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Do pet tarantulas grow to "love" or become "fond" of you? (lemmy.world)

submitted 20 hours ago by cheese_greater@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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[–] GeekMan@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

Long anecdote short; no.

Short anecdote long; nooooo. I had a Selenocosmia Crassipes (from north-east QLD, Australia) for a year or so, and she never seemed to .. 'warm' to me.

I had to get her out in a cup regularly to change her substrate, and/or attempt to give 'pats' after a few beers, but she'd always rear-up to strike :/ But I was her cricket and pinky-mouse dealer!

I didn't research it. I don't have studies to cite. I didn't approach it constructively.

I just hoped one day we'd click, before going on adventures together.

I miss Fluffy.

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 9 points 9 hours ago

shit I'm not even sure if the cat who's been living with me forever gives a shit about me, I bet a spider can't either

[–] remon@ani.social 113 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Tarantular keeper for over a decade here.

No.

[–] floo@retrolemmy.com 31 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, I had a friend who kept a tarantula. It was a dick.

[–] remon@ani.social 50 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (5 children)

It's really the other way around. You get to learn the personality of the spiders (and may become fond of them).

But yeah, some species are just like that. We had a bunch of Pterinochilus murinus or "OBTs" (orange bamboo tarantula ... but also orange bitey thing). They are nasty. Always on edge, no chill. Just feeding them was a pain because you had to open the enclosure and they would come at you.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

and they would come at you

And they survived that encounter? As did your home? I assume the resulting fire would have taken both.

[–] remon@ani.social 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Feeding those took some real preperation. We first had to seal the room (closing an gaps at the doors/windows) as well as blocking all corners and cranies where they could potentially hide.

Then we stripped. Not kidding.

The first time feeding them one of them ran up my brothers arm and straight into his shirt. It was an absolute pain to get it out of there (and he totally got bitten in the process). From then on we'd take off all loose clothing when opening their enclosures. So yeah, just socks and tight fitting boxer briefs.

[–] klemptor@startrek.website 2 points 44 minutes ago

Sounds like the enclosure needed an airlock or something

[–] UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world 7 points 11 hours ago

I love how these fuckers have a Wikipedia article that's like: "Yup. Their nickname sums it up. These are fucking motherfuckers that do nothing but look pretty. Do not touch them, do not keep them, they are just mean fuckers." And they stress that 'fucker' part like 4 times.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 44 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I knew it was a mistake to come in this thread.

You people are insane.

[–] remon@ani.social 13 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I don't know what you mean :)

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 8 hours ago

Yes you do and you like it

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 21 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

My orange biting teleporter escaped one night. She went back home quietly, but damn if I wasn't scared for the cat.

~~She wasn't too mean unless you opened her hut,~~ Ya she was a little shit.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 13 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

Your what biting spider??

Spider: [Teleports behind your cat] Nothing personal, kitty.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 6 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

You see, she was orange, pissed at the world, fast, and some how opened the lid.

[–] TheDoozer@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I like how it says "defensive and will bite if provoked," and apparently, according to this thread, opening their cage is sufficient provocation.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 5 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (2 children)

Opening the terrarium was fine, lifting the little log hut thingy and messing up the web was a gamble.

[–] remon@ani.social 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Opening the terrarium was fine, lifting the little log hut thingy and messing up the web was a gamble.

Mine just loved to extend their web to include the door.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 hours ago

[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 3 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Why dont they give aggression displays? Normally it would make evolutionary sense to try and scare threats off before you attack them

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

You sure about that?

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

50/50 from my experience. She would either ambush from her hiding spot, or stand on hind legs and show off fangs if enough room.

[–] MummifiedClient5000 11 points 16 hours ago

You can tell they are spicy just from their looks.

[–] Toes@ani.social 13 points 15 hours ago

Probably no more than a goldfish I suspect.

[–] nyankas@lemmy.ml 21 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I’m not an expert, so take my findings with a grain of salt, but the current scientific consensus seems to be:

We don’t know.

Recent studies suggest that the behavior of spiders is more complex than previously thought. They show behavior that can’t be explained by simple automatisms, such as the development of hunting strategies depending on their prey.

Keep in mind that these findings do not indicate any capability to love or to grow fond of someone. But there is an ongoing discussion about whether invertebrates should be considered sentient.

[–] remon@ani.social 15 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

They show behavior that can’t be explained by simple automatisms

This has been long debunked and is also obvious to anyone that even dabbled in Entomology or adjacent fields. There are certainly very complex behaviors at work. But if it qualifies as sentient is a philosophical debate and not one of arachnology.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 7 hours ago

Only to people that think the mind is mystical and not biological in nature.

[–] Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world 15 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

No, but they're objectively the best pet. Basically a walking plant who's bffs with a hole in the ground and hunts crickets by staying absolutely still until it's not.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

...objectively...

[–] Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

An objectively peer-reviewed hyperbole.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (7 children)

Tarantulas are insects ferchrissake... They have the nervous system of a guitar amplifier.

[–] vala@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

The oldest common ancestor between arachnids and insects lived in the water.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 36 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

🤓 aktually, they are arachnids.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 19 points 19 hours ago (5 children)

The spiders are not insects, but in a war they would side with the insects.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 7 hours ago

I think they'd try to sell both sides weapons tbh

[–] jonathan7luke@lemmy.ml 4 points 13 hours ago

Would they though? In the war of "me vs annoying insects sneaking into my house", the indoor spiders I leave undisturbed seem pretty squarely on my side...

[–] remon@ani.social 7 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

But would the insects want to side with them?

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 4 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Only as long as their goals align.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 10 points 19 hours ago

I'm pretty sure a spider's only goal is eating insects.

[–] SleepingInTraffic@feddit.uk 4 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Is this a Bill Bailey reference?

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 18 hours ago

The locust squats upon the leaf, he's just bidin' his time...

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[–] Denjin@lemmings.world 2 points 16 hours ago

Human slaves! In an insect nation!

[–] remon@ani.social 12 points 19 hours ago

[–] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 16 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Bumblebees can do simple math problems and like to play, which happens to be one of the current (as far as I am aware) scientific signs of intelligence.

Just because its a bug doesn't mean its stupid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghws6YFsPJA

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago

same way that because someone has a brain, doesn't make them intelligent

[–] remon@ani.social 21 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Tarantulas are insects

You wanna fight?

They have the nervous system of a guitar amplifier.

I recommend this video. You can do amazing things with the nervous system of a guitar amplifier, it turns out.

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

That video first gave me the heebies and then shortly after gave me the jeebies.

[–] remon@ani.social 16 points 19 hours ago

Sorry about that. Jumping spiders are pretty much as cute as it gets with spiders. But Portia isn't a looker amongst them. Have this one:

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 9 points 18 hours ago

Insect claims aside, this…

They have the nervous system of a guitar amplifier.

is a great line.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 9 points 20 hours ago

More like the nervous system of a noise musician's pedalboard so complex it might be able to talk to aliens.

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