The question(s) you get asked the most

[AviculariaLover]

I took out one of my avics today to show some friends in the lounge of a building on campus, and there were some people milling around, inevitably drawn in by the movement of a furry tarantula on my hands (I was holding her over a table, no worries there, and only for a little while).

And I think every single person asked "Does it bite?" Because she doesn't need/want to. "Why not???" Uhhh.....

It's the question I get asked the most about *all* of my pets (inverts, reptiles, etc.)... does it bite? Could it kill you? I think those questions would be more applicable to my cats, parrot, and rabbit! I've never been bitten by any of my inverts or snakes, people don't seem to believe me. It gets tiresome after a while.

Another thing is that most people can't distinguish between "poisonous" and "venomous".

What sorts of questions do you get asked the most about your Ts? What are some of the silliest? Memorable encounters with the squeamish?

 

[OldHag]

I always get asked if theyre poisonous. I say, "Well, Im not sure, if you ate one it might make you sick, unless you cooked it well" hehe
Then I say Yes, they are venomous, but it wont kill you. Probably more like a bee sting.
People are really shocked that you dont instantly start foaming at the mouth, have convultions, and die a horrible death if one bites you.

That problem with venomous and poisonous bugs me too. My daughter always corrects people She cracks me up.

 

[jr47]

most of the time it's, why do you want to keep them, they are creepie. or you know your going to get killed if one gets loose.
one of the best when i had snakes was when i was out with a 9 foot boa and some guy asked if he could see its fangs.
people watch to many movies i think. its surprising how many people think that t's do nothing but look for things to kill.

 

[kyrga]

"Why doesn't it move?" followed by "then why do you have it"

 

[Scott C.]

I always get asked if theyre poisonous......

That's the most common for me too.....

Silliest question that I ever got was, "Can it bite?"
All the phobias flying around, and you ask if they can bite? What exactly are you scared of again?

I was showing my spiders to a particularly squeamish around animals neighbor(even dogs ... freeze up squeamish), who couldn't fight his curiosity to see them....

He was asking questions about it, so I pulled off a vial lid to give him a better view of an avic. sling that you couldn't see through the side.

He quickly tensed up, and asked me not to open it so I closed it, and put it away. As I turned back to him he start scratching, and saying one was on him. He jumped around a bit, ran outside pulled off his shirt to shake it out, and make sure there was no bugs in it......
I thought it was pretty funny.... He was having none of my reassurances.

 

[Yuki]

I get asked all the time if it still has fangs...:wall: I am getting that all the time.. driving me crazy.

 

[LeilaNami]

I'm always asked "Do they bite" with any animal so I just tell them, "It has a mouth so yes it can bite"

 

[AviculariaLover]

"WHAT DOES YOUR MOTHER THINK OF THAT?"

That was a good one from an old lady in the lounge today.

 

[Sparky]

It's not always what people say when I tell them I keep tarantulas, it's the wide-eyed look of horror and then they start backing up! Gosh people...it's not like I carry them in my purse!

 

[Alice]

interestingly, the closest after "Is it venomous?" (we don't have the poisonous-venomous distinction in german) is "What do they eat?"

many (not all, of course) of my colleagues at work respond like: oh well, it's weird, but i guess ts are ok. but oh god, crickets/roaches/locusts freak me out."

strange world...

 

[sori-tan]

It's not always what people say when I tell them I keep tarantulas, it's the wide-eyed look of horror and then they start backing up! Gosh people...it's not like I carry them in my purse!

Although if you did, I imagine robbing banks would be so much simpler. *laugh*

I don't own any Ts yet, but when I mention wanting one, the most common question I get is a very strained 'WHY?'

 

[mikeymo]

"can't you just get it de-fanged?"

 

[ballpython2]

When I get tarantulas sent to my job so I can pick them up at work because no one is at my house to sign for fed ex, my co-workers say..."did you get another rodent"......I keep telling them Tarantulas are NOT rodents. they just continue to :? and say,,,"You're crazy!"....When they ask me "ok what's your total # of tarantulas you have? and I say "14"

 

[Diva Satanica]

Anyone that doesn't have Ts usually asks me if they are "de-venomized"......

 

[kristal_kaos]

Yes, I get asked all the time if they are devenomized!!!! Or defanged:wall: .....one guy even told me he once had a devenomized T, lol.....he was prolly sold a regular T that underwent no such surgery and they knew the only way to appease him was to say it was devenomized, so he'd buy the T....and of course he was never bit- so he assumes it is due to being devenomized silly guy.

 

[Stylopidae]

If you tossed a midget in there, do you think it would get eaten?

Honest to god...I'm not kidding.

 

[cheetah13mo]

Aren't they deadly?

I really get tired of that one.

 

[phil jones]

i get from girls keep it away from me just get it away ( and i do mean the - t.s. lol ) from guys its yes i had one of them when i was a kid and i would run around with it scaring my sisters :? :? then play with it ( the -t.s. ) and just put it back in its tank when mum and dad got in --- what can i say :? :? :wall: :wall: === phil

 

[Cirith Ungol]

If you tossed a midget in there, do you think it would get eaten?

Honest to god...I'm not kidding.

Oh, so after all this migdeting over the years you expect everyone to believe you?


Poisonous/Venomous is the same thing in swedish, but when as usual I get asked that as the first question I say: "Yes. All spiders are venomous, even the tinyest of house spiders. They need the venom to subdue and and digest their prey and without it there wouldn't be any. "Next the person asking sighs (happens every time!) and restates the question "But are they deadly venomous?" whereas I aswer in the way you can proberbly imagine.

I could record a houndred first encounters and 95 of them would be exactly like this, first question, sigh, restated question. It cracks me up how well that works

 

[kyrga]

I have actually had several memorable experiences mentioning my Ts. While some people all ask the same ignorant questions, I've had a few people say, "Ooo what species? how big? what'd you name it? can you bring me pictures?" etc etc.

My boss has a T, and one of my coworkers has a scorp, at least at work, I know they only ask good questions.