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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
 Posted - 06/03/2012 : 21:46:11
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Okay so today I had to get the tarantula out to clear some mould from her home.
The original plan was to attempt to guide her onto my hand with a paintbrush and move her to a second location then fix up the tank and move her back. The original plan failed.
After summoning the courage to tap her with a paintbrush and each time having a small heart attack I quickly abandoned the idea of trying to hold her and went to whimper on the bed like a girl.
My girlfriend took over and gave her a few taps with the brush until she was moving around nicely and had finally stopped whirling round to attack the brush (Maybe not attack I'm no expert and it was too quick for me to see what happened) we had her trotting around the cage nice and slowly and calmly and my girlfriend was about to put her hand in when she did something a little unexpected and starting to climb the glass instead of turn towards us. We tried tapping her to come our way a few times but each time she just climbed more so the plan changed to putting her hand at the top for her to gently climb onto. But halfway up she stopped responding to the brush and then started making her own way up very quickly, she built and built speed until she came hurtling over the top where my girlfriend had a little scream and pulled back, she darted over the top (the spider, not my girlfriend) and descended the outside of the tank very quickly, before we knew it she was down onto the Boa cage and then down onto the carpet. I started screaming like a girl and my girlfriend grabbed a plastic bowl we had ready for just such a thing to happen, she tried to put the bowl down face down ontop of the tarantula to stop it running away by after the first attempt the spider managed to dart away too quickly, then again, and again until she was finally cornered and we managed to get the bowl over her!
I was, naturally, still crying in the corner. But eventually managed to grab a big piece of card and we managed to transport her house-spider-style to a second location. I then leapt into action and started heroically cleaning the cage out only looking over my shoulder to make sure my girlfriend had the 'beast' captured about 500 times.
Cage clean, now we had to get Shelob back into her cage. I volunteered to supervise the operation while my girlfriend did all of the so-called "real" work and managed to herd her back into the glass container with no real issue.
I'm starting to think I may have not been ready to buy this spider.
Joking aside the real annoying thing is that I let my fear get the better of me, I stopped all rational thinking and just let my imagination rule me, for a little while I was ready to put my hand in, when my girlfriend had managed to get her to respond to the brush better she was doing what all those tarantula's in video's do when people handle them, nice gentle calm movements which should have been to a hand. Now I'm so disappointed in myself, I let myself down and the tarantula :(
Any tips or evaluation as to what went wrong? |
\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 22:15:42
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First time hiccup that's all, its new to the spider as much as its new to you. WHY DIDN'T YOU FILM IT GODDAMMIT!!!
Trust me, I'm not scared of spiders but you do without doubt poop yourself when a Tarantula runs at you. Its overcoming that initial fright and staying put to do what needed doing. At least you stayed in the room and cried and didn't jump through the window, I think that's progress. |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 22:17:10
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| PS Well done to your Missus for capturing her etc. |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 22:17:47
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Now you've faced the 'worst', you'll be calmer next time.
And congrats to your girlfriend.
You big wuss.  |
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 22:25:12
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| Honestly we tried filming it a few times but my girlfriend who is cameralady ended up doing all the work so couldn't film it and I was too busy being "a big wuss" to film xD |
\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 22:38:00
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| You did fine, that is pretty much how handling Tarantulas goes, you see the videos of spiders calmly walking along which is all good and well, that's the lucky few minutes, the rest dont get uploaded because the camera gets dropped and the screaming is too loud. It is controlling an animal you cant actually pin down or restrain so you just go with the flow, sometimes the flow is easy other times you have to wait 20 minutes for a spider to walk back around you as its on your back and you cant reach and you are on your own (Trixie did this). You got the cage cleaned, the spider is back in its house, no bites, flicked hair or squashed T's so that is a success in my book. |
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austin_89
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1248 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 23:09:34
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| I'm with Kelf, I'd have been whimpering on the bed, just in a different room! :) |
1.1.0 Normal Royal Pythons... Kane (CF11) + Frankie (CB11)
1.0.0 Spider Royal Python (CB13)
1.0.0 100% het kahl albino boa Dexter (CB13)
1.0.0 Butter Corn...
0.1.0 Snow Corn... Alice
0.1.0 Red Harlequin Crested Gecko... Charlie
0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko... Cleo
1.1.0 African Green Mantis
1.0.0 Staffy... Alfie
1.1.0 Cats... Ebony and DK
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 23:18:38
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Oh boy! I'd love to handle a big T - but just daren't have one in this house as no corner's safe from cats. It's escapees and urticating hairs I'm bothered about.
Plus there's a T specialist just up the road ...loads of choice ...
you guys who can keep Ts, you aren't half lucky!
Sorry to the spider phobics of course. |
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austin_89
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1248 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2012 : 00:07:52
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| Ive handled a Chilean rose and it took all my might and some courage from mr JD ;) though not drunk enough to be capable of dropping her! |
1.1.0 Normal Royal Pythons... Kane (CF11) + Frankie (CB11)
1.0.0 Spider Royal Python (CB13)
1.0.0 100% het kahl albino boa Dexter (CB13)
1.0.0 Butter Corn...
0.1.0 Snow Corn... Alice
0.1.0 Red Harlequin Crested Gecko... Charlie
0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko... Cleo
1.1.0 African Green Mantis
1.0.0 Staffy... Alfie
1.1.0 Cats... Ebony and DK
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markmifsud
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2012 : 09:53:35
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| Not sure I would have coped any better Stephen. In fact, I am sure a lot worse. Time will tell if you made the right choice to buy but well done you on trying to at least face your fears in such a dramatic way lol. |
1.1.0 Pastal Ball
1.0.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
0.1.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
Bromley. SE London |
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The most scary moment of my life!
