attackturtle
Registered Superhero
I was in Orlando Friday and saw signs about a reptile show for today so I dropped by to get some frozen mice and peek around. While walking around, I found a big cage that held something called a forrest cobra. It said it was not for sale. In the cage was a rather drabe snake that was looking around. As I peered in, it saw me, and poofed up to reveal it's hood and then, it struck! Had there not been glass, it would have bit me. As it was, it bounced off the glass and hissed. ( I then tricked my wife into standing there. Appearently, if my wife is about to get bit by a snake, she doesn't move and starts laughing. Hope she never mets one in the wild) I was also semi interested in a Tarantula. We looked around and decided we would get one. I was going to get a rose hair (Very commen and docile but brown in colour) but they are a bit uncolorful. My wife saw a really cute little orange yellow one. After making sure they dont require any "special" habitat conditions, we bought it. The man I bought it from said it was very aggressive but I wasn't planning on holding a tarantula anyway. $15 dollars and 1 1/2 hour later, I was back home researching our new pet.
"It" is a Starburst Baboon Tarantula. (Pterinochilus murinus) They are extremely aggressive and surprisingly fast for a spider. Lightening fast is the term I keep seeing. They are also apparently the 4th most venomous known tarantula species. Murinus venom is compared to Latrodectus mactans venom. (black widow). http://arachnophiliac.co.uk/burrow/tarantula_dangers.htm
Anyway, she is in her 10 gallon with plenty of dirt to play in. I am assuming it is a she for now. I gave her a cricket. It went wandering around the cage and found the spider after 30 seconds. The cricket was DRT. She then went exploring, dragging her meal around the tank. In the second picture, she is crawling up the corner about an inch from the ground.
Below are some Posts I found of people getting bit by the same spider I have. I plan on excersising caution.
I was hurrying and became complacent. This big girl got sick of me messing with her and ran up a wooden spoon, very quickly tagged my right ring finger and ran back down the spoon.
Well I have joined the club, i got bit. The irony is that I always thought that my big murinus would bite me however it was not so. I was bitten by one of my murinus slings. i was cleaning its cage and feeding it when voom out it flies and scoots up my arm. now when something like this happens to me I always remain calm i try to remove the specimen and place it saftly back into its container. i was doing this with the sling and then it went pshyco on me, it bit three times. what i felt next was alot of pain i mean quckly boom it bit and boom pain
This is the only tarantula i have ever been bitten by, i was topping up the water sponge, i knew it was a bit flighty but thought it would be ok i was kneeling down at the time with my face pretty much in line with the tank......the little blighter moved so quick i didnt know what wasd happening, before i knew it is was out on my face , and had sunk its fangs into my cheek!!!!! it was agony.......my eye shut up a bit and i was swollen for a couple of days damn thing .......:wall: hurt like hell
"It" is a Starburst Baboon Tarantula. (Pterinochilus murinus) They are extremely aggressive and surprisingly fast for a spider. Lightening fast is the term I keep seeing. They are also apparently the 4th most venomous known tarantula species. Murinus venom is compared to Latrodectus mactans venom. (black widow). http://arachnophiliac.co.uk/burrow/tarantula_dangers.htm
Anyway, she is in her 10 gallon with plenty of dirt to play in. I am assuming it is a she for now. I gave her a cricket. It went wandering around the cage and found the spider after 30 seconds. The cricket was DRT. She then went exploring, dragging her meal around the tank. In the second picture, she is crawling up the corner about an inch from the ground.
Below are some Posts I found of people getting bit by the same spider I have. I plan on excersising caution.
I was hurrying and became complacent. This big girl got sick of me messing with her and ran up a wooden spoon, very quickly tagged my right ring finger and ran back down the spoon.
Well I have joined the club, i got bit. The irony is that I always thought that my big murinus would bite me however it was not so. I was bitten by one of my murinus slings. i was cleaning its cage and feeding it when voom out it flies and scoots up my arm. now when something like this happens to me I always remain calm i try to remove the specimen and place it saftly back into its container. i was doing this with the sling and then it went pshyco on me, it bit three times. what i felt next was alot of pain i mean quckly boom it bit and boom pain
This is the only tarantula i have ever been bitten by, i was topping up the water sponge, i knew it was a bit flighty but thought it would be ok i was kneeling down at the time with my face pretty much in line with the tank......the little blighter moved so quick i didnt know what wasd happening, before i knew it is was out on my face , and had sunk its fangs into my cheek!!!!! it was agony.......my eye shut up a bit and i was swollen for a couple of days damn thing .......:wall: hurt like hell
