Spiders are extemely scary to many people. There seems to be an instinctual fear at the sight of one. But not for me.
We have had tarantulas as pets since 1993. It all started as a contest to one-up my boss. He had a large marine salt water fish tank in his office with a couple of Morey eels. My husband bought me a tarantula as a Christmas gift to take into my office. It was the battle of the dangerous pets.
We eventually expanded our collection by purchasing small captive bred spiderling. At one time we had over 2 dozen tarantulas. We keep each spider in small 2 gallon aquarium and feed them live crickets every three weeks or so.
We purchased this spider as a baby in 1995 and we still have her. It is a Grammostola actaeon - Brazilian red rump. Female tarantulas can live over 20 years.
Comments (23)
I hate spiders.... They are so scary..
Hope you visit my entry for Photohunt: Scary have a great day http://www.irisaeirincollections.com/2008/10/photohunt-scary.html
Posted by aeirin | October 25, 2008 2:57 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 02:57
cool pet u have :)
have a great weekend :)
Posted by annant | October 25, 2008 3:19 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 03:19
Ok, that definitely gave me some goosebumps so I outta here :D
By the way, me daughter wh was born on the year you got your pet said "Its cool!"
Posted by julie | October 25, 2008 4:35 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 04:35
interesting facts about a tarantula but i am one of those who are scared of them!
Posted by bingskee | October 25, 2008 7:18 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 07:18
Heh. Now there's something I didn't know bout you, darlin'.
Nice spider.
Posted by Amy | October 25, 2008 7:25 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 07:25
A friend once tried to give me a tarantula, but my dh wouldn't let me have it. He kept saying "what if it gets out of it's cage?" I guess that's what I get for making him kill all the hobo spiders that get in.
Posted by Alice Audrey | October 25, 2008 8:44 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 08:44
YUKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! i hate spiders!
I hope you have time to come see my scary photos, and leave your link, too. http://newyorktraveler.net/photo-hunters-scary/
Posted by Mrs. Mecomber | October 25, 2008 10:11 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 10:11
I LOVE spiders (especially daddy-long-legs and tarantulas), and will go to great lenghts to save one. So your 'scary' post is a real treat for me. She's beautiful, by the way!
Reply by Marta: Deborah, I had a suspicion that you might have a similar interest. :)
Posted by Deborah | October 25, 2008 10:12 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 10:12
Better you than me!! Wonderful shot nonetheless :-)
Posted by June | October 25, 2008 10:29 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 10:29
Scary and beautiful. Funny that I'm too always first scared when I see even a harmless spider, but those I can handle. Tarantulas again really scare me.
Posted by Brita | October 25, 2008 10:33 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 10:33
Spiders are scary. Just about as scary as mice!
Here's mine: http://dragynm.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/photo-hunt-scary/
Posted by Marie | October 25, 2008 10:35 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 10:35
Cool photo! I've never known anyone who had them for pets. :)
I'm not afraid of spiders which is good because they seem to come in my house fairly often. Snakes are what give me that instinctual fear.
Have a nice weekend.
Posted by Annie | October 25, 2008 11:22 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 11:22
Oh wow! That's a BIG spider!
I think, if I saw that run across the floor, I may just have a heart attack!
Posted by Babs - beetle | October 25, 2008 12:07 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 12:07
I would never have thought of you and Deborah as liking spiders. I'm not terrified of the small ones, but the large ones, absolutely!
Posted by Cindy Ruth | October 25, 2008 12:25 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 12:25
spiders always gives me goosebumps even the tiniest ones. hehehe
tnx for dropping by..
Posted by Emzkie | October 25, 2008 1:15 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 13:15
Aw marta - you made me swear! Just as well I'm at home and not in front of the students! lol :)
Reply from Marta: Sorry about that. :) At least you were at home.
Posted by Leslie | October 25, 2008 1:33 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 13:33
While my son would be amazed with this, I'd be terrified! Great photo!
Posted by Staci | October 25, 2008 4:45 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 16:45
I don't have any instinctual fear of spiders, but I prefer for them to be outside where they belong, lol. Of course we have black widows and the brown recluse here and there so one has to be careful around there habitats.
Baker
(Thanks for dropping by earlier)
Posted by BakerWatson | October 25, 2008 6:24 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 18:24
Hi Marta, great theme photo selection. Nice close-up . . . yikes! For me, definitely scary. I'm afraid of anything that crawls or squirms.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | October 25, 2008 6:49 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 18:49
Yeeeeeeeeee, have already seen spiders on this Photo Hunt but this is the first of a tarantula, and a pet at that! ;D
Posted by YTSL | October 25, 2008 7:28 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 19:28
Great post for this week's theme! I never knew anyone before that had spiders as pets. I have only seen a tarantula once when I was visiting my sister - it was in the middle of a dirt road in Los Olivos (California). We stopped and watched it for a while. Interesting creatures! Do they bite? For some reason, I always thought they were dangerous.
Marta's reply:
They have two large fangs that are similar in size and shape to cat's claws. Their bite is reported to be similar to a bee sting. Neither of us have ever been bitten.
Also, there are New World and Old World species. (ie: Americas - Europe/Africa/Asia). I think the bite of the new world spiders are 'milder' than some of the old world spiders.
In Italy - Tarantella is a dance that is either the result of a bite or to dance away the venom.
Posted by girasoli | October 25, 2008 9:22 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 21:22
omg! this is another scary spider!
Posted by inyang | October 25, 2008 11:06 PM
Posted on October 25, 2008 23:06
Ewww, hairy scary!!
Posted by Jientje | October 26, 2008 2:15 PM
Posted on October 26, 2008 14:15