# What are the signs of a stressed Tarantula?



## Mermaid

The title asks it all. What are the signs of a stressed tarantula?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Status

depending on the species, they will either run or will flick their urticating hairs when there annoyed, or feel threatened,  then they will raise their front legs and display their fangs to the direction of the threat, after that they will strike what ever is annoying them. although this depends on the tarantula its self, for instance you could have a Grammastola rosea, that will never flick hairs, will never display threat postures, and wont run away, on the other hand you could have one that flicks hairs as soon as you walk into the room, or one that just runs to their hide when you go near them... typically OW (old world) tarantula's are more defensive than NW (new world) OW tarantula's are also typically faster and harder to keep for.
hope this helped.

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## catfishrod69

also stressed tarantulas tend to just sit in a corner with the legs tucked in.

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## Amoeba

They will bring their legs around their body. Example

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## scuba113

how do you lessen the stress mine tends to do that alot just hide at the bottom of the cage and curl up sometimes other times its fine any thoughts on that


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## Status

reduce the noise or movement around where the T is.. keep its tank in a dark place, basically cater for all the needs the T has.


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## scuba113

I have all of that already i face her the other direction and not much light gets in that area while noise not much just when i have to feed them.


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## eporter

How long have you had it? Did you just put it in a new set up?  Sometimes it takes them a while to settle into a new set up.  One of mine was clinging to the wall for 10 days before it decided that it was okay to touch the substrate when I put my B. bohmei in a newer bigger cage.

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## Status

it could indeed be the substrate, it does depend on the species of T though, it could be the mentally of the T though, some T's HATE shadows as they think its a predator, could it be your shadow causing the stress? or the T could be sleeping. try and get a picture of the T curled up if you can.


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## eporter

+1 substrate and shadow could very well be the problem, in my case it was the exact same substrate it was on before and didn't have a problem with it, it just can't stand being put into a new situation.  like Status says, a picture of what your T is doing would be very helpful.

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## ZebraMan

I just got a Costa Rican zebra as my first T it did not want to eat the cricket I gave him. I tried to give him another one but he wouldn’t take it. He is stressed he only stays in a corner and won’t eat. Is this bad?


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## Crone Returns

ZebraMan said:


> I just got a Costa Rican zebra as my first T it did not want to eat the cricket I gave him. I tried to give him another one but he wouldn’t take it. He is stressed he only stays in a corner and won’t eat. Is this bad?


Pictures of the T and his cage, please.


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## the sith witch

If your tarantula is in pre-molt, it would not want to eat (it might actually not be able to eat at all past a certain point!) and so having a cricket in the enclosure at all might be stressful to it. Just remove the crickets and let the spider be for a little while. It takes a while for them to acclimate to a new home even if everything is perfect in it. It's just normal. And yep, pictures would help to determine if your setup could be a problem too, as not having a proper hide/burrow will stress a T out if it feels exposed all the time

Reactions: Agree 3


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## ZebraMan

@-crone and  @ the sith which the tarantula owner from the reptile store set it up for me. How long does it take for it to lose stress and adapt to his environment? Thanks


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## the sith witch

You spider doesn't very plump at first glance, so pre-molt can probably be ruled out and it might just be stressed form the relocation or it might have molted before you acquired it and not ready to eat yet. It looks fine at fist glance so I wouldn't worry too much unless you see the abdomen really shrink or it keeps staying in a ball o' legs mode. 

However there are some changes you should make for the enclosure, to prevent future problems. First, remove the sponge from the water dish, it'll just collect all sorts of dirt, poop(from crickets and T both) and bacteria and can't be cleaned, it's just an infection hazard. Second, the hide looks translucent? While tarantulas don't have good eyesight, they do see light and it might not feel secure in it as a result. Third, while I am not familiar with A. seemanni requirements specifically, the mesh cover to your enclosure might be letting too much humidity escape. But that 3rd point also depends on your ambient humidity and someone more familiar with that species can probably give more accurate info there.

And whoops, just noticed that thread is a wee bit old even if Zebra's question is recent XD

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## Nightshady

ZebraMan said:


> @-crone and  @ the sith which the tarantula owner from the reptile store set it up for me. How long does it take for it to lose stress and adapt to his environment? Thanks


Setup looks reasonable, but as Sith Witch pointed out, removing the sponge and getting a more seclusive hide would benefit your T. 

