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Goliath Bird Eater Handling

ZhMkyi

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2
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Michigan
Hey, Everyone!

So I'm going to apologise now, I don't know if this is the right place for this post as I am very new. If something is wrong, please let me know!

I found myself the proud owner of a Goliath Bird Eating Spider about a month ago. He's (I don't actually know the sex, just picked one until I'm told otherwise haha) been doing well so far! He's been eating and he's got some room to roam if he wants, or hiding places if he prefers, and he does both!

My question is whether they can be handled, or are better left alone? I've done a lot of reading and found the definitive answer of both. So I was curious of what you think.

I am well acquainted with handling anything from dogs/cats to snakes, frogs, hamsters, bird, and even sharks. But this is a first for me and don't want to mess it up!
 

Tnoob

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880
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Utah
It's not my thing. Their urticating hairs are nothing to joke about from what I've heard, but uhh, you're taking some risks.
 

Arachnoclown

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If you like nasty rashes all over your body then sure. Not to mention the extreme pain of a fang over 1" .
Go for it!!!!:D

Seriously they're not the spider to be handled nor do they want to be. Any fall from these massively heavy spiders is deadly to them.

Here's Hannibal....he ain't no puppy.
20181221_140200_1.gif
 

Tortoise Tom

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I call BS. No one would ask this about this species. And no, you did not read anywhere that you should be handling this species. Sorry. Not buying that.

If its not BS, then no, this is not a species to handle. I would say there are not too many other species in the hobby that would outrank this one for "do not handle".
 

ZhMkyi

New Member
Messages
2
Location
Michigan
I call BS. No one would ask this about this species. And no, you did not read anywhere that you should be handling this species. Sorry. Not buying that.

If its not BS, then no, this is not a species to handle. I would say there are not too many other species in the hobby that would outrank this one for "do not handle".

I'm sorry for the stupid question as, again, this is a first for me ;):p But thank you to everyone for the advice lol Even the people I bought him from (At an ecto expo from a breeder) had said that some can be handled. I know that most in Mygalomorphae tend to be more aggressive, but have heard that many species of Tarantula are fairly docile, so I was unsure if they were telling the truth or trying to get me killed lol
 

MassExodus

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I'm sorry for the stupid question as, again, this is a first for me ;):p But thank you to everyone for the advice lol Even the people I bought him from (At an ecto expo from a breeder) had said that some can be handled. I know that most in Mygalomorphae tend to be more aggressive, but have heard that many species of Tarantula are fairly docile, so I was unsure if they were telling the truth or trying to get me killed lol
You wont be killed, most likely wont even be injured. Or even bitten. I've watched field guys pick these up in the wild many times on video. It can be done, its not taboo, or impossible. Just be aware of the risks, and if you're afraid, dont do it. You'll end up dropping a big, heavy spider that probably wont survive the fall.
 

Whitelightning777

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Even if your T stirmi or T blondi was highly tolerant of handling, (They aren't!!) it would be a miserable experience for anyone who tried it.

The urticating hairs will start to irritate you almost as soon as you open the enclosure if you get to close... well before you are anywhere near the tarantula!!

The fangs are truly mammoth in size and if you do get tagged, it'll go straight to the bone.

In addition to that, they have a powerful feeding response and think everything is food....including you!! They are mainly a pouncy spider not so much a mean spider.

Basically, they behave much more like the typical OW species instead of a typical new world one.

Having said that, if you have a good setup & a great cage that has high visibility, decent ventilation & still holds in humidity, they are truly awesome.

They do everything in a big way!!

Mindy moonlighting 1.jpg



Here's my T stirmi.

These can get mislabeled as T blondi from time to time so you might want to research exactly what you have. The requirements for both are generally fairly similar with T stirmi reputed to be slightly more hardy.
 

spodermin

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290
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Unknown Island
Welcome to the hobby!

Don't hold that ****ing spider!

Expo guys are ridiculous.

Show us pics of the setup. We will help you with anything you need to know. Some very smart and experienced keepers on here. That spider is no joke (although it sounds more like you got L. Parahybana than a stirmi or blondi) people will call anything a "goliath birdeater" to have unknowing people buy it.
 

Whitelightning777

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Pics of the spider would be most helpful. The expo guys use a dirty trick to handle. They simply cool down the tarantula to 50 or 60 degrees. Since your body is 98.6, the tarantula will just hang out absorbing the heat. This is what I call the selfie scorpion trick.

