Silliest thing a layman has told you about Tarantulas

[Dizzle]

Huh. I always thought silverfish were harmless house dwelling insects who people hated because of the fact that they're bugs. Guess not.

I'm sure much of the hatred is due to the general "fear of bugs" - the same fear that makes people stomp spiders which I personally think is ridiculous. I was just saying, what akai said is something I relate to as well. Like termites...grrrr... not a good thing to have in your house....because they EAT your house. And spiders will just eat them, so keep the spiders - reduce the pests.

 

[MadMauC]

Not sure what is sillier - a layman making unfound claims/remarks or a seemingly experience T keeper cooing over their pet Ts and associating/attributing them human qualities/habits/emotions. Totally understand the keeper's passion - I have read some post saying "my T loves me or is angry with me - IMO is silly.

 

[Beary Strange]

what misinformation do you speak of in regards to silverfish? they may be harmless to humans yes BUT not our possessions. they eat paper, books, book bindings, photos, carpeting and your clothes just to name a few. you might want to google image "silverfish damage". no thanks, not in my house.

Yes but at least they're cute while they're about it? : D /weirdo

---------- Post added 10-02-2014 at 09:58 AM ----------

Not sure what is sillier - a layman making unfound claims/remarks or a seemingly experience T keeper cooing over their pet Ts and associating/attributing them human qualities/habits/emotions. Totally understand the keeper's passion - I have read some post saying "my T loves me or is angry with me - IMO is silly.

Experienced keepers don't tend to say things like "My T loves me", it's usually the beginners actually. But I feel you--it's always irksome when people try and talk about things they don't actually know a whole lot about. :3

 

[MadMauC]

I've read IMO silly heated arguments over differences in opinion to keeping Ts - chiding over some beginner's methods of keeping their Ts likening it to cruelty when the same people making these remarks have no qualms in their own threads - "ripping off the feeder crickets' legs or crushing the mealworms heads" before feeding it to their beloved T.... A living thing is a living thing irregardless of whether it's a tarantula or a cricket - I find it totally silly if not absurd that in their opinion it's not ok to spray on a tarantula but it's perfectly ok to rip off the cricket's legs before feeding it to their T.

 

[Driller64]

I've read IMO silly heated arguments over differences in opinion to keeping Ts - chiding over some beginner's methods of keeping their Ts likening it to cruelty when the same people making these remarks have no qualms in their own threads - "ripping off the feeder crickets' legs or crushing the mealworms heads" before feeding it to their beloved T.... A living thing is a living thing irregardless of whether it's a tarantula or a cricket - I find it totally silly if not absurd that in their opinion it's not ok to spray on a tarantula but it's perfectly ok to rip off the cricket's legs before feeding it to their T.

But the tarantula is the pet that is intended to live as comfortable of a life as possible. The cricket was raised to be killed by it and many other pets as well. Personally my tarantulas lives take priority over the crickets, and anything I can do to make the Ts lives easier, I will do.

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using Tapatalk 2

 

[Biollantefan54]

Exactly, spraying the T may stress it...and by me keeping it as a pet, I therefore am trying to create the most stress free environment. What does it matter if you crush the head of a mealworm? It wont burrow but will still move. If you break the crickets legs, it cant jump, therefore an easier meal for said T.

 

[MadMauC]

But the tarantula is the pet that is intended to live as comfortable of a life as possible. The cricket was raised to be killed by it and many other pets as well. Personally my tarantulas lives take priority over the crickets, and anything I can do to make the Ts lives easier, I will do.

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using Tapatalk 2

Exactly, spraying the T may stress it...and by me keeping it as a pet, I therefore am trying to create the most stress free environment. What does it matter if you crush the head of a mealworm? It wont burrow but will still move. If you break the crickets legs, it cant jump, therefore an easier meal for said T.

What I am trying to put forward is the worrying fact that I have read of some persons condemning the act of spraying on Ts as being a CRUEL ACT yet these same persons have no problems ripping of legs and crushing heads of prey insects. What I am trying to say is :- the act of cruelty extends to all living things whether predator or prey. If I decide that Ts will make a good prey item for my monitor lizard and I would pluck off its fangs so it wouldn't bite my pet monitor - would you think it's NOT CRUEL since the T is now the prey?

