It's often said that some of the so-called beginner species such as
Grammostola and Brachypelma are boring, and little more fun to keep
than pet rocks. However, even these relatively docile species can
occasionally be full of surprises and can show an aggressive turn,
which is rather shocking for the inexperienced keeper of tarantulas.
You could liken this to being savaged by your favourite teddy bear.
The key thing to remember is that tarantulas are not PETS, they are
not domesticated animals, and they are WILD creatures and deserve to
be respected as such.
Do you realise just how many people are bitten by dogs each year?
Far too many, and these are PETS and domesticated. On the other hand
the number of people bitten by tarantulas are significantly smaller
(but, you'd say there are more dogs kept than tarantulas, and you'd be
correct). As I stated earlier there is a very large difference between
a pet and a wild animal and this should always be remembered with
tarantulas no matter how docile the species is generally known to be,
there are always exceptions to the rule. Furthermore, tarantulas, like
us react differently when under stress or in unfavourable conditions,
either environmental (such as weather, temperature, etc.) or being
provoked by unwanted handling, etc.
So next time you turn your nose up at a Grammostola or Brachypelma
pet rock remember that these creature have around 60 million years of
evolution to be overcome and they should always be treated with the
deference they deserve, after all they have been around on this planet
longer than us.
