she keeps climbing

[SonsofArachne]

Humidity is NOT relevant...any t can be kept in any humidity....some need dry sub, others need damp sub....the moisture in the air matters only in the frequency at which you would need to dampen sub.

Huh, well I guess the the fact that my desert t's always start climbing when the humidity in the room rises above 60 and then go back down when it lowers must all be one big coincidence. Remarkable.

Actually the only reason I have a humidity gauge is that it came with the digital thermometer I bought, although I do monitor it in the winter as the air gets really dry using a space heater.

 

[MetalMan2004]

I have a bag of the same topsoil @cold blood has for the same price. I’ve used it on enclosures for maybe 20 or 30 tarantulas and still have a lot left. It’s heavy stuff but it does the job.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Could it also be that the T is still acclimating? Because my chalcodes does the same thing but has been doing it less and less each day.

 

[SonsofArachne]

I've noticed my species that are from drier climates (A. chalcodes, brachis, etc.) will climb when humidity is high. Is the substrate damp or humidity high in your T room?

Humidity is NOT relevant...any t can be kept in any humidity....some need dry sub, others need damp sub....the moisture in the air matters only in the frequency at which you would need to dampen sub.

Huh, well I guess the the fact that my desert t's always start climbing when the humidity in the room rises above 60 and then go back down when it lowers must all be one big coincidence. Remarkable.

I've actually rethought this since I made these posts. First, there is a correlation between high humidity and T's from drier climates, I've seen it with both NW and OW species, they climb high when the humidity rises. I see it every summer, with multiple species, all from dry climates. And the tendency can be alleviated by moving their enclosures to a bottom shelf (humidity levels are highest at the ceiling and lowest by the floor). But what I now think may be causing this is a survival instinct that animals in dry areas have. In deserts and dry savannas a increase in humidity signals the coming of rain, often in downpour levels. It makes sense for these animals to climb - to avoid flooding and being trapped (and drowned) in their burrows. So while they do respond to high humidity, it's not due any discomfort, rather just a survival instinct that thet don't really need in captivity.

 

[Kitara]

Whoh! A year is a long time to marinate on a thought and come back to clarify a point.

However, that is an interesting observation.

 

[Vanisher]

Climbing by itself isn't a problem. But you dont want to have to worry about a bad fall. Try to find someway to limit falling distance. I think my first t died from a fall cus I didn't know any better. I don't know how high off the substrate she is getting but you don't want her to fall too far

Actually, it CAN be a problem. It could be a sign that everything isnt right! OP, rearrenge the cage. keep it on deep dry compressed substrate with a snug hide. The climbing could be a sign that it is not satisfied with the enviroment

 

[EDED]

Can you get a cheap bag of top soil? They are under 5$ at somewhere like Wal Mart or Home Depot. If not, can you borrow a tupperware from the kitchen to keep her in for now? It would be safer to keep her in something tiny than risk a fall, in my opinion.

yeah seriously

how are you gong to afford anything else? granted adult chalco can be fed two times a month, but did you even think about your budget and ability to keep this spider for a long time?

no terrestrials climb all over the tank except when it is introduced to new setting,They just dont wander, not a true spider or wandering spider, even a big wolf spider dont wander out of its burrow (one in TX at least)
for example, strimi that wont stay in her hide has temp issues too high temp they will not do well, 75f or even less they eat/shed and behave 'normally"
A. geniculata dont like humid substrate, L para don't either and you would think they live in a tropical rainforest ground floor, in captivity they like it dry, i have bred both of the species before, so im sure they were quite happy. when kept on humid substrate it will try to climb out, acting like your chalco or sit on top of dry bark hide and dont come down. many things can be an issue here for your T but should be easy solution

if you have open screen top,
keep a water dish, overflow water there so its more humid in the corner,
throw in a hide ,, if you dont have deep substrate then
it needs a hide
^^^^this can cost more money for you but if you have access to wooded area there are fallen rotting logs, you can rip a nice size outer layer clean, i dont sterilize those but you can bake it if worried about 'sterility' in a tank full of dirt and a bug in it lol

find a cheap container from walmart, plastic, put some holes in it , if ventilation is low then you want just a water dish,
aphono if given proper set up will burrow and not come out to wander,
something is wrong and its not liking it, i think you should do something about it soon,
good luck

 

[Vanisher]

I've actually rethought this since I made these posts. First, there is a correlation between high humidity and T's from drier climates, I've seen it with both NW and OW species, they climb high when the humidity rises. I see it every summer, with multiple species, all from dry climates. And the tendency can be alleviated by moving their enclosures to a bottom shelf (humidity levels are highest at the ceiling and lowest by the floor). But what I now think may be causing this is a survival instinct that animals in dry areas have. In deserts and dry savannas a increase in humidity signals the coming of rain, often in downpour levels. It makes sense for these animals to climb - to avoid flooding and trapped (and drowned) in their burrows. So while they do respond to high humidity, it's not due any discomfort, rather just a survival instinct that thet don't really need in captivity.

Yes my G porteri do the same. But i think it has to do with that they dislike damp substrate rather than it has something to do with humidety! I kerp a rather big waterbowl in her enclosure. My guess is that if i dumped the same ammount of water on the substrate she would climb, but with dry sub and the same ammount of water in the waterbowl she doesnt climb. Are you following my theory?

 

[SonsofArachne]

Whoh! A year is a long time to marinate on a thought and come back to clarify a point.

Actually I thought this out awhile back and posted it in another thread, but somebody resurrected this thread so I figured I post it here too

But i think it has to do with that they dislike damp substrate rather than it has something to do with humidety!

But other than a occasional bit of overflow of the water dish I don't dampen the sub with my desert / dry species. Not saying damp sub won't cause them to climb, but with mine the ONLY change is a rise in humidity.

 

[Kitara]

Actually I thought this out awhile back and posted it in another thread, but somebody resurrected this thread so I figured I post it here too

Unless there was a deleted post, it was you that resurrected the thread. LOL The post before yours is Nov 2018.

 

[Vanisher]

Actually I thought this out awhile back and posted it in another thread, but somebody resurrected this thread so I figured I post it here too





But other than a occasional bit of overflow of the water dish I don't dampen the sub with my desert / dry species. Not saying damp sub won't cause them to climb, but with mine the ONLY change is a rise in humidity.

Aha! Ok. Mine just climb if substrate is moist

 

[Goopyguy56]

Maybe it just likes to pretend the floor is lava

 

[SonsofArachne]

Unless there was a deleted post, it was you that resurrected the thread. LOL The post before yours is Nov 2018.

Nope, somebody liked one of my posts, so it was resurrected - in my alerts, anyway

 

[Lolth62]

I had re housed mine inti a 10 gallon aquarium yesterday, she was up at the top, i took her down and put her back in the enclosure she was in, you have to fill that 10 gallon with so much substrate to prevent harm that it is almost a tank of substrate just my opinion, but made me nervous they also climb i believe when stressed in new housing, or exploring new housing