If I keep a Rabbit or Chicken as a pet and many of us do eat Rabbits (I don't) and Chicken (I do), do the consumer see the act of skinning the rabbit or chopping off the chicken's head/legs while it's still alive as a necessity versus the pet owner who sees it as CRUELTY

FYI - I do pluck off legs and crush heads of mealworms and crix, but I would not think unless you throw the live T into a food processor (yes there are sickening videos on you tube showing these horrific acts) we shouldn't be overacting and quick to judge others and deem their lack of experience and in many cases ignorance as CRUELTY.

To give relevance to the topic - I see these debates as silly - IMO without many of us realising it - the minute we became a T keeper and offer a LIVE PREY to the T is in itself some form an act of cruelty unless we humanely put the crickets down before offering them to our Ts.

And yes I have also eaten grilled and fried Ts in Vietnam does this make me CRUEL?

--- maybe we should start another thread on PREY VS PREDATOR VS PET CRUELTY

 

[Beary Strange]

I have something to bump the thread with (such excitement XD ).

So I was talking to a newly met co-worker tonight about tarantulas (which was awesome by the way--give me someone new to talk tarantulas at and I'm one happy camper) and she said something that, while I definitely don't mean to poke fun at her, it was such an odd thing to be convinced of that I had to share. See, she spoke so excitedly about them that I naturally asked why she had none of her own, expecting roommate issues or concerns about upkeep, and what I got instead was that she just couldn't bring herself to feed them. My mind flicked to the possible gross factor or being squeamish about roaches but nope...she was under the impression that one feeds a tarantula mice. Not occasionally, not some dude doing it on Youtube for shock factor and views, but like after a certain size that's just what they eat. I explained that the majority of hobbyists definitely don't feed mice and those who do, usually only to bulk up dangerously underweight specimens. I'm still wondering where that came from--I failed to ask.

 

[Amimia]

While on a Skype call with my out of state sister, she introduced me to her boyfriend. We got to talking about my tarantulas and I was describing each of them, mainly their different behaviors. He then informed me that all spiders act the same no matter what and the only difference is their color and size. Including True Spiders.

 

[Beary Strange]

While on a Skype call with my out of state sister, she introduced me to her boyfriend. We got to talking about my tarantulas and I was describing each of them, mainly their different behaviors. He then informed me that all spiders act the same no matter what and the only difference is their color and size. Including True Spiders.

A simple Youtube search of Euathlus sp.red in action versus P.murinus in action would clear that up very quickly. If he then insists that they still all act alike, your sister should be pitied.

 

[Oumriel]

I have something to bump the thread with (such excitement XD ).

So I was talking to a newly met co-worker tonight about tarantulas (which was awesome by the way--give me someone new to talk tarantulas at and I'm one happy camper) and she said something that, while I definitely don't mean to poke fun at her, it was such an odd thing to be convinced of that I had to share. See, she spoke so excitedly about them that I naturally asked why she had none of her own, expecting roommate issues or concerns about upkeep, and what I got instead was that she just couldn't bring herself to feed them. My mind flicked to the possible gross factor or being squeamish about roaches but nope...she was under the impression that one feeds a tarantula mice. Not occasionally, not some dude doing it on Youtube for shock factor and views, but like after a certain size that's just what they eat. I explained that the majority of hobbyists definitely don't feed mice and those who do, usually only to bulk up dangerously underweight specimens. I'm still wondering where that came from--I failed to ask.

If I had to feed my tarantulas mice I probably would not have them either. It is just really gross to me. It's not that I think "oh poor mouse" or anything like that, I have no problem feeding snakes. How the t has to eat it is simply something I do not care to have to see.

 

[Beary Strange]

If I had to feed my tarantulas mice I probably would not have them either. It is just really gross to me. It's not that I think "oh poor mouse" or anything like that, I have no problem feeding snakes. How the t has to eat it is simply something I do not care to have to see.

