why do YOU keep hostile Ts?

[Hamadryad]

I like the evil ones...hehehehehhe

Practically most of my spiders are nasty S.O.B.s that would love to bite me if they thought they could get away with it.And I admit that I have much more interest in the hot species than the more pedestrian New World species...My favorite spiders are my Chinese EarthTigers...big,mean and rather venomous.It appeals to something in my basic nature I guess.I find the docile species to be rather boring......

;P The Evil Spider Hunter

 

[belewfripp]

Well, my collection is a little less than 40% Old Worlders, and I have New Worlders that have their spastic episodes as well (T. blondi, A. geniculata). I really don't consider where a spider is from or what its temperment is when I get it -- to me, any tarantula is worth owning. Some I may buy ahead of others, but give me enough time and enough money and I will have every species available in the pet trade. I don't feel like I have to be wary of a species because of its attitude -- if I treat it with the respect and caution it deserves I feel that only a stroke of bad luck is going to cause any problems.

On top of that, I don't really consider them hostile. Some Ts just are more willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. E. campestratus is pretty willing to go along with whatever you may have in store for it, short of direct assault. My T. blondi are more in the middle -- unwilling at first, but eventually they can be swayed. And then there are spiders like Pterinochilus murinus that assume you mean it harm and which give practically no benefit of the doubt. It takes some serious convincing to get them to "trust" you. I never feel like my Ts are hostile to me, though they are hostile to certain things I may do - intrusion of space, being disturbed, being poked, being dolled up in a dress and wig with pigtails and cast as the female lead in The Wizard of Oz, etc.


Adrian

 

[RugbyDave]

i also believe in the large difference between AGGRESSIVE and DEFENSIVE...

but def move into the ow if youre tempted so! just read up and make sure you know what youre getting into!
pce
dave

 

[Henry Kane]

I think over half my collection are defensive species. For the most part, I just love and respect any creature that despite ridiculous odds will defend it's territory with no second thoughts.
That would be like one of us throwing our arms up to an elephant and standing our ground with no fear. Wouldn't you respect the hell out of someone who did that? :}

I do love the sweetheart T's but the fireball attitudes are much more of what we go for.

Atrax

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Originally, I bought my terrestrial old-worlders because of their beauty (H. lividum, C. crawshayi, P. murinus, C. fimbriatus, etc.). I don't pick them up and I don't bother them in their burrows. However, I do all the usual cage maintenance and feeding but I have yet to see any hostile behavior, ever. I used be very careful when dealing with defensive Ts but nowadays I don't bother.

Karen N.

 

[minax]

Originally posted by vulpina

So, I know alot of people anthropomorphisize their animals, but animals react to a stimulus they do not reason things through, maybe with the exception of primates.

Andy

I have to disagree with this statement..........while I do agree that far too many owners anthropomorphisize their animals, claiming their T's "love " to be held, which is just nonsense, I have seen firm data of late which proves that inverts can reason and forward think. The example was a jumping spider a year ago, which was tested under a variety of circumstances, and repeatedly proved it could plan it's path to find food in a maze, it could look forward, and actually figure out a plan, however primitive this thought is ,and be successful. I even saw a program of this study on the animal planet. So it would be easy to assume that T's have the potential as well, to have a primitive form of reasoning, ie- thought. I think humans use this excuse to say animals cannot think to feel superior, and to justify treating them with less than excellant care and respect. I think all of us who have had animals long enough, and if we are perceptive enough, see behaviours which surprise us, and make us wonder, how smart are they, and if they are smarter than we think they are. ??

 

[si_sleaf]

I agree Minax. I recently read an article about tests that have been done with geckos (not inverts but bear with me) that prove that they can count up to four. Basically they were putting them in front of vials with flies in them. They would look at each one in turn and always go for the one with the most bugs in. Not suprising you might say but it does show that they are thinking before they act. If geckos can do it who's to say that tarantulas can't think and plan their actions?

 

[Vys]

As for spider reasoning, Portia spiders are interesting :

"Unlike most other spiders which spin webs and settles within its own environment, the Portia is a creature whose predatory reputation is legendary. It is very intelligent and makes its home in his prey webs. With its ability to mimic and detour with deception to capture the resident spider. In many cases where a spider can sense a Portia, they panic and abandon their webs. "

http://www.rochedalss.qld.edu.au/spider/portia.htm

EDIT: Yeah, the language has been hit in the head with a murky log but it's still interesting.

 

[skadiwolf]

Originally posted by vulpina
I've been bitten by very docile snakes. They react by instinct to a perceived threat or non-threat. The aggressive snake you mentioned will calm down with continued handling, but you are conditioning a response, leave that same snake alone for a month and see if it doesn't revert back to it's aggressive ways.

any snake will bite you if you startle, frighten it, etc. especially in shed. or, if you make a stupid feeding error. of course they're wild animals, i never debated that. i wouldn't dream of calling a snake domesticated. hell, some dogs and cats are still hostile.

i've left snakes alone for quite a while but still seen a different reaction with myself than others. even one of the more hostile ones, i can leave him alone for months or handle him daily and regardless, he always calms down when he hears my voice and is instantly fine when i hold him.

i think it largely depends upon the snake. i personally believe that animals have personalities. i just think people don't give them enough credit.