Something NOT to do?

[Venom2090]

I'd argue that point. We have 2 different T's that will allow my son or my son and myself to hold them, we've been handling them since they were tiny slings 1/2-3/4" dls. One is my son's GBB, and the other is his B. boehmei. I can hold the boehmei and he often will crawl out during maintenance to sit on the back of your wrist or forearm.

I can't handle the GBB, she turns into a nasty schizoid when i get near. But she's perfectly calm to let my son handle her. Because of this i don't agree with the thought that spiders can't get to "know" you or get used to you. Why else would the GBB behave like this?

disagree. some Ts are just calm like that. its more like they tolerate handlers, not like them and get to know them. try to get a Pocilotheria sp to know you. (jk plz dont do that)

 

[Venom2090]

So is there an idea as to which species of T reported to have the worst bite of them all? After watching those videos and seeing the pain chart I'm curious.

probably a sp. of Pocilotheria. very large OW tarantulas with a very bad bite and large fangs. but any OW with big fangs more or less is a contendrer

 

[Zaiaku]

disagree. some Ts are just calm like that. its more like they tolerate handlers, not like them and get to know them. try to get a Pocilotheria sp to know you. (jk plz dont do that)

Here ya go, check this video out. I love watching jon3800's videos and his friend seems to have some special talent lol. He chased down and cupped a P. Metallica male in one of their breeding attempts. It's pretty insane. But there ya go. Pokie handling! Insanity at its very best ^.^;

 

[Venom2090]

Here ya go, check this video out. I love watching jon3800's videos and his friend seems to have some special talent lol. He chased down and cupped a P. Metallica male in one of their breeding attempts. It's pretty insane. But there ya go. Pokie handling! Insanity at its very best ^.^;

see that before. bad move IMO from jon. does not mean its tame. that friend chad is just begging to get bit. not impossible to handle pokies but is hard and shouldnt be done at all. thanks for sharing.

 

[Zaiaku]

Oh no I agree I wouldn't handle a pokie ever, nor would I say someone should. But clearly Chad has some sort of super power talent lol. There is another of him holding a p. Vittata I think. And it's a little more skittish in his hands but never once shows any sort of defensive behaviour. It's completely unbelievable. Kinda like my friend who always handles his OBT..... he has been bit by it once during a feeding...never while he handled her. Don't know how they get away with it but I know the moment I even put my hand near a T like a pokie or OBT I'll regret it instantly soooo when I get my own OBT and or pokie I will admire him/her from a respective distance and let them do their thing haha.

Edit: no my bad I just went and looked it was a P. Miranda, not a vittata. Lol

 

[MassExodus]

I've handled both of my Poecis. Let me rephrase that, both of my Poecis have been on me, lmao. Both were skittish teleports, and neither spider showed even the slightest inclination to bite or show aggression. I was able to cup the six inch regalis on my chest/shoulder area, but she crawled back out on my hand when I tried to put her back in. Then she crawled onto her bark tube. The metallica jumped out of her enclosure and I instinctively caught her..and then we both froze, and then I slowly put her back inside her enclosure. I'm not afraid of spiders, any of them, but I don't particularly want to handle ones that can put a hurtin on you that lasts for days/months. I'm a bit moody myself, so I understand and respect that spiders can be as well. I handled my big genic one time, on purpose, very briefly. I had the distinct impression she was deciding whether or not to bite me the whole time.She's over seven inches now. She was not crawling around sedately, she seemed to be trying to examine my hand and kept spreading her chelicerae. She went back in her enclosure quick. I was not imagining it, I've handled a lot of my spiders It can be done safely, by people who don't fear them, and won't harm them. But make no mistake, every time you do it you're rolling the dice I've kind of formed the theory that even inverts with simple brains can "get used" to large animals moving around their environment, and get some sense that we aren't out to eat them. I think their behavior towards us stems from how much they've adapted to our constant presence, their own sense of self preservation, and ultimately, what kind of day they're having.

 

[Venom2090]

I've handled both of my Poecis. Let me rephrase that, both of my Poecis have been on me, lmao. Both were skittish teleports, and neither spider showed even the slightest inclination to bite or show aggression. I was able to cup the six inch regalis on my chest/shoulder area, but she crawled back out on my hand when I tried to put her back in. Then she crawled onto her bark tube. The metallica jumped out of her enclosure and I instinctively caught her..and then we both froze, and then I slowly put her back inside her enclosure. I'm not afraid of spiders, any of them, but I don't particularly want to handle ones that can put a hurtin on you that lasts for days/months. I'm a bit moody myself, so I understand and respect that spiders can be as well. I handled my big genic one time, on purpose, very briefly. I had the distinct impression she was deciding whether or not to bite me the whole time.She's over seven inches now. She was not crawling around sedately, she seemed to be trying to examine my hand and kept spreading her chelicerae. She went back in her enclosure quick. I was not imagining it, I've handled a lot of my spiders It can be done safely, by people who don't fear them, and won't harm them. But make no mistake, every time you do it you're rolling the dice I've kind of formed the theory that even inverts with simple brains can "get used" to large animals moving around their environment, and get some sense that we aren't out to eat them. I think their behavior towards us stems from how much they've adapted to our constant presence, their own sense of self preservation, and ultimately, what kind of day they're having.

ive done a bit of handling here and there with some of my tolerant species, (b albo mainly) but once i saw my rosies chelicarae spread while walking over my hand, ive given up the bit for good. the fun of handling isnt worth the bite, from any species. lol ive accidentally handled some of my teleporting species as well, cant be helped there.