Cooling the tarantula does have legitimate uses such as treating injuries or exceptionally difficult transfers.

In any event, don't handle T stirmi!!

See my bite report, T stirmi really jacks me up elsewhere on the forum.

T stirmi bite 2.jpg


A picture is worth a thousand words. See the bite reports section.
 

MassExodus

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Meh. Theraphosa are like any other spider, they're individuals. If I had one that would allow it, I'd handle one. By all means, caution safety, but dont discourage people out of your own fear. Its a risk, not a huge one though, with the right spider.
 

menavodi

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Even if your T stirmi or T blondi was highly tolerant of handling, (They aren't!!) it would be a miserable experience for anyone who tried it.

The urticating hairs will start to irritate you almost as soon as you open the enclosure if you get to close... well before you are anywhere near the tarantula!!

The fangs are truly mammoth in size and if you do get tagged, it'll go straight to the bone.

In addition to that, they have a powerful feeding response and think everything is food....including you!! They are mainly a pouncy spider not so much a mean spider.

Basically, they behave much more like the typical OW species instead of a typical new world one.

Having said that, if you have a good setup & a great cage that has high visibility, decent ventilation & still holds in humidity, they are truly awesome.

They do everything in a big way!!

View attachment 38640


Here's my T stirmi.

These can get mislabeled as T blondi from time to time so you might want to research exactly what you have. The requirements for both are generally fairly similar with T stirmi reputed to be slightly more hardy.
If you have a setup like @Whitelightning777 you do not need to handle any of your spiders! :T:
 

Arachnoclown

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Meh. Theraphosa are like any other spider, they're individuals. If I had one that would allow it, I'd handle one. By all means, caution safety, but dont discourage people out of your own fear. Its a risk, not a huge one though, with the right spider.
Agree. I dont have any fear of them. I had a few of mine walk across my arms and hands while lying on the floor many years ago. The only major problem I had was the nastiest rash I've ever had in my life. It lasted for over a week and itched like crazy. That was from a spider not throwing hairs either. But by all means if you want to hold one dont let anyone stop you from living out your dreams.
 

MassExodus

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Agree. I dont have any fear of them. I had a few of mine walk across my arms and hands while lying on the floor many years ago. The only major problem I had was the nastiest rash I've ever had in my life. It lasted for over a week and itched like crazy. That was from a spider not throwing hairs either. But by all means if you want to hold one dont let anyone stop you from living out your dreams.
I collect spiders. I collect firearms, swords, knives, and coins. I've dealt with human trash for years in corrections. I've busted my ass in construction jobs for 8 years or so. I fish in the ocean sitting on top of modified tupperware container that wont protect me at all if a large bullshark decides to take a bite out of my ass. I ride a motorcycle at mortal speed with the earth and a painfull death inches below my feet. The greatest risk I take is getting to the destination where I'll risk my well being, whether on a motorcycle or in my truck. I grew up fishing salmon runs in Alaska, with Grizzlys walking the banks and forests I grew up in, I've had a few close encounters. Life is hard, whoever or wherever you may be. Wherever and whatever circumstances you live in. If you live your life watching, and afraid, never diving in, you'll die regretting your decisions. I collected tarantulas for two or three years without touching them, meanwhile I watched people on youtube handling huge spiders, while absorbing all the fearfull, paranoid tips from forum goers. Halfway through my time in this hobby, I took a male Lp for breeding. His dls was at least 7 1/2", I never attempted an exact measurement, he was a huge rangy male, and his butt wasnt small until near his end. His fangs were huge. Huge. He was the most docile, non defensive tarantula I've ever had. He would crawl all over my arms for several minutes at a time, never panicking if I moved, never darting around out of nervousness, he showed NO AGGRESSION at any time, even when he was running up my arm from my huge female after a failed breeding attempt. When I started handling this spider, the feel of his claws, the weight of him, it amazed me. That was when I realized, these are animals. Not invertebrates. They aren't bugs. That's just a way of classifying and subjectifying animals that are far different than mammals. I'll remember the moments, the feel and weight of the big, beautiful, fuzzy, harmless bug, for the rest of my life. Its not a dream, Clown, its reality. Risk vs reward, my friends. The risk in this hobby is not so bad. Why would anyone spend their lives collecting animals, and never touch them? Most especially if touching them couldn't possibly lead to serious harm? What kind of spinelessness is that? Half assed? These aren't bears. They're not mako sharks that can kill you. There's too much fear and not enough courage in this hobby. Its always been that way.
 
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