I didn’t think I was going to tell the story of my biggest tarantula mistake, because it honestly makes me cringe every time I think of it. But I think it’s useful for other tarantula owners to know, especially for beginners and could help people avoid making the same mistake.

Like most new tarantula owners, I had done a lot of research before getting a tarantula. But many experienced tarantula owners will tell you that even with the most in-depth research, nothing can truly prepare you for tarantula keeping better than experience. Every tarantula is different, and you will be constantly learning as you go. So while I thought I was prepared, the reality of it was that I had no idea what I was doing. You’ll see what I mean in a second.

Feel free to watch the video of me explaining my story (with some Spidey pics!) or scroll down to read through my tarantula mistake story:

When I first took my Grammostola rosea Spidey home, I was overwhelmed with joy and wanted to watch her every move. I spent a ton of time studying her and eventually moved on to holding her. Because I didn’t understand how she was really feeling (anxious!), I took her constant pacing around the tank as a sign that she wanted to be held and picked up, so I continued to hold her several times per day. This is a big no-no, especially with a new spider that needs to settle into its new surroundings. Spidey was anxious and stressed out – NOT happy – that I was holding her and I had no idea.

But that’s not my biggest mistake in this story. It gets worse.

I followed good handling practices. I put her tank on the floor and sat down when I held her so that she was less likely to get injured when she fell. I even kept my hands close to her tank. But I was still very naive to tarantula behavior. During one long handling session, I looked away for a second and when I looked back to Spidey, I was terrified by what I saw. I’d never seen her fangs before, but there they were on full display. Immediately, I panicked. My instincts completely took over and I turned my hand over, dropping poor Spidey into her tank. She didn’t fall far but I could tell it happened way too fast for her. She really could have been hurt.

I was relieved that she was okay and now that I’ve had Spidey for several years, I can say that no damage came from that incident. But that’s not the point. This is a scenario where the tarantula usually would have suffered an injury. Luckily, Spidey had landed on her substrate, right side up. It’s only luck that stopped her from getting hurt.

I was pretty shaken up by the incident. First, because I didn’t know her fangs were so big and sharp, but I was also disappointed in myself and the lack of control I’d had over my reaction. In my beginner mind, I told myself I would take a bite from Spidey if it came down to it. But it all happened so fast, I can honestly say I reacted without even thinking. I didn’t even have time to stop myself. That was my first newbie lesson.

The other big takeaway from this incident, which I now realize as a more experienced tarantula keeper, was that I did not understand Spidey’s body language at all at the time. She was not going to bite me. Tarantulas show their fangs for various reasons. For example, tarantulas will let their fangs hang out when they are calm and relaxing (Spidey does this all the time), and they will also move their fangs around when they’re bathing. Both of these poses are very different than the defense pose a tarantula makes when they are going to strike. In this case, Spidey wasn’t rearing up or displaying any sort of defensive behavior, she was just calmly letting her fangs down. I had nothing to worry about, and if I had known a little bit more about her, we could have avoided this situation altogether.

I’m glad Spidey was ok; I don’t know if I could have forgiven myself if she’d been hurt. Most accidental tarantula deaths are due to tarantula owners dropping their spiders, so I hope this can be a lesson to someone who is just starting out or thinking about handling their tarantula. It is an embarrassing tale for me to tell, and one that I regret. But it needs to be talked about because the tarantula keeping hobby is growing fast and a lot of newer owners will undoubtedly start out feeling overconfident like I did.

I hope you found this useful! If you are just getting into the tarantula keeping hobby, my tarantula guide will tell you everything you need to know about handling, care, and behavioral signs. You can also sign up for my weekly tarantula newsletter where I share more stories and tips like this or subscribe to my tarantula YouTube channel!