Why is my T not jumping?

[ThrunThru]

Greetings!!

I recently got my first Tarantula and am very happy about it.
It's a Pink Toe (female) and she's about 20 months old.
But the thing that bugs me, well, not really... but I just want her to jump!!
Take a leap (baby).. haha!

She doesn't jump like the others I saw on Youtube which were younger than mine!!

Is there a way I could make her jump?

 

[Redneck]

Why do you want her to jump?

IMO.. There is to much of a risk of injury.. That is of course if there is a long fall or not a soft landing or whatever reason..

Just let her alone in her enclosure & enjoy her..

 

[bobusboy]

...Why would you try to make your T do something which could seriously harm it?

Yea its cool, but if you make it jump it might keep running and fall to its death.

I see the appeal and it would be awesome to see in person, but just hold your hands a distance a part if its walking on your arm/hands and it will possibly jump.

If you want to piss it off, blow on it but you're probably just going to make it jump to its doom.

 

[galeogirl]

Better that your t be unstressed and content.

 

[ThrunThru]

Well... I guess whenever I will be handling her, I will leave some space in between to see whether or not she would leap! And of course, not being too far from the ground---hopefully having a pillow under

 

[Mad Hatter]

Just to, you know, reiterate what everyone has already said, please DO NOT let *or* make your T jump for your amusement. Not a good idea.

Enjoy your tarantula.

 

[Redneck]

Im just going to go out on a limb here.. Kind of a shot in the dark with this guess..

But... No matter what is said.. No matter how many times we all tell the OP not to make his critter to jump..

I think s/he is going to do what s/he wants..

Just a guess though...

 

[hassman789]

I'm not going to shun you (you've got the point lol) as said jumping isn't really safe. butif you are right above the ground mabey letting it walk to the end of your hand and just letting it feel around. that is what looks like happens right before they jump in all the videos.

 

[Salamanderhead]

From what I've seen, they tend to jump only when they're trying to escape or get away from a threat. I don't think they do it for basic movement or to impress you.

I stupidly let my guard down once with an A.avic sling and it ran off my hand and jumped onto the floor. I never let that mistake happen again.

 

[madTparty]

You've got to be kidding me...

You know your tarantula is asking "why won't he leave me alone?".

Seriously, if you care at all about your tarantula's health, you will try to NOT make it jump. I have seen tarantulas who jump, and severely hurt themselves. But, please, if for no other reason than you tarantula being safe, DON"T do what those idiots on YouTube do. :evil:

 

[Lorum]

From what I've seen, they tend to jump only when they're trying to escape or get away from a threat.

Not always. MM also jump very often (IMO). They won't stop searching females, and if they get to a point where they can't go any further, they'll jump (at least, that's what I've seen IME). Of course, I hope the OP does't buy a MM Avic to watch him jump.

 

[Vespula]

I'd be horrified to come in one day and find my T bouncing around...

 

[Arachnos482]

:?Is this thread for real? It's called a tarantula, not a jumping spider... Think of your T's safety first before thinking of your own amusement, seriously... :?

 

[MIC]

Greetings!!

I recently got my first Tarantula and am very happy about it.
It's a Pink Toe (female) and she's about 20 months old.
But the thing that bugs me, well, not really... but I just want her to jump!!
Take a leap (baby).. haha!

She doesn't jump like the others I saw on Youtube which were younger than mine!!

Is there a way I could make her jump?

OK guys. He is a noobie and is more than normal for him to ask things like this. After the first very good reply of Redneck, every other attack is not really necessary.

 

[NevularScorpion]

Greetings!!

I recently got my first Tarantula and am very happy about it.
It's a Pink Toe (female) and she's about 20 months old.
But the thing that bugs me, well, not really... but I just want her to jump!!
Take a leap (baby).. haha!

She doesn't jump like the others I saw on Youtube which were younger than mine!!

Is there a way I could make her jump?

They will show you a sign when they are preparing to jump. Once I was handling my A versicolor, I was just watching it move on my hand and suddenly she was putting her two front legs up. I was curios since I never seen that behavior before. after a few seconds she jump out of my hand and into the bed, that is like 3 feet jumping distance its good thing that my room is carpeted and the bed is soft. I was shock and amaze, I'm just glad that nothing bad happen to her, from that day when I see my arboreal Ts doing that jumping sign i try to stop them so they will not jump out of my hands.

 

[gumby]

From what I've seen, they tend to jump only when they're trying to escape or get away from a threat. I don't think they do it for basic movement or to impress you.

I stupidly let my guard down once with an A.avic sling and it ran off my hand and jumped onto the floor. I never let that mistake happen again.

agreed when you watch avics for the most part jumping is a defense. I also agree that we should be a little kinder I know I wondered if my G. rosea would jump on my face and attack me when I first got it. I got my first T for free guy was just giving her away so I thought Id give it a go to get rid of my fear of spiders. it worked and I got much smarter by reading this forum.

 

[curiousme]

butif you are right above the ground mabey letting it walk to the end of your hand and just letting it feel around. that is what looks like happens right before they jump in all the videos.

Our A. versicolor has this heart stopping behavior. When it gets to the edge of something and can no longer feel ground in front of it with its front 2 legs, it will place them on the ground and brace itself in a way it only does before it lunges and then it vaults over the edge. It is unclear whether this is out of fear, instinct, or alien brain waves.......My husband has had to learn how to head off the urge, by not letting it get to the edge of anything and always having the next hand ready to place in front of it.

@ThrunThru you'll read above that when we noticed this behavior, we learned how to discourage it. It isn't safe for your T to free fall, you may have a lucky streak for awhile, but how can you guarantee that you never will have that unlucky fall? A fall can rupture its abdomen and a ruptured abdomen pretty much = death. A pet is not a toy. This is what we have told our 9 yr. old since she was a toddler and now I will say it to you. A pet is a living animal that you are now responsible for. I hope you will learn how to care for your new pet well and safely, but I realize that you will most likely not heed the advice.

 

[ArachnoYak]

I don't know about making it jump for entertainment or the ethics involved there and I don't care. Not something I would do but hardly worth anybody getting worked up about. Because the fact of the matter is they are arboreal tarantulas and can leap great distances and land safely every time. There is a reason for those feathery hairs after all, go figure.

 

[Ictinike]

There is a reason for those feathery hairs after all, go figure.

And their use? Are you saying those "feathery hairs" are for jumping, leaping or flying?

 

[Arachnopets]

Admin Note

OK guys. He is a noobie and is more than normal for him to ask things like this. After the first very good reply of Redneck, every other attack is not really necessary.

^^ What MIC said. ^^

If none of you feel that you can give constructive advice (NOT insulting or mocking), then just don't post.

As to the OP: Welcome to the hobby and welcome to Arachnoboards! The legit advice that others have posted in here so far are spot on. If you are looking for an animal to "do tricks", tarantulas are not the way to go. Trying to make a tarantula do something out of the norm is just going to add stress and not necessary. If it happens on it's own, cool. Not something you can "force" per se.

Enjoy!

Debby