Humidity and hiding

[poisoned]

I've noticed that my Ts are more out in the open after I water the substrate. Has anyone else noticed this?

Before you attack me, I'm not flooding enclosures or make them sopping wet, just moisten.

My theory behind this is that they are also preserving moisture in their burrows and won't leave if its too dry outside.

 

[MarkmD]

I 100% agree, especially with my B,smithi sling and A,minatrix juvie, I don't have a hide for my smithi though does have a small burrow and Avic webbed hide, but when I mist my smithi's substrate tends to come over and sit for hours on it and my Avic will go over and drink or sit for a little bit near it then wonder round.

 

[Storm76]

I 100% agree, especially with my B,smithi sling and A,minatrix juvie, I don't have a hide for my smithi though does have a small burrow and Avic webbed hide, but when I mist my smithi's substrate tends to come over and sit for hours on it and my Avic will go over and drink or sit for a little bit near it then wonder round.

Don't get me wrong, but why do people actually -mist- the substrate (or even enclosures) of B. smithis so much in the UK ?! I just don't get it...those T's don't like wet substrate at all really. Overflowing the waterdish provides them with all they need IMO. Misting these just annoys them.

 

[MarkmD]

I dont mist very often, usually only wet a little bit of the substrate at the far side of any T enclosure, mainly for slings, now and again I do mist and never had a problem with it, after all in the wild they would drink from leaves or small a puddle if they need to, though most just get it from pray.

 

[Tarac]

Another possibility we should consider can be inferred from many other animal species also becoming more active after "rain"- warm and cold-blooded alike. Snakes, toads, birds, hogs, etc. like to come out after there has been some water shed because it causes prey items to become more active and therefor more detectable. Rain brings worms and grubs closer to the surface, flushes small insects out of their leaf-litter hides and in turn the smaller predators attract the bigger predators that eat them and so on. For example, a great way to find snakes is to check around after a rain during the warm months- toads and frogs are very easy to locate in these conditions, a favorite snack for many of our native snakes.

It's possible that this is instinctual- that the T might be expecting a tasty worm to surface or a little beetle or isopod or what have you to scurry out from under the leaves due to you "raining" in the enclosure.

 

[MarkmD]

Could be why my T's stay out when I mist tarac, it does make sense as rain "misting" as you said brings a meal or even just for occasionally drinking from, in any case I've never had a problem when I done it and sure others haven't ether.

 

[Tarac]

Yeah, I mist even Brachy every once in a while unless they are particularly disturbed by it. I have some spiders of varying genera that are upset by it and for those I avoid misting, but for those who don't care I find it a more "natural" seeming (to me at least) and efficient way to re-wet substrate a little. Pouring often just ends up in a big messy run off for those species that stay pretty dry because most substrates get that caked-dry thing going on. But a little misting re-wets pretty nicely. I don't see the issue with it unless it really disturbs the T.

 

[macbaffo]

R: Humidity and hiding

Another possibility we should consider can be inferred from many other animal species also becoming more active after "rain"- warm and cold-blooded alike. Snakes, toads, birds, hogs, etc. like to come out after there has been some water shed because it causes prey items to become more active and therefor more detectable. Rain brings worms and grubs closer to the surface, flushes small insects out of their leaf-litter hides and in turn the smaller predators attract the bigger predators that eat them and so on. For example, a great way to find snakes is to check around after a rain during the warm months- toads and frogs are very easy to locate in these conditions, a favorite snack for many of our native snakes.

It's possible that this is instinctual- that the T might be expecting a tasty worm to surface or a little beetle or isopod or what have you to scurry out from under the leaves due to you "raining" in the enclosure.

Interesting theory.
Can you make a genera list of species not bothered by your misting?

 

[McGuiverstein]

Another possibility we should consider can be inferred from many other animal species also becoming more active after "rain"- warm and cold-blooded alike. Snakes, toads, birds, hogs, etc. like to come out after there has been some water shed because it causes prey items to become more active and therefor more detectable. Rain brings worms and grubs closer to the surface, flushes small insects out of their leaf-litter hides and in turn the smaller predators attract the bigger predators that eat them and so on. For example, a great way to find snakes is to check around after a rain during the warm months- toads and frogs are very easy to locate in these conditions, a favorite snack for many of our native snakes.

