# Sticky  How to safely handle a tarantula.



## wilkinss77

Having read the many posts on this controversial subject, & given that many keepers want to handle tarantulas anyway (or feel they need to as part of phobia therapy) I thought I'd post a few tips on handling t's & how to do so safely.

Firstly, NEVER, EVER try to handle any t (or any arachnid for that matter) that's known to be aggressive or defensive- even if it's a species recommended for handling, if yours is a nasty exception, then I'm sorry but you won't be able to handle it.
That goes double for species with potentially dangerous bites- I don't care how many pics or YouTube films you've seen with pokies or baboons waking on peoples' hands & faces- DON'T TRY IT! It could end with a dead t & you in hospital.

With those caveats out of the way, & assuming you have a nice placid t that's amenable to being handled, here is the safest way to go about it:

1. Put the t's tank on a soft (carpeted) floor.
2. Sit down on the floor.
3. Reach into the tank, & put one hand palm up on the substrate. With your other hand, gently nudge the t from behind until it walks onto your upturned palm.
4. Slowly withdraw your hands from the tank.
5. Keep the hand with the t on it as near to the floor as possible. If the t shows signs of distress (flicking hair, squirting poop, wandering too far up your arm), guide it back to your hand using your other hand, & return the t to its tank.
6. When you want to end your handling session, slowly & carefully return the t to its tank.

Some don'ts:
1. Don't handle t's in a standing position- if the t jumps of falls, the fall will kill it. 
2. Don't handle t's over a hard floor- again, the fall will kill it.
3. Don't try to handle a t by grabbing it- you'll panic it, & it might bite you even if it's a placid one.
4. Don't breathe in the t's direction- this will frighten it & make it bolt & possibly fall.

Finally, remember that t's get nothing from being handled, & it's best to avoid handling them if possible- the above tips are not recommendations to do so, but merely safety tips for those who insist on doing so.


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## Zincubus

I think the safest way is to let someone else do it 




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## wilkinss77

Zincubus said:


> I think the safest way is to let someone else do it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


That would defeat the object of doing it though. I used to be terrified of spiders- it was by keeping t's, & eventually handling them that I overcame my fear. I still sometimes handle some of them,just to keep my hand in, so to speak- no pun intended, lol!


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## Basin79

wilkinss77 said:


> That would defeat the object of doing it though. I used to be terrified of spiders- it was by keeping t's, & eventually handling them that I overcame my fear. I still sometimes handle some of them,just to keep my hand in, so to speak- no pun intended, lol!


But why risk it Wilks? Even the most calm tarantula might bite. And the feeling of having 2 large fangs being driven into your flesh will cause you to react. Maybe even flinging the tarantula involuntary. Like I typed in the other thread. There's a difference between allowing a tarantula to walk on your hand as it wanders out of it's enclosure (obviously not an OW or aggressive tarantula) and physically wanting to handle a tarantula.


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## wilkinss77

Basin79 said:


> But why risk it Wilks? Even the most calm tarantula might bite. And the feeling of having 2 large fangs being driven into your flesh will cause you to react. Maybe even flinging the tarantula involuntary. Like I typed in the other thread. There's a difference between allowing a tarantula to walk on your hand as it wanders out of it's enclosure (obviously not an OW or aggressive tarantula) and physically wanting to handle a tarantula.


Because recovering arachnophobes find it helps get over the fear of them. & some keepers will handle them anyway, so I made this thread to suggest the safest way to do it. Note that my way involves merely encouraging the t to walk onto your hand- & that nowhere have I recommended handling. In fact at the end of my opening post, I pointed that out.


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## jaymac123

Personally I use the log in the cage; sort of scoop them onto the bark and let them walk on your hand. Never put your hand in before any other object. T's are moody animals most the time lol.


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## jaymac123

Good advice though mate really is..


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## jaymac123

Yeah defo the biggest danger is dropping the T man they dont want to be handled really.. so only to it if you aint gonna drop it cus it aint fair on them.


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