The handling question

[Gizalba]

The two most common responses I get from friends when they hear about my tarantulas, are either 'eek! Scary!' or 'do you handle them? Can I handle one?'

After a while the 'eek, scary!' people usually become curious about the Ts and are at least willing to challenge their fear. Therefore it is actually the handling question which causes me most frustration and conflict. They don't seem to 'get' how fragile the Ts are and how easily they get injured, even when I try to explain, then keep asking/encouraging me to handle them. I think because they have seen tons of social media videos with people showing off even handling old world Ts, that they think it must be fine.

I am not completely against handling. I know some Ts are particularly good at staying calm while handled and for treating arachnophobia or educating child, as long as the person is an expert and knows what hey are doing to keep the T safe, that is an exception in my opinion. I have also recently handled one of my own Ts for the first time (new world of course, Aphonopelma chalcodes). My policy is to never push a handling, but if they crawl on me of their own accord and we're close to the floor, that's fine. Of course, this experience was amazing for me, and if Ts like many cats and dogs loved being handled and really craved that affection, I would love to hold them frequently. I have heard about the rare tarantula who seems to like being handled, always volunteers to come onto people and seems to 'like the attention'. In that case, as long as safety measures are put into place I don't see a problem. However with the Ts I have currently, I feel the handling would be solely for ME or whoever else's entertainment and I don't think that is fair on the T.

Therefore I do feel a bit guilty for handling Nymphadora for my own benefit. However I allowed it as a once in a lifetime experience really, that I will treasure. One benefit for the T I can think of is to get a feel of how to handle them safely, so that I wouldn't panic if one did escape and got on me and would know how to lower them back to safety.

I wondered what other people's views are on this, and how you deal with these questions if you keep getting asked?

 

[WolfSpider]

Concur completely. I would add, in those rare cases where handling is not stressful on the T, sit close to the floor in case of a fall.

 

[PanzoN88]

While I always admit the first and only time I ever willingly handled is when I got my first tarantula back in 2014, and I’ll also admit that one time is all it took to get over the phobia. That said my views on the subject now are straightforward, I don’t condone handling due to the fact that there is just no benefit for the tarantula. No tarantula “likes” being handled, some may tolerate it to a point, but that is as far as it goes, so when I am presented with the handling question, I usually give a paraphrased/summarized version of this statement.

As for the other question, I usually take it slow and introduce things related to tarantulas casually unless doing a presentation. When I do a presentation, I usually pass around the molts of my A. geniculata, while probably not as exciting for some as the real thing, it is a much safer way to educate those who may be creeped out by tarantulas.

 

[Frogdaddy]

The two most common responses I get from friends when they hear about my tarantulas, are either 'eek! Scary!' or 'do you handle them? Can I handle one?'

After a while the 'eek, scary!' people usually become curious about the Ts and are at least willing to challenge their fear. Therefore it is actually the handling question which causes me most frustration and conflict. They don't seem to 'get' how fragile the Ts are and how easily they get injured, even when I try to explain, then keep asking/encouraging me to handle them. I think because they have seen tons of social media videos with people showing off even handling old world Ts, that they think it must be fine.

I am not completely against handling. I know some Ts are particularly good at staying calm while handled and for treating arachnophobia or educating child, as long as the person is an expert and knows what hey are doing to keep the T safe, that is an exception in my opinion. I have also recently handled one of my own Ts for the first time (new world of course, Aphonopelma chalcodes). My policy is to never push a handling, but if they crawl on me of their own accord and we're close to the floor, that's fine. Of course, this experience was amazing for me, and if Ts like many cats and dogs loved being handled and really craved that affection, I would love to hold them frequently. I have heard about the rare tarantula who seems to like being handled, always volunteers to come onto people and seems to 'like the attention'. In that case, as long as safety measures are put into place I don't see a problem. However with the Ts I have currently, I feel the handling would be solely for ME or whoever else's entertainment and I don't think that is fair on the T.

