How to Handle Tarantulas

How do you pick up a tarantula?

Handling a tarantula might seem intimidating, but remember, your brain has been programmed by society to fear tarantulas. If you’re watching a movie and the camera pans to a tarantula, what happens? They cue the screeching music, that’s what happens.

Often times the only way to overcome this type of phobia is to directly confront it. But, ask yourself, why do you want to pick up your tarantula? It’s a mildly risky activity that requires concentration. It’s unnatural to handle spiders and it can occasionally lead to a bite.

If you’re undeterred, let’s keep going. Below I’ll explain exactly how I hold pet tarantulas, using common sense safety precautions.

Keep in mind, certain species are more tolerant of handling than others. Please do your research. Some of the more docile tarantulas include the Mexican redknee (Brachypelma smithi), Chilean Rose hair (Grammastola rosea), and Curlyhair (Brachypelma albopilosum). Check out my list of the best pet tarantulas.

There are a few notable methods for handling tarantulas, including pinching, cupping, and free-hand. I don’t advise the “pinching” method so I won’t detail it as it involves gently squeezing the rear legs together and is generally frowned-upon.

“Cupping” or “palming” a tarantula involves using your hand to fairly quickly and deliberately “cup” the spider in your palm. The action is done swiftly from above to prevent the tarantula from spinning around to bite in defense.

If you were to freeze-frame my hand once it makes contact with the tarantula being picked-up, my right thumb is against the left legs, my index finger is gently but firmly upon the chelicerae (basically the muscles that control the jaws), with the rest of my fingers on the right side of the tarantula’s legs.

I then swiftly turn the tarantula upside down and generally there is no struggle at all. A bite is essentially impossible if you’re doing this correctly, as the tarantula is immobilized in your hand. But, you have to ask, if you’re restraining the spider like this, what’s the point of interacting?

Free-handling tarantulas

This is my favorite method for handling tarantulas. It’s easy, it’s natural (well, sort of), and spiders feel more at ease with less stress. Basically, you gently coax the tarantula onto your outstretched, flat hand. In other words, you’re letting the spider walk onto your hand on its own, rather than restraining it.

Here’s my personal step-by-step checklist for this method:

• Choose a pet spider that’s eaten recently. I’ve found they’re usually more tolerant of interaction when well fed.
• Open the enclosure and observe the tarantula—does it seem relaxed? If so, I proceed.
• Carefully coax the spider towards my flat, outstretched hand by using my other hand to lightly disturb the substrate behind it.
• Allow the tarantula to crawl onto my steady hand.
• Gently lift the tarantula and allow it to walk from hand to hand, always keeping one hand in front of it (see below picture).
• Do not suspend the tarantula more than 12-inches from the surface below it—I prefer handling over a table.

Important—the reason you shouldn’t free-handle your tarantula high above the ground is because if a tarantula falls more than 12-18 inches or so, it can be immediately fatal for the spider.

The risk is that the abdomen splits open. Suffice it to say, they aren’t built for falls. If the spider was startled, and you’re using just one hand, it could lead to a fall. Using two hands adds a layer of security.

Tarantula handling phobias

If the thought of handling your tarantula is frightening to you, check out this article written by Northwestern University explaining how they have found people can conquer their fear of handling tarantulas. Along similar lines, I remember Marty Stouffer of Wild America telling me in an e-mail that certain phobias can only be defused by directly engaging in the behavior.