Thinking about giving handling a try with my L.parahybana, but she's MEAN. Any tips?

[Fran]

Also the following T's have a message for you. Just so your clear on what they are. The two on each one of my hands are Psalmopoeus irminia and Lampropelma nigerrimum. Also the other T's in my hands are P. metallica is the pokie. And the The one that I am using two hands on is a
Xenesthis sp. White. And the other T is a Pamphobeteus ultramarinus.

Ill take your post as a joke, because if you are serious or if you pretend
to prove any point with those pictures then you need to reconsider a couple of things in this hobby.

 

[CAK]

Ill take your post as a joke, because if you are serious or if you pretend
to prove any point with those pictures then you need to reconsider a couple of things in this hobby.

I couldn't agree more Fran.

 

[Singapore_Blue1]

A joke

Yes it is a joke I just couldn't help myself. I adjusted some wording so you may want to re-read it

 

[Fran]

Send me the Xhenesthis, she will be happier with me

 

[Singapore_Blue1]

Send me the Xhenesthis, she will be happier with me

I will send you one of her offspring I will be breeding her in about 6-8 months just waiting on the male to mature out

 

[Terry D]

Jebbewocky, Glad to see you got past that hurdle with your Lp. Keeping it to a minimum as you'd already stated will be best. I've seen larger A hentzi that were mean as hell become acclimated to handling. There was only one perpetual sourpuss over the years. I'm still going to leave my "burgundy" alone and wait for a better mood with the L klugi.......well, if that ever happens. Terry

 

[Scorpionking20]

Ok lets first address the fact that I handle my T's on a daily basis for the most part. There are exceptions at times but I am very consistent about taking them out on a regular basis. Now when I take them out i am usually watching TV or cleaning cages, feeding, that type of thing. The amount of time they are usually out of there cage is anywhere between 15min and up to a couple of hours if I am watching a movie for instance. Now for someone who doesn't touch there T's your quite opinionated for not having any hands on experience in this matter. So discussing this subject with you is pointless due to your lack of experience in handling T's. All your comments and points are scientific and none of them come from your own personal experiences. (FYI science is not always correct and sometimes they miss things) Now the fact that I have handled all these "defensive" T's and not been bit and have been in the hobby for 15 years speaks for itself provided all the information I have just told you to be accurate and truthful. Now for someone to not take 15 years experience seriously and to totally disregard what they have to say is ignorant especially when you have no experience in the area yourself. To be honest your the one that is missing out on not being open minded and able to experience these awesome animals up close and personal. Your loss buddy..

While I'm not one to handle like this, do I perhaps see a philosophy student here? I absolutely have all the respect in the world for Fran, but this is a good point. I respect your' opinion, and thanks for sharing it! Whether or not I decide to hold my T's, I find your' experience informational.

 

[Scorpionking20]

Singapore...I didn't read your' unedited post, but that "bite me" sign cracked me up. Very original.

 

[Singapore_Blue1]

While I'm not one to handle like this, do I perhaps see a philosophy student here? I absolutely have all the respect in the world for Fran, but this is a good point. I respect your' opinion, and thanks for sharing it! Whether or not I decide to hold my T's, I find your' experience informational.

Thank you and I am glad it was informational. I appreciate the kind words.
I thought the sign was funny too I could not help myself

 

[Fran]

Ok lets first address the fact that I handle my T's on a daily basis for the most part. There are exceptions at times but I am very consistent about taking them out on a regular basis. Now when I take them out i am usually watching TV or cleaning cages, feeding, that type of thing. The amount of time they are usually out of there cage is anywhere between 15min and up to a couple of hours if I am watching a movie for instance. Now for someone who doesn't touch there T's your quite opinionated for not having any hands on experience in this matter. So discussing this subject with you is pointless due to your lack of experience in handling T's. All your comments and points are scientific and none of them come from your own personal experiences. (FYI science is not always correct and sometimes they miss things) Now the fact that I have handled all these "defensive" T's and not been bit and have been in the hobby for 15 years speaks for itself provided all the information I have just told you to be accurate and truthful. Now for someone to not take 15 years experience seriously and to totally disregard what they have to say is ignorant especially when you have no experience in the area yourself. To be honest your the one that is missing out on not being open minded and able to experience these awesome animals up close and personal. Your loss buddy..

Oh I missed this one.

