T's on Youtube?

[Chris Sainsbury]

Hi
To be really honest I am not too sure what the problem is with the videos on Youtube?
The feeding of live mice is illegal in the UK but not in the US or indeed many European countries so unless the videos were posted by UK residence's or by residence's of other countries that also ban the feeding of verts to inverts and the like the arguement for this is flawed.
Another problem I see with this is that the site Youtube is pure and simple a web site for entertainment nothing more. I am sorry to say that different people are entertained by different things but at least this makes the world a little more interesting.Uniformitie is so so boreing I think. As far as I know it does not go out to educate or change the world, so why complain that the videos are not informative etc? This really makes no sence to me. Its a little like going to an entomological show to buy spiders and then complaining about the amount of dead bugs that are on display and sale.

Surely if you want an informative spider video you would visit a spider web site away or is this me acting silly?
By uploading your informative videos on the interweb and then posting links on this or other spider sites makes more sence than by just uploading them on sites like Youtube and nothing more, or? Not only that you can also post additional information to go with the video which will further explain the contents.

All the best
Chris

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Chris,
Maybe i should have elaborated further as i just really made a point in my last post that seemed VERY specific to one topic, i should have added "in general", though my own opinion about feeding live food still stands be it legally or illegally in the UK or USA you could lose you own pet through an unlucky encounter.

anyway.....

I agree with you in what you say in your post, youtube is for entertainment etc etc, no problems, uploading from different countries will give a diversity of information that people will find fascinating.

The point i attempted to make (that made no sense after i looked at it again) was not specificaly about spider vids, but in general.
An example of this, as we're on a Tarantula forum i'll use the spider as a topic, would be the plonker (normally a man i hasten to add) that uploads his video of him doing something really stupid with a large spider, this is not a pet to him, this is the extension to his genetalia. at the end of the day when he gets bitten, it's all further bad press for our hobby.
furthermore the viewers with the same low intelligence and lack of common sense that watch this particular idiot will try and copy him, again adding all our names to that "list" the general (uneducated and misinformed) public have of people (or freeks) that keep "deadly mankillers" in their homes.

I dont mean to say that all youtube vids should be educational, if i want to watch a documentary i'll watch Animal Planet, but there's some stupid people doing stupid things that i (and i'm very broadminded) think "whats the point of that?"

Aunty dooreen falling over at a wedding because she's had a few too many makes me laugh, but someone trying to beat the "eating a cowpat" record someone set earlier in the week....Why record that and stick it on the net? !!

maybe it's me age

Hope that clarifies what i meant earlier, though if you've understood that you're a better man than I, and I wrote it

[Robin Johannessen]

I choose not to feed live vertebrates to my tarantulas for 2 reasons.

1.The prey may acctualy become the hunter. If you feed your T.blondi a medium -> big sized mouse, the mouse may harm the tarantula!

2.I don`t need to watch a living creature suffer.
Ok, it might be funny to watch a tarantula hunt down and kill a mouse, but, you know the mouse will suffer. If you feed your tarantulas lcusts,roaches, or even frozen pinkies, the will be absolutely safe, and the prey don`t feel pain in the same way or at all. And trust me, looking at at big tarantula hunting down a locust, is realy funny

[Daniel Carpenter]

Agreed and well said,
Dan.

[rhys brigida]

Very good

The body language "communication" segment was almost mesmorising, and what a shame she refused him.

If youtube and similar were full of informative vids like this, instead of the trash you get now, it would be far better.

Colin,
Very true. Lately, if I have any good tarantula footage to share, I'll post it here and on the ATS message boards. The rest of the world can catch up with us.

[Adam Smith]

It is illlegal to feed live food here such as a mouse to a snake. However it is legal in the US so chances are is from america and isnt really classed as animal cruelty as the spider is doing what does natural. In the wild a blondi would eat a small snake or lizard so isnt much different. I wouldnt see there been any need to feed live mice to spiders as they can eat defrost pinkies but are these really needed when crickets do the job every time. Its everyones preference really. I seen a vid on youtube of a giant centipede eating a live mouse and the jaws were unreal tearing the mouse apart. It was a quick death though the venom dont take long to work in.

[rhys brigida]

Predators

Just about all the tarantula video found on the youtube and similar sites show a spider killing something, or something killing a spider. It's all "old hat" to us.

Most won't readily admit to it, but most people enjoy watching predators at work. All one must do is turn on the favorite wildlife show on TV and the highlights are nearly always one creature killing another.

We tarantula hobbyists are accustomed to live feedings, and are typically bemused by the reactions of those who are "uninitiated".

Whenever a visitor sees my spiders for the first time, the most common question asked is "how do they eat, and what do they eat?". Kids are especially honest....."can we watch it kill something?"

[Adam Smith]

As long as the live food is cared for just as well as the spider or given pet itself and the spider kills and eats the mouse naturally no harm done. I am against animal cruelty but as far as a live mouse been eaten its just the way it is. I dont get shocked by much these days.

[Chris Sainsbury]

Hi Colin
Sure I knew what you ment from your first Post. I just don't entirely agree with it thats all.
Sure by feeding a tarantula a live mouse you could lose the tarantula from a counter attack from the mouse also a well placed kick from a large locusts could rupture a taratulas abdomen. There is that word again......."could". But much the same as your smaller crickets which are relitivly harmless I persume you can also feed 1-3 day old pinkie mice which are also relitivly harmless.
The pain thing well there I can see your point only in the most cases I think either the spiders venom or shock will kill the mouse, pinky or otherwise, fairly quick. Although saying that I do know first hand that this is not always the case. (yes I have in the past fed a live pinkie mouse to a tarantula). Besides for me there is no real point to feed them live mice etc as the cost of this is higher and from what I can see there are no real benifits in doing this. If other wish to though then its up to them and I have no problem with this.

The copycat thing on Youtube is a risk but it is the same risk in all walks of life. I could be sawing wood and a complete idiot could see me then in an attempt to copy me end up sawing his leg off.(ok a little far fetched I know). Off course bad press for spiders of any kind is bit of a pain and the kind of stigma that is placed on them often is quite unfounded but such is life. In all things there are going to be those who don't like it for no real reason and those who do it fun.

Not sure if this is just me but I often feel that spider keepers are some of the most hypocritical people around. This is not directed at anyone in particular and I know for sure at times I am the same. Still never mind not all can be good in the world of spider keeping. Live and let die thats what I say (I would say live but then my spiders would starve ).
Cheers
Chris

P:S read that lot without saying to yourself WTF.

[Colin D Wilson]

Actually it all made sense mate !!

two last things in agreement with what you wrote.
I have been, in the distant past, hypocritcal also, (i had a californian king snake that would not take prekilled)
Someone sawing his leg off after watching you.....not farfetched at all...there's some retard out there that would do it eh (there's actually a couple in my street that share a common brain cell that wouldn't hesitate)

I think we're both on the same wavelength, though with differing reasoning.
Excellent debate, enjoyed reading others views as well.

Best wishes
Colin

[Simon Batten]

I saw a vid of a man letting his black widow run up his arm on youtube

[Adam Smith]

Now thats just mental, stupid behaviour like that I dont agree with.

[Simon Batten]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IxGkwtaMLk"]YouTube - Black widow running like mad[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBeIq6xGYec"]YouTube - Handling a western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus)[/ame]

[Glen Feasey]

What is that all about? That is plain stupidity! I'm sorry but it would serve him right if he got bit! Muppet!

[Daniel Carpenter]

Agreed but some people just get a kick out of handling somthing that could kill then stupid i know ...Also they like to say they have .... But if you play with fire one day you'll get burnt....
Dan.