# Fossorial enclosure set up?



## PhilMcWonder (Dec 1, 2018)

When dealing with burrowing species, what is the best way to set up an enclosure?
How do you avoid "Pet holes"?
Feel free to share pictures of your setups.


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## Chris LXXIX (Dec 1, 2018)

PhilMcWonder said:


> How do you avoid "Pet holes"?


*Not *purchasing _Theraphosidae _that are, obviously, 'pet holes'. That's their nature, you can do nothing about. When an obligate burrower settle, he/she 'disappear' in such burrow/tunnel system.

Yes, I can spot mines at night (anyway not on a daily basis) but isn't like viewing terrestrials like, example,_ A.geniculata_.

There's no tricks or 'insider tricks' to share: you need to provide a lot of substrate inches, that's mandatory, and the last 'word' is only the spider one.

Since they are opportunistics like every other T's, I do offer *always *a piece of cork bark with nearby/just under, a pre-starter hole. They do accept that, but that's all.

The set up is in general, very spartan (but is *everything *they need).

Lots of inches of substrate (moist substrate for Asian and/or certain Africans such _Hysterocrates _spp. and NW hardcore burrowers like _Megaphobema robustum_, _Ephebopus _spp.), a piece of cork bark, the water dish. A couple of fake leaves, depends by the species.

Nothing else from me 

_Ephebopus murinus_ catching a _B.dubia_, note all of that web.




_C.lividus_ out in the open for less than 10 seconds, the time needed for grab a prey and turn back v




That's the set up of my 0.1 _S.subspinipes_, as you can see there's more stuff inside, but for a reason. While 'pet hole', they are 'pedes and 'pedes loves to hide under leaves, stones etc

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Liquifin (Dec 1, 2018)

PhilMcWonder said:


> When dealing with burrowing species, what is the best way to set up an enclosure?
> How do you avoid "Pet holes"?
> Feel free to share pictures of your setups.


What your asking for is almost impossible. Burrowing species will burrow, equaling a pet hole. If you want to see them, then just wait until dark, when they're out and active. Unless your specimen is within the oddball of T.'s, its basically impossible for what your'e asking. I have one oddball, which is my A. seemanni. She dig burrows into a construction site, but she isn't a pet hole like other peoples specimens. And she has 6'' of substrate.
Here's a picture of her enclosure. Note- Originally the hide was mostly buried and the enclosure was flat, but as you see, it's not anywhere as it once was when I housed her in it.


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## Enrgy (Dec 1, 2018)

That is how the name “pet hole” came about lol


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## Minty (Dec 1, 2018)

It's simple. Give them an enclosure that is deep and has lots of substrate. The deeper, the better (that's what she said).

You can add cork bark, a water dish and some leaf litter, if you like. I'd recommend the water dish, the other two aren't essential.

Reactions: Like 1


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## AnObeseHippo (Dec 1, 2018)

The pet hole is the coolest part though! I usually see it emerge in the middle of the night or early morning. 

I’d give it a starter burrow/hide on the side of the enclosure, and shade that side so no light gets in. It’ll likely burrow there and you can check on it occasionally. I just have that side of the enclosure against the wall normally.


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## 0311usmc (Dec 1, 2018)

When dealing with burrowing species you are in possession of an enclosure filled almost to the top with dirt that will contain a hole, guaranteed. There is nothing you can do to see it and in all honesty you won't see it all that much but that's what makes them special. You see them once in a great while. All you need to keep a happy fossorial is dirt and lots of it. If you don't see it enough buy another one, try again lol.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## viper69 (Dec 1, 2018)

PhilMcWonder said:


> How do you avoid "Pet holes"?


You don't buy them.

If you are asking how to prevent one from burrowing, then that is like asking you to stop eating.


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## The Grym Reaper (Dec 1, 2018)

PhilMcWonder said:


> How do you avoid "Pet holes"?


Easy... You send it to me and then it subsequently breaks and never hides


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## Jmanbeing93 (Feb 10, 2020)

0311usmc said:


> When dealing with burrowing species you are in possession of an enclosure filled almost to the top with dirt that will contain a hole, guaranteed. There is nothing you can do to see it and in all honesty you won't see it all that much but that's what makes them special. You see them once in a great while. All you need to keep a happy fossorial is dirt and lots of it. If you don't see it enough buy another one, try again lol.



What's the size of the containers in the second and last photo? Looks decent, where did you find them?


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## Vanisher (Feb 10, 2020)

PhilMcWonder said:


> When dealing with burrowing species, what is the best way to set up an enclosure?
> How do you avoid "Pet holes"?
> Feel free to share pictures of your setups.


If set up enclosure for fossorials the right way, avoiding pet holes is impossible. In fact most speicies of tarantulas are pet holes. There are exeption like A geniculata, G rosea and others, but most tarantulas are more or less pet holes, especially fossorials IMO


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## 0311usmc (Feb 10, 2020)

Jmanbeing93 said:


> What's the size of the containers in the second and last photo? Looks decent, where did you find them?


 They are sterilite containers from Walmart. I can put 14" of substrate inside for my fossorials.


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