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is the venom of old world species equally as potent when they are a sling, vs when they are an adult? just got my first old world. cobalt blue, sling. 
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old world sling venom
- Thread starter maudie
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- 46
curious as well. Another question is how big do they get before they are capable of biting you? I don't think a 1/2" sling can bite
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- 46
theres a haplopelma lividum sling as well as a couple gbb slings at my local pet shop ive been eyeballing.... I want alot, but im not allowed to have more than one right now in my living arrangement.
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- 10,914
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- Malton, UK
I believe the venom is just as strong but slings fangs aren't big enough to penetrate the skin.
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- 577
- Location
- Massachusetts
I was gonna say they can bite. A bit ago someone (I think it was spider_dad or something similar) posted a pic of teeny needle pricks his sling had given him.
I am sure the venom strength is of the same strength, but less likely to get to you and the small sizes but my first OW (that has survived) is a 1" C. olivaceum thats more prone to run then attack in my experience with him.
I am sure the venom strength is of the same strength, but less likely to get to you and the small sizes but my first OW (that has survived) is a 1" C. olivaceum thats more prone to run then attack in my experience with him.
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- 686
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- Corcelles-près-Payerne, Switzerland
As early as spiderlings can hunt, they have venom. As far as I know, the composition of the venom doesn't change between a spiderling and a grown up.
As the others have said, what changes is the size of the fangs (when tiny, the spider has no ability to perforate the human epidermis, but with tarantulas, this ability comes rather early because of the size of the fangs) and the amount of venom available. As venom is stored in the chelicerae (in tarantula's case), the bigger the size the more the available quantity.
In other words: yes, your Haplopelma has venom, yes it's the same as a grown up, but maybe (?) it's still too little to perforate your skin and the quantity is less than an adult. In any case, you should be very prudent!
One more thing: it's always difficult to know how effective tarantula venom can be for a human being, because a tarantula can choose the amount of venom it injects. Sometimes there's no venom at all, only the mechanical bite (= dry bite), sometimes there's more venom, sometimes and sometimes it injects the maximum venom available.
As the others have said, what changes is the size of the fangs (when tiny, the spider has no ability to perforate the human epidermis, but with tarantulas, this ability comes rather early because of the size of the fangs) and the amount of venom available. As venom is stored in the chelicerae (in tarantula's case), the bigger the size the more the available quantity.
In other words: yes, your Haplopelma has venom, yes it's the same as a grown up, but maybe (?) it's still too little to perforate your skin and the quantity is less than an adult. In any case, you should be very prudent!
One more thing: it's always difficult to know how effective tarantula venom can be for a human being, because a tarantula can choose the amount of venom it injects. Sometimes there's no venom at all, only the mechanical bite (= dry bite), sometimes there's more venom, sometimes and sometimes it injects the maximum venom available.
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- 215
A larger sling can penetrate. I had a versicolor bite me twice out of the box. It was around one inch dls. Itched a little, I dont even count it as a bite.
