Tarantula Science

[Poec54]

If you wanna know if that bite hurts, stick your hand in, and be prepared for the results. Not that I'm actually advising you to take a bite, but the rhetoric is that really, most owners only know based off of what they've done and seen themselves.

Actually studying bites is pointless, with several hundred species in the hobby at this point, each potentially with a different venom, specifically evolved to work on prey in it's habitat. Reactions can vary based on the species, size and sex of the T, it's aggitation level, the health-weight-age of the victim, pre-existing medical conditions, etc. So many variables that it would take a huge number of bites to compile anything meaningful, and we don't need more people getting bitten than there already are.

 

[telepatella]

Scienze.... ach du libe.

 

[Smokehound714]

I really, really, really, really doubt any of the money received from paying to view those articles makes it to any scientist.

 

[PeaceBee]

It's lots of fun, and you come into contact with all kinds of fascinating creatures. Case in point, my forays in the field last night (see photo).

Come down here, I'll introduce you

Eeeek! I remember having a close call with a rattler when I was a kid. Great manners. It kindly let me know I was too close and gave me time to move awaaaay (I think I might have teleported!)
I need a field trip!

 

[hearsemadam]

+1. They don't have the cuddle factor that pandas and koalas do.

pandas and koalas are cuddly?

 

[sugarsandz]

What's a Panda? . . . Is what my grandchildren are going to ask me in the future (if I have kids that in turn have kids of course)

 

[Naga]

Actually studying bites is pointless, with several hundred species in the hobby at this point, each potentially with a different venom, specifically evolved to work on prey in it's habitat. Reactions can vary based on the species, size and sex of the T, it's aggitation level, the health-weight-age of the victim, pre-existing medical conditions, etc. So many variables that it would take a huge number of bites to compile anything meaningful, and we don't need more people getting bitten than there already are.

True, but the point is, the best way to find out is trial and error. Besides... The bite hurts no matter what the end result is

 

[tangoblue37]

I'd like to read scientific articles without paying.

That always bothered me. To capitalize on knowledge in such a way really makes me sad.

I completely agree, but like someone said, they need money from somewhere; still, it can be frustrating if you are trying to look something up for research etc.

 

[natebugman]

Funding has to come from somewhere. Not like hundreds of stadiums are getting filled every weekend with beer-guzzling spider fans paying a lot of money for seats. The intellectual level in our country isn't all that high.

Careful what you ask for....

First of all, I don't know of anywhere in the world that the "intellectual level" is high enough that they fill stadiums to observe spiders behaving naturally or to watch scientists do experiments with them. If there were stadiums to watch spiders do something, I'm sure it would involve some kind of death match or gross out contest that could be gambled on and the spiders' well being would be of little concern to the human audience and/or participants.

 

[Poec54]

True, but the point is, the best way to find out is trial and error.

So how many dozens of tarantula species can we sign you for to test venoms firsthand?

 

[lancej]

So how many dozens of tarantula species can we sign you for to test venoms firsthand?

That might be a stadium filler! "How many bites until he passes out?" LOL!