L.Parahybana Behaviour

[Neil Martin]

My L.Para has been somewhat subdued this week, probably pre-moult, so I decided to take out the cricket and freshen the water bowl.

It never flinched the 4 or 5 times I went into the tank, until I replaced it's water bowl.

I had just put the bowl down when I heard a rustle (vermiculite) and whipped my hand out, to find the T had ran the full 18" in threat posture and missed the back of my "oh so tender" wrist by about 1/2"

I know this won't be any surprise to you experienced keepers, but if there are any newbies like me that have one of these....be very careful!

I naively thought it had "become used" to me prodding around in its' tank, but apparently not? I also thought that they were "hair flickers" rather than biters?

A pair of long tongs will be my very next purchase!

[Colin D Wilson]

Glad you didn't learn the lesson the hard way mate.

The main point here is be careful of any spider, no matter what it is.

Hair flicking or biting....suppose it depends on the spider...on the day

My complacency ended in 1988 (S lanipes), still i got tagged by a P cavimanus (scorp) 3 months ago, AND i was using forceps and tweezers

long Tongs,......good idea

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... I had just put the bowl down when I heard a rustle (vermiculite) and whipped my hand out, to find the T had ran the full 18" in threat posture and missed the back of my "oh so tender" wrist by about 1/2" ...

And this was a parahybana? I've never seen one do that and we've had dozens! Can you post a photo so we can be sure you've got the ID reasonably correct? How big is it (leg span)? Is this behavior normal for this one? Have you ever tried to touch it or work around it before this?

... I know this won't be any surprise to you experienced keepers, but if there are any newbies like me that have one of these....be very careful! ...

Au contraire mon ami! This is a complete surprise to me! I've grown accustomed to these being nearly as laid back as most Brachypelma. Wow!

... I also thought that they were "hair flickers" rather than biters? ...

Quite true.

... A pair of long tongs will be my very next purchase! ...

Not really necessary. Merely use the cage cover as a shield for your hand, even to the point of trapping the tarantula behind it in a corner.

[Neil Martin]

Stanley, I understand it to be an L.Para but I can't take/upload a photo at the moment.

It is between 4 - 5" legspan and looks pretty much like the spider in this link;

http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/L-parahybana.html

apart from it has 2 bad (bare) knee joints and only 1 palp, presumably from a bad moult (I have only had it one month or so)?

[Neil Martin]

OK, managed to get a shot, see the bald joints on the front and rear left legs?

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... OK, managed to get a shot, ...

Sure looks like a parahybana. I'm amazed! What do you do to make it so mean, beat it with a stick every night?

... see the bald joints on the front and rear left legs? ...

Yup! Not to worry. Those will repair themselves on the next molt.

You say you've only had it a month or so? And it's between 4 - 5" leg span? Whoever else had it apparently made no effort to handle it or teach it what to expect with the hand of man. I'd leave it alone until after its next molt, then begin training it.

Rosemary Kraft and Spider Bob (R. G. Breene of Quick and Easy Care of Tarantulas fame) have both had very good results from using an artist's paint brush to stroke some pretty "actively defensive" species to calm them down. You might use this trick on your parahybana. You certainly don't want it as an adversary when it reaches a weight of maybe 1/4 pound (100+ gms) and a leg span of 8" - 10"!

[Neil Martin]

Stanley thanks for the confirmation, I obviously will try to get it used to me messing around in its' tank, but after that last display, I will be very circumspect with my hands !!

[wesley flower]

i used to handle a large female l para in front of the public. i found that once i picked it up (from around the carapace) it went straight into defence posture and revealed its fangs. i said to the chap doing the presentation that i was not over comfortable and was not going to hold the spider on my out-stretched hands. he then said that it is a good exhibit and would i put the spider on the floor for the viewing public to see, i refused. he then tipped the spider on to the floor ( about 10" leg span not a small spider) and tried to control the spider with his foot. (poor thing) at this point i thought that enough is enough and picked up the defensive poor l para (again around the carapace) and put it back in its holding tank. so yes i have seen aggression in this species. i have not spoken to the person in question since then as his actions that day were very creul and stressful to the spider.