Do Tarantulas get used to You?

When I first got my blue fang , the first few months it would hide in it burrow and if it was ever poking out, everytime I would walk by, it would pop right back down. But now, a little less than a year since got it, it walks all around its enclosure every now and then to web it up, and I can move and open the enclosure and it doesn't run back to its burrow. Do tarantulas get used to being "watched" or "moved" by us and learn that we aren't a big threat?

It probably became more secure in it's new territory and that's why it's coming out more. They probably learn that we aren't a threat (except when it come to rehousing them) over time but I wouldn't say they get used to us moving them. Just my opinion though.

Stan Schultz would argue so. My L.p.s are terrified of me. And my G. porteri hates me. Or wants to eat me. And I stressed a poor little guy out trying to get him into a container for shipping. but I suppose that's different.

Idk what they're learning capacity is, or that they remember. I'd think they're just constantly operating on instinct. Like a computer program. On random sometimes it seems too. But unlike Arnold in T2, I don't know that it's a learning computer. I'd think they're almost born with every bit of instinct they'll ever have. Behavior maybe changes with molt though, but that's part of the preset program.

Idk that's something I'd have to read much more about.

Arachnomaniac19 said:

It probably became more secure in it's new territory and that's why it's coming out more. They probably learn that we aren't a threat.

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I have yet to see any evidence that spiders "learn" we aren't a threat. Those threat poses a spider throws years into keeping them aren't a way of saying hi. As they get older and have their territory defined, they are more apt to be on the move where.they can be seen at times, or they may be less likely to bolt to their burrow as soon as they would as slings. Don't ever mistake that for a spider not thinking you are a threat. You are a giant looming over an animal with a nervous system that's highest functions are fight, flee and mate. It will *not* know you. It will *not* get used to you. It *will* get more confident it can defend itself if necessary.

freedumbdclxvi said:

It *will* get more confident it can defend itself if necessary.

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I think this is what we're mistaking for "getting used to" us. I have a C. andersoni that was extremely skittish, bolting to its hide at the slightest vibration or shadow. As it grew and covered the enclosure in webbing, it became very confident and has actually become a display spider. I still get a threat posture when I have to disrupt the enclosure too much, though.

In my opinion, I believe that a few are capable of getting used to us on a very basic level. Why I think this is because my A. geniculata used to kick hairs all the time after I got her. I would shift her enclosure an inch without picking it up, to peek at her and bam. Hairs. Now after three months of having her, she still has a full behind of hair. Her last molt was a month and a half ago. In that space of time, I even rehoused her into a bigger enclosure and she tolerated being guided into the catch-cup without flicking.

Now, I don't think all A. geniculatas can get used to you. I think it really varies from specimen to specimen.

But that's just a guesstimation on what I've encountered.

The short answer is "no." They do not. Their evolutionary path has never given them an edge of survivabilty due to social constructs. They do not benefit from learning to adjust to contact with you, not do they need companionship. As a keeper, sometimes I "pretend" by talking to them when they get particularly sassy, etc. In the end though, I don't anthropomorphize them.

LordWaffle said:

The short answer is "no." They do not. Their evolutionary path has never given them an edge of survivabilty due to social constructs. They do not benefit from learning to adjust to contact with you, not do they need companionship. As a keeper, sometimes I "pretend" by talking to them when they get particularly sassy, etc. In the end though, I don't anthropomorphize them.

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I agree with that, but my idea of 'used to' isn't a synonym for "tameness". I think that some can come to associate you as part of their environment. Like their water dishes or their hides. You aren't always there, but when you are it isn't a big deal because you're just 'that funny smelling tree thing' or whatever. And like I said before, I think that's only limited to the occasional specimen and could very well change with one mistake on your part.

I do not believe tarantulas can get used to you in a way that would mean they think to themselves 'Oh, that thing that feeds and waters me is here. I don't want to bite that thing that feeds and waters me.' because for one I don't believe tarantulas can think and secondly because as you said- they don't have that drive for companionship that say...a dog would have. A tarantula is never going to appreciate what you do for it. But it may just allow you to grace yourself with their presence if you don't push your luck.

