Now see, I could write a rant about this one. It's a baboon tarantula. No baboon tarantula is "deadly." Why do "news"writers feel such a need to demonize tarantulas? I don't get it... I guess it's because the clueless public just eats it up. Anyway, a bite from a baboon will hurt like heck because their fangs are large. The venom, however, will not kill you. *rolls eyes* Not even close. You're much more likely to be done in by a black widow, and being done in by a black widow is EXCEEDINGLY rare. The venom is no more painful than wasp venom and, as far as anyone knows, no one is allergic to tarantula venom as many, many people are of bee/wasp/ant venom. *sigh*
But yes, baboon spiders are "aggressive" in the sense that if you provoke them enough, they will bite you, sure. Just like if you provoke a dog enough, it will bite you. In fact, just the other day I ran a little experiment: I messed with my king baboon (the largest and most "vicious" of the African baboon species, although mine is just a little juvenile) to see what it would take to get it to actually bite something. The answer: A LOT. I was prodding it with the eraser end of a pencil. It reared up, hissed (first time I heard it hiss. So CUTE!) and did a little threatening dance up on its two hind legs with its other six legs plus pedipalps and fangs waving around. But it didn't actually strike the pencil until about the seventh or eighth poke. Yeah, real "aggressive" and "deadly" there. *rolls eyes* I had to practically FORCE the poor thing to bite.
All that said, I might just have to contact this SPCA and see if they'd be willing to pack this l'il fella up and send him/her to me in exchange for a donation. I'd love to have a large baboon, since both of mine are young 'uns. Plus, I don't have an ornamental golden baboon and they are VERY pretty spiders. Too bad they hide so much...
But yes, baboon spiders are "aggressive" in the sense that if you provoke them enough, they will bite you, sure. Just like if you provoke a dog enough, it will bite you. In fact, just the other day I ran a little experiment: I messed with my king baboon (the largest and most "vicious" of the African baboon species, although mine is just a little juvenile) to see what it would take to get it to actually bite something. The answer: A LOT. I was prodding it with the eraser end of a pencil. It reared up, hissed (first time I heard it hiss. So CUTE!) and did a little threatening dance up on its two hind legs with its other six legs plus pedipalps and fangs waving around. But it didn't actually strike the pencil until about the seventh or eighth poke. Yeah, real "aggressive" and "deadly" there. *rolls eyes* I had to practically FORCE the poor thing to bite.
All that said, I might just have to contact this SPCA and see if they'd be willing to pack this l'il fella up and send him/her to me in exchange for a donation. I'd love to have a large baboon, since both of mine are young 'uns. Plus, I don't have an ornamental golden baboon and they are VERY pretty spiders. Too bad they hide so much...
Reply
Leave a comment