Well heres where you are wrong. Who told you i have never handled my tarantulas? Im on the opinion that they are better off left alone, but you dont know anything about my experience handling. So there you have tried to "outran your own shadow
I grow up in spain hunting for Lycosa, dolomedes, Segestria...you name it.
My first theraphosid was given to me as a 12th birthday present and it was an adult X Immanis.
Ever since February 1995 to now, almost 16 years, I have had all kind of Theraphosids in the house since my brother was the one who started the collection. I have handled tarantulas probably hundreds of times.

Im not being close minded, to the contraire, im being enough open minded to leave my impulse aside and let them be.

Im not missing out on anything my friend, Im not an expert but not to sound cocky, theres nothing on your experience that I have not experienced myself .

PS: Still, the fact that you have handled those spiders doesnt mean or prove anything.
they are animals, wild animals, therefore are unpredictable.

 

[JimM]

Handling a feisty tarantula you are apprehensive around or afraid of is a very stupid idea. Handling the spider will not calm it down, it's not a dog, you cannot train it.
One of you is likely to end up injured.

I'm not going to read this entire thread...but the first response here nailed it.

 

[pok2010]

Handling a feisty tarantula you are apprehensive around or afraid of is a very stupid idea. Handling the spider will not calm it down, it's not a dog, you cannot train it.
One of you is likely to end up injured.

Lopez you are so so so wrong my friend,

if you take it for a walk, rub its belly and give it a liver snap, itll work :}

 

[jebbewocky]

I'm not going to read this entire thread...but the first response here nailed it.

If you're not going to read the entire thread, then you've missed a lot of good conversation, as well as me specifically clarifying that the main reason for handling was to get me trained to her, and any "traning" of the spider would be just a bonus. You've also missed myself and others posting some references as to why acclimating a spider may be a reasonable theory.
-----

In any case, just an update. I've now handled the T a few times. She calms down immediately once she has left the enclosure, so much so that she just sits there. When placed back into the tank she adopts a stress posture for a few hours. Frankly, I've acclimated myself to her much better, I'm no longer afraid of her---it is clear that she isn't acclimating.

If anything, she has gotten more flighty--I've used tongs to shoo her into a plastic tub for handling, and she now attacks the tongs on "sight"--and tries to wrestle them out of my grip. These are the same tongs I usually use to feed her, but she attacks the tongs when a feeder is absent, and she attacks them when a roach is present, in favor of the roach. This may be a misplaced feeding response, but she's never tried to force them out of my hands until recently. Or if she was, she wasn't trying as hard as she does now. I've had spiders run up the tongs onto my arm before, but she's the only one so far which has tried to wrestle the tongs out of my


It may be that I haven't handled her enough to get over the hump. In any case, I'm used to her now, she is incredibly boring to handle, and I doubt she will acclimate successfully. I don't intend to try handling her anymore.

 

[boonbear]

I know it's already been said, but I'll say don't handle it at all.
If you want one to handle, get a small one and start from a small size. At least then you can't get hurt badly.
I myself go with the "don't handle at all" approach. But that's just me. I respect a persons personal preferences. Just my 2 cents , since you started a thread about it.

I've been in the hobbby over a year, and have about 10 T's at this point.

I also thought about this. I've been "in the hobby" for over 3 years, and would at this point consider myself between the novice and intermediate level of T's. I've had lot's of T's, lot's of specie. Your statement was kind of like saying "I've had a dog for a year, I think I can train them now."

 

[Scorpionking20]

Glad to hear you are more comfortable now. I think that's a really important thing. If people are too nervous about their spiders, they can't give the spider a proper home with proper husbandry. I also support your' idea about not handling her anymore. That's great, whatever you decide to do.

As far as her getting more irritable...that's interesting, but I would say a more thorough test would need to be carried out to see if there's a feeding response to the tongs. I've noticed most of my Ts I tong feed eventually just go for the tong, including my more docile species. Just an fyi, she might not be more irritable. But perhaps she is.

Anyways...where are those pictures!

 

[jebbewocky]

I know it's already been said, but I'll say don't handle it at all.
If you want one to handle, get a small one and start from a small size. At least then you can't get hurt badly.
I myself go with the "don't handle at all" approach. But that's just me. I respect a persons personal preferences. Just my 2 cents , since you started a thread about it.


I also thought about this. I've been "in the hobby" for over 3 years, and would at this point consider myself between the novice and intermediate level of T's. I've had lot's of T's, lot's of specie. Your statement was kind of like saying "I've had a dog for a year, I think I can train them now."

