humidity question

[becca81]

"

In 22 years, I have never seen one of my taratulas drink. Never.

.

Are you actually suggesting that tarantulas have a permeable skin that allows them to absorb water through it and that is their main source of water? Do you have any scientific evidence to support your claim?

 

[Hwydrone]

If your tarantula is drinking then it must be a sign of something.

You're scaring me. I saw my blondi drink last week.

 

[TheDarkFinder]

For Becca81 and Hywdrone.

I'm not going there.


I already said that I would not and I will not. If you read what has been said on this before you will see my reasoning.

No, becca81 that is not what I'm saying. Do you have scientific evidence that proves it does not? Do you?

Hywdrone, if your blondi was drinking out of the water dish, then it was dehytrated, I wonder how it got dehytrated????

If my tarnatulas do not drink out of dishs, then they are not dehydrated, and therefore do not drink.

I do offer dishs to some of them for varing reasons. Most of the time it is pointless.

Man I'm tired of this subject.

I love the scientific evidence to support defense. You know as well as I do there is very little out there. If there was a report that says humidity does not affect molting of tarnatulas I'm sure it would hav been used by now.

So lets make a rule, If you want to play the scientific evidence card, you better have it yourself.
thedarkfinder

 

[becca81]

I'm not going there

It's okay, DarkFinder. I know it's kinda hard to "go there" when you don't have evidence to back yourself up.

Good luck.

Becca


P.S. - As a side note, I just got in (overnight shipping) a very healthy Paraphysa spp.. Got it unpacked and had just a few drops of water in the water dish since I was still moving it about. It went to the dish, lowered itself down, and appeared to be somehow removing (some crazy people would even call it "drinking") the water from the dish, although I'm not quite sure why in the world it would do such a thing. Strangest thing was, the paper towels it had traveled in were damp and it definitely had adequate humidity.

 

[Mike H.]

Wow becca!! you actually seen a spider drink water !!

Regards, Mike

 

[PeterParker]

I just dont get it. there are two sides here, one is claiming that seeing a T drrink is something to be surprised of while the other side can prove that T's drink.

To Mike H. I just wonder what's so surprising about Becca seeing a drinking T???

I live here in the Philippines which is far better tropical than any of the countries debating here, I'm just fresh in this hobby and I already saw my B.Emilia drinking water considering I live in a humid land.

IMHO I think the abdomen of T's are mainly composed of liquid so it could be dead before you can say it's dehydrated. another thing is it couldnt have been thirsty or dehydrated if they get enough water in their food source.

but contrary to that I never caught my E.Pachypus in the act of drinking and as matter of fact she even dumps substrate on it just to cover up the water source she'll keep on doing it until there's no water on the dish and I keep on putting it back but she does the same thing.

NOW to prove something here why dont you put a 24/7 camera on your enclosures to see if T's really drink or not.

just my 2 cents

aldous:wall:

 

[eman]

P.S. - As a side note, I just got in (overnight shipping) a very healthy Paraphysa spp.. Got it unpacked and had just a few drops of water in the water dish since I was still moving it about. It went to the dish, lowered itself down, and appeared to be somehow removing (some crazy people would even call it "drinking") the water from the dish, although I'm not quite sure why in the world it would do such a thing. Strangest thing was, the paper towels it had traveled in were damp and it definitely had adequate humidity.

That's not too difficult to explain Becca...

A) Ts do drink... especially when they are dehydrated or do not get enough moisture from the substrate/medium they are on. I personally think that this is self evident.

B) A little known fact is that many ts actually dehydrate if kept or transported on a humid medium and in COOL or MILD temperatures. Some desert/arid species will tend to stress and dehydrate if kept on moist and poorly ventilated environments... I'll let you figure that one out.

The only thing being questioned here is the notion of continuous bone dryness for tropical species and exposed ts... not whether or not ts drink, ambient humidity levels or anything else.

Cheers!

 

[Mike H.]

"To Mike H. I just wonder what's so surprising about Becca seeing a drinking T???"

I was being a tad sarcastic, I agree with becca 100%

Regards, Mike

 

[Cerbera]

6 of one, half a dozen of the other...

Well I DO record my spiders antics 24 hours a day, and all mine drink at some point or other. The genic drinks around once a month, my striatus sling drinks once a day, the seemanni drinks perhaps twice a year, if that (!), and my juvie L. Para drinks every single time she eats. And sometimes thats drinking, and sometimes its fang cleaning. But in my observations, they ALL need a water dish at some point.

So there you go - all of them different, all of them healthy, and all doing totally different things... where does that get us ?

 

[Scolopendra55]

I dont measure humidity in any of my T's cages I just make sure the substrate is moist at all times (accept for my desert/scrubland species).

 

[becca81]

B) A little known fact is that many ts actually dehydrate if kept or transported on a humid medium and in COOL or MILD temperatures.

Even though it doesn't really matter - it wasn't in a cool temperature at all - quite the opposite, in fact.

Anyways - bottom line - tarantulas *can* drink from water dishes and just because they do doesn't mean that they are dehydrated.

 

[eman]

Even though it doesn't really matter - it wasn't in a cool temperature at all - quite the opposite, in fact.

Anyways - bottom line - tarantulas *can* drink from water dishes and just because they do doesn't mean that they are dehydrated.

