Tarantula handling is one of the topics I get asked about most on my tarantula blogs. It’s one of the most important topics for beginners to educate themselves about, but before you even get to hold or handle your tarantula, you need to know whether or not your tarantula is in the mood to be handled.

I talk all about it in the video below – feel free to watch or scroll down for a written version 🙂

For the last few weeks, I have been trying to make a tarantula handling video for beginners but have had to repeatedly postpone it because my Grammostola rosea, Spidey, has not been in the mood to be handled or bothered. As I do not like to force her when she’s feeling this way, I have to wait so I don’t stress out the star of the show 😉

In the meantime, let’s talk about how I know Spidey is not in the mood for tarantula handling.

When I say “mood”, I am really talking about behaviors and temperament cues, as we don’t know much about how tarantulas process emotions (or if they have them at all).

Normally what I do with Spidey to test how she’s feeling is to test her temperament with a paintbrush and observing how she reacts. Normally, Spidey will go into my hand with a few gentle nudges but lately she has been acting “jumpy” and has not wanted to be guided by the paintbrush, which is not her normal behavior. So I have taken this as a sign that she wants to be left alone.

However, some spiders will give you stronger messages that they do NOT want to be handled. They will do this two ways:

1. Defense behaviors such as a threat display or flicking hairs
2. Curling their legs tightly into their body because they are scared

I go more into temperament testing and warning signs here, but those two are major signs that you should not try any tarantula handling at this time.

If your tarantula is not getting startled and appears calm when you test their temperament, it is probably safe to proceed with handling however you should be very observant for any changes in body language. You should also educate yourself about proper handling techniques so you can make this process as smooth as possible for your tarantula.

Wait before you handle

Tarantula handling should never be attempted when you first get your tarantula because it should have several days to settle down into its new environment. A stressed out tarantula is more likely to become defensive and you should also spend a lot of time observing what your tarantula’s natural or usual behavior is like. Some tarantulas are naturally more docile than others, and some are more active than others. It takes time to know what your tarantula’s temperament is like. Because Spidey has usually been very docile and cooperative for the years I’ve had her, I am able to use this information to see when she is acting differently and may be stressed out about something.

Do not put too much pressure on yourself at first about tarantula handling – these are all things that come with time and experience, and no beginner knows everything right off the bat. Even the most experienced tarantula owners will tell you that there is always so much more to learn about these creatures.

But if you are interested in saving time and getting a head start in your journey to become more experienced, feel free to purchase my tarantula guide. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel or sign up for my weekly newsletter so you don’t miss any of my free tips!

Featured image via Thomas Wanhoff / Flickr