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Tarantulas are absolutely beautiful, adorable, fascinating and terrifying all at the same time! One of the biggest concerns someone new to the tarantula hobby inevitably asks themselves (or me, of course lol) is “Are tarantulas friendly?” It’s a fair question, considering the danger and concerns that inevitably follows a mysterious pet like this. Who could blame them for wanting to know? I think that at some point, all of us – even the very experienced bunch of us – have wondered this at one point or wished that our tarantulas could love us.
Can your tarantula love you?
It’s important to know a little bit of the research that influences what is currently the consensus in the hobby right now. And by that, I mean that there isn’t much research about this at all. However, there has been some study about the way the tarantula body, its nervous system, and the spider brain works. Currently, the consensus is that tarantulas do not have the brainpower or capacity to feel or process emotions, therefore they do not have the ability to feel happiness or love (or sadness, etc). Many tarantula owners subscribe to this opinion, as do I at the moment. However, if you’ve looked through any number of my articles or videos, you’ll notice that we know SO LITTLE about these creatures that we should continue keeping an open mind and continue to make our observations because there is still so much to learn and study about tarantulas. With that being said, when it comes to love it seems that from what we know, tarantulas unfortunately cannot return our love :(. I know, it makes me depressed, too… especially considering that I literally have several blogs and facebook pages for the sole purpose of dedicating them to my oblivious spiders lol. Spidey has NO idea she’s internet famous, and quite frankly she doesn’t give a crap about her fame or the countless amount of hours I spend photographing her and photoshopping cute costumes on her lol.
Now, are tarantulas friendly?
So, building upon the former current research we have available to us, tarantula friendliness is yet another tricky topic. Some tarantulas have done weird things such as habitually come out of their dens when their owners approach their tanks or routinely get on their owner’s hands. While this may look like a sign of affection or goodwill, many in the hobby believe it is instinctual and possible that the tarantula has made an association with footsteps toward its tank or the opening of the enclosure with the possibility for food. This is also tricky, because the hobby cannot make up its mind about whether or not tarantulas have the ability to have memories lol – but that’s a whole different article!
Now when it comes to friendliness, we can equate this to whether or not a tarantula is docile if we are going along with the thinking that tarantulas do not have emotions and therefore can’t really be “friendly.” A “friendly” tarantula would be more approachable and perhaps tolerate being handled and unlikely to flick hairs or threat pose when interacted with. With this considered, it’s a case by case basis because while certain species of tarantulas have reputations of being more docile than others, there are always exceptions in each species. In reality, every spider is different and even if you get a docile species, you could end up with a temperamental spider anyway. There’s just no way to control this unfortunately, so it’s best to manage your expectations and know what you could be getting into.
The big question when thinking “Are tarantulas friendly” is perhaps how likely will you be able to hold it? Perhaps this is why this question is asked so much. I want to point out that while several tarantulas will tolerate handling when it is done the proper way and with care, tarantulas don’t really LIKE handling. Tarantulas are pretty much the biggest introverts of the insect world, and they much prefer to be left alone than bothered whether it is just you moving things around their tank or physically holding them. Tarantulas are loners and like to be admired from afar.
So I am sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but the answer to “Are tarantulas friendly?” so far is: Not really, because they don’t have the ability to have this emotion. It would be great if they were like little 8 legged puppies and could enjoy belly rubs or snuggle up next to you with their furry little pedipalps, but for now think of them as your standard moody teenager: better off left alone and watched from a distance lol.
What’s your opinion on tarantula friendliness and love?
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2 comments
Cristina Loayza
(Video) Adorable Spider Gives Dad High Fives | The DodoLove your “It would be great if they were like little 8 legged puppies and could enjoy belly rubs or snuggle up next to you with their furry little pedipalps, but for now think of them as your standard moody teenager: better off left alone and watched from a distance lol” – I used to be arachnofobic but after having to live in Venezuela, I learned to see them as any animal, not a “spider” per se. And living there I met many, many T’s… really big ones and have some really gracious and thoughtful encounters with them. One of them involved a group of persons deep in the Venezuelan jungle on a retreat and every evening we would gather around a piano for some special music, around 7 pm, after dinner. These gatherings started like after the third day of the retreat and that evening one GIANT T, showed up on the wall close to the piano and stayed for the whole session and left immediately after the music stopped. And she came back each time there was a music session. We kept a diary of her appearances, and they were only when the music was playing. Now, is that not something special?
(Video) DANGER!! HANDLING THE LARGEST SPIDER IN THE WORLD!!! | BRIAN BARCZYK- (Video) The Spiders and the Bees
That IS special!!! That is so interesting. I wonder if she enjoyed the vibrations or something?!
FAQs
Can a tarantula love you? ›
Tarantulas Just Aren't That Into You
You've heard it before: “It's not you, it's me.” In tarantulas' case, it really is them—they're just not that into you! Spiders do have feelings, but unlike a dog or a cat, they won't bond with you. In fact, they likely won't even recognize you.
However, there has been some study about the way the tarantula body, its nervous system, and the spider brain works. Currently, the consensus is that tarantulas do not have the brainpower or capacity to feel or process emotions, therefore they do not have the ability to feel happiness or love (or sadness, etc).
Are any tarantulas friendly? ›Tarantulas are quite docile and rarely bite people
A tarantula bite to a human is often no worse than a bee sting in terms of toxicity, but it can vary by species.
A tarantula cannot be tamed. It will always be a wild animal and caution should be taken when interacting with it. People tend to anthropomorphize pet spiders, especially when they regularly hold them or care for them over the course of years.
Do spiders feel love? ›While not usually considered paragons of tender, familial love, some spiders do have a touchy-feely side. Scientists have discovered two arachnids that caress their young and snuggle together. While not usually considered paragons of tender, familial love, some spiders do have a touchy-feely side.
Will tarantulas let you hold them? ›Even pet tarantulas should not be handled if at all possible, although fans of spiders as pets often handle them anyway. A tarantula does not recognize its handler and often considers people as threats, so the chance of having hairs flung into your face or a bite delivered will always be there.
Do tarantulas want to bite you? ›If you come across a tarantula, don't bother it or try to play with it. These spiders will not bite you unless they feel threatened — if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
Can tarantulas see you? ›Like most spiders, this species has eight eyes but poor vision. The spider depends more on sensitive hairs on its legs and body to orient itself.
Do tarantulas have feelings? ›Tarantulas have much simpler nervous systems than humans and can't feel complex emotions like love, happiness, or sorrow. They do not have feelings apart from their primal instincts to eat, hunt, and avoid pain. Tarantulas may learn to approach you if you have food for them.
Can tarantulas have personality? ›Another interesting thing is each tarantula has its own personality. Despite what species it is, they can be very varied in their temperaments. Some are feisty and impossible to hold, others gentle and would never bite. Some are skittish and fast, others completely chilled out and very slow moving.
Can spiders love owners? ›
It's possible. Spiders are intelligent and many owners say that shy and scared spiders can get used to their new owners being around. It's hard to say if it's because they recognize the person or just feel more relaxed after a while.