Finally got bit for the first time!

arachnomania · 08-30-03, 08:09 PM

Well, I finally got bit today! After 15 years it had to happen. You must all be wondering what tarantula species bit me? None other than the notorious Usumbara. Here is how it happened. Pixie was over here today along with Emily taking pictures for my website www.arachnomania.net
We had made a nice display area in order to take nice tarantula pictures so one by one I was taking out some tarantulas and after a while I was starting to run out of docile species. By this time I had even picked up my huge female Goliath bird eater (they even mated in front of the camera). Anyways, back to my point. I then took out my Usumbara and after a while of him running around the display area, flipping on his back bitting everything in front of him (even the plastic plants) she then started to get tired. I picked her up with my tongs and in a split decision I told Pixie to get the camera ready and I then droped the Usumbara onto my open hand. As soon as she touched my hand she latched onto my left index finger with one fangs, I right away picked her of my hand with my tongs. It was definately a dry bite but it still hurts a bit. I think I kind of overreacted at the beginning as it was my first bite in 15 years and I was expecting the worst. I put a cold compress on it and it was better. It felt as if someone was holding my finger down with a nail.
At least my first bite wasn't from a rosey.

Note for the Moderators: Maybe you could start a bite/sting report section on this site?

Emily-Fisher · 08-30-03, 08:50 PM

Hahahaha!!

Quote:

it still hurts a bit.

hehehe, a bit, eh? I haven't heard so much swearing in 10 seconds before in my life!

(Well actually i have, but that's beyond the point

)

Damn, you managed to last 15 years without getting bitten though? I'm impressed! Well at least now you've learned your lesson:

Don't try to hold an usumbara baboon when she is busy trying to kill everything around her!

Pixie · 08-30-03, 09:34 PM

Quote:

I think I kind of overreacted at the beginning as it was my first bite in 15 years and I was expecting the worst.

What you mean when you were swearing like a trucker and calling out your mommy?! LOL

Haha, just kidding! hehe I guess me and Emily should be honored that we witnessed the event!

I know not to try and handle my usumbara for sure :P

Pixie

P.S. You didn't react bad at all considering! I would have probably jumped at least 4 feet off the floor and I would have surely sworn more! lol

BoidKeeper · 08-30-03, 10:28 PM

I was over at a guys place helping him set up his herp room and he had about 10 Ts. One was a baboon. We were moving and cleaning all his cages. He told me it was nasty and aggressive and he was almost scared to move it. Of course I had to act like the big tuff experienced herper who knew not the meaning of the word fear so I moved it. I just stuck a small bird box ( the ones the pet stores put birds into when the sell them) into the cage and conered the spider into it. He went in no problem and I moved him to his new cage. After reading this post I may not have been so brave.
Cheers,
Trevor

reptile boi · 09-01-03, 01:46 AM

Quote:

but it still hurts a bit.

LOL, ah that made my day rob, i wish i was there to see it! Didnt you know mixing an usumbura with a person isnt a good idea? lol, anyways, i nearly got bitten by my curly hair the other day! That was somewhat scary

by the way, how is my pink toe doing? Did you see any breeding going on?

Thanks,
Ben

jay76 · 09-01-03, 02:59 AM

15 years and no bites/stings - that's impressive!

Tim and Julie B · 09-01-03, 03:21 AM

Who I just moved two of mine. They are psyco! I would never even think of letting one get near me. But damn are they ever quick. I have no intension of finding out what a bite feels like! I will just take your word on that one.

TB

arachnomania · 09-01-03, 06:23 AM

Ben,
I actually took pictures of the 2 pink toes the very same day. I had them out of the encloser on a plastic pland and trying to force mate them but the female wasn't interested. I've had them together now for apx 3 weeks so maybe they did their thing. I'm going to Ottawa on the 12th of sept so I'll bring him back to you. If they haven't mated by then, they never will as they are both mature.

Snip3r · 09-01-03, 07:40 AM

I just want to say good job. I was in a pet store a while back, a fella in there was moving a Usumbara to clean the tank or something. Anyway I had warned the fella of their agressiveness. But he reached in...**Big** mistake anyways, he got it about 2 ft out of the takn as the Usumbara sunk a fang into the side of his palm...(a dry bite as well) the dude freaked and threw the spider to the ground...Needless to say I was upset, and very promptly walked to the front desk to let them know what happened. Also, the fella was fired...but the Usumbara did end up dieing.

Matt · 09-01-03, 07:52 AM

just curious robert...
what is the venom likely to do it it wasnt a dry bite?

good story!

arachnomania · 09-01-03, 10:28 AM

Matt,
How are your tarantulas doing? I didn't even know you were a moderator (never really checked). I don't have first hand experience in order to answer your question so I "stole" it from another site. Hope you don't mind.

"Don't get bitten by this species. The actual bite didn't hurt that badly, but the venom caused my hand to swell up within a few minutes. My hand hurt like hell...so much so tht it was at least three hours before I could even fall asleep, with a sensation that felt like venom was "crawling" from the finger that was bitten into the hand.

This pain was mostly gone by noon of the next day. Shortly afterwards, though, I started getting muscle cramps over my entire body. These cramps were worst at about 36-48 hours after being bitten, and lasted for more than a week.

Overall, the cramps were more inconvenient than painful, but I would have to say that they're worse than the initial pain of being bitten. At worst, when my chest started to cramp up, it felt as if I was being stabbed by a knife (not that I know what it feels like to be stabbed in the chest by a knife, but I'm assuming it hurts like all f**k).

Anyway, After about 48 hours, the muscle cramps got less severe. I'm actually still getting them, but they aren't anything to write home about.

Interestingly, within the last 12 hours, the finger that was bitten started to itch and swell up again. Part of me thinks that the itching and swelling has something to do with the bite because, well, it's the same finger that was bitten. But then again, it's been more than a week since I was bitten, and I don't see why I would suddenly be getting new bite symptoms in the hand that was bitten.

Who knows? Maybe I have a fungal infection. Or maybe I recently got bitten by fire ants and don't remember being bitten.

Anyway, the fact that I'm feeling ANY effects more than 8 days after being bitten shows that this isn't a species to screw around with. And it was only about 3" max. I would certainly hate to get bitten by a fully grown specimen.

A warning to newbies: don't get bitten by a P. murinus; especially a large one. It isn't a particularly fun ordeal"

Matt · 09-01-03, 03:03 PM

mmmm, sounds like fun!

The spiders are doing good....the rosey is a bit of an inconsistent eater, but very friendly.
I've already used it in a couple of my programs and the kids liked it alot!

thanks again!!!

Tim and Julie B · 09-02-03, 12:35 PM

Wow that does not sound like fun! Damn. One of my Usumbaras is a bit more agressive then the others. That one I am sure would give it everything it's got. It jumped out on the floor one night. It was an amazing and scary experiance to see it get up to full speed. They are QUICK!