Skulls in Enclosure WTH!

[Arachnophobphile]

Browsing through Craigslist postings looking for cheap T's. Found multiple death traps for enclosures and some strange reason they all have skulls in them. Yeah I know nothing new. Why do some equate tarantulas with skulls? What's the relation here or the message? I see it as idiotic at best.

I'm not going to provide links directly to the ads. Even though it's Craigslist it might violate the forum rules.

If you want to look through them yourself just go to St.Louis and Pets under the Community section. Put in tarantulas and you can browse some of them.

One ad has what appears to be a 3.5 to 4 inch T in a 10 gallon. Has a skull, ceramic pumpkins with some grave stones. Not to mention an incredibly long distance from sub to the top, death trap.

I don't know had to vent.

Oh yeah can't forget the M. balfouri communal with only two of them and two skulls, unbelievable.

 

[Mustafa67]

Browsing through Craigslist postings looking for cheap T's. Found multiple death traps for enclosures and some strange reason they all have skulls in them. Yeah I know nothing new. Why do some equate tarantulas with skulls? What's the relation here or the message? I see it as idiotic at best.

I'm not going to provide links directly to the ads. Even though it's Craigslist it might violate the forum rules.

If you want to look through them yourself just go to St.Louis and Pets under the Community section. Put in tarantulas and you can browse some of them.

One ad has what appears to be a 3.5 to 4 inch T in a 10 gallon. Has a skull, ceramic pumpkins with some grave stones. Not to mention an incredibly long distance from sub to the top, death trap.

I don't know had to vent.

Oh yeah can't forget the M. balfouri communal with only two of them and two skulls, unbelievable.

I agree, I always see people put skulls in T enclosures and I don’t understand why, I’d rather put a Makka Pakka figiure or a spongebob figiure if I was putting an ornament in.

I don’t see the appeal in putting graves, skulls etc in T enclosures. I think they do it to “look tough”, because Ts are portrayed as “scary animals” by the media so a lot of people put graves and skulls etc. I would say it damages the hobby as they make out Ts to be scary animals and they don’t really respect the Ts.

 

[rosenkrieger]

I've used skull decor in aquariums and terrariums. Personally, I just like the aesthetic and as a practical matter, they have large inside space and small holes to the outside making them good hides.

 

[Stu Macher]

I've used skulls in kind of a strategic way for moisture dependent sp. In the opening at the top I cram it full of spaghnum that's moist (making sure crickets can't get it in). In a dry winter situation it definitely helps lock in moisture more. Other ways of doing this obviously, but I like the skull imagery.

But I see where you're coming from. Scary imagery can be counterproductive to getting people into the hobby. It kind of reinforces the stereotypes already held in the heads of people.

I think we should all put pixies and mushrooms in our cages

 

[fcat]

I was going to tag you Stu


Not @ Stu bc I know you but for everyone else...In my head I picture someone who is trying to gain some edge and probably drives a big truck

I've used skulls in kind of a strategic way for moisture dependent sp. In the opening at the top I cram it full of spaghnum that's moist (making sure crickets can't get it in). In a dry winter situation it definitely helps lock in moisture more. Other ways of doing this obviously, but I like the skull imagery.

But I see where you're coming from. Scary imagery can be counterproductive to getting people into the hobby. It kind of reinforces the stereotypes already held in the heads of people.

I think we should all put pixies and mushrooms in our cages

 

[Stu Macher]

I was going to tag you Stu


Not @ Stu bc I know you but for everyone else...In my head I picture someone who is trying to gain some edge and probably drives a big truck

Hahaha Maybe I should grow out a long greasy mullet and cut the sleeves off a flannel

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Besides being a hazard I guess what irks me about the whole skull thing is the persona it projects to people who see arachnoculture as vile, evil. Also the people who keep them as mentally disturbed or devil worshipers etc. etc. blah blah blah.

I'm well aware of what those type of people think about it as I used to be one.

I'm very careful of who I decide to talk to about my T's and even who is allowed to view them. If the ones I let view them I do not want to project a negative view on these animals by having ornaments that represent anything of horror and vileness. I'm a horror buff and grew up watching the horror genre to this day. Hollywood has damaged the reputation of arachnids all on their own for decades.

 

[viper69]

Why do some equate tarantulas with skulls?

The species originally seen in the USA DECADES ago were then B. smithi among other terrestrials from arid places. Like in cartoons, there's a skull in the background, same with movies etc, and that's how skulls ended up in pet world (arid species). Have to run.

 

[Stu Macher]

The species originally seen in the USA DECADES ago were then B. smithi among other terrestrials from arid places. Like in cartoons, there's a skull in the background, same with movies etc, and that's how skulls ended up in pet world (arid species). Have to run.

