Untrue Tarantula Myths You've Heard?

HaloMiles

Arachnosquire
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Dec 31, 2004
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Even before purchasing my G. Rosea, I heard some very peculiar (and very laughable) myths told to me by people who have no clue about tarantulas. The day I went to purchase my G. Rosea, someone had told me that they were the meanest spider known to man. I'd never laughed so hard in my life. Has anyone heard any very untrue myths about tarantulas in particular?
 

cdxrd

Arachnoknight
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Oct 15, 2004
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As I stated in another thread, the nice lady at the UPS facility here in town had a friend die from a rose hair bite last year.. :)

Musta been that really evil, venomous species of G Rosea.. And also at Zamzows a couple years ago, I was informed that the H Lividums were an arboreal species and liked it really really wet conditions..
 

ta2edpop

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I was one told by a man at a pet store that when a T bites you they don't stop untill they peirce bone. Ouch that must really hurt.
 

becca81

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Thanks to Hollywood, our society is full of myths regarding tarantulas and true spiders.

Most of the myths that I hear relate to the venom.
 

Sequin

Arachnobaron
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Apr 18, 2004
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hmmm, my favorite is

"your so dumb, why wouldnt you take the venom out of them, you know they can kill you?"
ive heard that at least 8 times at my school :rolleyes:


Oh and then this one petstore in town charges an extra 40 dollars to have them "devenomized"
 

ta2edpop

Arachnoknight
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I'd like to take advantage of that "devenomizing". I would hate to know that I have animals in my house that can kill me.
 

galeogirl

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My favorite has to be the time a guy at an exotics show told me that a tarantula "jumped like five feet off the ground trying to bite me."
 

Sandra

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Oh and then this one petstore in town charges an extra 40 dollars to have them "devenomized"

Oh REALLY!!! :rolleyes:
 

cdxrd

Arachnoknight
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Sandra, I almost have to believe they do charge.. 2 weeks ago my now ex-roomie brought a girlfriend of hers over, and I was showing her the spiders. And she kept wanting me to get my Lividum out and hold her so she could see. When I explained that I didnt want to be bit, she informed me that all pet stores are required by law (the pet stores told her this) to have their tarantulas devenomized, and there is no harm in holding them since thats done.. Needless to say she is now educated properly.. lol
 

becca81

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I was in one petstore with a girl who said that she fed her G. rosea water bites and it caused it to turn bright pink. Yeah, right.

She also said that she dropped the T quite a bit and it always just "shook its head, acted dazed, and was fine." Shook its head? And what neck did it use?
 

cdxrd

Arachnoknight
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ROFL! I am just picturing that little pink rose hair, shaking its head back and forth trying to get focused again.. thats good.. :)
 

Joeyo

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i was told a long time ago that tarantulas sold in pet stores always had their venom glands removed. and, as a matter of fact, i believe it was a locally owned and operated pet store that told me that.
 

Bpkid

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My favorite is.......

"Tarantulas are man eating things."
 

ScorpionBob

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They are vicious...

This is my favorite. Almost everyone that I have told about owning a T says the same thing, "Really nasty aren't they, how many times have u been bitten?" Even the people at the big pet store chains where I get crickets say this crap. I had scorpions, they can be pretty ornery.
 

MountinGal

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Dec 10, 2004
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I have two good ones.

One of my fellow teachers told me that a parent was chased up the sidewalk by a tarantula trying to bite her...it would have been an A. hentzi as they are native here. Because we all know that a tarantula could have chased this person all the way up the sidewalk.

Secondly, one of my preschoolers informed me today that "only baby tarantulas are poisonous."

Once I actually get my T's I plan to do a lot of myth-breaking in my classroom!
 

Apocalypstick

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I was looking at water bowls a few years ago and found one in a small pet shop. When the owner ( family owned shop) asked me what it was for, I told him a water dish for my 6"+ Brazilan Black Tarantula. He had a couple of adult Rosies for sale in the shop (so he's an authority...yup).

He asked if I needed a new sponge for the water dish too because he said, 'It was important to change it at least once a year'. I told him I never use sponges. Well you woulda thought I was the biggest idiot living :drool:
He imformed me that anyone that did not know sponges are the ONLY way Ts can drink shouldn't own one...it will surely die. He said anyone that says Ts don't need sponges are "cRaZy". I tried to explain sponges harbour bac, molds, and even cricket eggs. He said these were REAL sponges, not the grocery store kind. Stupid me :? I said no thanks anyway. 'OK' he replied, 'But when the one you have dies' come back in and I'll sell you another T and teach you how to take care of them.

Looking back at him as I walked out I said, ' OK, but it must take a
looonnngggg time for a T to dehydrate because I had had my girl T for seven years...since it was a baby. But I'd sure come back in 10 to 15 years later, when she passes on, so he could teach me how to do it right next time.

I swear I couldn't help laughing all the way home because of his ridiculous arrogant face as it reddened quite quickly.
:mad: <------him
:rolleyes: <------me
 
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David Burns

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Jul 18, 2003
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How about the myth that the males from an eggsac mature before the females from the same sac.

Or the one that says that immature Haplopelma lividum males are brown.

I've even heard it said that the males don't have an epigastric furrow.

But really, none of us believe these anymore do we?
 
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