PCAWL Rescue Stories: A Tale of Three Tarantulas
Rolla Animal Control called for assistance in placing 3 tarantulas one
cold winter day. With the help of a reference libr
arian at Missouri University of Science & Technology, PCAWL volunteers quickly located Jenn, a
knowledgeable researcher at the Missouri University of Science and
Technology who was willing to give these unusual rescues a good home.
The spiders had arrived at the shelter in filthy quarters and too chilled to be very active. Jenn took them home and they were soon settled in clean housing, and warm enough to be a lot more active.
All three tarantulas appear to be Chilean Rose Tarantulas, though there
is some doubt about "Stripes" since her colors are brighter than the
others. Since these spiders are known for their good nature, they are the
species most often found in pet stores. Jenn points out that it isn't a
good idea to handle them much because the spiders can "kick" hairs from
their abdomens at intruders. Some people are highly sensitive to these
hairs, so are at risk even if they aren't deliberately annoying the spiders.
Also, tarantulas are quite fragile in spite of their impressive size,
and falls of even 2 inches can be fatal.
The tarantulas found in pet s
tores are generally females. The males
rarely live more than a year past maturity, while the females can live
several years.
Thanks to Jenn for stepping in to save them and the information above about these unconventional rescues!
Submitted by Georgia