Arachnid Lover Shares Why Tarantulas Can Make Great Pets

This footage demonstrates how big scary-looking tarantulas can actually make amazingly beloved pets when treated with gentle and proper care.

In an interview with Newsflash, spider man Shu Miyasaka, 37, explained why tarantulas are among his top favourite creatures to keep around and said that if people can understand their ecology properly and treat them correctly, they are great pets that live a long time.

@shuyaman13/Newsflash

Business planner Miyasaka told Newsflash that he has built a giant terrarium for them to live in at his home in the city of Kawasaki, Japan.

Miyasaka’s terrarium holds about 20 types of spiders, with the largest being a female Tliltocatl epicureanus, about 6.0 centimetres long, with a leg span of approximately 10 centimetres.

In this footage obtained by Newsflash, Miyasaka’s fuzzy eight-legged pets can be seen peacefully interacting with him.

The second piece of footage also offers a rare sight of a large tarantula moulting its skin.

Miyasaka believes there is no reason why people should hate or fear tarantulas and says they are not very venomous.

He has even experienced a tarantula’s painful sting once before and endured a day of fever and numbness, but hopped back on his feet soon after.

Picture shows a large tarantula, in Kanagawa, Japan, undated. The tarantula’s owner, Shu Miyasaka, 37, apart from tarantulas, also keeps scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and other various insects. (@shuyaman13/Newsflash)

And he added that he had only himself to blame for poorly handling the spider.

Miyasaka said: “I have loved insects since I was little. Maybe it’s because my father used to take me camping.”

Miyasaka admitted he was only able to truly pursue his love for insects once he became an adult and had enough money to keep them.

He said: “At first I had scorpions, then tarantulas. They are generally feared and hated, but the more I learned about them, the more I found them to be very interesting and not something to be afraid of.”

Although he wants to encourage more people to get to know these creatures better, Miyasaka said he does not recommend touching them unnecessarily.

Large tarantula molts, in Kanagawa, Japan, undated. The tarantula’s owner, Shu Miyasaka, 37, apart from tarantulas, also keeps scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and other various insects. (@shuyaman13/Newsflash)

“It’s to prevent yourself from getting hurt, but more than that, it’s stress for them,” Miyasaka said.

“The only time I touch them is when I transfer them to another container for enclosure maintenance,” he added.


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Simona KitanovskaSub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

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