It's possible that this is instinctual- that the T might be expecting a tasty worm to surface or a little beetle or isopod or what have you to scurry out from under the leaves due to you "raining" in the enclosure.

This is a very good point. Didn't think of that.

 

[Storm76]

Well, in nature they don't have waterdishes, they drink when it has rained *shrugs*.

 

[jakykong]

Well, in nature they don't have waterdishes, they drink when it has rained *shrugs*.

+1

... Also in nature, if they get dehydrated and it's not raining, they die.
They get the best of both worlds in our care; a spacious (in their perception) area, nearly unlimited and consistent food (which may not be the best thing for, e.g., season detection, but certainly is great from a survival standpoint), and nearly-always-available water.

Funny thing, I had someone compare keeping tarantulas to putting people in prison cells the other day on the bus.

 

[macbaffo]

R: Humidity and hiding

+1

... Also in nature, if they get dehydrated and it's not raining, they die.
They get the best of both worlds in our care; a spacious (in their perception) area, nearly unlimited and consistent food (which may not be the best thing for, e.g., season detection, but certainly is great from a survival standpoint), and nearly-always-available water.

Funny thing, I had someone compare keeping tarantulas to putting people in prison cells the other day on the bus.

Spacious area? More spacious than a open space enclosure such as a forest or a plain?

 

[jakykong]

Spacious area? More spacious than a open space enclosure such as a forest or a plain?

Yes, well, how much of that forest do they actually use? (Perhaps "spacious enough" would have been less ambiguous, though.)

 

[Storm76]

I'm still of the opinion that misting complete enclosures of B. smithis, roseas and the like only annoys the T. At the most, I let the waterdish overflow, or moisten on side of the enclosures susbtrate - but that's the farthest I'd go. Anyhow, different keepers make different experiences so since "mileage varies" as long as it works and the animal is fine, I don't see any harm to it. I just don't think it's necessary.

 

[MarkmD]

I don't know anyone who mists a juvie/adult B,smithi or Roseas enclosure, I wouldn't, a little bit for slings yes cause it makes more humidity and drinking water does fine, as I said I hardly ever mist.

 

[Leeway337]

Desert species probably would like to climb if it senses rain cause deserts commonly flash flood. I was watching a doc about tarantulas and they said tree dwellers live in trees probably because the air isn't as humid as on the ground and the lungs of tarantulas are built for more dry air. If I put a little bit of water with my A Chalcodes, G Pulchripes or P. Scrofa they almost instantly climb to the top of the tank. If they developed in a place that has frequent flooding I would think that just sensing a little added moisture in the air would warn them of possible rain and send them looking for high ground to avoid being drowned in a burrow or on the ground.

 

[macbaffo]

R: Humidity and hiding

Desert species probably would like to climb if it senses rain cause deserts commonly flash flood. I was watching a doc about tarantulas and they said tree dwellers live in trees probably because the air isn't as humid as on the ground and the lungs of tarantulas are built for more dry air. If I put a little bit of water with my A Chalcodes, G Pulchripes or P. Scrofa they almost instantly climb to the top of the tank. If they developed in a place that has frequent flooding I would think that just sensing a little added moisture in the air would warn them of possible rain and send them looking for high ground to avoid being drowned in a burrow or on the ground.

I heard and experienced the same behaviour too.
What is the name of the documentary?

 

[Leeway337]

I don't know what it was called or what station it was on. I just came across it already in progress flipping through channels. It had Avics on it, a H. Gigas go under water and some other places with tarantulas. I remember them saying that tarantulas realy shouldn't be in humid places yet they thrive in them. They said that living in humid places was probably relatively new being that the lungs are built for dry air and have not changed in the ones that live in humid air. Had some good video of wild tarantulas doing their individual things. I mostly remember the avics climbing on the trees and the H. Gigas catch a minnow or something small under water with a leg sticking out.

 

[macbaffo]

R: Humidity and hiding

Pity it sounded like a very interesting documentary :-(