Question on Urticulating hairs

Mandiblehead

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Messages
19
So Ive seen my bohemei do it , ive seen my verdezi do it like no ones business one time, actually was in the grappling match with that moutfull of crikets many of you saw. he dropped one and another started wreslting tryng to get out and it was so fast but there was some kicking involved. What im wondering is since you dont see them. what kind of distance can they throw them ?
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
You can actually see them floating about in the right light and they get pretty far seeing as they're basically designed to stay in the air as long as possible, not sure about specific distances though.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
And that's nothing. Those are the supposed "kickers" but I can tell you that it's impossible to avoid contact with hairs forever, one moment. I will give you an example for what I want to say.

I have a 0.1 M.robustum, and she literally covered (they are invisible of course) the web and the substrate with her setae, while she loves to live and stay in the burrow (not only for a pre molt/molt time, uh). Those hairs acts as a sort of "active" defence mechanism against other predators (they don't know that are in captivity, of course) so everytime I need to open her enclosure for a check up (cleaning, refill the water dish etc) I always end with those hairs in the hand, no matter. Yuck, I have to say that I love those hairs & red itchy feeling, not an issue for me.

There's only a 'captain obvious' way for 100% avoid that, however: buy OW's :-s
 

Mandiblehead

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Messages
19
Ya I thought I saw verdesi ( I just thought of a name. If it's a girl. Desi ). I'll need some sexing up though I looked at the sex page ( lol ). Anyway o thought I saw some kicks in its premolt when it was building a molting pad. Before he was upside down I saw a cricket wander onto it and he turned himself right around as did the other. I thought t would go I to a burrow to molt but it didn't. Don't worry I took out the crickets and it .opted successfully. So are they a prob if they get into ones eyes ? Or just an irritation
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
I once watched...no joke, a small cricket walk into a little pile of N. chromatus hairs (1.5" t) and literally become entangled and it died in relatively short order.
 

BobBarley

Arachnoprince
Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
1,486
;) NW T species without urticating hairs Psalmopoeus, Holothele, Tapinauchenius, Hemiercus to mention a few.
Does Neoholothele have hairs? Also I believe Dolicothele does not have urt hairs either.
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
The hairs aren't going to fly out of their enclosures, if that's what you're wondering. If you see a t kicking, put the top back on and do your housekeeping later lol. And the very first of searches on tarantulas says "DONT GET HAIRS IN YOUR EYES!"

I have only had a reaction to a stirmi, and I was trying to get her off the floor and into a bowl--getting haired the whole way. Hairs all over and even that amounted to minor itching for a few hours. I watched a video where a guy prepares a molt and ends up with a rash from the hairs. If you are that allergic, it might be best to keep t's without the hairs.
 

runCMD

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
36
The hairs aren't going to fly out of their enclosures, if that's what you're wondering. If you see a t kicking, put the top back on and do your housekeeping later lol. And the very first of searches on tarantulas says "DONT GET HAIRS IN YOUR EYES!"

I have only had a reaction to a stirmi, and I was trying to get her off the floor and into a bowl--getting haired the whole way. Hairs all over and even that amounted to minor itching for a few hours. I watched a video where a guy prepares a molt and ends up with a rash from the hairs. If you are that allergic, it might be best to keep t's without the hairs.
I really think that depends on your air holes. My first experience with the hairs was probably 14 years ago I had either a blondi or a stirmi in a deli cup. Just carrying it(never opened) and riding with it in the open bed of a pickup truck from the shop to the house I had a terrible reaction to it on my eyes and arms from the hairs that made it through air holes. That thing was kicking like crazy in the cup though.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
^^stick with dogs only in the truck :)
Oh no:eek:, one of the things I hate to see most. Ever see what happens when the dog exits the truck in motion?...it ain't pretty (and it isn't always the choice of the unrestrained dog). A friends wife saw this once, dog jumped right into a sign basically and ended up looking much like a moth on a windshield! Please, I beg of you, keep the dog in the cab with you.:embarrassed: Its where the dog would rather be anyway.:shy:

I mean the best case scenario is multiple broken legs.:sorry:
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
The hairs aren't going to fly out of their enclosures
This is not true. It varies from each keepers setup. The setae from some of my NWs does in fact travel a few feet in the air and onto my desk. I don't get little itchy "heat" blisters for no reason.
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
This is not true. It varies from each keepers setup. The setae from some of my NWs does in fact travel a few feet in the air and onto my desk. I don't get little itchy "heat" blisters for no reason.
I dont see how anything is coming out of a "proper" tarantula setup. Plexi or tape on tank lids or drilled Rubbermaid containers. I wouldn't use that desk much if it were me getting blisters.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I dont see how anything is coming out of a "proper" tarantula setup. Plexi or tape on tank lids or drilled Rubbermaid containers. I wouldn't use that desk much if it were me getting blisters.
Well, I know you can't see, but I certainly FEEL the effects.

Proper? What the heck is proper?? I didn't know there was a Federal T Caging Authority haha The ones I referenced are kept in a ExoTerra Breeder Boxes.
 
Top