Though honestly I have no reason to believe any of that except for the fact my A. geniculata isn't as defensive as she once was. She could very well go and kick herself bald over night and I'd be back to square one in an instant.

miss moxie said:

I agree with that, but my idea of 'used to' isn't a synonym for "tameness". I think that some can come to associate you as part of their environment. Like their water dishes or their hides. You aren't always there, but when you are it isn't a big deal because you're just 'that funny smelling tree thing' or whatever. And like I said before, I think that's only limited to the occasional specimen and could very well change with one mistake on your part.

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No. And even thinking that can lead to a bite. This is not an animal that gets used to you. Their brains aren't wired that way. In the most respectful way possible, your spider is not special and does not think you're *just* scenery. *If* you have that mindset, there will be issues. They aren't gracing you with access to their territory - instinct is telling them to either stay put to not be noticed, to flee before being noticed or defend itself if it feels.threatened. As a keeper, *you* need to read the signs as best you can to understand which of those three instincts are in the driver seat, so to speak.

freedumbdclxvi said:

No. And even thinking that can lead to a bite. This is not an animal that gets used to you. Their brains aren't wired that way. In the most respectful way possible, your spider is not special and does not think you're *just* scenery. *If* you have that mindset, there will be issues. They aren't gracing you with access to their territory - instinct is telling them to either stay put to not be noticed, to flee before being noticed or defend itself if it feels.threatened. As a keeper, *you* need to read the signs as best you can to understand which of those three instincts are in the driver seat, so to speak.

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I really do think you misunderstood me. It's not as if I believe reaching in with my hands would ever okay because I'm scenery. I still treat them with the caution and respect they deserve. I use tweezers to remove my water bowls or do maintenance, I always keep a catch cup near by, and I never let my guard down. When I'm just topping off her water instead of taking it out to give it good cleaning I have witnessed her attack the water on more than one occasion. I have no delusions that she would ever differentiate between my hand and that water.

I simply think that my A. geniculata doesn't find me as big of a threat as she once did, when I open her enclosure to feed/water/ect. And I never said that was a good thing. Being less threatening to a spider that will grow very large and have very large fangs that can do rather severe mechanical damage could be really bad actually. Because it may be she isn't frightened of me, and would be less apt to back down. She could very well have stopped flicking because she's decided a bite would be more effective.

Or maybe she doesn't flick hair for any numerous reasons.

I don't think I misunderstood - you said she you think she doesn't find you as big of a threat. This is incorrect. As she grew in size, her ability to defend herself increased exponentially, which has allowed her a wider range before her instincts kick in. That's what I am trying to say - your level of threat to her hasn't decreased by one bit according to her. Her options of *how* to deal with the threat you represent have expanded. That's the perspective you need to have when dealing with these animals.

I'm not looking to get into this debate, so this will be my only post. However . . .

I used to have my own educational Bug Show business. I would bring live invertebrates to schools, birthday parties and other special events. When working with new tarantulas, many would show threat displays in one form or another. The more a tarantula was worked with, the less it would show threat displays. Over time, many would stop showing threat displays when they were to be picked up and handled. This could take place over a few weeks to about a month, depending on the individual spider and by species. Of course I only worked with the more docile species.

The same sort of behavior would happen with Madagascar hissing cockroaches. A new roach chosen to be handled would hiss and try to run off. Over time (normally a few days to a couple weeks) the same roach would hiss less and stop trying to run. I had some that were so "hand tame" that they would cease to hiss. For a good show, you need a hiss, so I would find a new roach to work with. I would then use the "hand trained" (non running, non hissing) roach for children to handle.

There were also Giant African Millipedes I would show. New millipedes would coil up and stain my hands with their defensive fluids. After a time, they would no longer coil up or use their defensive fluid.

So what made that happen? An animal acting defensive, then over a short period of time, not acting defensive? I will give my thoughts below, but in the end, it's up for you to speculate.

When the invertebrates (mentioned above) were handled, it caused them stress. In order to avoid the stress of being handled, their mind or body, found a way to deal with the stress. I would say that they "got used to it", but you can call it whatever you want. If you want to talk evolutionary terms, one could say that some tarantulas (and other invertebrates) may have evolved to avoid stress, thus "learning" to no longer "feel" threatened by a repeating, non harmful stimuli.

freedumbdclxvi said:

I don't think I misunderstood - you said she you think she doesn't find you as big of a threat. This is incorrect. As she grew in size, her ability to defend herself increased exponentially, which has allowed her a wider range before her instincts kick in. That's what I am trying to say - your level of threat to her hasn't decreased by one bit according to her. Her options of *how* to deal with the threat you represent have expanded. That's the perspective you need to have when dealing with these animals.