 

[Kymura]

I prefer not to handle.(Dont tell my avic. She's convinced I adore her exploring my arm and sitting on my wrist grooming.) I'm not afraid of them but I have a very healthy respect for those fangs. And to be perfectly honest, I'm terrified of them leaping off me and injuring themselves and it being my fault. I do allow my avic and my baby rosea more leeway then the others simply because they demand it. My rosea likes to half hang over her enclosure. Acts like she's watching when I do maintenance. So I let her. Alertly, but I do allow her to hang out there. And my avic...well it's an avic and adorable. So on rare occasions when I'm 'window washing' I don't shak her away and let her sit on my wrist and groom a bit.

 

[kormath]

Oh no I agree I wouldn't handle a pokie ever, nor would I say someone should. But clearly Chad has some sort of super power talent lol. There is another of him holding a p. Vittata I think. And it's a little more skittish in his hands but never once shows any sort of defensive behaviour. It's completely unbelievable. Kinda like my friend who always handles his OBT..... he has been bit by it once during a feeding...never while he handled her. Don't know how they get away with it but I know the moment I even put my hand near a T like a pokie or OBT I'll regret it instantly soooo when I get my own OBT and or pokie I will admire him/her from a respective distance and let them do their thing haha.

Edit: no my bad I just went and looked it was a P. Miranda, not a vittata. Lol

They're less defensive/aggressive when out of their homes. My A. geniculata is skittish and defensive until you remove him from his enclosure, then he's calm and content to sit on your hand or arm. It's getting him out of the enclosure that can be fun. He's part of my son's study project for school, so when he takes them to school we have a fun morning putting him into his transport cage. Others just want a break for freedom when they get out but their attitudes are quite different from what I've seen of my collection.

I'm guessing that's how this guy is able to handle the pokies also.

 

[Zaiaku]

They're less defensive/aggressive when out of their homes. My A. geniculata is skittish and defensive until you remove him from his enclosure, then he's calm and content to sit on your hand or arm. It's getting him out of the enclosure that can be fun. He's part of my son's study project for school, so when he takes them to school we have a fun morning putting him into his transport cage. Others just want a break for freedom when they get out but their attitudes are quite different from what I've seen of my collection.

I'm guessing that's how this guy is able to handle the pokies also.

That's kinda what he says in that video, that they seem to mellow once they do not feel they are defending their home. But that's a freaking sweet school project! Still though I know myself when something unexpected happens like a sudden bite from two very large fangs. I'm not worried about the temporary pain I'd feel even if it would be extreme with something like a pokie or OBT, I'd end up dropping my 8 legged friend and would hate to lose a T to my knee-jerk reaction. Haha so I'll keep my handling to a minimum. So on that note though doesn't being transported around like that cause the T quite a bit of stress? Though seeing how amazingly calm my GBB sling and G. Rosea were after they were shipped to me I guess as long as the transport is comfortable for them they don't stress too much?

 

[kormath]

That's kinda what he says in that video, that they seem to mellow once they do not feel they are defending their home. But that's a freaking sweet school project! Still though I know myself when something unexpected happens like a sudden bite from two very large fangs. I'm not worried about the temporary pain I'd feel even if it would be extreme with something like a pokie or OBT, I'd end up dropping my 8 legged friend and would hate to lose a T to my knee-jerk reaction. Haha so I'll keep my handling to a minimum. So on that note though doesn't being transported around like that cause the T quite a bit of stress? Though seeing how amazingly calm my GBB sling and G. Rosea were after they were shipped to me I guess as long as the transport is comfortable for them they don't stress too much?

I don't think it stresses them out much, but who really knows? we've mimicked their full time enclosure in the transport box to hopefully relieve their stress of being taken to school and back.

One of his teachers helped him put together the box to hold 4 Ts. It's about 18"x18"x8", 6 sections with a sliding lid that covers them all, wood frame with plexiglass sides, inside walls are wood so the T's can't see each other, forget what the technical term for the board is, it's like 1/8" thick to keep it light. with a couple inches sub in it it weighs maybe 10 lbs. They used the one @Scoolman posted in another thread as a reference.

He has a visio drawing he made for it, i'll see if i can find that or get him to take a pic of the box.