Therefore I do feel a bit guilty for handling Nymphadora for my own benefit. However I allowed it as a once in a lifetime experience really, that I will treasure. One benefit for the T I can think of is to get a feel of how to handle them safely, so that I wouldn't panic if one did escape and got on me and would know how to lower them back to safety.

I wondered what other people's views are on this, and how you deal with these questions if you keep getting asked?

There is No, Zero, Nada, Nyet, Nein, benefit for the T in being handled. Not even if like you said one makes a dash. Learn how to properly use a catch cup. In handling a T you're only risking injury or death for the T or injury for you.

 

[Gizalba]

While I always admit the first and only time I ever willingly handled is when I got my first tarantula back in 2014, and I’ll also admit that one time is all it took to get over the phobia. That said my views on the subject now are straightforward, I don’t condone handling due to the fact that there is just no benefit for the tarantula. No tarantula “likes” being handled, some may tolerate it to a point, but that is as far as it goes, so when I am presented with the handling question, I usually give a paraphrased/summarized version of this statement.

As for the other question, I usually take it slow and introduce things related to tarantulas casually unless doing a presentation. When I do a presentation, I usually pass around the molts of my A. geniculata, while probably not as exciting for some as the real thing, it is a much safer way to educate those who may be creeped out by tarantulas.

Passing round the molts instead is a good idea.

 

[WolfSpider]

There is No, Zero, Nada, Nyet, Nein, benefit for the T in being handled. Not even if like you said one makes a dash. Learn how to properly use a catch cup. In handling a T you're only risking injury or death for the T or injury for you.

I agree to a point. I see one instance where a tolerant T can be handled. Education. If two or three kids, juveniles, teens can gain an appreciation and help protect arachnids, raising their conscious awareness about T habitat, T inportance, and overall spider kindness and tolerance; then the carefully done, supervised handling was worth it.

 

[Frogdaddy]

And all it takes is for someone to get freaked out or it tickles or it makes a sudden move for a split micro second and the T gets flung across the room in a knee jerk reaction. Dead T.

 

[WolfSpider]

Good point.

Never is a long time, friend. Hopefully you will never have to pull a bum leg off of a sick T, tend to a T wound, put a T into an ICU or feed a T with a broken fang with cricket soup. In all cases, it will be necessary to handle a T.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Good point.

Never is a long time, friend. Hopefully you will never have to pull a bum leg off of a sick T, tend to a T wound, put a T into an ICU or feed a T with a broken fang with cricket soup. In all cases, it will be necessary to handle a T.

I hope not as well, but point taken.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Obviously I would rather have to handle a T in any of those instances rather than let one suffer or perhaps perish. I was speaking more about handling for the owners pleasure.

 

[Rs50matt]

It’s dependant on the person , the T and the situation. If by handling people are getting a T out of its enclosure for the sole purpose of holding it then no its not needed. But , I handle atleast 1 T every week. She’s a sub adult Chilensis and whenever that lid comes off to feed or fill her dish she will wander out. Imo it’s easier for me and her if I just let her walk on my hand and place her back in rather than pushing with a brush or using a catch cup. We have a few Ts that will do this. That being said, I would never pick up someone else’s T. When it comes to problems a T could have that require hands on attention then I think your just stupid if you call someone out for handling in that situation.

 

[m0lsx]

Apparently one of my T's, a female Grammostola porteri, used to owned by someone who did shows where she charged groups to go in & allow them to handle her T's. Or that is what I was told by it's last owner. Personally I don't handle, but, occasionally a couple of my T's do climb onto my hand. My normal practice is to place my hand to stop my T's, or many of them, from climbing out of their enclosures.

Most T's reach the top of their enclosure, find your hand & stay there, or retreat. But a couple do occasionally see it as an offer & climb onto my hand & are then returned to their enclosure.

 

[PanzoN88]

Passing round the molts instead is a good idea.

The reactions are still interesting if not hilarious. I have every molt from my A. geniculata from when I got her at 1.5 “ DLS to now (over 7” DLS). First time I unveiled that 7” molt, expressions of complete shock were priceless.