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Tarantula behavior when Handled

Posted By:

HurricaneJen

In Relation To:

[Chaco1]

I've raised my chaco goldstripe up from a sling for a couple of years now. She's gorgeous and getting large, almost 4" or so across, feeding readily and molting easily. She hardly hair flicks and is super mellow, which is pretty common for the species from what I've read.

My question is, when I handle her, she tends to rest calmly in the middle of my hand and will actually lower herself down so far that I can feel her thorax against my palm. I can't usually feel the fangs also touching me, but it's a little odd to feel her body resting against my hand. She's done this sort of thing for as long as I've owned her (the reason I bought her in the first place was because she'd calmly rest in the middle of my hand even as a 1/2" spiderling!), and at first I figured she'd outgrow it...but she's not. Anyone else have a tarantula that does this, or know why mine does? It's almost like she can't be bothered to hold herself up all the way, although when she's done sitting still she does walk around some, and holds herself up normally then.

She molts perfectly and eats like a pig, and has grown slowly but steadily the two years I've had her. Just curious about the resting behavior - I don't handle a huge range of species but I've handled numerous rosehairs, red knees and family, and various pink toes, and none of them have done this.
Thanks for any input!

~jen


Points:	100
Topics:	General Health
Tags:	Behavior, Handling, Tarantula
Species:	Invertebrates > Spiders > Grammastola aureostiata
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Assisted Answer

10/27/2010 4:24:06 PM

shellboa

My rose hair will do this when she has been on me for a while. Seems like she does it more after she has a good meal. She is the only Tarantula I have owned so the only one I can speak of.

Assisted Answer

10/27/2010 10:31:56 PM

Sylvias

Maybe she likes the warmth of your hand? From my limited experience with tarantulas it does seem that they are very aware of sitting on something living rather than just thinking we are a random surface to crawl on.

Accepted Answer

10/28/2010 2:31:47 PM

JohnJohn

I just ran out of my office screaming like a little girl!

Assisted Answer

10/30/2010 1:31:40 AM

aaron

Tarantulas just creep me out.... I'm with you JohnJohn.

I kinda want one, but they're so... spidery.

Author Comment

11/1/2010 10:45:04 PM

HurricaneJen

She does it all the time; I had her out today and she just sat there. Ate a roach a few days ago though so maybe she's just very well fed...

JohnJohn and aaron...I can do tarantulas, can't do shiny spiders. or tiny ones. or daddy longlegs. if it's furry, it's okay, but otherwise... I kinda freak out! Whip scorpions and trap door spiders are the worst.

Assisted Answer

11/2/2010 7:39:10 PM

Matthias

It could be the warmth of your hand, (what temps are you taking her out into?)
This is all so a resting position. If they aren't moving about or thinking about moving some T's will lay their body down.
Regardless it is nothing to be conserned about.

Please to remember to be safe if you handle your Tarantulas. A fall of even 6 inches can rupture their abdomen. And while a chaco may not do it offen they can move faster than you can see.

Author Comment

11/3/2010 8:48:35 AM

HurricaneJen

I'm in Southern California, average temp in my room is high 70s during the day when I have her out.

I've held a few tarantulas of a few different species and none of them did this, but they've also all been younger/less handled. Thanks for the feedback everyone!

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