Okay, who can explain to me why so many people say things like, "We don't need any more bad PR for the tarantula hobby", "just another reason for congress to try and ban our hobby", "Our hobby is under enough scrutiny already", or other comments that I see people make similar to these all the time? I've lived in the midwest, New York, and now on the west coast, and have yet to encounter these issues in the real world. I understand the apartment complexes not allowing certain pets, but that also includes dogs at alot of places. This is the only place that I have seen such paranoia. Can anyone explain to me with actual facts why they think this hobby needs that kind of paranoia?
Tarantulas Banned
- Thread starter Xian
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I totally agree with you xian. Second time today i like how you think. Personally i think its used alot of the time to scare "noobs" into buying the less risky tarantula instead of letting them do the research on the "t" they want. Maybe there are facts but honestly ive never heard anything until i joined this site. I was on tarantula.us. and i never heard anything like that.
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Seriously, just look at what is happening to the reptile hobby right now. The same thing could and very likely happen to the invert hobby in the future. It's better to be proactive and endeavor not to do anything stupid that would look poorly on the hobby.
I would have no idea what's going on with reptiles??? I don't follow that hobby even a little. Except the Florida snake thing. But I can imagine that if a tarantula gets loose and eats an apex predator, we might have issues. I'm guessing that's what you are referring to when you say reptiles.
I really don't know what issues the herp hobby is having?
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no, there a bill in the H.R. trying to ban pythons. thats what happens when people let them go and kids get killed....bad P.R. as you put it.
let me sum it up. there are already cities here in the U.S. that prohibit sale of tarantulas as pets. there already some leway the government has.
basically we or I am trying to prevent this hobby of "bug keeping" from gaining a bad name. by kids getting bit, letting go into the wild. we dont really need all the attention you know.
better safe than sorry.
i mean look at pit bulls. not all are bad..but look at the crap they deal with.
let me sum it up. there are already cities here in the U.S. that prohibit sale of tarantulas as pets. there already some leway the government has.
basically we or I am trying to prevent this hobby of "bug keeping" from gaining a bad name. by kids getting bit, letting go into the wild. we dont really need all the attention you know.
better safe than sorry.
i mean look at pit bulls. not all are bad..but look at the crap they deal with.
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I can see it happening with some of the ignorance on spiders that's around. It wasn't even a week ago I saw some guy comment on DrSpider's Haplopelma video falsely identifying it as a Sydney funnel web. They're banning pythons and they don't even have any venom. It's just their strength that scares people.
I don't know for what reason they banned venomous spiders, including tarantulas from Sioux City, IA but they are illegal and have been seized before.
I don't know for what reason they banned venomous spiders, including tarantulas from Sioux City, IA but they are illegal and have been seized before.
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They banning on pythons has come partially because of careless owners who dont realize how big they get and dont want them once they hit 7ft and release them into the wild.
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There are groups (HSUS) trying to ban all pythons in the US. It's ridiculous. They are using pseudoscientific BS to try to pass legislation that will cripple the reptile hobby.
If enough people get caught sending T's in the mail, if enough people keep importing foreign species illegally, if species cause damage in florida, if some dumb person gets bitten by a Pokie and enters a coma (not out of the realm of possibility), the tarantula hobby will get the same type of negative attention. Those of you thinking there's nothing to worry about are extremely naive. We already have two strikes against due to the fact that a large percentage of people are already scared of spiders, and the plethora of misinformation about arachnids that is prevalent.
If enough people get caught sending T's in the mail, if enough people keep importing foreign species illegally, if species cause damage in florida, if some dumb person gets bitten by a Pokie and enters a coma (not out of the realm of possibility), the tarantula hobby will get the same type of negative attention. Those of you thinking there's nothing to worry about are extremely naive. We already have two strikes against due to the fact that a large percentage of people are already scared of spiders, and the plethora of misinformation about arachnids that is prevalent.
Thank You for the example Zerg, I was unaware of this city ordinance, and I used to live in Iowa?
Here's their answer to your question of why,
Female tarantulas can lay between 50 to 2,000 eggs at a give time, and Rarrat said their high reproductive rates partially account for why Iowa City ban the spiders.
"It's not that they usually especially dangerous, but they do tend to have a lot of babies and if they breed at a rapid rate it can prove to be a real problem," she said.
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Most if not all of the pythons in the everglades escaped during hurricane Andrew from private and zoo collections.
Anyways, is that really that much different from an ignorant newbie getting a Pokie or a deathstalker? The point is, in this hobby you have to worry about how your actions will affect the hobby as a whole, not just how it will affect yourself.
See, your statement falls directly into my opening question. Paranoia.
I don't discount your opinion, I'm just looking for actual examples like Zerg posted.
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hahahah best post on this thread ive seen so farparanoia strikes deep....into your lives it will creep
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Yeah. Makes sense. I wonder if lots of tarantulas in the pet trade today can live and thrive in IA's conditions. I've only lived in one state my entire life, so I don't know what IA's climate is like.
I know FL has problems with Avicularia and B.vagans(non-native).
Not a chance that they'd survive. It gets down around 15 to -15 sometimes for about a month, give or take. The winters last longer but those temps represent the coldest month. The frost line in the ground is roughly 4 feet. Annual snowfall of at least 2-3 feet. I grew up there and there's no way they would survive.
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Well, here in Canada I can give you a list of cities in which tarantulas are banned:
Ottawa: (only 3 kinds of T's allowed)
"13 Arachnida and Chilopoda
(a) all venomous spiders including, but not limited to tarantula, black widow and solifugid, scorpion, save and except the exception of the following species of tarantula: Chilean Rose (Grammostola rosea), Mexican Red-Knee (Brachypelma smithi), Pink-Toed (Avicularia avicularia), and
(b) all venomous arthropods including, but not limited to centipede."
Cambridge, Ontario
London, Ontario
Bradford, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario and
Edmonton, Alberta
There are more, but I just thought I'd post a few examples.
Cassandra
Ottawa: (only 3 kinds of T's allowed)
"13 Arachnida and Chilopoda
(a) all venomous spiders including, but not limited to tarantula, black widow and solifugid, scorpion, save and except the exception of the following species of tarantula: Chilean Rose (Grammostola rosea), Mexican Red-Knee (Brachypelma smithi), Pink-Toed (Avicularia avicularia), and
(b) all venomous arthropods including, but not limited to centipede."
Cambridge, Ontario
London, Ontario
Bradford, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario and
Edmonton, Alberta
There are more, but I just thought I'd post a few examples.
Cassandra
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It sounds like the local government is using the threat of invasive species as an excuse to ban these animals. Probably due to ignorance, fear or both.Not a chance that they'd survive. It gets down around 15 to -15 sometimes for about a month, give or take. The winters last longer but those temps represent the coldest month. The frost line in the ground is roughly 4 feet. Annual snowfall of at least 2-3 feet. I grew up there and there's no way they would survive.
Mackenzie
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No kidding. If tarantulas can't survive in the state/country's environment, what's the big deal? Means all the tarantulas species in that state/country are caged.
It's been a fun topic, I'm going to bed. Laters!
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Reading all this makes me happy I live in Ohio. Exotic laws are pretty laid back here.