How long have you had the T exactly? It took one of mine like a week to settle in, although the other settled in almost immediately.  Perhaps it just needs more time? As far as not taking crickets, I wouldn’t get too concerned. Give it some time and I bet it will come around to eating. 

Make sure the temperature and humidity are in the ideal zones for your specific T. I would disregard internet care sheets and use the info placed on these boards as your guideline. I’m sure a quick search can find info on such topics.


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## ZebraMan

@the sith witch i put in a deep cup for him to hide in is this good? He is still stressed but went in his hide:

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## ZebraMan

@Nightshady ive had him for about 2 days now. What else can I give him water in?(suggestions please I’m a beginner) I only bought the sponge because I saw that tarantulas. An drown in water caps.


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## Nightshady

ZebraMan said:


> @Nightshady ive had him for about 2 days now. What else can I give him water in?(suggestions please I’m a beginner) I only bought the sponge because I saw that tarantulas. An frowne in water caps.


Two days isn’t a long time for a T to get comfortable with its new home. As I said, I had one settle in immediately, and one that seemed unsure of itself for almost a week. One of mine ate immediately after I got it, while the other took about a week and a half before it started eating.

As for the water, that container you have seems fine, just remove the sponge. I would consider partially burying it so that the lip is either even or just slightly higher than the substrate.

Also, I think you were trying to say in your post that you were afraid that the T could drown? That’s a myth according to the experts here. I don’t think there’s been any reported T drownings in water dishes.


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## ZebraMan

Thank you but my tarantula is alive it just won’t move I left it alone but it won’t drink


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## Nightshady

ZebraMan said:


> Thank you but my tarantula is alive it just won’t move I left it alone but it won’t drink


Pretty rare to see T’s drink from bowl. They get most of their hydration from their food. The biggest thing about having a water dish is to provide some ambient humidity, and of course it gives the T a source if it decides it does want a drink.


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## ZebraMan

I covered the outsides of the bowl with subsrate


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## ZebraMan

When will my Costa Rican zebra start to burrow?

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## Andrea82

That cup is not a suitable as a hide unless you chop it in halves. The hide needs to be open in the underside for your spider to be able to burrow. 
Remove the sponge asap. 
Do not add any more water to the substrate, it is more than damp enough. 
Make these changes and leave it alone after that for at least a week. 2 days is not nearly enough time for a spider to settle down. Some of mine took several weeks to get comfortable.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Arachnophoric

ZebraMan said:


> When will my Costa Rican zebra start to burrow?


Mine took a solid week before it started to excavate, then within a day rearranged the entirety of the kritter keeper. Make sure yours has deep enough substrate for the likely intricate tunneling it'll make.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## boina

As @Andrea82 already said that cup is not a suitable hide. It needs to be open at the bottom so the T can start excavating with the hide as starting point. That can still take a while. Mine took a couple of months until she started.

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## the sith witch

Like the others said, once you've rearranged the enclosure to make the T feel more secure and comfortable, wait at least a week before trying to feed it again so it can relax a little bit. No worries about the tarantula drowning, their hair are hydrophobic, they float and can swim. 
This is the kind of pet that requires a lot of patience   Be glad you didn't get a Rosie, then you could be in for a loooooong wait before it did anything. A. seemannis are more active I think, but like all tarantulas, do things at their own pace.


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## Arachnophoric

the sith witch said:


> A. seemannis are more active I think, but like all tarantulas, do things at their own pace.


I only own 1 atm, but definitely waaaay more active than my "rosie" girl. Mostly moving dirt around.













Aphonopelma Architecture



__ Arachnophoric
__ Nov 27, 2017
__ 1



						My A. seemanni is quite the interior decorator, and seems to be moving dirt around 24/7. I think...
					




This was all flat when I put her in there. You can't even tell that there's part of a hide under the green plant decoration.


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## ZebraMan

What do u think the appropriate size hide would be?


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## Andrea82

ZebraMan said:


> What do u think the appropriate size hide would be?


About the size of the cup you now have for a hide, only open at the bottom and half buried in the substrate. A piece of corkbark with a hole dug out beneath it is also good. Or a cut in half flowerpot.


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## ZebraMan

Thank you. My seemani won’t move but he is alive I give himcrickets and him crickets but he refuses to eat. Has not even givin a threat posture


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## Andrea82

ZebraMan said:


> Thank you. My seemani won’t move but he is alive I give himcrickets and him crickets but he refuses to eat. Has not even givin a threat posture


It's too soon. Not all spiders eat when just rehoused. Make the adjustment to the enclosure and leave it alone for a week. Try feeding again after that. Don't jostle the cage, shine bright lights on it or any other disturbance. Keep waterdish full but leave it alone. Moving is stressful for them, they need more time to adjust than other pets

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## CABIV

Alright,  let me tell you about my A. seemanni.    