It's been posted before, I've submitted my reasons for disagreeing with it, including citations from the TKG, and a post or two from Stan here which are not in the TKG. If you have some new reason to add that's against handling, or some sort of constructive advice, I'd love to hear it, but page after page of "appeals to common practice," it gets rather tiring.

Yes, I acknowledge that appealing to authority is another form of logical fallacy, but the arguments made in the TKG, as well as by Stan here, which I, and other members have posted make logical sense--I'm not just appealing to reputation, but rather using the argument/logic as part of my own.
If you acknowledge "don't handle" has been said before, is there any compelling reason why you feel the need to reiterate it when I've already provided my reasoning for disagreeing? Further, if you'll read the topic, you'll notice that I've also stated that getting me acclimated is just as important, if not moreso than acclimating the spider. Is there any way, shape, or form, in which acclimating an owner to his/her T's is a bad thing?

That said, clearly this is a topic which most people cannot discuss here, so in the future I'll keep that in mind and keep my thoughts/opinions to myself.

 

[jebbewocky]

Glad to hear you are more comfortable now. I think that's a really important thing. If people are too nervous about their spiders, they can't give the spider a proper home with proper husbandry. I also support your' idea about not handling her anymore. That's great, whatever you decide to do.

As far as her getting more irritable...that's interesting, but I would say a more thorough test would need to be carried out to see if there's a feeding response to the tongs. I've noticed most of my Ts I tong feed eventually just go for the tong, including my more docile species. Just an fyi, she might not be more irritable. But perhaps she is.

Anyways...where are those pictures!

SK: Thanks for being one of the few to not derail the topic into handling v.not handling. You definitely handled some species I wouldn't, but I think you "got" what I was going for more than many other posters.

Wife has the camera, no pics, sorry. I agree, it could very well be a misplaced feeding response--the only thing throwing me off is that she seems to be trying to take tongs. I would think if it were a misplaced feeding response, she would make an initial attack, "realize" her mistake, and then quit, but she freakin' fights me for the tongs!
Sorry for the outburst.

 

[Jacobchinarian]

My Goliath bird eater (theraphosa spineps) had calmed down alot after being with me for a couple months. To the point were I am in your same position. Today I picked him up saw the fully extended fangs and put him right back down. In the near future I will handle him.

 

[Scorpionking20]

SK: Thanks for being one of the few to not derail the topic into handling v.not handling. You definitely handled some species I wouldn't, but I think you "got" what I was going for more than many other posters.

Wife has the camera, no pics, sorry. I agree, it could very well be a misplaced feeding response--the only thing throwing me off is that she seems to be trying to take tongs. I would think if it were a misplaced feeding response, she would make an initial attack, "realize" her mistake, and then quit, but she freakin' fights me for the tongs!
Sorry for the outburst.

No problem. I am a philosophy student, so after reading your' questions, I used my logical skills to assess that you wanted to become more accustomed to your' T that you obviously care for!

I personally don't handle anymore (except for accidents where they run on me or some such thing or if I need to for some other reason...never for my pleasure though), but I've never handled anything with medically significant venom.

I think there are benefits for some to hold their Ts. You can gain extra appreciation for them, like you you can get more comfortable with them and hence take better care of them, you can show people they aren't monsters and maybe get them in the hobby (last time I held Ts it was for 2 friends. Both are getting Ts for Christmas this year!) etc.

I think it's more of a subjective thing than a lot of people realize. I'm not much of an ideologue, but more of a rationalist.

 

[curiousme]

I see this thread has taken the same route that most handling threads do. I hadn't stopped into yet, as I don't have this species. However, the cupping and removing that worked for you is a great route. I noticed, back when I was able to handle, that the calmer I was, the calmer they were. Even when I had a P. murinus running wild all over me, I was able to remain calm and it finally followed suit. So, I would say IME it is definitely something that comes from practice.

We have some Ts that show no adverse reaction to being handled, but then we have some that show us how very stressed it make them to be handled. Our A. purpurea for instance, was handled a month ago and just this week has started moving around again and repairing the parts of the web that were destroyed in our efforts to get it out. We won't be handling it again for a very long time, but we wanted to see how its colors had changed after its molt and so we did. We are not against handling, but realize it is something that is purely for us and not the T.

The only other tip I could add would be to try and drop the temp in the room you are going to handle in. Lower temp, slower T. Glad you decided to stay in the hobby!