Arboreal taratulas and plant requirements

[JulianH1001]

Hey y'all! First post here. Got an A. metallica recently (at least the pet store said, so who knows...), and I'm curious about plants in the enclosure. I've added some silk plants near the top, but they don't feel super secure. Will the tarantula be able to tell which ones can't support its weight? I'd imagine they do this in the wild all the time.


Additionally, are there any other tarantulas plants are "required" for? I'm eyeing P. irmina next and want to be as prepared as possible.

 

[Vanessa]

Hey y'all! First post here. Got an A. metallica recently (at least the pet store said, so who knows...), and I'm curious about plants in the enclosure. I've added some silk plants near the top, but they don't feel super secure. Will the tarantula be able to tell which ones can't support its weight? I'd imagine they do this in the wild all the time.
Additionally, are there any other tarantulas plants are "required" for? I'm eyeing P. irmina next and want to be as prepared as possible.

Photos of your setup would be really helpful, please.
Most arboreal species will benefit from the 'clutter' that plastic/silk plants supply, but some will need them at the top and some closer the to bottom. Avicularia avicularia M1 and M6(metallica) create webbing closer to the tops of their enclosures and will need the clutter up top, while some other species will stick around closer to the bottom and even burrow.
The plastic plants don't really need to be super secure - tarantulas are almost weightless and can web things up to be more secure very quickly.

 

[Mirandarachnid]

If they don't feel secure, make them secure. Hot glue is your friend.

It's your responsibility to provide a safe environment for your pets, you can't always trust an animal to be able to determine what is safe for them or not. You don't want it to fall because it walked on the wrong thing.

Where did you get your husbandry info from? This genus has a lot of bad information on "care sheets" on the web.

You definitely want fake plants and sphagnum moss for P. irminia (they use the moss in their dirt curtains). They're pretty reclusive. You should look into P. cambridgei as well, mine is out all the time.

I have fake plants in almost all my enclosures. I think it helps the T's feel a little less exposed and more likely to come out. I also like seeing what they do with the decor.

 

[JulianH1001]

I'll put some pictures up as soon as I can!

I've done my research here re: humidity, ventilation, and all that commonly misunderstood stuff.

I've mostly just seen plants listed as "decor" and "fluff" pieces, so I wanted to know ahead of time which species they're more utilitarian for, so that I can get sturdy stuff and secure it well.

Stuff about which species like plants closer to the top/bottom, which species like rounded cork vs flat, which arboreals also make burrows (I've heard of this for P. irmina) are definitely the things I want to learn. It's a shame there are a million care sheets talking about humidity and temperature requirements, but it feels so hard to find basic stuff like this!

 

[Vanessa]

Stuff about which species like plants closer to the top/bottom, which species like rounded cork vs flat, which arboreals also make burrows (I've heard of this for P. irmina) are definitely the things I want to learn. It's a shame there are a million care sheets talking about humidity and temperature requirements, but it feels so hard to find basic stuff like this!

Plants are utilitarian as well - providing clutter, shelter and anchor points for webbing.
Many Avicularia want clutter high up, but not all of them. Some Avicularia species will make web tubes that are often close to the bottom. Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius are known to make 'dirt curtains' instead of a lot of webbing, so they will require less plants, but will benefit from more substrate and some sphagnum moss.
Since the requirements are slightly different, it would be best if you ask what the preference is for the specific species that you are interested in, as opposed to people going through all the various scenarios.

 

[viper69]

Will the tarantula be able to tell which ones can't support its weight?

Yes, when they walk on it and fall.

 

[EtienneN]

As @Mirandarachnid said, hot glue gun glue is definitely your friend. Just don't burn yourself! I actually got cheap plastic feeder tongs to hold the leaves against the glue to get them to stick in the right places without having to burn myself. Tacking the leaves to one of the side walls or ceiling will provide more stability.

 

[cold blood]

Stuff about which species like plants closer to the top/bottom, which species like rounded cork vs flat, which arboreals also make burrows (I've heard of this for P. irmina) are definitely the things I want to learn. It's a shame there are a million care sheets talking about humidity and temperature requirements, but it feels so hard to find basic stuff like this!

Avics and their relatives need plants at the top, elevated...literally all other arboreals, OW or NW, would be the opposite and need plants around the base of the wood.