Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="SwedishArachnophobe84" data-source="post: 176254" data-attributes="member: 31783">My little beautiful girl has had one more roach since I got her and yesterday, I offered her a mealworm but she showed no interest. She has a very big “booty” and it is starting to look slightly darker so I am suspecting that she might be in premolt already. She has had a very healthy appetite, so I am not worried that she will starve…more worried about her “but” exploding…it looks huge today. Lol.She “freaked” slightly (when I put the mealworm in) and moved away faster than she has ever moved before…still slow though…and I did not even react! Yeah! Feeling like a winner! I am getting less and less terrified of her (and weirdly less disgusted by the dubia roaches too…despite having them for years before getting Shelob).Less disgusted by the roaches…but yesterday evening was still no fun at all. I had dropped a roach (male) during feeding of my leopard gecko a few days to a week, prior to the “incident” yesterday. I was aware he was around, but did not expect him to “pop-up” where and how he did. The surprise appearance freaked me out, but I was able to quickly recover and get him back into the roach bin.What happened was, I was on my way out to do some grocery shopping and was going to put on a sweater, but before I could put it on, I had to turn it back, because it was inside out. I saw something black inside, but figured it was just a tag or something. I did not expect it to be moving! The feeling of panic occurred and I threw the sweater on the floor, before realizing it was the missing male dubia roach. That sweater was hanging on a hook across the room from where I dropped him. I have no idea how he managed to get from point A to point B, without me or the dogs noticing; but there he was in my freaking sweater!I even managed to “catch cup” a tiny jumping spider (a few days ago) that had made its way into my apartment! It got out a few times before I managed to really catch it…and I did not freak out! I did not smash it. I am so proud of myself…you know…for not killing it in a state of absolute panic.I have a new “mantra” that I am trying to implement, to help with my arachnophobia. I am trying to say the following to myself “It is just a small Shelob” when I see a spider. I care for her and she scares me less and less; so, I hope that it will somehow make it into that “reptile brain” of mine and convince my instincts to change. I know (when I am not freaking the f out) that spiders are not dangerous, that they will not murder me and that I do not have to be afraid of them. However, tell that to my instinctual feeling of terror, when my brain checks out. I am hoping that my “mantra” will somehow get through and help change my instincts in the future.[ATTACH=full]47315[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]47316[/ATTACH]/SwedishArachnophobe84</blockquote>

Verification