She cited humane issues with it, which I kind of understand. I want snakes but have yet to own one for the same reason....I actually wonder if maybe that's where it comes from. Since snakes DO need some sort of live vertebrate, usually mice.

 

[ratluvr76]

She cited humane issues with it, which I kind of understand. I want snakes but have yet to own one for the same reason....I actually wonder if maybe that's where it comes from. Since snakes DO need some sort of live vertebrate, usually mice.

No snakes don't need live vertebrates, many herp hobbies t's feed their animals frozen/thawed feeders. True, a lot of them won't take pre-killed items but pretty much all of them can be conditioned to readily accept pre-killed.

 

[Blue Jaye]

I always liked the one about them being able to jump 10' in the air.

I had someone tell me that same thing and as I tried to explain that it just wasn't possible he very excitedly told me oh yes it is I've seen it with my own eyes , then said it jumped right over my friends head and he's 6'5 !!!! Lmao

 

[Beary Strange]

No snakes don't need live vertebrates, many herp hobbies t's feed their animals frozen/thawed feeders. True, a lot of them won't take pre-killed items but pretty much all of them can be conditioned to readily accept pre-killed.

They were alive at some point.

 

[gobey]

I forgot this one. I was once at a flower garden looking for potting soil and flower pot hides. I asked the cute nerdy girl working the stand if she had anything good for substrates for terrariums. Pesticide free. She asked, "what do you keep?"
"Here we go" I thought. "Tarantulas" I said.
"Oh" she said. (And here's where she surprised me) "I've heard tarantulas make really good pets actually"

I was ecstatic. I could've asked her on a date. "They do!" I said. Then she continued.

"Yeah," she continued, "my friend had one and he said he trained it. He could call it and it would crawl up on his shoulder and go on rides with him. Never bit him. It was very smart. You could pet it."

>_<
"I don't know about that" I said. "Looks like you don't have what I need." Off I went to the LPS.

 

[Amimia]

I forgot this one. I was once at a flower garden looking for potting soil and flower pot hides. I asked the cute nerdy girl working the stand if she had anything good for substrates for terrariums. Pesticide free. She asked, "what do you keep?"
"Here we go" I thought. "Tarantulas" I said.
"Oh" she said. (And here's where she surprised me) "I've heard tarantulas make really good pets actually"

I was ecstatic. I could've asked her on a date. "They do!" I said. Then she continued.

"Yeah," she continued, "my friend had one and he said he trained it. He could call it and it would crawl up on his shoulder and go on rides with him. Never bit him. It was very smart. You could pet it."

>_<
"I don't know about that" I said. "Looks like you don't have what I need." Off I went to the LPS.

Damn.... I have the wrong kind of tarantulas

 

[Hydrazine]

Ooookay I've got one that sent me off the chair. I posted a pic of my A.versicolor elsewhere and...

"Are their furs soft? I wonder if they can be used to make clothes. Coats of blue spider fur would be awesome!"

 

[cold blood]

Ooookay I've got one that sent me off the chair. I posted a pic of my A.versicolor elsewhere and...

Coats of spider "fur" would be more itchy than anything else....IF it were a possibility...L O L.

 

[freedumbdclxvi]

I forgot this one. I was once at a flower garden looking for potting soil and flower pot hides. I asked the cute nerdy girl working the stand if she had anything good for substrates for terrariums. Pesticide free. She asked, "what do you keep?"
"Here we go" I thought. "Tarantulas" I said.
"Oh" she said. (And here's where she surprised me) "I've heard tarantulas make really good pets actually"

I was ecstatic. I could've asked her on a date. "They do!" I said. Then she continued.

"Yeah," she continued, "my friend had one and he said he trained it. He could call it and it would crawl up on his shoulder and go on rides with him. Never bit him. It was very smart. You could pet it."

>_<
"I don't know about that" I said. "Looks like you don't have what I need." Off I went to the LPS.

personally, I woulr have asked her out and then educated on proper husbandry, since she obviously had zero issue with them.