g. pulchrips

[Ben Oliver]

why would a 5.5" to 6" female just start digging when it has never tried to dig in the 7 months that i have had it? it shouldn't be gravid i never bred it. or can t's hold sperm like different lizards do? or is there any other ideas

 

[Alexandra V]

Sometimes they just feel like digging, we don't always understand their motives. It could be that she's getting ready for a molt so she's trying to make a place where she would want to molt. If she's never been bred before then she can't be gravid, though there is some speculation about sperm retention, if you've had her 7 months I doubt it's from retained sperm from a previous breeding.

 

[Hobo]

Tarantulas can hold sperm until their next molt. If it was bred before you recieved it,and she hasn't molted yet, then yes, she can lay a fertile sac regardless of how much time has passed.

That said, digging isn't always a sign for laying a sac, and it could be that your spider is digging just because.
Most of my Ts will start moving earth at least once per year/molt cycle.

 

[Amoeba]

Ts will dig up buried food items (supers mealworms roaches). Also I've seen mine dig for no reason and then just lose interest and walk to the clay pot

 

[Ben Oliver]

thank you for the reply. as long as i had her she hasn't molted. and as time has gone along it seems she has gotten very mean she strikes at just about anything in her enclosureif it moves. she has already tried to bite me more than 1 time. i thought the g. pulchripes didn't jump i've watched my girl make about a 6" jump she scared the @#$! out of me

 

[Alexandra V]

thank you for the reply. as long as i had her she hasn't molted. and as time has gone along it seems she has gotten very mean she strikes at just about anything in her enclosureif it moves. she has already tried to bite me more than 1 time. i thought the g. pulchripes didn't jump i've watched my girl make about a 6" jump she scared the @#$! out of me

My pulchripes got very mean and skittish when she was approaching a molt. She got very moody and when I tried to cup her for cage maintenance she became airborne, it was insane! Now she's molted and calmed back down quite a bit.

 

[Ben Oliver]

i have never given her any types of worms and the roaches that i feed her are eaten or killed as soon as they are put in the incloseure. i had to take her pot out becuause she moved all the sub out and it was rolling around

---------- Post added 08-10-2011 at 12:37 AM ----------

so do you think she will calm back down or should i just get used to her being like she is. and did i screw her up by removing the clay pot from her home she has never gone in it

 

[Hobo]

I would guess she's digging because she's wanting a good place to hide. Evidently, that clay pot wasn't enough (you did the right thing by removing it if it was rolling around though). Maybe try to make a safer, better hide. Usually that means you'll never see her though

 

[Austin]

T's do some strange behavior when they are in pre-molt. Being defensive is fairly common for some T's in pre-molt. I also second Hobo on creating a new hide for her. Just give her a little extra respect till then Hopefully her moods will lighten.

 

[jeryst]

My GP acted exactly like that before she molted. I use one of those half logs you can get in the pet store as a hide. She hardly ever went into it until it was time to molt. Then she barricaded herself inside it and didn't come out until she molted, several months later.