Tips for Handling a Pet Tarantula
June 2nd 2009 13:09
When considering a pet tarantula, you should make sure that you know that these guys are not going to be the best "play with" pet option, especially for kids, who generally want to play with their new pet. Just remember that if the tarantula is going to be a pet for a child, especially a younger child, you do not want the child to play with the tarantula without supervision.
Now, as for handling the tarantula, many experts will actually advise you not to do so, since most carry some drop of venom in them, which will typically just cause an irritation or allergic reaction, but the bite can be painful. The venom is not enough to knock you out, but you may experience fever, nausea, or throbbing at the site; you can compare a tarantula bite to a bee sting.
You may also experience an irritation or reaction to the hairs on the tarantula; they can easily embeds a hair or two into your skin, if it feels threatened, which c an cause you to experience discomfort.
But, for the most part, you'll find that most of the danger comes to that tarantula, not you. Some species are very fast and may try to escape, and some may try to jump. You don't want the tarantula to jump off your hands and injure itself, as injuries can be fatal, especially if a heavy bodied tarantula ruptures something in its abdomen.
The easiest way to pick up a tarantula is to grip it between the second and third pair of legs, using your thumb and forefinger. The tarantula will stop moving automatically, especially if you grab it quickly.
Otherwise, you can pick up the tarantula by nudging it into your hands or into a temporary container.
Holding the Tarantula
When you have the tarantula in your hands, it's best that you keep your hand under the spider at all times. If the tarantula likes to crawl around and explore, you'll constantly be changing hands; just make sure that you have a hand under it at all times to prevent the tarantula from falling and injuring itself.
If you are hesitant, scared, or nervous about handing your tarantula, you should not do it. Just wait until you feel comfortable.
ALWAYS remember to wash your hands after handling your tarantula.
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