Anyone own a Tarantula

I have a dead one in my office. I found it dead in the back room a couple of months ago. It is great decoration this week. They are fascinating in the wild, walking like a creature in a low budget science fiction movie from 1955. Last year my wife said there was a huge insect in the garage, her vision is about 20/40 with glasses. I went out there and said, "That's just a tarantula." She said okay and I put it outside. They are really quite harmless.
 
To all who have these as pets, anyone ever been bitten? Funny thing, snakes, rodents, reptiles, etc don't scare me at all. But bugs and insects totally freak me out!! They scare me to death!!
 
To all who have these as pets, anyone ever been bitten? Funny thing, snakes, rodents, reptiles, etc don't scare me at all. But bugs and insects totally freak me out!! They scare me to death!!

I handled tarantulas as a kid and never got bitten. They're highly unlikely to bite unless they're hunting prey or handled roughly. It was actually quite remarkable how gentle they were. Even when they bite, it's supposedly no more painful than a bee sting unless someone suffers anaphylaxis. I handled several at a science museum but I suppose they wouldn't have allowed random kids to handle animals that showed signs of aggression or fear.

I'm reading that they do have barbed hairs on their abdomen that can bury into human skin and cause irritation. But it's only going to be itchy, and a well adjusted tarantula isn't going to intentionally shoot them out.
 
No heat lamp?! Interesting. I have a lamp on ours because I believe the expected "comfortable" temperature is higher than what I keep my house at during the non-summer months.
I now have an l.e.d spotlight about a foot above the cage. It keeps it about 2 degrees warmer than that room. During the day it is about 73+ and at night 70+
 
1) A high school pal had one and I learned that their legs can break off if dropped (not the hard way, thank God).

2) I'm all for pets but I perceive these and other odd critters to be tailored to a more delicate ecology so I don't want to imprison one and feed it wrong. LEGAL: I realize it can be done correctly so back off.

3) Go to the Staten Island Zoo. They have a BIG reptile and spider exhibit. I played the King in a lavish production of Rumplestilskon there in 1974. Perhaps you read the review? In any case, the mommies were cool...for the most part. Many howled when they saw the beasties.
 
No but there are a lot of big spiders under my house. You can have them if you want to come get them. No charge.
 
Mexican Red Leg. They require little work. You don't need to really clean their home. This one is quite docile. He crawled on my hand the second day I had him.

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I've had many. Awesome, interesting pets.
 
That was filmed just a few miles from my house
That’s all I can think about when the subject of Tarantulas arises. Also am reminded of The Giant Spider Invasion although when I saw it I was old enough to laugh at the amateur special effects......
 
This movie was shot in Camp Verde, Az and starred William Shatner and is the town's 15 minutes of fame. They have a little unofficial festival nearly every year. I worked there for 15 years.
I think me and the neighborhood kids went to the theatre to see it when it came out. I was probably 8:ROFLMAO:. I remember the girl who lived across the street kept walking her fingers up my back and I would scream like a little girl haha!
 
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