That's an interesting history lesson Viper. We should all embrace the skull

 

[viper69]

That's an interesting history lesson Viper. We should all embrace the skull

It seems common sense to me, but I recognize we are all different ages, and entered the hobby at different times. A faculty friend of mine started having Ts back in the late 1960s, and a former board member, I believe he was doing it in the 70s. Perspective is necessary.

Personally I hate skulls in with pets. Maybe snakes, but not Ts.

 

[katamari]

I dont make *all* my enclosures with "dark themes" but I do make some that way. I just like the aesthetic, it's the same as the rest of the aesthetic in my room. Nothing to do with creeping people out or being edgy. As long as your care & husbandry is good, who cares?

 

[sparticus]

I think people are going for the "spooky/halloween" vibe- there's a cultural association of spiders with skulls, bats, graves, etc. As long as it's not a safety issue for the animal, the owners' personal taste in decor doesn't really bother me.

 

[Matt Man]

it's jumping on the stereotype bandwagon. 'Ts are scary, so I'll place scary stuff....' I agree that it doesn't help the hobby because it perpetuates the stereotype most of us try to break. We need happier themed enclosures, or at least neutral.
I guess it's like Aquariums with sunken pirate ships.....
plus I'm not a fan of all the plastic, and the expense. So much cheaper to source local, natural skulls

 

[Stu Macher]

It seems common sense to me, but I recognize we are all different ages, and entered the hobby at different times. A faculty friend of mine started having Ts back in the late 1960s, and a former board member, I believe he was doing it in the 70s. Perspective is necessary.

Personally I hate skulls in with pets. Maybe snakes, but not Ts.

Unless you block entry points, crickets are going to live inside. So from a maintenance standpoint, they are a pita.

 

[viper69]

Unless you block entry points, crickets are going to live inside. So from a maintenance standpoint, they are a pita.

WTH are you talking about?

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

it's jumping on the stereotype bandwagon. 'Ts are scary, so I'll place scary stuff....' I agree that it doesn't help the hobby because it perpetuates the stereotype most of us try to break. We need happier themed enclosures, or at least neutral.
I guess it's like Aquariums with sunken pirate ships.....
plus I'm not a fan of all the plastic, and the expense. So much cheaper to source local, natural skulls

But then you have those few individuals that mess everything up and perpetuate the stereotypes.

 

[Gevo]

There are a lot of skull hides in reptile shops where a lot of people would be looking for hides for their tarantulas.

I can appreciate the safety concern, but otherwise, people are entitled to their aesthetic. I really have no strong feelings about this one as long as it’s appropriate and the spider can’t fall on pointy bits or get stuck in nasal holes or something.

 

[HooahArmy]

Everyone knows skulls should be placed in a yard, preferrably where no one can find them...

Yeah, other than that, the Western affinity for Halloween, Samhain, and horror decor is always a fun topic. What many folks find to be fun decor in their culture at a specific time and place is terrifying for others. I once had a buddy arrive from The Gambia in Africa around October to be mortified by blood dripping from windows, skeletons on porches, gravestones in yards, and undead hands reaching up out of gardens in every darn neighborhood. I spent 45 full minutes explaining Halloween and still he found it unsettling.
Imagine this from a culture that either hasn't heard of Halloween or doesn't celebrate. It offers some perspective on what we might consider the norm.
I still love that single holiday can make items involving death, corpses, blood, killers, monsters, and demons suddenly socially acceptable to display in public; I love studying peoples' cultures and customs.

Fun fact: Where my mother is from, the gift of a bouquet of flowers is a war declaration that means 'may all your future generations die'.

 

[Nitroxide]

I agree with those saying that many go for the spooky look in their tank. Personally from working in a pet store for 7 years, I also know decorations are veryyy limited. The exo Terra skull still haunts me. I think a lot are just drawn to having something "fancy" especially when getting their first spider.

 

[Matt Man]

Everyone knows skulls should be placed in a yard, preferrably where no one can find them...

Yeah, other than that, the Western affinity for Halloween, Samhain, and horror decor is always a fun topic. What many folks find to be fun decor in their culture at a specific time and place is terrifying for others. I once had a buddy arrive from The Gambia in Africa around October to be mortified by blood dripping from windows, skeletons on porches, gravestones in yards, and undead hands reaching up out of gardens in every darn neighborhood. I spent 45 full minutes explaining Halloween and still he found it unsettling.
Imagine this from a culture that either hasn't heard of Halloween or doesn't celebrate. It offers some perspective on what we might consider the norm.
I still love that single holiday can make items involving death, corpses, blood, killers, monsters, and demons suddenly socially acceptable to display in public; I love studying peoples' cultures and customs.

Fun fact: Where my mother is from, the gift of a bouquet of flowers is a war declaration that means 'may all your future generations die'.

and I have been pushing we add Walpurgis night to the calendar. How much more fun if we got to do "Halloween" 2x a year!
We have such lovely deserts / badlands for hiding things.....

The Tansy is often connected with a declaration of war / resistance as well. I love your mother's tradition. "We will bury you all, condolences"