Yes. I did it....

[Nixy]

First off just because I am an insane woman that will do something Really stupid just to satisfly my own curiosity and needs. Does Not mean I recomend it in the Least to anyone. At all Ever.

Ok. Hehehehe..


I waited for my house to be nice and quiet and empty. Twins asleep. Teens in room, husband out like light. All critters cuddled cozey in their beds and I took Keoche's tank upstairs to the bathroom. Keoche being our little orange demon Usambar.

Did I Know this was a Really Really Stupid idea?
Yep.
Did it any damn way...

I put her tank in the tub and settled down with a book to give her time to settle into her cave and relax after the jostling and opened the top.

After a little bit she came ou and started looking around and I rested my hand on the side of the tank and held Very still and waited for her to make her way toward it. Then dropped a wounded Debacklegged cricket into my palm.
In typical Keoche style she launched on it like an orange lightening bolt.

In my palm.

So I sat there and watched her eat and pretty much held her for a good half hour. Then Very very carefuly and slowly lowered my hand into her tank and droped the next cricket in near her cave, a few inched away from me.

Off she went and nailed it.

And that was my Usambar handling experience.

Yes it was a Dumb risk to take.
No I would Never tell anyone to try it and after reading all the bite reports I would tell them Hell No way.
I shouldn't have even done it but it was a Gotta, that was Just Needling me.

I Wish I had pictures. But the idea of ricking anyone else with her out of her tank was a no no to me, as well as the idea of someone elses movements and a bright Flash of a camera.

So though I don't have pictures. I have the experience.

And I'm happy with that.

 

[Mister Internet]

Good job, Nixy... I don't know if I would have intentionally provoked a feeding response right on my hand, you're much braver than I for doing that.

I don't think you're insane, either... if I can get my big heros centipede to molt in the next few months, I want to get a picture of me holding him.... now THAT is insane...

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Cool, it sounds like you did it just the right way. It does answer a question that was bothering me. That is, can you hand-feed a T without getting nailed by accident. It's amazing how quickly and accurately they can capture their prey.

Karen N.

 

[ceaser68]

cool !!

I kinda did that with my h.lividum but without the cricket...lol
just one night finnally thought why not. Imean i knew it was a bad idea as well but just had to try it just once !!

 

[Nixy]

Mister Internet, it had NOTHING to do with bravery. On the contrary I chose that way as a cheat out to help my dumb ass from getting zanged lol. Crickets are the only thing Keoche attacks with the intent to eat. Anything else that moves gets met with a stab and shred wholesale berserk orange demon attitude. She Will though grab a cricket then settle down rather calm to eat it. So I figured it was my best bet. Since she is calm about Nothing else.
If she's thinking about yum yum cricket, she's NOT thinking about my fingers. LOL.
I can't wait to see those pics with your centipede.

--

Ultimate Instar, the twins feed their rosies from a pipe cleaner. That's Not quite hand fed but I won't risk them with a misbite. I do however offer crickets by hand to the rosies and to our parybananner brat, and our versi color princess. And I about an hour ago I was putting in a cricket for our chevron and the blasted thing hoped back on my finger. Before I knew it Slinky had zipped across her enclosier, up her branch and had that cricket before my own reflex response had kicked in to draw my hand back. I didn't so much as feel her feet on me before she was back on her branch munching.
I am just in Awe of how precise they are at the speeds they can move.
I just hold the cricket as far at the end of they're legs as possable, or set one flat in my palm wounded and let the rosies come up and munch.
I don't recomend it because mistrikes and accidents Can happen and I know I will get nailed one of these days doing it.
But those I Do handfeed I have gotten to know the temperment of.

--

ceaser68 I know what you mean. I am Totaly at the mercies of my Gotta's. LOL. This is not always a good thing. But. It's always interesting.

Um, Never sit me in front of a big red button and tell me Not to push it.....

 

[Immortal_sin]

wow...I AM impressed....
Now, me holding a dehydrated H mac is the chicken way to go...you holding a healthy Pterror, AND feeding on your hand is definately more than I could bring myself to do!
For some reason, I'm more afraid of the Orange bitey things than *any* other T.
My king baboon doesn't bother me, even the cobalt blues don't seem that psycho, but for some reason, the orange bitey things terrify me!
Glad you overcame your fear, I would love to have seen a movie of it!

 

[petitegreeneyes]

Wow Nixy, you are truely one brave woman. I'm like everyone else, I think I would try that with something other than my orange bitey! You go girl

 

[pategirl]

I've been thinking of getting myself an orange demon, but I haven't got around to it. I do have the closely related dodoma baboon, and she's nothing like I was told she was supposed to be. She doesn't mind being held one bit, and even allowed me to put some stuff on a wound she managed to get on the underside of her abdomen with no fuss whatsoever. She's one of my favorite spiders.

 

[atavuss]

Wow! I am impressed!
can you imagine if you husband had walked into the bathroom half asleep to use the toilet while you were holding the orange bitey monster? whoo!

Ed

 

[Vayu Son]

><

Cool I decided against holding mine (which is now in holleys capable hands) when It started hopping and falling on its back in an overzealous attempt to bite.

-V

 

[MrT]

Great story Nixy,
I was on the edge of my seat reading it.
Remember, Like mother, like daughters.. LOL

Ernie

 

[Nixy]

Thank you everyone.

One of these days. In the far far future.... I'm gonna try and get a picture.



Hopefuly it won't come with a bite report.

 

[deifiler]

oo i was lookin on the net for info on this species, and look what i came accross:

http://tarantulas.differentdawn.com/usambara/usambara.html

(picture wont link) theres a photo fo the usambara on his elbow :O

well anyway, i managed to finally find somewhere that will sell me one of this 8-legged jewels, its 1inch so im hoping removing it from its packaging wont be too hard/dangerous... any info?

 

[Nixy]

I know that picture your talking about.


Anyway.
I used my own scientific method unpacking our Usambar after purchase.
I used tongs to remove any packing, and the spoing and some of the substrat and any webbing. Carefuly so as not to hurt her..
Then..
I taped strings to deli cup bottom and delicup top, loosened the top and sat the whole thing in new enclosier..

Pulled top string and fished top out..

Pulled bottom string and tilted cup over and jiggled it a bit to get her out....

Waited till she had settled down some then fished the cup out.

It worked and no one got bit (me) or squished (her)

 

[deifiler]

haah cheers!

dont know why, but i get real nervous and edgy when packing/unpacking spiders, its the only time im cautious around them :S

when i packed my male avic' up for his breeding loan he was 'running' around my bedroom floor, at 7 am! haha!

 

[Nixy]

If all goes well and I can scrabble the cash together I'll be looking for a boyfriend for a nice lovely female Smthi.

If I get her.

If I CAN.

 

[Grael]

i would say ur crazy ^_^ letting out that monster and letting it leap onto ur hand and eat a cricket! i wont even pick up my Geniulata and shes only 2 inchs lol sh*t scared of her as much as i love her to bits lol

 

[Nixy]

Originally posted by Grael
i would say ur crazy ^_^

Your Prolly right.
LOL

But I Never Once claimed sanity.