That last statement actually applies, as they are cooked and eaten in some places... which I disagree with. Anyways, a few months ago I finally got over my major fear of spiders, as for many years I had varying levels of fear when I saw them, each year getting progressively worse. I was paranoid to sleep, because I figured one would end up in my room. However, as I stated, a few months ago I began to have a change in feeling, as I delved deeper into research on one of their closer relatives, the horseshoe crab. I have always been a fan of the crab, but as I delved into Arachnomorphs I discovered a lot about them, learned, and eventually held a tarantula without the bowel evacuating fear I used to have. Then, but a month ago, I bought my first Tarantula. Actually, five of them. They're spiderlings (babies) right now, but over the next decade they will mature into big fat and happy Brazilian Blacks (Grammostola pulchra). This week I purchased a sub-adult (meaning it cannot mate yet) female Chilean Rosehair (Grammostola rosea). They're the two most docile that I have had experience with thus far, however all the tarantulas in the genus Grammostola are quite docile. They're spider kittens, if you will. I researched and researched before I bought one, as being a recovering arachnophobe and becoming and arachnist... you would imagine how much I would want to know beforehand. So, now I have my five babies, the pulchras, and the female on the way. I named the babies via the Greek Alphabet - seeing I won't be able to know what sex they are until they're quite a bit bigger. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon (pics). I have yet to name the female, but when she gets here tomorrow I will think of a name on the spot. Anyways, anyone into Tarantulas? (By the way, if you keep your Tarantula on bark, or spray it with water and have no water dish, or keep a heat lamp on it - YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG).
I have no tarantulas. I do not eat them, I do not fear them, but I do not particularly like them either. I've actually never met one. It would be interesting to see one in person.
Well, you can always try the Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado. They have one there named "Rosie" that you can hold.
I am a long way away from Colorado, and no offense, but I'm not going to go that far to pet a spider. I can do that right here, although I'd rather step on them. Not yours though.
Some say like shrimp, but I don't want to ever find out. Additionally it is wise to never pet a tarantula, no matter how docile. The hairs on their legs are how they "feel" and it would be to you like petting your skin, after removing a layer. Extremely sensitive to vibration. Also, the hairs on New World T's bottoms are urticating hairs that they can kick off when scared, and some people are allergic. However the Grammostola genus has pretty much no effect on anyone I have spoken to, or in my own experience.
This may sound strange, but I have a guideline when it comes to pets. I don't keep pets that requires a cage, or that would make me uncomfortable if they had free run in the house. No snakes, spiders, birds, mice, lizards, fish... I have a dog, and a few cats. Although I'm afraid of spiders, I don't kill them. If I find one inside, I would just catch it and release it outside. If I found a tarantula in my house, I don't know what I would do, maybe call 911?
Well, tarantulas are not all that venomous, and unless you're allergic to bee stings, will in all likelihood not cause any issues. In several states there are species of T that live around, and they're all docile, although a bit skittish. The best way to capture one is one of those big clear Tupperware boards, and a stiff bit of cardboard. You just gently slide the cardboard under the spider, letting it walk onto it, and then carry it gently outside. Place it on the ground, take the top off, and wait for it to go. You can use a small soft paintbrush on its hind legs to give it a little nudge - or better yet a puff of air will make it scurry off into the night. Most of the Ts you will see wandering are males looking for females, who live in burrows and don't come out but to catch food nearby. All the males really want is to find a female. However most of the time, they are eaten by birds, or other wildlife - so saving them is actually good. Additionally, if one of my baby spiders got out I would not be worried about myself, but I would be worried for the spider, as the home is inhospitable compared to a cozy little habitat with a water dish and a place to hide. Males and females both live in burrows, and seldom leave for much - until the male matures of course. Then he's on the lamb looking for a receptive female. However females will live their whole lives in a burrow, content to sit and occasionally inspect their surroundings. A happy tarantula is a pet rock that eats. Grammostola's are South American, and thus are not naturally found out here, however they are on the whole less skittish than their American cousins, and are easily held, cared for, and maintained if you know what you're doing. They cost less than caring for cats or dogs, as a single Tarantula's monthly food bill is about 3 dollars at the maximum highest you could feed it, but is usually 1.00 on a normal diet of 10 cent crickets. Or three roaches if you want to breed those. In which case - they pay for themselves in a few generations.
I now have pictures of her up! Because of bandwidth (DP's web-spiders would rape my site), I have them here.
Well, this was a topic for folks that liked them, or owned them, or both but does not eat them... Feeding Ms. Fuzzy is now up, and as you can see, she was hungry for crickets.
Well, you're more of a risk to them than they are to you. If you drop them, they die - and this goes for the terrestrials. The arboreal tarantulas are more likely to survive a fall - but I wouldn't count on it or start dropping them to find out. The best way to actually hold one is with your hands flat, and letting them sit - or if they decide to move, putting one hand in front of the other so that the T won't fall off. Additionally doing it over a table with no more than the length of the tarantula between you and the table will ensure that, even if it did fall, it has a much better chance of surviving. The scariest T's to hold are the really fat and over-fed ones, which can bust open pretty much like a soft egg. Its best to keep a T's abdomen no more than 1.5 times the size of the cephalothorax (that front segment) if you want to have the T survive any sudden falls with a better chance. Some folks overfeed to help their T's grow larger faster, which is their own preference, however if you keep a T at the basic size of 1.5:1 it will molt slower, and possibly live longer.
Here's a new one I got not too long ago, before my Spot passed away. And here's Ms. Fuzzy I have yet to upload pictures of the third large T I have (large as in bigger than the babies, but they're really not that big as these are sub-adults) but I plan to do so later.
Well that is good, as I am aiming this at tarantula keepers, enthusiasts, and curious folk who do not eat the poor things