Substrate

[Jack Mccormack]

General rule for substrate depth for adult Australian ts?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Doesn't exist a general rule. Mark my words and follow this: Never be a 'substrate Scrooge'. Nuff said

 

[Stratton]

I assume you're talking about Selenocosmia crassipes or stirlingi. They like to burrow to escape the heat or hide under logs and the like and make a hide out of that. When they do burrow there is no real rule for how long or deep they go because they do it to regulate the temperature and humidity. A deep burrow at a high angle for those in a very hot and dry environment for example.
If you have a Selenotypus plumipes then the same would apply.
I would guess that given a hide like a piece of cork bark with a starter burrow in it, you should give it a good deal of substrate to burrow in if it wants to. I'd go with an obligate or fossorial levels of substrate to be safe since they have been known to make burrows as deep as 40 inches (100 cm) but as shallow as 10 to 15 inches (25-40 cm). This is in the wild though and in the Australian outback. In a captive and regulated environment I'd think 6 inches (15 cm) of substrate should be the bare minimum you should start with.
Worst case scenario, it doesn't burrow at all and you can eventually transfer it to a different setup.
If you have a Phlogiellus sp. then a semi arboreal substrate level would be appropriate, like a GBB setup.

 

[Jack Mccormack]

I assume you're talking about Selenocosmia crassipes or stirlingi. They like to burrow to escape the heat or hide under logs and the like and make a hide out of that. When they do burrow there is no real rule for how long or deep they go because they do it to regulate the temperature and humidity. A deep burrow at a high angle for those in a very hot and dry environment for example.
If you have a Selenotypus plumipes then the same would apply.
I would guess that given a hide like a piece of cork bark with a starter burrow in it, you should give it a good deal of substrate to burrow in if it wants to. I'd go with an obligate or fossorial levels of substrate to be safe since they have been known to make burrows as deep as 40 inches (100 cm) but as shallow as 10 to 15 inches (25-40 cm). This is in the wild though and in the Australian outback. In a captive and regulated environment I'd think 6 inches (15 cm) of substrate should be the bare minimum you should start with.
Worst case scenario, it doesn't burrow at all and you can eventually transfer it to a different setup.
If you have a Phlogiellus sp. then a semi arboreal substrate level would be appropriate, like a GBB setup.

Thanks so much mate

 

[Ungoliant]

@RezonantVoid keeps Australian tarantulas.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Basically everything that @Stratton said, he hit the nail on the head. In general Phlogius are more terrestrial as they grow larger and prefer to make use of existing structures to build a shallow burrow under, but Selenotypus are born digging machines and even as a sling I'd give them 10cm of substrate. Adults should get more in the 15-20cm range so they can make a comfortable burrow, and make sure the top few centimetres stay dry for Selenotypus. My adult Phlogius Rubiseta is kept on 10cm of substrate with a decently sized log, and she never digs in it. But it's good to provide some depth for them nonetheless.

The height for my Selenotypus "Platinum" sling, originally it was around the darker 7cm mark but as you can see it excavated so much it raised the height to around 13cm lol.


The sub height for my Phlogius Rubiseta

 

[Jack Mccormack]

Basically everything that @Stratton said, he hit the nail on the head. In general Phlogius are more terrestrial as they grow larger and prefer to make use of existing structures to build a shallow burrow under, but Selenotypus are born digging machines and even as a sling I'd give them 10cm of substrate. Adults should get more in the 15-20cm range so they can make a comfortable burrow, and make sure the top few centimetres stay dry for Selenotypus. My adult Phlogius Rubiseta is kept on 10cm of substrate with a decently sized log, and she never digs in it. But it's good to provide some depth for them nonetheless.
View attachment 323563
The height for my Selenotypus "Platinum" sling, originally it was around the darker 7cm mark but as you can see it excavated so much it raised the height to around 13cm lol.

View attachment 323564
The sub height for my Phlogius Rubiseta

Perfect. Thanks so much mate, I’m getting a selenotypus sp 5 this week so this was all very helpful

 

[Stratton]

Perfect. Thanks so much mate, I’m getting a selenotypus sp 5 this week so this was all very helpful

Nice, definitely give it a lot of substrate to dig in as they are an obligate burrower and try to think grasslands when it comes to moisture. Dry at the surface and moisture further down. There are a few ways to accomplish this, like watering the substrate in one corner every other week or something. Although still leave a water dish out for it.
They are a slow grower so any setup you put it in it might not grow out of it for a while.