sicarius sp.

[paul fleming]

Just wondering if you have any videos of any of your handling?

I tell you what,I may teach it to do some tricks next time

No videos yet I am afraid although my camera has a video setting on it which I could have used......maybe next time eh.
TBH.....they do not do much when you are holding them,just sit there.
All in all,these are not an exciting spp. to keep compared to some other spids.
It's great when they bury themselves or catch prey but you have to be pretty patient to catch them in the act.
I also think that it shows that not all of the "killer spiders" are monsters or devils that try to bite you at every opportunity.
It may in fact give people more confidence to keep this kind of spp.

 

[Moltar]

Paul I think that if you want to post handling pics and the mods have OK'd it then you should keep doing so, just expect there to be some controversy every time you do. Adding the appropriate language about "don't try this at home, very dangerous, etc, etc" is certainly a good idea, even if for no other reason than to avoid too much flaming.

Personally I'm a bit conflicted on the subject, I fall more into Venom's "group A" than "group B" but I also relish the chance to see more pics of these and other amazing species. Just if you get tagged please try to keep it out of the news... if you live, that is.

 

[proper_tea]

I hope you get bitten.

can I just point out the smiley that comes right after the quote...

Nobody actually wants to see you get bit. Calm down.

 

[John Kanker]

Nobody actually wants to see you get bit. Calm down.

I do because it would give me something to laugh over.;P

 

[proper_tea]

I do because it would give me something to laugh over.;P

^^^^
:wall:

 

[AzJohn]

Does any one no of one person whose opionion you would really value that would hold with Venom's view B. I'm talking about real experts, not casual hobbiest. I think most academics, researchers, people who really know and care about scorpions would discourage handling. At least they aren't posting pictures. If you really think about it, getting a real bad sting won't show that medically significant inverts aren't monsters. Every time you handle a hot invert you are putting yourself at risk and it could have major ramifications for the entire hobby.

 

[proper_tea]

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ogYDUmIigw0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ogYDUmIigw0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

Has anyone here since Grizzly Man? It pretty much addresses all the arguments going on in this thread.... in a very Herzog way.

The way I look at it, if your life leads you in a direction where you decide to take risks with potentially lethal consequences, as long as you go into those risks with a clear understanding of what they are...

like the guy that tightrope walked between the twin towers.

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YW1b3G2MN3Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YW1b3G2MN3Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

 

[ArachnoYak]

I tell you what,I may teach it to do some tricks next time

No videos yet I am afraid although my camera has a video setting on it which I could have used......

I'll believe it when I see it on video.

 

[paul fleming]

I'll believe it when I see it on video.

Believe what....that I handled it :wall: ?
Looks like you aint been taking too much notice of my previous posts
Also,do you honestly think I have to prove anything to a plank ?

 

[ArachnoYak]

I've seen all your previous posts even when you were on here as "spit". I'm not impressed as you are obviously an attention seeker. And once again..no video..no proof.

 

[paul fleming]

I've seen all your previous posts even when you were on here as "spit". I'm not impressed as you are obviously an attention seeker. And once again..no video..no proof.

Ok ....you win.
I am an excellent photographer and the bees knees at photoshop.
Have fun.

 

[PhobeToPhile]

I would say it's pretty obvious he handled it...last time I checked, generally it's just "no pics, no proof". And he DID provide the pics, and the spider and sand looked perfectly natural. What in the pics made you think it was a shop?

 

[paul fleming]

I have taken the pic away....as well as all the other handling pics I have posted.
I expected some controversy but not peeps thinking I lied (A certain beginner I should say......Yak.... very dissappointed :wall:
That is me done here with posting pics of the most interesting spp. on the planet AND showing they are not all monsters.
You can't win and sometimes you have to give in to the idiots that know zip about the spp. (spids in general I should say......yak (plank of wood) we all keep and love.
Education seems the way forward but that is up to you guys over there.
Someone please educate him.

 

[paul fleming]

Paul I think that if you want to post handling pics and the mods have OK'd it then you should keep doing so, just expect there to be some controversy every time you do. Adding the appropriate language about "don't try this at home, very dangerous, etc, etc" is certainly a good idea, even if for no other reason than to avoid too much flaming.

Personally I'm a bit conflicted on the subject, I fall more into Venom's "group A" than "group B" but I also relish the chance to see more pics of these and other amazing species. Just if you get tagged please try to keep it out of the news... if you live, that is.

