I have read that rose-hairs are supposed to be pretty docile, and that's one of the reasons I got one as my first. Apparently, mine hasn't read the same web pages as I have, because he is NUTS. Anytime I get my hand close to him, he'll go after it. I dropped a pinkie in there for him, and he didn't go for it. I reached in with a pen cap to move it a bit to get his interest piqued, and he went for that cap like it was a fresh juicy cricket. I was trying to pull it away, and I could feel his fangs trying to pierce the plastic. When he figured I wasn't going to let him have it, he went for my fingers. He didn't get me, but he came close. He is extremely aggressive..... is this normal, or could there be some variable I'm not doing right? The temp hovers between 78 - 84, humidity around 55%, a 7gal tank, natural setting with leaves and sticks and a cinderblock hide.

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How many of us have ever thought seriously about eating a rat, just once, to see how it tastes?

Nobody?

Me neither.

My is like that at feeding time too. I use a forceps and I've had to learn to time it right so I pull back just as she strikes, otherwise she overshoots the cricket at the end and attacks the forceps itself. This is feeding behavior. Now if she were to go on the defensive, like she thought you were attacking her, she'd rear up, showing her fangs, and strike and then draw back. Rose-hairs are generally pretty docile compared to many Ts, but there's no rule that says they ALL have to be taht way However, I usually leave mine alone too. There's no such thing as a tarantula that likes being held, so I leave mine alone. IMO handling is only stressful for the T, and a risk to both you and the spider. As for feeding time, just watch your fingers

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

hehe yes some Rosies are like that. You read about how docile they are but I have seen some that are in fact opposite. I have seen some of the more aggresive species actually have docile individuals. It all is in the individual and each spider seems to have their own temperment. I have seldom seen any Pinktoes that were aggressive but I would say that there are a few out there lol.