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Originally Posted by simonandhallie My old roomie Joe and I had a pet tarantula, his name was Dexter! We used to let him crawl around on the couch with us. He was very calm. |
I've heard about people having them for pets. One of the things that bother me is that they can and will bite although unless you are particularly allergic to the venom, it's not deadly. I'm just not sure I'd like the feeling of being bit. And then something else I read is that the hair on their bodies can cause itching and they defend themselves with it at times. Here's an interesting thing I read last night when I had to double check my knowledge about the poisonous aspect....
Tarantulas have small brains (but large for arthropods) and may react in unexpected ways to whatever they perceive as being a threatening situation for people not highly experienced with them. Tarantulas, especially the ground-dwellers, can easily be killed by even a short fall; they can be very fragile. The arboreals are far less likely to be injured by a fall, but they tend to be very fast and can easily escape and be difficult to recapture. Furthermore, tarantulas possess venom. There is no scientific evidence that any of their venoms are lethal, but bites from some species can be painful and cause unpleasant symptoms. Some people may be harmfully allergic to certain venoms. If you are bitten and have trouble breathing, see a doctor. Most tarantulas from North, South, and Central America have urticating (itch-causing) hairs on their abdomens. They can kick these in the air or in some cases press them into an "intruder." This may cause bald spots on the abdomen, which is nothing to worry about. However, these hairs can cause rashes and occasionally bad eye inflammations in humans. Keep your face away from your spiders and wash your hands after any contact with their bodies or cage bedding. Benadryl may help with rashes.