How to get bitten without handling....

[Louise~Nichols]

Thanks Andrew and Rich...beware the 12 ft killer spider eh?! LOL

Mary...I'm muchly improved today thanks, my eye still doesn't quite feel like it belongs in my face, but the coldness and nausea has finally let off... *phew*

James...thanks sugarlump! lol And thanks for jogging my memory too, re: H.Gigas...but damn...that's sooo weird for a Brachy to indulge in such games!

Von...I had to giggle when I went to my doctor...I just had visions of *bitten by an angry wotsit* being put on my medical records too!!
All in all I'm feeling a load better, left eye is open again now, the world is a tad blurred, but it's better than the immense swelling that was there before. I'm tempted to wear an eye patch and hop about saying *shiver me timbers* and *yo ho ho*...LOL

Nicola...you're much the same as me, I've got H.Lividum, C.Crawshayi, H.Gigas, Pokies etc...and they're all sweeter natured than that particular *Brattypelma Biteyerheadii*!!
Yes I'll be doing a full bite report as soon as I have my eye completely back to normal, which given the progress in the last 24 hours shouldn't be too long now.

As for photos...yup..we did get pics of the bite...and even better...I got a sequence of photos of the critter in action. Last night it pulled the same stunt in its tub, but this time I didn't remove the lid.
Instead I picked the box up, and asked my 12 year old to take photos for me while I held the tub (hence pics are a tad blurred, she was shaking when the spid moved suddenly)...within seconds it reared up from the dead position and was striking the side of the tub!! After 5 minutes it seemed to quieten down and just settled to sulk in a corner.
I'll get the photos uploaded later on, whilst they are not the sharpest images in the world...they're clear enough to show the Brachy playing up!

[Richard Shah]

Thanks Andrew and Rich...beware the 12 ft killer spider eh?! LOL

Mary...I'm muchly improved today thanks, my eye still doesn't quite feel like it belongs in my face, but the coldness and nausea has finally let off... *phew*

James...thanks sugarlump! lol And thanks for jogging my memory too, re: H.Gigas...but damn...that's sooo weird for a Brachy to indulge in such games!

Von...I had to giggle when I went to my doctor...I just had visions of *bitten by an angry wotsit* being put on my medical records too!!
All in all I'm feeling a load better, left eye is open again now, the world is a tad blurred, but it's better than the immense swelling that was there before. I'm tempted to wear an eye patch and hop about saying *shiver me timbers* and *yo ho ho*...LOL

Nicola...you're much the same as me, I've got H.Lividum, C.Crawshayi, H.Gigas, Pokies etc...and they're all sweeter natured than that particular *Brattypelma Biteyerheadii*!!
Yes I'll be doing a full bite report as soon as I have my eye completely back to normal, which given the progress in the last 24 hours shouldn't be too long now.

As for photos...yup..we did get pics of the bite...and even better...I got a sequence of photos of the critter in action. Last night it pulled the same stunt in its tub, but this time I didn't remove the lid.
Instead I picked the box up, and asked my 12 year old to take photos for me while I held the tub (hence pics are a tad blurred, she was shaking when the spid moved suddenly)...within seconds it reared up from the dead position and was striking the side of the tub!! After 5 minutes it seemed to quieten down and just settled to sulk in a corner.
I'll get the photos uploaded later on, whilst they are not the sharpest images in the world...they're clear enough to show the Brachy playing up!

Kl rahh what a psycho Brachy., I hope mine is nowhere near that crazy!!! Damn it, two and a hlaf weeks wait, even though I have the money all prepared. Arrghh...
BTW what is everyobe talking about your leg for; how did you break it if u dnt mind me askin? And how many spiders did u loose?
It's a good thing you didn't get bit in the eye! I've been attacked by my cat a lot around my eyes, and once his paw almost went straight into my eye, but my eyelids shut very rapidly!

[Andrew Ferguson]

Lousie, I told Michelle (wifey!) about what had happened to you (including the quake losses). As I told her about you being bit on the eye, she just turned her head slowly towards Brachypelma Towers and I swear she transmitted some sort of thought to Smiffy saying "don't you even dare think about that! EVER!!!" and then turned back to me and sympathetically went "Ooooh"

[Richard Shah]

Lousie, I told Michelle (wifey!) about what had happened to you (including the quake losses). As I told her about you being bit on the eye, she just turned her head slowly towards Brachypelma Towers and I swear she transmitted some sort of thought to Smiffy saying "don't you even dare think about that! EVER!!!" and then turned back to me and sympathetically went "Ooooh"

Lol, I swear women have that power! They also talk in riddles, and expect us 'simple-minded' men to understand; it is just as Lee Evans said in his 'Live inScotland' show - woman have this language that only other women understand, though we men are suppose to; they also have this 'side' - I (Lee Evans) asked my wife where the keys are, and she said on 'the side', I have a look, and I realize there are fourteen sides - which side is she talking about?! A few days later, she has a friend around, who happens to be a woman, and she asked where were, and my wife shouts out 'On the side, love' and then the next thing I hear from her friend is 'Got them!'

Well, Lee Evans for you, pretty much what he said off the top of my mind! I just had to introduce that bit of humour! But, Russell Peters is way better!!!!

[Louise~Nichols]

Andrew...LOL...yup, we might be able to telepathically *zap* them...but sometimes the beggars fight back!

Those *blurry* pics...as promised:

Starting pose...the *I'm dead* routine:


Suddenly...




and then...


Gives you some idea anyways!! Madame Whoopi...now known as Damian(ne)!!

[Richard Shah]

Andrew...LOL...yup, we might be able to telepathically *zap* them...but sometimes the beggars fight back!

Those *blurry* pics...as promised:

Starting pose...the *I'm dead* routine:


Suddenly...




and then...


Gives you some idea anyways!! Madame Whoopi...now known as Damian(ne)!!

Now that is an eight-legged freak - but u know what; I wouldn't mind one like that for like a second spider - cuz when a dumb burglar notices it and looks closer because he/she would be interested in it, it would jump and bite the person right in the face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHA - Home Alone is what that scenario makes me think of!!!

[James Box]

what a brat she is! lol
glad you're healing

[Tom Forman]

what a story.

And here we all are trying to convince the world they have a common misconception about tarantulas beeing dangerous and aggressive.

Guess we better brush this one under the carpet and let no1 ever know even though I am tempted to tell my friends.

I really better not, they would freak out.

Wish you all the best getting better louise.

[James Box]

well it is in general a vast misconception!
you're more likely to get nipped by a dog than a tarantula, even a fierce one.
at the end of the day they are wild animals. they can be domesticated to some small degree, but it'll never be 100%.
care and responsibility for a fascinating and threatened wild animal is i think more of the message than that they're cuddly and nice...
this kind of story is a cautionary addendum to what we're trying to convince the world of: respect your tarantula and keep a healthy distance where possible!
personally, i'm glad tarantulas are often feisty. it's a bit of a rush keeping animals like that, although that's only a small bonus to why i really keep them.
i am of course sorry that their feistiness meant that Lou got a nasty bite! but i'm sure she's already chuckling about it.