I read so much about defensive tarantulas and aggressive tarantulas. My feelings were that these two terms are frequently misused in descriptive actions of certain mygalomorphe species. Two that come to mind are posts concerning Asian species and African species. Again, not all but some of these seem to generate more posts than others.
Tarantulas as we all know are as individual and diverse as any other living species in the animal kingdom and it seems no two are alike. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. But when it comes to the term "defensive" or, "aggressive" I feel that one must differentiate between the two in terms of what it means in regards to behavior of a particular tarantula and what brings on that response from an animal whether in captivity or a free agent living in the wild.
First understand the technical difference between the terms. Defensive is defined as meaning: to protect, or protective, to preserve. Additionally, it conveys an attitude, a position of defense. Prepared to withstand attack.
The term aggressive can be defined by the terms, offensive or combative as in provoked or unprovoked attack. The term can also mean warlike and combative. It also is defined as to be inclined to hostile behavior and unprovoked hostilities..The launching of attacks!
It is important to communicate with proper terminology when assessing the response that a certain stimulus evokes from a tarantula in captivity. I say "in captivity" because fewer hobbyists travel to, or live in areas where wild populations are located. I am one who has.
It is amazing the response that can be generated by certain species in captivity. I personally have never seen a full-grown King baboon but I do keep H. Lividum, which according to several posts on various boards claim it to be a demon along with other colorful descriptions that are used.
My Cobalt blue seems quite content in its enclosure. How do I know that? Because I have never seen a provoked nor an unprovoked threat response from her.
Additionally I also know that she is well within her natural comfort parameters. That being a fairly constant 75 to 79 degree room temp during the day falling to around 70 to 74 at night. Her day/night cycles are within natural parameters as well. At least for where she lives now, which is with me in my comfort zones.
She does not wander the parameter of her enclosure and generally spends her time either perfecting her burrow or sitting in the entrance. I feel those are generally good indicators that she is at least not feeling threatened in that space.
But to put the terms in question in a more understandable context perhaps if you imagined a spider 40 times your own size getting too close to your personal space would you feel aggressive or defensive? I think the proper response would be one of a defensive posture. You certainly would not run straight into the jaws of death with an aggressive frontal assault. I know this is very simplistic approach but this isn't meant to be a study of terminology but rather a clarification of two different terms as they apply to responses in captive tarantulas.
Lastly let me say that this post is not meant to generate deep conversations about terminology but just to bring to light the difference between the two and how they might apply in a more accurate way to the views in posts by hobbyists about their favorite wild things. This could also apply to any captive creature.
I do not think tarantulas in the pet trade should be coined as aggressive many times. I think defensive would be a much more accurate description of the well known threat posture. It is not an aggressive display but a self-preservation attempt. If that does not work of course then an aggressive attack could also be viewed as a last ditch effort to defend or preserve its own self either in the confinements of an enclosure or on it's own turf in the wild.
Also I might add that an intrusion into the personal space of any wild animal could certainly prompt an aggressive attack upon the intruder which would only be natural. There is one last wonderful thing about such responses by captive tarantulas and that is that such a response show that indeed that animal still has "wild" within itself. An attitude, a willingness to survive..And that is a very healthy sign that animal has what it takes to live out the full measure of it's god given life under sometimes unnatural or harsh conditions.
Just a thought.
Tarantulas as we all know are as individual and diverse as any other living species in the animal kingdom and it seems no two are alike. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. But when it comes to the term "defensive" or, "aggressive" I feel that one must differentiate between the two in terms of what it means in regards to behavior of a particular tarantula and what brings on that response from an animal whether in captivity or a free agent living in the wild.
First understand the technical difference between the terms. Defensive is defined as meaning: to protect, or protective, to preserve. Additionally, it conveys an attitude, a position of defense. Prepared to withstand attack.
The term aggressive can be defined by the terms, offensive or combative as in provoked or unprovoked attack. The term can also mean warlike and combative. It also is defined as to be inclined to hostile behavior and unprovoked hostilities..The launching of attacks!
It is important to communicate with proper terminology when assessing the response that a certain stimulus evokes from a tarantula in captivity. I say "in captivity" because fewer hobbyists travel to, or live in areas where wild populations are located. I am one who has.
It is amazing the response that can be generated by certain species in captivity. I personally have never seen a full-grown King baboon but I do keep H. Lividum, which according to several posts on various boards claim it to be a demon along with other colorful descriptions that are used.
My Cobalt blue seems quite content in its enclosure. How do I know that? Because I have never seen a provoked nor an unprovoked threat response from her.
Additionally I also know that she is well within her natural comfort parameters. That being a fairly constant 75 to 79 degree room temp during the day falling to around 70 to 74 at night. Her day/night cycles are within natural parameters as well. At least for where she lives now, which is with me in my comfort zones.
She does not wander the parameter of her enclosure and generally spends her time either perfecting her burrow or sitting in the entrance. I feel those are generally good indicators that she is at least not feeling threatened in that space.
But to put the terms in question in a more understandable context perhaps if you imagined a spider 40 times your own size getting too close to your personal space would you feel aggressive or defensive? I think the proper response would be one of a defensive posture. You certainly would not run straight into the jaws of death with an aggressive frontal assault. I know this is very simplistic approach but this isn't meant to be a study of terminology but rather a clarification of two different terms as they apply to responses in captive tarantulas.
Lastly let me say that this post is not meant to generate deep conversations about terminology but just to bring to light the difference between the two and how they might apply in a more accurate way to the views in posts by hobbyists about their favorite wild things. This could also apply to any captive creature.
I do not think tarantulas in the pet trade should be coined as aggressive many times. I think defensive would be a much more accurate description of the well known threat posture. It is not an aggressive display but a self-preservation attempt. If that does not work of course then an aggressive attack could also be viewed as a last ditch effort to defend or preserve its own self either in the confinements of an enclosure or on it's own turf in the wild.
Also I might add that an intrusion into the personal space of any wild animal could certainly prompt an aggressive attack upon the intruder which would only be natural. There is one last wonderful thing about such responses by captive tarantulas and that is that such a response show that indeed that animal still has "wild" within itself. An attitude, a willingness to survive..And that is a very healthy sign that animal has what it takes to live out the full measure of it's god given life under sometimes unnatural or harsh conditions.
Just a thought.
but for the crap that i said about tapping the enclosure sorry for the lack of common sense coz sometimes my common sense is in its day off.....:?:?
