Good question. Are tarantulas friendly? In an age where tarantulas are ever increasingly becoming a popular pet, and if you’d like to keep one (or many) yourself, obviously one of the first things you’d like to know is are they friendly or do they hate being kept in captivity? Read on to find out.
For the most part, tarantulas are docile creatures. Of course, if you have read any of our other articles at Spider Advisor, you’ll know there is a vast difference between Old World and New World tarantulas. OW tarantulas are highly aggressive whereas NW are more likely to tolerate being handled. (Note I said “tolerate”. No two tarantulas are the same and no tarantula is willingly friendly towards a human).
We know there are vast differences in personalities between tarantulas and each one is as individual as a human being but lets delve into some more related questions to see if we can answer this question in a bit more depth.
Will Tarantulas Let You Pet Them?
As everyone should be aware, tarantulas can and sometimes do bite.
For the majority of the time, this is only when they’re scared. Holding them limits their ability to feel the vibrations around them and their ability to see.
Trapped and blind, they may be scared enough to act in self-defence and bite a human. Because of the stress this causes the tarantula, it is inadvisable that they should be handled.
However, some tarantulas will walk across your hand as long as you don’t make any sudden movements or make the tarantula feel unsafe.
What Does it Feel Like to Pet a Tarantula?
Tarantulas are extremely soft, and as they crawl across you, they feel tickly. However, due to them having retractable claws on the tips of their feet, it can also feel surprisingly scratchy at times.
Do Tarantulas Love Their Owners?
If you’re thinking of getting a tarantula as a pet, be aware that is will neither love nor hate you. They are indifferent and can probably just about see you anyway as they have extremely poor vision.
If you think your tarantula is being mean on purpose, rest assured it’s not. It’s simply reacting to external stimuli.
They are incapable of adopting an attitude and become defiant towards their owner. Likewise, they are incapable of growing an emotional attachment to you.
What is the Friendliest Tarantula?
Although not technically a tarantula, jumping spiders are the friendliest of all. We have an article dedicated to them here.
They are extremely cute and have a friendly nature towards humans. An added bonus is that they are highly unlikely to bite you unless you attempt to pick them up.
However, if you allow one to crawl onto your finger, chances are you won’t get bitten but will get to enjoy the company of this very small, but adorable spider.
With regards to a tarantula, the friendliest ones, in no particular order, are probably the ones listed below.
The Mexican Red Knee
The Mexican red-knee is one of the most docile and calm pet tarantulas, making it ideal for beginner arachnid keepers. Although venomous, they rarely bite.
They are quiet tarantulas that sit restfully for much of the time. As with most tarantulas, they should be housed individually and kept away from other household pets to prevent injury and stress.
Costa Rican Zebra
Whilst generally docile in demeanour, Costa Rican zebra tarantulas are able to move very fast, they can bolt quickly when startled and be very difficult to catch so may not be ideal for a first timer.
However, they are still considered friendly (ish) and some owners are able to gently handle them.
Mexican Red Leg
The Mexican Red Leg is another extremely docile tarantula.
They don’t need socialization with humans or other animals. Thanks to their docile demeanor, many Mexican Red Leg tarantulas are relatively calm when being handled.
Chilean Rose Hair
Chilean Rose tarantulas generally have a docile demeanor, aren’t typically prone to biting, and move rather slowly. They tend to be quiet and calm tarantulas, and many are comfortable with gentle handling.
If you browse around the website, you’ll come across further information and images of all of the above mentioned tarantulas, but I hope I’ve managed to answer the main burning question. You may be interested to learn how long tarantulas live for example.
Until next time, stay spidery!