Rosie’s Retirement + Status of Tarantula Handling in Colorado

Since 1995, Colorado's Butterfly Pavilion has given visitors the unique opportunity of holding the facility's resident tarantula, a Chilean Rosehair named Rosie.

Read More: Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion is Getting a New Tarantula

However, it was recently announced that Rosie will soon be going into retirement, but it was also announced that a new tarantula, a Chaco Goldenknee, will be taking her place.

While the opportunity to hold a large, exotic spider is unique in many ways, it also brings up the question of whether or not it is ethical to handle tarantulas in general.

What is the Issue with Handling Tarantulas in Colorado?

Keeping tarantulas as pets is a niche hobby, and while it is pretty cool to be able to get your picture taken with a large, often intimidating spider in your hand, not everyone agrees that the practice is ethical.

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The tarantula hobby is essentially split between two factions: those who feel that it is unethical to handle the large spiders, and those who feel the exact opposite.

The people who are against tarantula handling argue that because the spiders do not bond with humans, and therefore do not gain anything from handling, it is unethical to hold them. This side of the argument also cites the fact that if a tarantula is accidentally dropped during handling, it could result in a major injury or even death for the spider.

On the other side of the argument, those in favor of tarantula handling cite the fact that docile tarantulas such as the aforementioned Chilean Rosehair and Chaco Goldenknee varieties generally tolerate handling, and that if no harm is done to the spiders, there's no reason that handling should be an issue whatsoever.

In addition, the opportunity to handle a tarantula at the Butterfly Pavilion or elsewhere can help people overcome arachnophobia and eliminate the stigma that these animals are overtly dangerous or scary.

However, it should be noted that while holding a docile tarantula from a species that doesn't have medically significant venom is a relatively harmless activity for the humans doing the handling, there are species of tarantulas that are far more dangerous and aggressive that most hobbyists agree should not be handled.