I'm a tarantula AMA (selfie included)

[charabanctrip]

My name is Albie, feel free to ask me any questions

Hello Albie, can I ask how your human would know if you weren't well? Are there common ailments they should look out for? Do you have enrichment items in your tank (aside from your phone, obviously)? Does your human have special Albie-handling gloves when your tank is being cleaned?

What would hurt you in the wild and what could hurt you in your home now ?

Accidents are the greatest threat in the home. Being dropped or falling off something or something falling on top of me.

I'm not sure what could hurt me in the wild, I'll have to google. Most other animals don't like to bother me because of my fuzzy fluff irritant factor and I can also bite with my very large fangs which can inject a painful venom.

thepetenthusiast.com/what-eats-tarantulas/

Aw man, it seems quite a lot of stuff is after me

I'll just stick to going to Tesco in the evenings.

How much would i get for you as part exchange for a cat?

Hello Albie, can I ask how your human would know if you weren't well? Are there common ailments they should look out for? Do you have enrichment items in your tank (aside from your phone, obviously)? Does your human have special Albie-handling gloves when your tank is being cleaned?

Common ailments include: not eating, intestinal blockage and a neurological disorder called Dyskinetic Syndrome. All these things can lead to death unfortunately. Some tarantulas can have external parasites and then our owner can order carnivorous mites on the Internet which will eat the parasitic mites.

Some tarantulas get stuck in their exoskeleton when it's time to shed it. This is almost certainly fatal as well. I get scared when it's time to shed in case I get stuck. My mum always cheers when it comes off fully and intact 😃

I don't really need enrichment items because they clutter the place up, but she does put plastic plants and branches in which I then bump into. The main thing I ask for is a nice burrow and clean water. I also have to have my tank sprayed with water every few days.

Hi Albie! I met a cousin of yours a while back and while I was terrified she gave me a 'paw' before asking permission to sit in my hand. I was surprised at how light your kind are! It was an amazing experience and I was very grateful to her for being so kind to me.

My mum wears washing up gloves to clean my tank out, but I don't like them so I get herded with the paintbrush into a plastic sandwich box

#nodignityforspiders

I love this thread!!! I don’t really like spiders but I’ll think of you next time I see one.

My questions are:

What makes you happy?
Shed?! Exoskeleton?! Errrrr wtaf?!

Thanks Albie x

@RainbowConnection1

We are light and watch our figures carefully 😃

Fun Fact: we don't have blood, just a sort of liquid which we pump into our legs when we need to walk. It works by a hydraulic action.

@charabanctrip

What would hurt you in the wild and what could hurt you in your home now ?

Accidents are the greatest threat in the home. Being dropped or falling off something or something falling on top of me.

I'm not sure what could hurt me in the wild, I'll have to google. Most other animals don't like to bother me because of my fuzzy fluff irritant factor and I can also bite with my very large fangs which can inject a painful venom.

Would you bite your Mum (I'm sure you wouldn't mean to!!) or any other humans ? Is your venom an issue for humans ?

Being safe and eating crickets makes me happy. I don't like being disturbed though.

Are you friendly? Do you allow your mum
To hold you?

Oh Albie, I’m not a spider-fan (sorry) but you are a gorgeous little fuzz ball! I think I’d jump less high when running into your house spider cousins if they were fluffy like you and didn’t move so damn fast

Hydraulic legs? Exoskeletons? You’re amazing! I just found of one of your brothers or sisters shedding their exoskeleton.

My question: If you were to escape in my house, where would I find you and what would you do if we unexpectedly came face to face?

I wouldn't tend to bite anyone. I'm not aggressive at all. If I did need to bite I'd have a choice between a dry bite (not injecting venom) and a wet bite (injecting venom). If I inject venom it results in more pain, swelling and infection.

Me and my South American cousins aren't aggressive. The aggressive tarantulas come from Asia and Africa and can really pack a punch. My mum had one once and he was scary. He was an Orange Baboon Tarantula and he could move fast. You can't pick these ones up. They can't kick hairs for defence which is why they bite, South Americans are the hair kickers.

My question: If you were to escape in my house, where would I find you and what would you do if we unexpectedly came face to face?

Somewhere dark, warm and quiet. I'd try to run away and hide if you came across me.

My mum could pick me up, but she gets sore hands if she does.

This is my neighbour, Smiffy, her bum is bigger than mine because she eats crisps all day. She's Mexican and makes a lot of fuss about things.

Ive been googling tarantulas and they are very pretty. Antilles pinktoe ones especially! They come in all sorts of colours.

Do ever feel a bit small in comparison to other spiders like house wolf spiders or this one?

I swear I have seen bigger in my bath🤔

Does she actually eat crisps?!

Could you tell us more about the shedding? Does it hurt?

They come in all sorts of colours.

We like to keep it glamorous 😍

Look up Cobalt Blue Tarantulas.

Thanks for answering my question Albie! I promise if you ever did become lost in my house I would keep you safe until your mum could herd you back into your lunch box

@IncessantNameChanger

Do ever feel a bit small in comparison to other spiders like house wolf spiders or this one?

I swear I have seen bigger in my bath🤔

Jesus christ 😱

The shedding feels like struggling yourself out of a really small pair of jeans. Imagine if you got stuck in them 🤪

Smiffy told me she eats crisps, but I think it might just be extra crunchy crickets 🤔

Thanks for answering my question Albie! I promise if you ever did become lost in my house I would keep you safe until your mum could herd you back into your lunch box

You're a star 😃

Albie you are beyootiful. 😍

I watched some of your pals on BBC’s Spider House and am no longer terrified of you and your kin.

However, I still get palpitations if one of your chums crawl up my quilt on a night.

Can you ask them not to touch my person please? I’m happy to cohabit but that is my dealbreaker.

Thank you. You are bloody lovely 🥰