At first I was a beginner similar to you, and so I kept it in a critter keeper that was wide and flat, with not enough depth to burrow, and just a half log hide and a water dish.

She would rarely come out, and when she did, it was usually in the middle the night, pacing the top of the cage, making tons of noise.







When I had space,  I upgraded her to a glass terrarium, though with similar results.  Despite a greater substrate depth,  It still wasn't enough.   I attempted to "bury" her log to make it more of a hide,   but she would literally dig out the hide every time.  She continued pacing the cage, to the point where I had to do something about the screen top since her toes would get stuck.  







Finally,  I decided to more or less fill the terrarium with  substrate,  so that when she went climbing at night she wouldn't fall to far.    I once again buried her hide (which she promptly excavated),  but after a few months, she started to dig a burrow, and she basically never leaves it.  Once in a while I'll catch her out in the open,  but she usually bails out as soon as I get too close. 







Her burrow basically goes down one side, then comes up  the other,  sticking against the glass the whole time.  Apparently, she doesn't have an issue with the light,  but thats her choice I suppose.     I usually over-fill her water dish,  and  the rest of the water tends to eventually soak into the substrate via capilary action.   The substrate is "barely" damp,  just enough to be clumpy but not feel wet.    other parts of the terrarium are basically bone dry, and the spider moves to where ever it needs too.  

The one big difference is that she  doesn't act weird and isn't  constantly roving her tank anymore.    On that note,  she basically didn't eat for  9 months  after  she built that burrow,    so don't worry if  yours doesn't eat right away.  

She actually molted  this past summer.  It was a little strange because  she didn't quite "darken up"  until pretty much immediately before she popped. 












So  hopefully,  these enourmous pictures give you an idea  of what is at least necessary.    She has about 7-8"  depth to dig in.   The substrate here is mostly coconut choir with maybe some topsoil mixed in.   She doesn't really use the hide unless she is out of her burrow.

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## CABIV

Nightshady said:


> Pretty rare to see T’s drink from bowl. They get most of their hydration from their food. The biggest thing about having a water dish is to provide some ambient humidity, and of course it gives the T a source if it decides it does want a drink.


That is funny you say that.   This one  does.   I definitely feed it enough,  and I do keept the moisture up,  but  I suspect they appreciate a drink from time to time.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nightshady

CABIV said:


> That is funny you say that.   This one  does.   I definitely feed it enough,  and I do keept the moisture up,  but  I suspect they appreciate a drink from time to time.


Cool pic! I’ve caught one of my T’s drinking once. Fun to see.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ZebraMan

Will noise effects tarantula


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## ZebraMan

Will this be a good place to put my T


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## Arachnophoric

ZebraMan said:


> Will this be a good place to put my T


Tarantulas cannot hear in a conventional way, but rather feel vibration. Very loud sounds cause vibration, and can bother your T, so if you got the full surround sound system, may wanna move it somewhere else.

That particular location looks like it may get a lot of traffic, and Ts generally prefer somewhere more secluded. My Ts have their own shelf, located in my bedroom closet, where it's quiet, dark, and warm. The Ts I have out in more visible areas noticeably hide more.


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## ZebraMan

Can a spider die from stress


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## Andrea82

ZebraMan said:


> Can a spider die from stress


As far as i know, no. Keepers can be subjected to burn out syndrome as a result from overmuch worrying though

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## ZebraMan

Can my A see man I become cold. Also can someone show me a picture of a stressed A seemanni thanks


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## Arachnophoric

ZebraMan said:


> Can my A see man I become cold. Also can someone show me a picture of a stressed A seemanni thanks


It can if your temperatures drop too low. If you're comfortable with the temperature in your home, so will your_ A. seemanni_. Temps between the high 60s and the low 80s are generally the best temp zones, IME. Higher temps promote a more active metabolism and activity, while lower temps the opposite.

A stressed _A. seemanni_ will look just like any other stressed tarantula; legs drawn in tight to "hide" itself and not moving around, generally camping out in a corner.

