wow, that's a rather astonishing statement to make. The "only" thing that you get? You know this from personal experience, I'm sure.

Anyway, I beg to differ. I've been handling Ts for a couple of years now and none of those things have happened.

 

[TomM]

Anyway, I beg to differ. I've been handling Ts for a couple of years now and none of those things have happened.

But what did you or the tarantula get from it? I'm not saying that these things will definitely happen, but what, other than a bite or injury, can you or the tarantula get from it? That's all I'm saying.

Wow, that's a rather astonishing statement to make. The "only" thing that you get? You know this from personal experience, I'm sure.

And that's a rather presumptuous statement. I've never been bitten by or dropped a tarantula. Know why? I don't handle them, unless I need to (i.e. - rehousing my A. hentzi, when a paintbrush or forceps don't move it, I'll do a pinch grab to carefully move it to the new home, gives pet rocks a good name).

 

[killy]

But what did you or the tarantula get from it? I'm not saying that these things will definitely happen, but what, other than a bite or injury, can you or the tarantula get from it? That's all I'm saying.



And that's a rather presumptuous statement. I've never been bitten by or dropped a tarantula. Know why? I don't handle them, unless I need to (i.e. - rehousing my A. hentzi, when a paintbrush or forceps don't move it, I'll do a pinch grab to carefully move it to the new home, gives pet rocks a good name).

I've never been bitten by, or dropped, a tarantula either, but it's not because I don't handle them, it's because I handle them responsibly - there's a right way and a lot of wrong ways to it. I could make the same argument you're making by stating that I've never been injured on a space shuttle mission.

But your story's changing a little - so now you do handle them. But with a "pinch grab" ?!?!?

Let's make a distinction here. When I refer to "handling," I'm talking about instances where the T is allowed onto the back of my hand - it's the T's choice to climb on, and no pinching or grabbing is involved. By your own admission it's pinching/grabbing that you're doing to your Ts, and I submit that you're risking more harm to the T, or at the very least hyper-stressing him out, than any handling I'm doing. I suggest that you use the "cupping" method when you rehouse. No danger to the T and no danger to you.

As to what I get from handling, well I could go on forever about that one, but I'll just say that it's an awesome rush to get up close and personal with a creature like a tarantula - I also believe, from personal observances, that several of my Ts welcome the chance to do a "walkabout" every now and then. To claim to know what pleasure or benefit they derive from it - now that would be presumptuous.

Let me also give a shout-out to people who share their handling experiences via videotape. THANK YOU. I learn a great deal from them.

 

[Rob1985]

I've never been bitten by, or dropped, a tarantula either, but it's not because I don't handle them, it's because I handle them responsibly - there's a right way and a lot of wrong ways to it. I could make the same argument you're making by stating that I've never been injured on a space shuttle mission.

But your story's changing a little - so now you do handle them. But with a "pinch grab" ?!?!?

Let's make a distinction here. When I refer to "handling," I'm talking about instances where the T is allowed onto the back of my hand - it's the T's choice to climb on, and no pinching or grabbing is involved. By your own admission it's pinching/grabbing that you're doing to your Ts, and I submit that you're risking more harm to the T, or at the very least hyper-stressing him out, than any handling I'm doing. I suggest that you use the "cupping" method when you rehouse. No danger to the T and no danger to you.

As to what I get from handling, well I could go on forever about that one, but I'll just say that it's an awesome rush to get up close and personal with a creature like a tarantula - I also believe, from personal observances, that several of my Ts welcome the chance to do a "walkabout" every now and then. To claim to know what pleasure or benefit they derive from it - now that would be presumptuous.

Let me also give a shout-out to people who share their handling experiences via videotape. THANK YOU. I learn a great deal from them.

comparing a "space shuttle mission" to handling a T made me laugh...

You say it's an awesome rush. I say have fun in the ER. I have been bitten twice and never again will I handle a tarantula, unless absolutely needed!

soo.. I guess could compare handling a "hot T" to when I was kicking in doors, kicking a$$ and taking names in Iraq, but I won't. WHOOO, BOOM!

 

[Aschamne]

Lifting weights and playing sports gets you in shape and keeps you healthy. There is no positive side to handling "hot" pets. (Again, just my opinion.)

You are right that lifting weights and playing sports gets you in shape, but there are other much less dangerous ways to get in shape. Just like there may be other ways to get enjoyment out of life besides handling tarantulas, but people tend to the things that give them the most enjoyment.

Yes, I will agree that those that handle tarantulas just to show how brave they are should not be doing it. But, for those of us that enjoy doing it regardless if there is anyone watching or not, leave us alone as we are not hurting you.

Art