Funny things people ask when they find out you have loads of tarantulas?

[Gizalba]

I was listening to Tom Moran's podcast on this and he said one person asked him if he has to trap pigeons to feed the spiders ahaha. As they'd seen 'Goliath BIRD eaters' and assumed they need to eat birds.

People often ask me whether the spiders are in enclosures or whether they roam around my house freely. I find that quite an odd question lol but maybe they think my tarantulas just join the house spiders

They also ask where I get them all from and the horror on their face when they find out highly venomous spiders are in the post is funny. I still find it really cool that I can press a button and lots of exotic species will appear at my door.

 

[Lemon]

Can I put multiple? The most common one is if I keep them all together XD. I think the strangest encounter someone gave me about my tarantulas though was this one person in town who is known to be a liar interrupted me talking about rehousing my O. Aureotibialis said if I ever needed help I should call her cause she doesn't care about being bitten..LOL, needless to say I in fact did not need(want) her help. And I think I saved her a nice trip to the hospital.

 

[Gizalba]

Can I put multiple? The most common one is if I keep them all together XD. I think the strangest encounter someone gave me about my tarantulas though was this one person in town who is known to be a liar interrupted me talking about rehousing my O. Aureotibialis said if I ever needed help I should call her cause she doesn't care about being bitten..LOL, needless to say I in fact did not need(want) her help. And I think I saved her a nice trip to the hospital.

Oh yeah, a lot of people ask me if I keep them all together too! Very strange

I'm glad for your spider's sake you didn't let the liar girl help out, but if you did I bet she would regret being bitten ahaha

 

[m0lsx]

People often ask me whether the spiders are in enclosures or whether they roam around my house freely. I find that quite an odd question lol but maybe they think my tarantulas just join the house spiders

Martin at Bugz UK used to have free roaming arachnid stock in the shed that he operated out of before he opened the invertebrate centre & moved there. I cannot remember what they were, but think more spider, than tarantulas.

The most common strange question I get is. "Are they poisonous?" To which I normally reply no, in some countries people eat tarantulas. I have one called an edible spider, it's from Thailand.

I then make the point that all arachnids have venom, but that tarantulas, unlike a few spiders, cannot do us any real harm. Although some big tarantulas have very large fangs, so think of a bite like a mouse & a venom similar to a bee sting. Not that most tarantulas would waste their venom on something that they cannot eat.

Why do so people not know the difference between poisonous & venomous?

 

[Enn49]

Why do so people not know the difference between poisonous & venomous?

I'd love to know the answer too.

 

[DustyD]

Why do so people not know the difference between poisonous

I think it is because the word poison is more commonly recognized in most peoples’ lives. From murder mysteries on TV/ movies to warning labels it is poison.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Someone commented to me today that he would hate to have spiders crawling all around.
I said "They're not all lose in the house!"

 

[Jeef]

 

[Teresaisrad]

My favorite questions is when they ask if I've had the "De-Fanged"
ahaha

 

[alh43146]

1) "You don't look like the type to keep tarantulas!" How exactly should I look, then? I have found arachnids to be fascinating and beautiful, ever since I was little.
2) "Nope, the only good spider is a dead spider!" You know what's a lot scarier than a tarantula? Me, if I ever see you hurting one.
3) "Aren't you worried about them getting loose?" No. I am an experienced spidey mom who carefully studies them and their preferences. I set up their enclosures to ensure that a) they don't want/need to escape, and b) they can't because doing so would be hazardous to their wellbeing.
-Sometimes I do get people who are genuinely curious and then I get to really explain the hobby and answer their questions. My therapist says she never sees me more animated than I am when I am talking about my Ts.

 

[alh43146]

My favorite questions is when they ask if I've had the "De-Fanged"
ahaha

‍‍‍ this one kills me.

 

[Reptisect]

Most common question I get is the "did you catch them outside?" Then I go on a five minute rant about captive breeding and importing and how keeping native tarantulas in South Africa is illegal and all that.

 

[Reptisect]

Can I put multiple? The most common one is if I keep them all together XD. I think the strangest encounter someone gave me about my tarantulas though was this one person in town who is known to be a liar interrupted me talking about rehousing my O. Aureotibialis said if I ever needed help I should call her cause she doesn't care about being bitten..LOL, needless to say I in fact did not need(want) her help. And I think I saved her a nice trip to the hospital.

She'll quickly discover that she actually cares about being bitten.

 

[Lemon]

She'll quickly discover that she actually cares about being bitten.

Oh she must certainly would XD I named this specific T a swear word not as a fun thing..but as a warning LOL

 

[MBullock]

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

probably, but not to my face :\

 

[Wal]

Had a guy at the hardware store few weeks ago say..... so ya one of those spider freaks
Lmao
Not cool man... not cool

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Not a questoin, but a guy at the gym saw my gbb tattoo & we got talking about camel spiders (they had one in the petshop I dithered too long over buying) he tried telling me his army mate found one inside a stack of tyres that spanned the middle of the tyre.
Yeah sure dude...
They dont get as big as the media made them out

 

[Margritte]

I was listening to Tom Moran's podcast on this and he said one person asked him if he has to trap pigeons to feed the spiders ahaha. As they'd seen 'Goliath BIRD eaters' and assumed they need to eat birds.

People often ask me whether the spiders are in enclosures or whether they roam around my house freely. I find that quite an odd question lol but maybe they think my tarantulas just join the house spiders

They also ask where I get them all from and the horror on their face when they find out highly venomous spiders are in the post is funny. I still find it really cool that I can press a button and lots of exotic species will appear at my door.

How funny! Yes people at my work think my Ts roam free amongst my dogsand yes they are shocked to find they come through the mail or I should say Fed Ex. Too funny.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

How funny! Yes people at my work think my Ts roam free amongst my dogsand yes they are shocked to find they come through the mail or I should say Fed Ex. Too funny.

Ha! The shock and horror I get from the posties when they ask me what's in the parcel I'm sending.
Usually followed by a scrabble to check the 'what's not allowed to be sent' info card. I have to explain each time that Royal Mail allows inverts (the pic on the info card is actually a spider)
I think they imagine the T is going to fight through the plastic tub and tear through the insulation and cardboard to get to them