The Worst Job in the Reptile Business: Cupping Tarantulas
Originally uploaded by B Christy
The worst job at Strictly Reptiles is not feeding the cobras, or bagging the crocodile monitors. It is cupping bird-eating tarantulas. To do it, some employees wear masks and long-sleeve shirts. They tape their cuffs and shirt collars closed because tarantulas turn around and spray nictating hairs as a defense. My first day doing it, one spider sent Mike Van Nostrand to the hospital for a scratched cornea.
Tags: cupping tarantulas, spiders