Now im terrified

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

If a tarantula bit me i would need years of therapy.

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Haha that made me choke on my snack! :D
Yeah, I don't like spiders much, either - would not want one crawling on me with all those legs :O
That's just waaay too many legs!

If that scares you, please don't buy a tarantula.

I would also advise to never ask to hold a T at a show. If a vendor is willing to let you hold a T, move to the next table.

Had no desire to have a Tarantula before that. And now I have even less. I don't hate, just not for me. All you T owners enjoy.

Get a spider that isn't aggressive! And after it eats and settles in, do that same thing with a butter knife or a stick to see if it's aggressive in it's natural state. If it is aggressive, return it or sell it.

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And stop watching scary spider attack videos..NOW!! :O

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Originally Posted by Capray

Get a spider that isn't aggressive! And after it eats and settles in, do that same thing with a butter knife or a stick to see if it's aggressive in it's natural state. If it is aggressive, return it or sell it.

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And stop watching scary spider attack videos..NOW!! :O

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If you don't want an aggressive spider, don't get a spider!! Do you think you can tame them? It took 15 years before my Chilean Rose threw her first threat pose. Im pretty sure she was settled in.

They are not really a pet that you handle. Can you handle them? Sure, doesn't mean you should. You could also handle your fish if you wanted too.

A pretty good chance the spider isn't going to make it if you get bit. First reaction most people will have will be them flinching or snapping your hand back. A drop like that wouldn't be the best thing for your pet or the animal that you want to hold to get over a fear.

Respect the spider as you would any other pet.

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

Its the fact that im scared of them to begin with. If one of my snakes bit me it wouldnt freak me out. I would just evaluate the situation and figure out why it happened. If a tarantula bit me i would need years of therapy.

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I'm guessing you are talking about a non venomous snake? Tarantulas are venomous. Some more potent than others but they all are. Look up bite reports. They can go from, feels like a bee sting to... Throwing up for a few days, tunnel vision, muscle cramps, high fevers etc.

Will all respect, you might want to start off keeping a few Wolf spiders or Jumping spiders.

The people posting "handling" videos are A. people who have been keeping Ts for years. B. didn't get enough attention from mommy. C. Just stupid to begin with. :p

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Originally Posted by Capray

Get a spider that isn't aggressive! And after it eats and settles in, do that same thing with a butter knife or a stick to see if it's aggressive in it's natural state. If it is aggressive, return it or sell it.

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All have the chance to be aggressive at some point or another.. hungry, or react defensively if startled. There are many that are known to generally be 'nicer' than others, but this is not always the case. I'd recommend a Brachypelma sp. or a Grammastola pulchripes, a hundred times over a rosehair... not only for a more consistent temperament, but you're also less likely to go on a fast, or have problems because of being more sensetive to their environment. I would never approach a spider like the person did in the video unless I'm TRYING to get a bite... soft barely noticeable movements near the front of the body? What do you think crickets feel like when they approach a spider? I don't offer a horse a carrot by holding it between my fingers, I don't stick my fingertip out to a rat (especially one guarding babies), and I don't let my hand crawl around like a mouse in a snake's cage.

There are safER ways to approach and handle a tarantula, but there are never any guarantees, and frankly, most of them don't particularly enjoy being handled... some just seem to tolerate it better than others. Unless a person is aware and OK with the idea that they might get bit, it's probably not a great idea to handle them at all with hands :)

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Originally Posted by Anatopism

I don't offer a horse a carrot by holding it between my fingers

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Unrealistic comparison. Horses are way more dangerous. And scary

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Unrealistic comparison. Horses are way more dangerous. And scary

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More people are killed by horses each year, for sure :) Big chompers too. So devious.

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Originally Posted by 3skulls

They are not really a pet that you handle. Can you handle them? Sure, doesn't mean you should. You could also handle your fish if you wanted too.

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Wait... you *shouldn't* handle fish? I used to have a goldfish I took with me everywhere in my pocket. Sadly, he died, not sure what was wrong with him...