Granted. My point is that something dehydrated it to the point where it needed to drink like that IMO. I don't think that t's make frequent trips to "the water hole" in nature if they are well hydrated - that's what real burrows are for. Again, moot point.

No offense Becca but if your last breeding attempt (A. versicolor) is not indicative of a possible lack of humidity, then I don't know what is... http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=59911&page=2
The same applies to your mysterious t deaths.

On the flip side, we could just chalk it all up to bad luck.

I don't know why I'm even replying to this...

Cheers!

 

[becca81]

No offense Becca but if your last breeding attempt (A. versicolor) is not indicative of a possible lack of humidity, then I don't know what is... http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=59911&page=2

I'm not sure I understand your point.

I think in the thread, on my website, and elsewhere that I made it quite apparent that although I did follow advice on appropriate water amounts (misting the tank and dribbling water onto the web itself) during this time, I probably didn't get it exactly right. I personally think it was due to a fan running in the room that caused many things to dry out too quickly. What's your point?

We all learn from our mistakes and make changes in our practices based on those learning experiences. Did I somewhere say that I was different than anyone else?

I'm also not sure where I said, "humidity is never important in any species at any time."

The same applies to your mysterious t deaths.

Which "mysterious" deaths are you referring to?

*thinks*

The only thing I can come up with is a L. difficilis that I posted about being stuck in its molt. Given that it was one of my few terrestrials kept on somewhat moist substrate and provided with a dish, I don't believe that humidity was an issue. The upright molt may have been, though, but who knows. Obviously keeping/raising others of this species and genus successfully makes it fairly obvious that I was a bit clueless.

As for "deaths," plural, I'm not sure what else you're referring to. However, it's a well known fact that tarantulas don't die and there are never problems that are not directly related to humidity, right?

I don't know why I'm even replying to this...

I'm assuming it was to look back through my old posts and try to find some way to discredit my statements...

Cheers!
Becca

 

[eman]

I'm assuming it was to look back through my old posts and try to find some way to discredit my statements...

I'm sorry if you feel that way... I think I've stated my point clearly enough. No need to eternalize back and forth.

All the best.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

TDF:
There is are a few nuts I couldn't crack... if what you say is the case regarding T's taking in and losing water/hum via the exo or at least via certain points on their surface, for example the booklungs how come we have T's in arid areas, like roseas, smithis and others? Shouldn't their numbers be very small, if not 0 because of dehydration? But if T's somehow could close the valves to conserve their moisture so that they could make it in those arid areas, the entire discussion would be void really...

Why do roseas freak out if a little water get's onto the substrate (and as a secular question, how do you keep your roseas, if you have any? Dry or moist? If moist, shouldn't your rosea "be" an arboreal?). Why do they freak? Shouldn't they be using the opportunity and revel in the moisture to suck it all up?

 

[EDED]

you think desert T's or ANY T species just sit out in the open?

basking the desert sun and gets sand blasted whatever?

they have a hide or a deep burrow always in the wild (as ive read and told), use the search engine on G. rosea, ive read it where in the wild they have a deep deep burrow. in captivity it acts obviously different, but what im saying is hot dry surface on top and cooler ground inside,,,there will be humidity (not like a tropical jungle though but you get the idea)

CERTAIN species do not need any water as long as its well fed, true that.

exoskeleton is not permeable to moisture, true that.

booklungs are exposed, i doubt T booklungs can filter out moisture and absorb oxygen only, thats absurd, sorry i dont have science journal to back my ass up but i dont think its possible.

i want to see people breed ALL species succesfully by keeping them bone dry with a water dish,,,like P. subfusca and etc.

 

[becca81]

i want to see people breed ALL species succesfully by keeping them bone dry with a water dish,,,like P. subfusca and etc.

I don't think anyone has suggested that all species can be kept bone dry with a water dish and especially bred this way.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

you think desert T's or ANY T species just sit out in the open?

basking the desert sun and gets sand blasted whatever?

CERTAIN species do not need any water as long as its well fed, true that.

Males dart arround out in the open and in the basking sun, and they don't wanna eat either (mostly).

 

[EDED]

males are horny and we will do some crazy stuff to get some Assss

 

[Juraki]

I think the reason that so many lean toward the dryer side is past problems with mold. I tend to keep my t's between 75 to 85F, and those I do mist I have had problems controlling mold, I am leaning towards the idea that the mold will be far more harmfull than the lack of humidty. So I will be reducing the humidty in two of my enclosures, my H. Maculata, and my L. Parahybana, the mac I haven't gotten to know very well yet since I have only had it for about 3 weeks, I know it hides alot, but I'm not sure if it's going to give me problems if I have to change the enclosure due to mold, I'd rather at this point see if reducing humidty will help, I just don't want the little guy teleporting out and nailing me. (yeah he's only 1.5" or so but I believe Becca had a bite report on her foot from one this size and it sounds none too pleasant).
The LP will be much easier since he/she's my biggest chicken, and makes me chuckle everytime it runs into it's film pot hide, always face first with it's rear facing out, I guess I always pictured them wanting to keep the business end ready to defend, this one thinks it's an ostrich.

I do feel the need to mist the others occasionally, many are just too small for a water dish, or they are too activly moving substrate and will just toss the water dish aside. One thing I can say for sure, is even a noob can tell a little extra humidty is important for many species to molt properly.