Is it too late to hold my tarantula?

[Flern]

So a while back I took in my brother's Chilean rose hair tarantula, Tobey Maguire because his apartment does not allow pets. He had Tobey for about four years and for all those years we never held him because we were scardy cats. Now I adore Tobey and I wish I could hold him. I touch his back legs and at first he would just kind of run away from me. Now he ducks down or rears up at me. It seems like it is too late now, but I want to hear what any tarantula experts have to say. Thanks! ^_^

[Shanna66]

you need to train him to tolorate being held. give him his favorite fatty bug whenever he doesnt act aggressively towards you after touching him. also feeding him after handling sessions will probably help too. show him that nice things happen if he doesnt try to defend himself against you

it works with pissy reptiles and pretty much every other animal i can think of so it should work with a spider

[Flern]

Shanna66

you need to train him to tolorate being held. give him his favorite fatty bug whenever he doesnt act aggressively towards you after touching him. also feeding him after handling sessions will probably help too. show him that nice things happen if he doesnt try to defend himself against you

it works with pissy reptiles and pretty much every other animal i can think of so it should work with a spider

I will give it a try, but he is a finicky eater and will only eat if he is really hungry. Thank you!

[Friday_Dora]

Tarantulas have very primitive brains, they cannot be trained to "enjoy" being held and handling is of no benefit to the animal. Don't feel bad for being a hands-off tarantula owner, honestly I wish more people were! They're incredibly fragile animals and too often the spider is the one who pays the price for the keeper's curiosity.

That said, if you do want to handle your tarantula there are safety precautions you can take for both your sakes. First of all, do not use your hands to pick up Tobey from his enclosure. By making himself smaller by curling into himself and by rearing up (this is a threat posture, typically the last warning you'll get before a bite) he's trying to get you to go away because you are a big creature coming at him and therefore a predator in his little mind. Instead, coax him into a cup using a paintbrush to tickle his back legs. Once he's not in his enclosure he should be much easier to deal with.

I would also suggest moving his enclosure to the floor before attempting to get him out, and sitting on the floor while you're working with him. Like I mentioned earlier, he's fragile! They might seem like sturdy animals but a drop of a couple of feet can kill an adult tarantula, so I err on the side of caution if I need to get one out. Keep handling sessions fairly brief, don't make any sudden movements (warning: tarantula feet can tickle! also expect to feel his tiny retractable claws and possibly some webbing on you) and keep a catch cup nearby in case he decides to take a detour and you need to get him contained safely.

Good luck! smile

[Flern]

Friday_Dora

Tarantulas have very primitive brains, they cannot be trained to "enjoy" being held and handling is of no benefit to the animal. Don't feel bad for being a hands-off tarantula owner, honestly I wish more people were! They're incredibly fragile animals and too often the spider is the one who pays the price for the keeper's curiosity.

That said, if you do want to handle your tarantula there are safety precautions you can take for both your sakes. First of all, do not use your hands to pick up Tobey from his enclosure. By making himself smaller by curling into himself and by rearing up (this is a threat posture, typically the last warning you'll get before a bite) he's trying to get you to go away because you are a big creature coming at him and therefore a predator in his little mind. Instead, coax him into a cup using a paintbrush to tickle his back legs. Once he's not in his enclosure he should be much easier to deal with.

I would also suggest moving his enclosure to the floor before attempting to get him out, and sitting on the floor while you're working with him. Like I mentioned earlier, he's fragile! They might seem like sturdy animals but a drop of a couple of feet can kill an adult tarantula, so I err on the side of caution if I need to get one out. Keep handling sessions fairly brief, don't make any sudden movements (warning: tarantula feet can tickle! also expect to feel his tiny retractable claws and possibly some webbing on you) and keep a catch cup nearby in case he decides to take a detour and you need to get him contained safely.

Good luck! smile

Thank you so much! I have heard that tarantulas are pretty fragile animals, but yet I always felt bad that no one was interacting with him. I guess I just have a bad habit of putting human emotions into Tobey. This information will also help me when it comes to tank cleaning time.

[Friday_Dora]

Flern

Thank you so much! I have heard that tarantulas are pretty fragile animals, but yet I always felt bad that no one was interacting with him. I guess I just have a bad habit of putting human emotions into Tobey. This information will also help me when it comes to tank cleaning time.

I tend to do the same thing, my invert keeper friends laugh about how I still name my tarantulas. lol But they're my pets and I love every single one! Part of loving them though means understanding that they're wild animals and trying to do right by them. They're fascinating little animals, I get so much joy from just watching them.

Oh, and this was recently posted on a tarantula forum. I just saw it today and it made me laugh pretty hard.

[Flern]

Friday_Dora

Flern

Thank you so much! I have heard that tarantulas are pretty fragile animals, but yet I always felt bad that no one was interacting with him. I guess I just have a bad habit of putting human emotions into Tobey. This information will also help me when it comes to tank cleaning time.

I tend to do the same thing, my invert keeper friends laugh about how I still name my tarantulas. lol But they're my pets and I love every single one! Part of loving them though means understanding that they're wild animals and trying to do right by them. They're fascinating little animals, I get so much joy from just watching them.

Oh, and this was recently posted on a tarantula forum. I just saw it today and it made me laugh pretty hard.

I even name fish still. XD

And that meme is pretty funny! XD Thanks for sharing!

[Shanna66]

I name all my cold blooded cuties. I love pets that do better with little to no interaction. They are fun to watch.

I even named my email after my snake and my xbox after one of my geckos. I live them even if they arent too fond of me

[Friday_Dora]

Shanna66

I name all my cold blooded cuties. I love pets that do better with little to no interaction. They are fun to watch.

I even named my email after my snake and my xbox after one of my geckos. I live them even if they arent too fond of me

They're very fun to watch. Right now one of my tarantulas is playing bulldozer, she's doing some major remodeling I guess.

[Shanna66]

Friday_Dora

Shanna66

I name all my cold blooded cuties. I love pets that do better with little to no interaction. They are fun to watch.

I even named my email after my snake and my xbox after one of my geckos. I live them even if they arent too fond of me

They're very fun to watch. Right now one of my tarantulas is playing bulldozer, she's doing some major remodeling I guess.

aww, i want a curly hair so bad. they are so cute

[Flern]

Friday_Dora

Shanna66

I name all my cold blooded cuties. I love pets that do better with little to no interaction. They are fun to watch.

I even named my email after my snake and my xbox after one of my geckos. I live them even if they arent too fond of me

They're very fun to watch. Right now one of my tarantulas is playing bulldozer, she's doing some major remodeling I guess.

I love to watch Tobey clean himself. He looks so adorable!