Who else here handles from time to time?

[Metallattorney]

I've never even touched one of my tarantulas, much less handled one. Even during rehouses.

 

[EtienneN]

I handled once, a large G. pulchra sling who escaped when I accidentally dropped a cricket on him and I just cupped him in my hands in like three seconds bc I didn't have a catch cup.

 

[vicareux]

ME! THEY SEEM TO LIKE IT!
Here's my T. Albo enjoying my hand cuddle!

 

[Liquifin]

I really don't handle T.'s intentionally. The only times I say I would call it handling is when slings run up my arm or hand during separation in the incubator. There are times I do use my hands to guide slings into their delicup enclosures during rehouses, but other than that I don't handle T.'s intentionally. I don't handle T.'s, because I remember the time of that mature male P. rufilata running up my arm and it felt like a time-bomb as to when it could possibly do something. It only takes one bad experience to make a person rethink what they're doing if handling T.'s.

 

[nicodimus22]

Never have. The safety of the animal is paramount in my book.

 

[Braden]

I think alot of beginner owners hold their T's because they are excited and uninformed of the dangers. I'll be honest, when I got my first T I handled a couple times, ill bet most of us have.

 

[Tarantula155]

I don't do it intentionally ever really.. I will sometimes pull males out or slings during rehouse with my hand. Never been bitten or attacked.. Though I keep mostly terrestrials, I've held my Psalmopoeus, Caribena, and Poecilotheria a few times. I do not recommend it however, it's unlikely they'll just bite you. But don't be surprised if they dart up your arm, around your shoulder onto your back lol (no bites). I trusted my old 7 inch P regalis and OBTs more so than some of my terrestrials like a geniculata. I've had one instance where my old male geniculata would test bite surfaces like a flippin pede, I was close to being bitten by him. gotta be careful with the ones with strong feeding responses... or better yet just dont hold them. I got a buddy who has been tagged more by his curly hairs than his A geniculata.. go figure

 

[HeartBum]

Never have, never will (so long as I can help it)

 

[14pokies]

My juvi H chilensis leaves as soon as the lid is off- typical for this species. They too don’t like the touch of human flesh. Think it’s because we are too soft.

agreed and sweat.. I must say though I have had a few like that LP that got used to it.. Not saying everyone needs to get there T used to the feeling of us nasty humans of course. Lol. I have ANOTHER move coming as soon as my house sells and I'm settled in Tennessee we have to discuss the procurement of some dwarf species.. Need a chest bump emoji-I'm pumped...

Just me I like to look at them and want to continue to be able to look at them, and just not on the floor with a ruptured abdomen, but safe in their enclosures.I have never handled one of my tarantulas.

My only political views are very Pro Anti-Splat

Absolutely respect that.. Injurys are allways possible, however I have been at this for a while now and I'm very safe. I generally only handle during heavy maintence or a rehouse.That way I'm not just willy nilly bugging my Ts. Also I'm an anxious personality type, so when I rehouse I have the Ts safety in the front of my mind.. I rehouse on the floor or something soft and low-like my bed sometimes( I'm disgusting I know this) or I'll throw some cushions from the couch around the table I'm using, sometimes I just toss the cushions on the floor and rehouse on them. I've splattered only one T and it was at a shop while I was packing it up for a customer. It ran from the cup to my chest bit me on the stomach and jumped to it's death 20X quicker than I could of reacted.. I heard it splat as the customer was saying where did it go? It traveled a good 60 inches in maybe 2 seconds, by the time my hand went out to catch it as it jumped It was already hitting the floor.. Moral of the story is I'm not ignorant of the risk and If I thought my actions would lead to killing my Ts, I wouldn't do it.

I think alot of beginner owners hold their T's because they are excited and uninformed of the dangers. I'll be honest, when I got my first T I handled a couple times, ill bet most of us have.

Not me I bought a T when I was 11 because I was petrified of them.. That didn't last long lol.. I started to handle to observe and because it's a gift to be able to have something so well built and beautiful in my hands. 29 yrs later still picking up pretty bugs.

I don't do it intentionally ever really.. I will sometimes pull males out or slings during rehouse with my hand. Never been bitten or attacked.. Though I keep mostly terrestrials, I've held my Psalmopoeus, Caribena, and Poecilotheria a few times. I do not recommend it however, it's unlikely they'll just bite you. But don't be surprised if they dart up your arm, around your shoulder onto your back lol (no bites). I trusted my old 7 inch P regalis and OBTs more so than some of my terrestrials like a geniculata. I've had one instance where my old male geniculata would test bite surfaces like a flippin pede, I was close to being bitten by him. gotta be careful with the ones with strong feeding responses... or better yet just dont hold them. I got a buddy who has been tagged more by his curly hairs than his A geniculata.. go figure

Ahh.. Well met sir! Yea I love handling pokes.I never post pics because it really is such a bad Idea ,potency wise for most lol.. They are so beautiful though it's nearly impossible, never did handle my Rufi she was all legs and fangs..

 

[0311usmc]

To be honest I have always wanted to try holding a tarantula but never have. The problem is I only have 3 new world tarantulas and they are not handleable. 2 Theraphosas, yeah no thanks itch for a week and 1 ggb who pounces on any disturbances inside enclosure thinking it's food, again no thanks. If I did have a tarantula that I feel I could handle I would on occasions, hell I paid for the dang thing.