Edit - Here is a picture of my 0.1 _P. muticus_ (here you go, @Chris LXXIX ) the day I got her and stressed from shipping. Notice how she's pulled in tight and hiding her face. Any stressed tarantula will adopt a similar pose.












0.1 Pelinobius muticus



__ Arachnophoric
__ May 4, 2017
__ 3
__
pelinobius




						One of the only good pictures I got of this gorgeous girl before she disappeared into the...


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## Andrea82

@ZebraMan
Do you even read the answers people are posting?

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## Arachnophoric

Andrea82 said:


> @ZebraMan
> Do you even read the answers people are posting?


I was beginning to wonder the same thing

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## Chris LXXIX

Andrea82 said:


> @ZebraMan
> Do you even read the answers people are posting?

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ZebraMan

Yes I do and I appreciate them


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## Vanessa

Aphonopelma seemanni are a nervous species overall. Mine will most often pull her legs up to cover her carapace when I open the enclosure and I have had her for a long time. Some of them might never get over their nervousness, although many do when they reach full size and have less to worry about. 
It can take months for them to get accustomed to their new home and that is why it is always emphasized that they should be rehoused as little as possible. 
Your A.seemanni requires fairly deep substrate, a hide, a water dish, with fresh water in it only and nothing else, which should be overflowed a bit to create a bit more humidity. 
Leave them alone completely for a couple of weeks and only disturb them to fill the water dish. If they are acting that nervous, put off feeding for a couple of weeks.
Tarantulas do not do a lot. Some of them are a bit more active, and some will rearranging the stuff in their enclosure, but they really don't do much of anything. You'll have to get used to that.

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## CABIV

ZebraMan said:


> Can my A see man I become cold. Also can someone show me a picture of a stressed A seemanni thanks


It's difficult to convey this information via a photo,  because as a rule tarantulas don't move a whole lot.

Basically,  the only way to know if a tarantula is stressed, is if it is almost always huddled up (instead of relaxed)  and is constantly pacing the cage when it is not huddled up.   They must display this behavior persistently (over a few weeks).

Unfortunately, a tarantula may act like this  for a day or two then go back to normal.  It is also hard initially to recognize the difference between typical behaviors for an individual,  and unusual ones.  This is why observation over time is important,  and why no one can give you a clear cut photo and answer.

You really need to have your tarantula for a little while longer.  Try and set up you container similar to my description,  so it can dig,   and then give it somewhere to hide in the meantime.   As others mention,  put it in a low traffic area.

It will likely take months for it to feel comfortable enough to do "normal"  tarantula things.  Wait a week before feeding,  then just keep up with the food and water.


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## ZebraMan

Thank you. Is my A seemanni in premolt his abdomen turned black


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## TarantuLurf

Sorry, didn’t mean to post, can’t figure out how to delete!

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## lee1993

my a semmani made burrow all around its enclosure and blocked it off. which been about 5-6 month, not eaten either. i over fill water dish and occasionally i spray have enclosure just give it a little dampness


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## Angelo303

ZebraMan said:


> I just got a Costa Rican zebra as my first T it did not want to eat the cricket I gave him. I tried to give him another one but he wouldn’t take it. He is stressed he only stays in a corner and won’t eat. Is this bad?





the sith witch said:


> You spider doesn't very plump at first glance, so pre-molt can probably be ruled out and it might just be stressed form the relocation or it might have molted before you acquired it and not ready to eat yet. It looks fine at fist glance so I wouldn't worry too much unless you see the abdomen really shrink or it keeps staying in a ball o' legs mode.
> 
> However there are some changes you should make for the enclosure, to prevent future problems. First, remove the sponge from the water dish, it'll just collect all sorts of dirt, poop(from crickets and T both) and bacteria and can't be cleaned, it's just an infection hazard. Second, the hide looks translucent? While tarantulas don't have good eyesight, they do see light and it might not feel secure in it as a result. Third, while I am not familiar with A. seemanni requirements specifically, the mesh cover to your enclosure might be letting too much humidity escape. But that 3rd point also depends on your ambient humidity and someone more familiar with that species can probably give more accurate info there.
> 
> And whoops, just noticed that thread is a wee bit old even if Zebra's question is recent XD


 i purchased mine yesterday because it was the smales and i got it because it looks in a bad shape its abdomen is so small i wanted to give it a better place so it looks like this
	

		
			
		

		
	




and i fed it 1 little dubia roach 2 crickets he ate one and dropped one complete i offered him a 3rd one he grabbed it after a bit he just ripped the head off idk if its alright


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## Tancerek

Andrea82 said:


> As far as i know, no. Keepers can be subjected to burn out syndrome as a result from overmuch worrying though


So.. what are the possible most dire consequences of overstressing your Tarantula? Say, gentle species like Brachypelma.


