a few questions...

[Mike]

ive got a few questions about a couple different things....
do people actually buy black widows? i dont know if they live all over the country. but where i am they are "thick as mud". they are everywhere.
do you actually handle your tarantulas? if it were to "bite" you...what would the effects be? bee sting-ish? im guessing these things woud be different depending on the spider...
what would be a good tarantula for a beginner? one with a better dispostion so that i could take it out and show it off a little. haha...if i get one my girlfriends gonna be mad. she wants me to stop buying snakes too! shes crazy...

[Wizill]

okay ill try my best here, but don't expect perfect answers cuz well.. im pretty stupid.. but..


people can purchase foreign black widows where it is premitted. they live just about everywhere in the USA, here in VA we get your basic black with the red hour glass... not sure of the species name, or any others.. but yes, im pretty sure they can be bought...

some species of tarantulas are okay to handle, while others are not. i dont know if it's due to venom or just aggressiveness, or both...

i'm not sure, again, of the species name... but a lot of people who are new tarantula's usually get the same species... one that is easy to maintain, as well as handle... we have quite a few tarantula loves on the site that would love to help you....

hope i helped a tad, it was all i could do ..

[Wizill]

oh yeah, and just fyi... i hate spiderrrrs... lol
but, i heald my first tarantula the other day at the pet shop, and it was pretty interesting.

[RPlank]

Mike, PM or email member fourfeathers (Marcus). He has a TON of tarantulas and spiders, and can answer any questions you might have about them!

[FourFeathers]

Hi Mike,

Yes, some people do buy Black Widows, Brown Recluse, etc. They may not be available in the wild in the vicinity of all arachnid lovers.

Yes, I do handle my tarantulas. Well, I should say some of my tarantulas. I've got about 45 or 50 and most I can or will handle. I have some that I've handled that had I been bitten, there would have been some serious ramifications from the bite. You just have to know the individual tarantula's personality, read their body language, and know which ones, in general, will tolerate being handled.

I've never been bitten. There hasn't been much documentation on the effects of tarantula bites. There just isn't too much known about it at this point. There have been some reports though. Some report a bee sting type bite up to swelling, vomiting, nausea, muscle cramps/spasms over the entire body that can last up to a month. It just depends on the species of tarantula and how your own body is going to react to it. Are you allergic to tarantula venom? You won't know until you've been bitten. I handle mine at my own risk and and do so knowing what could possibly happen to me should I get bitten. I could get tagged by one and have a completely different reaction than you.

As far as a good species to start with, I'd recommend a Grammostola rosea, Brachypelma albopilosum, Grammostola aureostriata, or a Grammostola pulchra. These have a good reputation, are hardy, and pretty forgiving of newby errors, as well as handle well. But you have to keep in mind that just because one tarantula species is known for being a good starter species that handles well, you have to understand that even within their species, their temperament may vary from spider to spider. You might have one that is a stereotypical docile creature. And then you might have another of the exact same species that is very defensive and may bite you. It varies spider to spider.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions. I will answer them to the best I can and if I don't have the answer, I can most certainly put you in touch with some real experts.

Marcus

[Mike]

thanks alot. ill probably be emailing you with a few more questions eventually.

[CTReptileRescue]

Yes, I do handle my tarantulas. Well, I should say some of my tarantulas. I've got about 45 or 50 and most I can or will handle. I have some that I've handled that had I been bitten, there would have been some serious ramifications from the bite. You just have to know the individual tarantula's personality, read their body language, and know which ones, in general, will tolerate being handled.

Very well written, I second that.
The species that four feathers listed in the above post are wonderful species to keep, ecspecially for a new hobbiest.
I also handle all of mine and I have only been bitten twice, by a B.A. theraphosinae and a P.M. Harpactirinae (sp?). Luckily the starburst baboon bite was dry, (I am unsure of the affects of their venom, but I also found out that I happen to be allergic to Curly hair bites. Hopefully I don't get bit by one again!!
A great book to pick up (in my opinion) is "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" by Schultz & Shultz (Barron's books).
One last thing I would like to add to my babble is please check your local town and state laws concerning purchasing and keeping tarantulas and other spiders.
IE: In CT (where we are) you are not allowed to purchase or sell any arachnid and may only own up to four.
Ok, thanks
Rusty

[Ironhead]

IE: In CT (where we are) you are not allowed to purchase or sell any arachnid and may only own up to four.

Rusty.... Do you mean that wild caught, non purchased, is the only arachnids you are allowed to own?

[CTReptileRescue]

You may own Tarantulas and so forth, but you may not buy them in CT
You also may not cross state lines with any animal without first getting an import / export permit.
The laws are very outdated and to be honest very rediculouse!.
As no one gets said permits, and people just go into RI or Mass to buy said Arachnids. But their is no "spider patrol" we are allowed to keep as many as need be as we are the ones who take the arachnids from the state, IE through seizes, or when people call local zoos / museums to get rid of the ones that they have. etc
Hope that helps a little
Thanks
Rusty

[Hoomi]

Keep in mind, too, when looking at laws concerning procuring and keeping any animals the likelihood of "escapees" getting established in the area. The Brown Recluse has been expanding in range for many years, and is now even documented up as far north as Salt Lake City Utah. The Brown recluse produces a necroptic poison that kills off the tissue surrounding the bite. The trouble is, about the only effective means of stopping the spread of the necropsy is to excise the infected tissue, leaving large wounds or even full limb amputations in the wake of what seemed like a minor bite (unless they've advanced the treatment for the bites since the last documentary I watched on it). Even spiders that are not as dangerous to humans as the recluse can make a big impact on the local ecology if they have no natural enemies and end up displacing native species. It isn't just "anti-spider" sentiment that fuels such laws, even if the laws seem a bit overzealous.

While we may be responsible owners and do everything in our power to make sure our pets stay as pets, other people are not so conscientious about such things and have no qualms about dumping an animal in the wild if they're tired of it, or do not exercise due diligence in making sure the animal is properly and securely housed. Consider the woman mentioned on these forums earlier that had all kinds of creatures free roaming in her house, including at least one tarantula as I recall.

Added note: If you keep a Brown Recluse and do end up suffering a bite, do not, I repeat, DO NOT subject the bite to additional heat. One victim on a documentary I saw was bitten by a recluse while on travel, and called a medical line to ask what to do about a spider bite. The person they talked to did not know that it was a recluse bite, and/or did not know the particulars of recluse bites, and advised to subject the bite site to a hot shower. The heat accelerates the necropsy. This guy still had a large, open wound on his back well over a year after the bite. For a Brown Recluse bite, apply cold packs to the bite site to slow down the effects of the poison and get to a hospital immediately.