 

[basin79]

No.

 

[viper69]

agreed and sweat.. I must say though I have had a few like that LP that got used to it.. Not saying everyone needs to get there T used to the feeling of us nasty humans of course. Lol. I have ANOTHER move coming as soon as my house sells and I'm settled in Tennessee we have to discuss the procurement of some dwarf species.. Need a chest bump emoji-I'm pumped...



Absolutely respect that.. Injurys are allways possible, however I have been at this for a while now and I'm very safe. I generally only handle during heavy maintence or a rehouse.That way I'm not just willy nilly bugging my Ts. Also I'm an anxious personality type, so when I rehouse I have the Ts safety in the front of my mind.. I rehouse on the floor or something soft and low-like my bed sometimes( I'm disgusting I know this) or I'll throw some cushions from the couch around the table I'm using, sometimes I just toss the cushions on the floor and rehouse on them. I've splattered only one T and it was at a shop while I was packing it up for a customer. It ran from the cup to my chest bit me on the stomach and jumped to it's death 20X quicker than I could of reacted.. I heard it splat as the customer was saying where did it go? It traveled a good 60 inches in maybe 2 seconds, by the time my hand went out to catch it as it jumped It was already hitting the floor.. Moral of the story is I'm not ignorant of the risk and If I thought my actions would lead to killing my Ts, I wouldn't do it.

Dwarf Ts always good - take up less space!

 

[scooter1685]

Used to handle my A. geniculata female years ago. She was my first T, and I didn't know urticating hairs were a thing. I always wore double-walled latex gloves, because somehow I thought that would help if she decided to bite. If she ever had, I would have been disabused of that notion pretty quickly

The only time I've handled any of my tarantulas in recent years was by accident. Little C. elegans bolted during a rehouse. I looked for him for a solid 5 minutes before realizing he was huddled into a ball on the side of my figernail, where the nail meets the skin.

 

[Jess S]

Some of my hero's like Andrew Smith and Rick West handle not only their own t's, but specimens they've found in the wild. And never (to my knowledge) been bitten.

In fact, I believe handling has its place in demonstrating to the public that tarantulas aren't 'deadly', vicious creatures.

However, I don't handle nor would I ever recommend it. But I wouldn't criticize someone for doing it, unless they were being so unsafe in the way they went about it, I thought the tarantula was in too much risk.

 

[LucN]

Given how reactive they are to movement, I'm quite sure any of mine would mistake my hand for food. I keep disturbances at an absolute minimum, so they aren't stressed out or anything. If I need to take them out or have them move around for maintenance, I use a paintbrush and long tongs. So, I have no intention of handling any of mine anytime soon. If I was bitten, I would surely toss it off as a reflex, likely killing it in the process. Not worth the risk IMO.

 

[HeartBum]

I generally only handle during heavy maintence or a rehouse.That way I'm not just willy nilly bugging my Ts.

Hey, do you use catch cups and other methods too? Just curious, because personally, sod that

 

[kingshockey]

i handle my p muticus sling every morning looking into its deli cup to see if its molted yet

 

[KeGathings17]

I've only handled my G. Porteri, when I first got her, and snapped a shot of her on my hand (which I no longer have) and my MM T. Albo, but he ran up my arm and spooked me, even though I knew I shouldn't have handled him, but everyone got away with all fingers, toes, and all 8 legs. That will probably be the last time I'll intentionally handle a T, just for their safety, plus I have my beautiful Python regius, and tons of wild herps that I can "play" with, if I see a non venomous snake, I'll probably pick it up out of obsession.

 

[Jess S]

I've only handled my G. Porteri, when I first got her, and snapped a shot of her on my hand (which I no longer have) and my MM T. Albo, but he ran up my arm and spooked me, even though I knew I shouldn't have handled him, but everyone got away with all fingers, toes, and all 8 legs. That will probably be the last time I'll intentionally handle a T, just for their safety, plus I have my beautiful Python regius, and tons of wild herps that I can "play" with, if I see a non venomous snake, I'll probably pick it up out of obsession.

G porteri's are the most adorable things. One of mine waddles up to the side of the enclosure and lifts herself up, to start climbing out, when i open the lid. She almost looks like she's saying, "You letting me out now?" . I suspect if I was into handling her she would climb right on my hand. Instead she gets the old paintbrush on the toes to stop her coming out any further. And it's really sweet the way she doesn't budge but just tucks in whichever leg I touched with the brush. Though they may not be the most exciting species for some, as far as I'm concerned they are special little tarantulas.

 

[14pokies]

Hey, do you use catch cups and other methods too? Just curious, because personally, sod that

Oh yea.. I just got back in after like a 18mth break and only have 3 Ts atm, but a few months ago I had stuff that I knew for certain would bite the hell out of me if I handled them..

I actually dodged a bullet with my H. Albostriatum when I shipped her a few months ago.. She was calm during every rehouse the 2yrs I had her and I said eh hell with it I'll just try to handle her for a sec before she goes and didn't bother with a catch cup.. I got my finger about an 1/8th of an inch from her and she threw her legs up bared her fangs and bolted.. She was in a large tote because of all the dirt so I was able to put the lid on in time.. I went straight up dtairs and grabbed a deli cup.. Lol..

Na stuff that doesn't willingly climb on me after gentle coaxing gets left alone and if the T is being defensive I'm not letting it bite me that's just dumb. Lol