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## kingshockey

ZebraMan said:


> @-crone and  @ the sith which the tarantula owner from the reptile store set it up for me. How long does it take for it to lose stress and adapt to his environment? Thanks


thats a poorly set up cage ditch the sponge buy a real cork wood flat or big cork round(split in half lenghth wise) buried at an angle while you add about a big bag maybe more or a brick of coco fiber to get the sub high enough to prevent fall risk to your t.far as losing the stress and adapting its got no other choice right now until you make the few changes needed to help it thrive. its not your fault i have seen worse from pet stores  along with their recommended set ups for keeping ts


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## The Grym Reaper

kingshockey said:


> thats a poorly set up cage ditch the sponge buy a real cork wood flat or big cork round(split in half lenghth wise) buried at an angle while you add about a big bag maybe more or a brick of coco fiber to get the sub high enough to prevent fall risk to your t.far as losing the stress and adapting its got no other choice right now until you make the few changes needed to help it thrive. its not your fault i have seen worse from pet stores  along with their recommended set ups for keeping ts


I doubt they'll see your reply given that they've not logged into the forum for nearly 5 years

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## kingshockey

The Grym Reaper said:


> I doubt they'll see your reply given that they've not logged into the forum for nearly 5 years


man i got tricked by a zombie thread again gotta remember to ckeck post date of threads i reply to

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## tarantulas118

kingshockey said:


> man i got tricked by a zombie thread again gotta remember to ckeck post date of threads i reply to


That literally happens to me all the time it’s so annoying

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## Tancerek

kingshockey said:


> man i got tricked by a zombie thread again gotta remember to ckeck post date of threads i reply to


this is not a zombie thread, I asked new question yesterday:


Tancerek said:


> So.. what are the possible most dire consequences of overstressing your Tarantula? Say, gentle species like Brachypelma.


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## kingshockey

Tancerek said:


> this is not a zombie thread, I asked new question yesterday:


it is a zombie thread it was started in 2017 confusion aside its things are easier when you just post a new thread with your question as to your question i dont actually know since i have never purposely or knowingly kept a t or any pet in stressful conditions. i feel its my responsiblity as the owner to provide the best care that i can for a pet that relies upon me for its survival.


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## Andrea82

Tancerek said:


> So.. what are the possible most dire consequences of overstressing your Tarantula? Say, gentle species like Brachypelma.


Holy zombie thread batman..   

The most dire consequences.. a stress curl? As long as the stress isn't caused by keeping them incorrectly, I wouldn't be able to name any other effect to be honest. If they're stressed they just hunker down and wait for whatever caused it passes and then continue on their spidery-things.

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## HooahArmy

Tancerek said:


> So.. what are the possible most dire consequences of overstressing your Tarantula? Say, gentle species like Brachypelma.


Halloween wasn't that long ago, so the dead will rise!!!

My family keeps a lot of 'gentle' species, and they do have marked behavior changes when they are stressed, such as when we were doing remodeling about 9 months back and everything in the house was rattling from the drilling and hammering. We didn't think the Ts would care, but they did. Here's some of what our Ts did, according to our T journal, Brachys included:
- Enter stress curls, like Andrea82 mentioned.
- Burrow when they usually did not, or stay in their burrows for up to a week or so after the construction completed.
- The Curly Hair (T. albo), Red Rump (T. vagans), L. parahybanas, and Red Knee (B. hamorii) began to toss more hairs onto their webs or around their burrows.
- Become more defensive (our Old Worlds especially), throwing threat poses more often when people walked by.
- Seal their burrow (Our Ceratogyrus did this)
- Refuse food (Golden Blue Leg/ H. pulcripes, Fire Leg/ B. boehmei, B. hamorii, and T. albo)

These are some of the signs we saw of stress, but I'm sure there are others, depending on what species you have and what the irritation might be. I hope these details help with identifying stress for the future, in addition to what others are posting.


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## curtisgiganteus

I just rehoused a C lividus about a week and a half ago maybe. She is sealed up in her hide in what is being called the stress curl. She’s fat and otherwise healthy, just new enclosure. It may take a month it may take 3 months but so long as the T is getting optimal husbandry, it will be fine.


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