I Suggest A Compromise

I have seen several threads about the argument of tarantulas being defensive or aggresive. I suggest we make up something means that they have a reputation or tendency to bite. I dont know what word. We have OBTs and slings, which r tarantula lingo. Scrumtrelescent? Any suggestions? (BTW, scrumtrelescent=SNL in case u dont get it)

how about just saying they can be a bit nippy at times.

1 for "nippy at times" or "nippy"

I use "fiesty".

I believe I've heard the term, "aggressively defensive" or "defensively aggressive" used.

I personally like aggressive myself. It's still pretty easy to type. Sling is just catchy, otherwise I wouldn’t use it. And OBT is just plain cute. Shortening aggressive down to something else just seems unneeded and kind of smacks of AOL or leet speak.

It's Defensive for ALL tarantulas, IMO. Now if you put your OBT on the ground it chased you to do physical harm, then it is agressive, but as my signature says, that is like chasing Godzilla. Sounds like suicide to me....

Most defensive Ts will hold thier ground, but will not try to come at you and "eat" you.

i agree with you dwayne. defensive is the word i prefer

shogun804 said:

i agree with you dwayne. defensive is the word i prefer

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Honestly, I believe that it shouldn't even be a preference, but the standard for all tarantulas, maybe even all spiders too.

Well on a technical level I think the best way to describe the behavior is with the words "aggresively defensive" like Becca81 mentioned. Its deffinately a "defensive" characteristic though.

The problem is not about middle ground it is about appearences. I prefer to call a tarantula that is nippy, aggressive, some like to take the high road and lable it defensive. I completely aggree with this. My problem is all tarantulas are defensive. My Red Knee will flick hairs once in a great while. Since all tarantulas are defensive to an point, I prefer to lable the ones that are really good at defending their space as aggressive. People dislike this because it causes misunderstanding with non-tarantula owners. This argument can be found every time humans come in contact with animals.

I had a Brazilian Rainbow Boa. This were considered nippy, mine only bite once. Any person, that has own a Rotterweller, will tell you they are one of the nices dogs you can own. Me included, does that not make they aggressive, no. They have a tendency to attack when provoked. Provoking can be simple as beening in their space (ie. across the street).

Aggressive, for me, with animals, is when an animal needs to defend itself even though the "attacker" has not harmed it in any way. This does not include, hideing, rearing, or flicking of hairs. This means that the tarantula wants to bite the animal in its space so it will not come back.

ALL TARANTULAS ARE DEFENSIVE. Some are more aggresive about it.

Some wish to smooth out a reputation of man eaters, I agree with this idea. But if a blue cobalt rushes out of her hole and rears, you will get bit. If a Stripe Knee charges you and rears, you, stand a good chance that it is a bluff. How do I know, because I have own both species for more then 6 years. Stripe Knees prefers to bluff without biting. Cobalts have no inter-child, and just want you out.

For me one is aggressive, the other is defessive. I do not use these names out of hate or meanness, it is just how they behave.

I know the tarantulas that well bite with out stopping and the ones I would have to push to biting. If they bite with out stopping they are aggressive.

WE ARE FIGHTING OVER WORDS. :wall:
TheDarKFinder

I think the word should be "poopy"

I say the word "man-eater" is colorful, succintly descriptive, and truer than anything else suggested. Who's with me?

I use "Frisky" for my female T's :?

Spider-man 2 said:

Honestly, I believe that it shouldn't even be a preference, but the standard for all tarantulas, maybe even all spiders too.

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i guess i should have worded my statement better, but yes i agree, i have yet to see a T act "aggresively" towards me. they have only got defensive when i have invaded there space

TheDarkFinder said:

ALL TARANTULAS ARE DEFENSIVE. Some are more aggresive about it.

WE ARE FIGHTING OVER WORDS. :wall:
TheDarKFinder

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i like how you stated this Darkfinder. i personally like the term defensive, but i may say aggressive on occasion. either way everyone knows what is meant by either of these terms.

Spider-man 2 said:

It's Defensive for ALL tarantulas, IMO. Now if you put your OBT on the ground it chased you to do physical harm, then it is agressive, but as my signature says, that is like chasing Godzilla. Sounds like suicide to me....

Most defensive Ts will hold thier ground, but will not try to come at you and "eat" you.

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I totally agree.



-Mattyb

Aggressive - Inclined to behave in an actively hostile fashion.

Defensive - Intended to withstand or deter aggression or attack.

Now....you figure it out.

TheDarkFinder said:

WE ARE FIGHTING OVER WORDS. :wall:
TheDarKFinder

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It is not that simple.....

I don't agree with this comment. Why you ask? Well, as stated in my definitions above, you find that in the derivement of these that they make complete sense.

Let's put this into better perpective. It probably doesn't matter among us people in the hobby aof what term we use, even though it should be defensive because all they are doing is protecting thier home and trying scare of invaders (us), but what if you educating a group of kids or people about tarantulas or perhaps even someone interested getting into the hobby, but doesn't know much about them. What would you tell them?

Telling them they are aggressive would be wrong because that would put mental pictures in thier heads of spiders chasing people. Heck, noobs and uneducated people on the topic of tarantulas probably already believe all those myths we depise until they are corrected. Adding to that would just be shameful.

Also, when a tarantula continues to bite continuously it is because it is still defending itself and/or it's territory. It does so because it doesn't think it has yet successfully detered the aggressor. Well, I don't really want to get into the reasons of tarantula behavior, but I wouldn't mind . I just hope I got my point accross.

I mostly prefer defensive cuz i agree with Spiderman 2's siggy, but i am only starting this thread to avoid such arguments. I use defensive/aggressive usually just to avoid this sort of arguing.

Inclination/propensity to bite...

cryptly said:

I use "fiesty".

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I have "fiesty" scribbled on some of my T tank labels too. ;P