What makes Tarantulas nasty?

[lk305]

Hello,

I'm new here and pretty new to T's.

I have a question. What make T's nasty, like say if you got a really baby T, how would you bring the T up being not nasty and how would you bring the T up nasty? ..If that makes sense, just wondering because i see some people have really really nasty T's even some Mexican red knee's which are pretty docile, why are they be nasty? is there a reason why they are? like why are they nasty, what did the owner do?

If so.. how would you bring the T up being not nasty and how would you bring the T up nasty, How do you know your doing the right stuff?..

Appreciated. :?

 

[Dreadz]

Get a defensive T:?. Like a S.calceatum, OBT, Haplopelma sp., Pokie, H.mac, etc... But shouldn't get defensive species until you have enough experience with other T's first, or unless you think your ready for one.

 

[LV-426]

they are nasty cause they feel threated most likely. take something like a P. murinus, lives in harsh enviroment with moniter lizards, meerkats, etc that would love to eat them. it has to be nasty if it wants to survive

 

[BrynWilliams]

i'd venture it's more likely to have been a trait that selection pressures of the environment positively influenced. I.e. the more defensive individuals were more likely to survive and thus more likely to breed and thus pass on their traits.

 

[redrumpslump]

Tarantulas are wild animals and each are different. I've heard of people who have "docile" obts that they will actually handle them. Then I've read about people who have brachys and grammostola species which are suppose to be more docile, but they are they're nastiest tarantulas. You can't raise a tarantulas to be mean or not. They each have they're own personality.

Matt

 

[Hobo]

After reading this thread, the word "nasty" sounds funny in my head and has now lost all meaning.

 

[Rue]

I have to agree with you there...:?

I suppose it's important that language continues to evolve however...

 

[webbedone]

The owner has nothing to do with the Tarantula being "Nasty" no certain "up bringing" is necessary for it to be or not to be "Nasty". Tarantulas have their own genetic quirks and personalities. One individual of a certain spicies can be quiet docile and the other of the same spicies can be quiet "Nasty". In my expirience that when the tarantula is left alone and not stressed out or threatened it does act "Nasty". Unfortunatly Tarantula is an animal that cannot be trained to do tricks or not to act "Nasty" so you can do nothing about it, its always a hit and miss on what kind of personality of the T you are going to get.

and just for good measure:

Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty Nasty

 

[grayzone]

cant fight nature... same reason some people are more agressive than others. upbringing and "natural environments" can be a factor, but you can own 2 of the same type of ts and one can be a sweet heart and the other can be "i REFUSE TO SAY IT lol" a monster. its an individual trait/characteristic

 

[Merfolk]

Also, I've heard of individuals switching mood, like a docile animal becoming bitey all of a sudden (some said newly bred females). Most of the time, it's aggressive juveniles that grow calmer with time. But sadly, your interventions will have little impact on it's temper.

Like many said here, defensiveness evolved out of necessity. If a NW species is chased by a badger-type predator most of the time and is successful in dodging it by throwing hair in its face, it won't develop the biting reflex as much as some OW tarantulas which are preyed upon by monkeys and lizards (over which defenses like urticating hair would be useless if they existed) ; those have better chances to survive predation by biting immediately.

Further precision, I think (and I am sure that the are many exceptions) that NWers are preyed upon mostly by mammals that have to bring their face close to the prey to bite, hence the efficiency of urticating hair going into eyes or noses. On the other hand, OWers are mostly preyed upon by reptile and monkeys. In both case, the skin is tick and less sensitive to urtication and the predator would simply proceed despite the itch so such defense system never evolved there. You have to hurt the opponent quick or goodbye, so this explains the bitey attitude and stronger venoms, especially in arboreals... And the NW species devoid of those hair are know to be quite bitey after all! Facti is, in Nature, "docile" spiders are an easy meal, that's why the most docile species come from places devoid of certain types of predators (should make a further research over this fact and connect the dots between T tempers and types of predators present in their biotope)...

 

[Mez]

Monkeys are mammals.

 

[Terry D]

After reading this thread, the word "nasty" sounds funny in my head and has now lost all meaning.

^ This.

 

[JC]

Just before any of you new hobbyists get bad ideas, do not try to domesticate your tarantula.

 

[webbedone]

But fido the obt is already jumping hoops and doing pedipalp stands we are hoping for counting and juggling to be part of our act next moth!