Moltar,
I am like you,just a hobbyist.
I handled this because when I first read about them,I thought there is no way I want such a monster.
I chatted to some fellow hobbyists that assured me they were fine.
I first thought I would get bit and die straight away when I got them.
How wrong was I ?
Moltar,although these may have potent venom,they are slowish (nowhere near pokie or mac speed),can't climb glass and are not very aggressive as you have seen from my picture.
I posted the pic to show that these are not evil and will not bite at first chance.
They will kill you though if they feel that way inclined and you piss them off.
Give them a chance mate.......just be careful.
Paul.

 

[Venom]

Moltar,

They will kill you though if they feel that way inclined and you piss them off.
Give them a chance mate.......just be careful.
Paul.

Being careful means not handling them. It's like dancing on a tightrope to prove you won't fall off. It's safer just to stay off the tightrope in the first place...

Paul, honestly, we enjoy seeing pictures of these great spiders. Pictures of spiders are great. Please don't react by not posting your great pics of wonderful species anymore--that's not what anyone wants, and it's taking spite at the response you've received.

Publicly handling toxic species is the only real issue here. I do believe you handled the spider--I don't see any reason to think you're lying about that. I'm not sure why anyone would. :?

I don't see the merit in wanting to handle a spider to de-mystify them. It only gives one a tendency to be careless. How does it benefit you to know the spider doesn't have a drive to bite you? What do you do differently? Does it make you feel more relaxed around them? Casual attitudes toward venomous species is, far and away, the leading cause of bites and stings in ALL venomous hobbies: whether one is keeping snakes, spiders, scorpions--getting casual tends to get one bitten.

I agree that one needs to be confident in working with their cages, but this confidence should come from the knowledge that one's safety measures are effective, not that the animal in question isn't going to try to bite/ sting you: because, you can't trust ANY animal to do what it "should" 100% of the time!! Docile spiders bite..."domesticated" animals bite...trained wild animals turn savage. You can't trust a docile spider to not take a whack at you when handling it, even if the majority of the time it won't.

Being confident and "ok" with keeping and working with toxic animals should be based on your knowledge of how to manage the animal and be safe with it: NOT what you are trusting the animal to do. Never take a chance--take precautions. THAT is safe, responsible keeping, NOT gambling your life to prove the odds of losing it are low. The odds are uncertain.

 

[proper_tea]

Personally... honestly... I don't think you're posting pictures of yourself handling these spiders to "demystify" them, and I'm totally with Venom on the fact that these spiders shouldn't be demystified. People should take their potential to kill every bit as seriously as it is. That's like demystifying handguns as "safe." People shouldn't think of of them as safe, they should think of them as potentially lethal, and treat them that way.

I think you're posting these pictures because you think that the fact that you're handling a potentially lethal species of spider is cool. And that's fine. I kinda think it's cool too... but don't act surprised when other people don't and certainly don't act like you're doing everybody a great service in proving how "safe" an extremely deadly spider is. You're not.

 

[paul fleming]

Personally... honestly... I don't think you're posting pictures of yourself handling these spiders to "demystify" them, and I'm totally with Venom on the fact that these spiders shouldn't be demystified. People should take their potential to kill every bit as seriously as it is. That's like demystifying handguns as "safe." People shouldn't think of of them as safe, they should think of them as potentially lethal, and treat them that way.

I think you're posting these pictures because you think that the fact that you're handling a potentially lethal species of spider is cool. And that's fine. I kinda think it's cool too... but don't act surprised when other people don't and certainly don't act like you're doing everybody a great service in proving how "safe" an extremely deadly spider is. You're not.

I am only posting pics to show that they are not the monsters that you all think,
I really don't give a hoot.
Listen to the idiot called "YAK". if you like ?
What an idiot
I will post more but I need this guy to be gone !

 

[proper_tea]

Listen to the idiot called "YAK". if you like ?
What an idiot
I will post more but I need this guy to be gone !

Well... Paul... I don't think that's going to happen for you.

 

[paul fleming]

No more nice pics then.
Thank you "YAK"
It is not only nice pics you guys are missing.......it is also good info on the spp. as well,
Your loss.
This YAK is some smart guy.
Paul.

I am no expert but the next time you want advice on this spp. ask someone that keeps it .
Could always ask YAK of course.......if you think he has better idea than me ?
YAK........Your choice ?
Me or an idiot ?

 

[What]

It is not only nice pics you guys are missing.......it is also good info on the spp. as well,.

Like calling Sicarius "crab spiders"?

(Guess what, I have more Sicarius than you do, spit, you arent teaching anyone anything that we dont already know by posting your pics<EDIT -MrI>)