I just got kissed..

[MassExodus]

So, after replying to a G pulchra post, I went to remove my slow growing, 3" females 1week old molt. This female has consistantly charged my hand whenever it was in her enclosure. She used to charge, touch my fingers with her front legs, and move back. Every time. For 3 years or so..Well today, she charged, and immediately bit me on the middle finger, last knuckle, in the crease. It burns a little bit..similar to a wasp sting. I tried to get an image of the two holes but its a **** picture, doesn't show anything(my phone camera sucks..) i think the molt pic is viewable but it sucks too..

The bite is negligable..the burning is almost gone. Her fangs are black and intact. I didn't even really react, I didn't jerk my hand back, and the bite was quick. I'm fixing to feed her..she's gorgeous..jet black..and hungry, apparently. Feeding response..this SCREAMS it...I'm fine, Domino is fine. I guess she was lucky..

 

[Casey K.]

So, after replying to a G pulchra post, I went to remove my slow growing, 3" females 1week old molt. This female has consistantly charged my hand whenever it was in her enclosure. She used to charge, touch my fingers with her front legs, and move back. Every time. For 3 years or so..Well today, she charged, and immediately bit me on the middle finger, last knuckle, in the crease. It burns a little bit..similar to a wasp sting. I tried to get an image of the two holes but its a **** picture, doesn't show anything(my phone camera sucks..) i think the molt pic is viewable but it sucks too..
View attachment 32119
The bite is negligable..the burning is almost gone. Her fangs are black and intact. I didn't even really react, I didn't jerk my hand back, and the bite was quick. I'm fixing to feed her..she's gorgeous..jet black..and hungry, apparently. Feeding response..this SCREAMS it...I'm fine, Domino is fine. I guess she was lucky..

Hmmmmm.... lol....

 

[MassExodus]

Ok, now my finger is numb. Its creeping very slowly to the last knuckle. The one I'm typing with. I've always typed with tbis finger. Weird sensation. Not completely numb but floating..There's a bit of swelling. Not much. Just numbness now. No burning anymore. Pulchra bites, if anything, hurt less than my local buthids, C vitattus.

 

[MassExodus]

Numbness is subsiding. Burning is coming back, but not significant, the initial burning was worse. No other issues, it feels like its going away.

 

[MassExodus]

Btw, I fed her two half grown dubias. They're both in her mouth. Feeding responsr

 

[MassExodus]

Now its in my wrist. Numb weird feeling. The pain is back in my hand. Its worse than C vittatus, which never lasted this long.

 

[MassExodus]

Subsiding. Im going to bed. No niggy.

 

[MassExodus]

Lmfao biggy.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

I've never known anyone who was bitten by any Grammostola… Well now I do. Thanks for sharing and reminding me to stay in the habit of using tongs in ALL my enclosures. Even the ones with "docile" species.

 

[MassExodus]

My finger hurts. Woke up and its throbbing like a bastard. Started taking antibiotics too. Its not too bad, but it hurts worse now than it did initially. Weird. Finger looks normal but its stiff.

 

[MassExodus]

Tarantula venom is strange. My finger hurts worse right now than at anytime since the bite. Maybe cause I was drinking? Don't know. Stiff as hell, throbbing all the way to top knuckle. Dont get me wrong, its not excrutiating. But no local buthids or wasps or others can do this to me. She must have injected a bunch of venom fast, the bite was very quick. I wish I could get a decent image of the two little perfect holes in the crease of my knuckle. Ill see if I can borrow a friends camera today. Looking at her molt, and the bite, she didnt go very deep, the holes are too small.

 

[Enn49]

I hope it doesn't last too long. You should take some anti-histamine.
Just goes to show that we mustn't get too complacent with any T no matter how placid they seem to be.

 

[MassExodus]

I hope it doesn't last too long. You should take some anti-histamine.
Just goes to show that we mustn't get too complacent with any T no matter how placid they seem to be.

Agreed. I never worried much about new world bites, I use my hands instead of tongs to move them or do maintenance. I think I wont do that anymore. My father always said I have to learn things the hard way..

 

[MassExodus]

I've never known anyone who was bitten by any Grammostola… Well now I do. Thanks for sharing and reminding me to say in the habit of using tongs in ALL my enclosures. Even the ones with "docile" species.

Indeed sir. Tongs good

 

[MassExodus]

Finger throbbing a little but no pain now. I'm trying to think of a way to express my thoughts on T venom. Its not like scorpions or bees. It affects you in waves..its just weird..it comes and goes. Hard to describe.

 

[T_spidey]

If I am not mistaken, the old world bites used to be mainly neuro toxins, causing a jerking movement in people that were bit. It seemed like a grotesque dance and was termed as the tarantula dance by the native latin americans and that is where they derived their names from. Ready your post has been very educational @MassExodus . I will be extra careful while handling my Ts

 

[MassExodus]

Here is deadly Domino. Sorry for the quality, I do the best I can with what I got.

 

[MassExodus]

Also, the molt wasnt a week old, I just found it then. More like a month I think. At work early this morning, in a hallway, I held my hand out and let a phiddipus audax jumping spider land in my palm, coming down from the ceiling.. As a prelude to taking it outside so nobody would kill it. I've handled them probably a hundred times. I tell people they dont bite. As I was walking to an exit he crawled onto my index finger, wrapped his legs around it, and bit me. Lmao. I collect tarantulas for ten years, handle when I feel like it, don't use tongs..and never get bitten. I start moving to reptiles and now everything wants to bite me..ffs..

 

[Enn49]

Also, the molt wasnt a week old, I just found it then. More like a month I think. At work early this morning, in a hallway, I held my hand out and let a phiddipus audax jumping spider land in my palm, coming down from the ceiling.. As a prelude to taking it outside so nobody would kill it. I've handled them probably a hundred times. I tell people they dont bite. As I was walking to an exit he crawled onto my index finger, wrapped his legs around it, and bit me. Lmao. I collect tarantulas for ten years, handle when I feel like it, don't use tongs..and never get bitten. I start moving to reptiles and now everything wants to bite me..ffs..

They think you're being a traitor, abandoning them for reptiles

 

[MassExodus]

They think you're being a traitor, abandoning them for reptiles

Lmao, but I didn't, Enn! I still keep my favorites. I still love spiders. They don't understand! And ****head is still hiding. He has a beautiful tail.. At least he moved to my basking rockpile. You have no idea how patient I'm being with him..little muthaf..ehem!