chilean rose, advice plse

[zak hollywood]

Hi everyone,

i have a couple of chilean rose spiders, one an adult about 4 yrs old the other a juvenile which hasn't had it's first moult.

i need advice on handling them, the adult ive not really bothered with since being bitten several times, i have been informed that chilean rose' are quite docile so i must have been doing something wrong.

what is the correct way to pick them up without spooking them, do they get used to being handled and therefore more docile.

i want to keep more but would like to get more from them.

cheers,


zak

[Yinnon Dolev]

Bitten by a Rose...
well, first it is quit rare. But, my advice to you is not to handle tarantulas, no mater how docil they are.

It doesn't matter how much you handel them, they are not tameable animals, and handeling them just puts unneccesery stress on you T.

If however you need to pick it up, the right way to go about it is letting the T. climb on to your open palm by gently nudging it using a soft brush or somthing of the sort.

[H@GG!S]

I handle some of my spiders on a regular basis for the past 10 years and have never been bitten .... the way i pick up my spiders is place my hand in front of the T and carefully nudge the spider from behind with my other hand ...no problems so far

[zak hollywood]

thanks guys, perhaps he just doesn't want to be handled.

zak.

[Mark Shingleton]

i tried this method with my rose when i was putting her in a new house, she got a bit aggresive with me, this was'nt too long after i got her and i found out later she was in pre moult, do's that make them more aggresive? should i try again now she's moulted? i dont want to handle my t's all the time just would like to do it and get over the fear of bieng bit so if the time comes i need to handle them i know what im doing, less risk to the spider that way.

[Stanley A. Schultz]

First, you must understand that the subject of handling tarantulas has been known to cause flame wars that rivaled the Second World War! We will all (I hope) work very hard to not let your thread devolve into such foolishness.

Secondly, did you do a search (see the gray bars at the top of these pages) for handl* rose*? (Include the asterisks.) Put on another pot of coffee and clear your schedule. There will be a lot of reading! (I got 72 hits on this forum alone. And, you can try other Internet, arachnid forums as well.)

Thirdly, read http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html.

... i have a couple of chilean rose spiders, ... i need advice on handling them, the adult ive not really bothered with since being bitten several times, ...

Chilean roses are NORMALLY very docile and seldom bite. My estimation is that perhaps 1 out of a thousand roses simply doesn't want to be touched and will attempt to bite if you try. And, there's no hope of changing its mind. For these you have two alternatives:

1. Return it to the place you got it. Maybe you can trade it for a more tractable individual, maybe you'll have to "take it on the chin" and simply give it away at a loss.

2. Keep it as an interesting curiosity, but from now on consider it a look-but-don't-touch pet like a piranha or an Indian ornamental tarantula. Buy another tarantula to handle.

If you are confronted with a threat posture it's probably best to "handle" the individual with a drinking glass or other container rather than your bare hand.

... i have been informed that chilean rose' are quite docile so i must have been doing something wrong. ...

Possibly yes, possibly no. There are good ways to handle tarantulas, and bad ways just as there are "good" roses and there are "bad" roses.

... what is the correct way to pick them up without spooking them, do they get used to being handled and therefore more docile. ...

WARNING: INCOMING, UNABASHED, SELF-SERVING, COMMERCIAL, SALES PITCH! If this is objectionable to any of you, please immediately proceed to the next posting or thread.

Both the second and third editions of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide (http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g0.html) have extensive sections on handling. The best news is that almost all neighborhood, public libraries either have copies on their shelves or can get one for you within a day or two, so you can read them without having to buy a copy. Of course, if you like what you read, ...

END: INCOMING, UNABASHED, SELF-SERVING, COMMERCIAL, SALES PITCH!

There are several issues that you should definitely address when picking up any tarantula.

1. Never use a chopstick, paint brush or other implement to herd it. Too many otherwise docile tarantulas interpret these as an irritation or aggressor and immediately turn and attack.

2. Never herd a tarantula onto your open hand. ESPECIALLY, NEVER WALK AROUND THE ROOM WITH YOUR TARANTULA PERCHED ON YOUR OPEN HAND! You have absolutely no control of it whatsoever, and there is a very high probability that it will panic and leap to its death. Either cup it in your hand and pick it up about the same way you'd pick up an egg or a ping pong ball, or use a plastic glass (perhaps left over from your last wild party?). All these methods are described in detail in the book referenced above.

And yes, many tarantulas - especially those belonging to the subfamily Theraphosinae, but many others as well - will not only become accustomed to being handled, but almost seem to enjoy it. And, there is not one shred of evidence that handling, as such, has any deleterious effects on a tarantula as long as it's done safely.

Because tarantulas have never experienced being handled in the wild (or in cage life too for that matter) before some point in their lives, the phenomenon is at first mildly distressing to them. Like anything else (e.g., walking on a leash, wearing shoes, correct spelling) it requires their getting used to it. The first time they're handled they may struggle a little and even bare their fangs. The second time, their protestations aren't nearly as energetic. By the third or fourth time they begin to accept it. Thereafter, as mentioned above, many actually seem to enjoy it. They settle down in the palm of your hand without a struggle.

And, in the process you learn how to safely handle the tarantula.

Lastly, you need not worry a lot about stressing them out. These creatures have been on this planet for hundreds of millions of years, and there's a good chance they'll be here for hundreds of millions of years more. They've outlived trilobites, ammonites (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonite), the mega-reptiles (e.g., dinosaurs, pterodactyls, etc.), and many other famous groups of plants and animals. If you're bothered by stress you don't last that long!

[Mark Shingleton]

thanx, sory i just joined this site today didnt realize handeling raised such arguments... ill stick with the glass...

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... i just joined this site today ...

Sorry, I didn't realize this.

Welcome to the hobby!

Welcome to this forum!

Have you read the following webpages?

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

... sory ... didnt realize handeling raised such arguments...

No, no, no! It's not your fault! If you haven't been a member of many Internet forums the fact that people sometimes get a little overzealous on them may come as a bit of a surprise. Don't let it bother you. And, if you happen to get involved in one, just stop responding. Let the instigator blow off all the steam necessary. There will be plenty of other topics to go to.

BTW, I notice that the incidence of flame wars increases by at least an order of magnitude during the "dog days of summer" (i.e., July, August). I have absolutely no explanation for that.

Enjoy your little 8-legged buddies!

[Kurt Baird]

BTW, I notice that the incidence of flame wars increases by at least an order of magnitude during the "dog days of summer" (i.e., July, August). I have absolutely no explanation for that.

It's quite simple really...

This is the time of summer holidays and rather than go outside and play in the sun, 13 year old boys like to sit in front of the computer and make havoc on forums!

[vincent winyard]

zak the best thing you can do if you need to move your spiders is just usher them slowly in to the container of your choice. as it,s been mentioned already they are wild you cant tame them you cant reason with them and they will show you no remorse and you must always expect the unexpected. you must be able to do the daily choirs without feer of putting your hand in there enclosure hence expect the unexpected. in a nut shell enjoy them but show respect for your t,s.