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Now, you see this is something I can learn from. This tidbit here is not something I have heard before and actually makes a lot of sense to me, so I'm not being sarcastic when I say thank you. I appreciate gleaning this from you. I suppose in a way, I was almost reaching that conclusion at the end there by saying maybe she'd decided a bite would be more effective. But I wasn't quite there, and I didn't make that connection until you said it.

I do concede my earlier opinion in light of that. I do believe now that she has most likely assimilated new options into her defense mechanisms. After all, it was just after her last molt.

Though I never thought my A. geniculata was by any means special or unique, I'm also willing to concede that you're right. She's not. But if you tell her that, I'll deny it.

freedumbdclxvi said:

I have yet to see any evidence that spiders "learn" we aren't a threat. Those threat poses a spider throws years into keeping them aren't a way of saying hi. As they get older and have their territory defined, they are more apt to be on the move where.they can be seen at times, or they may be less likely to bolt to their burrow as soon as they would as slings. Don't ever mistake that for a spider not thinking you are a threat. You are a giant looming over an animal with a nervous system that's highest functions are fight, flee and mate. It will *not* know you. It will *not* get used to you. It *will* get more confident it can defend itself if necessary.

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You didn't quote full post. In the original it had said, in parenthesis, "Except when it comes to rehousing them" which means that they will always defend and consider you a threat in a sense. The way I meant was that it would get used to your presence outside of their territory. Some Ts will bare their fangs when a light goes on but will eventually stop doing that (after a long time) because no harm comes to them. That's just my opinion though which might change if new evidence is discovered or brought up.

Acro said:

I used to have my own educational Bug Show business. I would bring live invertebrates to schools, birthday parties and other special events. When working with new tarantulas, many would show threat displays in one form or another. The more a tarantula was worked with, the less it would show threat displays. Over time, many would stop showing threat displays when they were to be picked up and handled. This could take place over a few weeks to about a month, depending on the individual spider and by species. Of course I only worked with the more docile species.

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I would question which species, what constitutes *many* species stop showing threat displays (I note you did not say all), as well as other defensive mechanisms (hair kicking or stress poses). I won't deny there are a number of docile species of spiders that are tolerant of handling - this, however, does not indicate any sort of "getting used to" keepers or handling. It means a species was already evolutionarily inclined, for whateber reasons, to have little to no reaction to handling.

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Arachnomaniac19 said:

You didn't quote full post. In the original it had said, in parenthesis, "Except when it comes to rehousing them" which means that they will always defend and consider you a threat in a sense. The way I meant was that it would get used to your presence outside of their territory. Some Ts will bare their fangs when a light goes on but will eventually stop doing that (after a long time) because no harm comes to them. That's just my opinion though which might change if new evidence is discovered or brought up.

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I didn't need to use the full quote. I disputed the portion I quoted - that they get used to their keepers as not a threat. If you admit they always see you as a threat, they they aren't "used to you". Which is the entire point.

There's not much evidence to say whether or not they get used to us. We can't say that we don't and we can't say that they do. Even when people say that their pet doesn't bite them or flick hairs, that t is just one in millions. You can't generalize whether or not they do get used to us. You could have a g rosea that doesn't care and have another one that always does the threat pose. Or a vagans that doesn't flick hairs when you bother it but the next day it's doing the threat pose. It's really up to you what you wish to believe in. But with whatever idea you choose, always place your safety as the priority.

Mine come out when I tap the ground in front of their hides with my finger and then they let me pet their fangs.

BobGrill said:

Mine come out when I tap the ground in front of their hides with my finger and then they let me pet their fangs.

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You could become a tarantula dentist with those skills.

BobGrill said:

Mine come out when I tap the ground in front of their hides with my finger and then they let me pet their fangs.

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Apparently, your spiders are pen pals with mine. My OBT and C fimbriatus wanted a fang scratching the other day. I politely told them my dwarf retic already had his scheduled that night, so they would have to wait.

Have you considered that it's not your spider getting used to you, but you getting used to your spider? You are capable of learning, your tarantula is not. It's entirely possible that the reason your pet seems less threatened is you have adjusted the way you approach situations. People tend to take themselves out of the equation and put the spider as the only variable. They aren't the only variable, though; and it's far more likely that the change is in you.