1st Pokey...Problem already! Can u help?

[Iktomi]

Help! Just got my first Pokey...a regalis named Apu.
I tried getting her into her new home and spent the last 15 minutes having a heart attack. She ran over my hand...she ran across the table...she ran behind the fruit bowl, IN the fruit bowl, and under the table. All I could think about was how I was going to tell my wife that we'd have to be careful 'cause there's a pokey running around the house. You know, with the kids n' all!
Attached are the photos...
you'll see where she is and where she has to go...any suggestions!?

 

[Iktomi]

BTW...she IS in the white cup...I caught her. Just don't know how to get her in the other!

 

[jwb121377]

I had the same problem until the tarantula made it's tube web. Your best bet is take lid off part way and set the deli cup and all in the enclosure and wait for the t to come out on its own. You may want to try a taller enclosure with a smaller opening so it is hard for the P. reglis to run out while doing daily task(IE cleaning feeding watering ect..)

 

[DiStUrBeD-OnE]

Put the cup inside the Kritter keeper, open the lid to the deli cup, and take the cup out of the kritter keeper once hes out of the deli cup, i do that with all my spiders.. their to fast for me;P


Ian

 

[jwb121377]

Oh yeah here is a pic of my basic setup. It seem to lessen the chance of escape..

 

[TheDon]

did u end up getting her back into the container or is she still running around your house somewhere? If u have caught her just put the smaller container into the bigger container then undo the lid and close the tank up... when she limbs out and decides to hide somewhere open th etank back up and take the other container out. That how I moved my suntiger originally

peace

TheDon

DiStUrBeD-OnE beat me to it

 

[Iktomi]

Thanks for all the help! I just got her in the Keeper but not without a fight!
I put the cup in the keeper and she came out...I SSLLOOWWLLYY began to remove the deli cup and BAM! She was under the table again. :?
This time my wife was home. Luckily she likes spiders but she did threaten to take the kids and sleep at her mother's.
Holy crap is that little guy fast. I thought my P. murinus was fast but it's NOTHING compared to this little regalis!

Here she is!

 

[conipto]

Ok, let me be the one to give you the possibly unpopular but very effective method I use.
Method A:

1. First, get a stick/thin paintbrush (with a thin handle), pair of long forceps, etc.

2. Crack the lid open so that you have room to move the touching object around inside, but so that there is insufficient room for the T to escape.

3. Piss off the tarantula. Guide it in random directions, using a gentle touch. You'll notice that after a minute or two, it really doesn't care what you do, and you may be able to steer it easily into the new cage with the touching object by the back legs.

4. Close lid on new cage.

I've found this to be pretty effective, overall. Should it seem to never want to calm down, however, you might want to try an alternate method. The trick here is to be calm about it, and just do it. While the Poecilotheria spp. bite reports may be quite bad indeed, I think the likelyhood of one biting, especially at that size, is lower than most people think. I have handled all of mine, and once I stopped worrying about it, they weren't bad at all. I had more trouble using methods like you are now, with my hands shaking, and worried about it all. I had a pokey all over my table, and almost lost. The next time I moved it, I guided it out onto my hand (after calming it down using the piss off method) and just steered it into a new cage.

Still, every specimen is different. Do you you feel is wisest.
I've also heard of this 'plastic bag' method which I don't personally think much of, but the gist of it is you use a plastic bag to transfer the T in. My thought is you can get bit just as easily, and are possibly more likely to get bit if the T feels disturbances all over it's body. Those fangs can bite through cockroach exoskeleton, why can't they beat glad sandwich bags . However, a number of people do this, and I think the main reason it is succesfull is people fear a bite less without actually contacting the T.

Also, you could put that container on end (as IMO it should be for an arboreal T), open the door, and quickly put the cup (opened) over the door hole. Depending on size however, you may have a pokey get mad and just crawl along the outside of the cup with the holes where the cup meets the door on the corners. (circular peg in rectangular hole)

I'm not reccommending you handle it, but I think the worry may be your worst enemy here.

Bill

Edit - Nevermind

 

[pelo]

I'd put a peice of corkbark standing at one end of the container.It's aboreal so odds are it'll climb and web up behind the cork(between the corkbark and plastic endwall).This would help in preventing escapes when you pop the lid for feeding/cleaning/watering.Webbed up between the corkbark and the end plastic wall will also make her quite visible for viewing.Just a thought...peace..

 

[Iktomi]

Thanks for all that Conipto...
I think I inadvertantly used a bit of your method...pissing her off I mean. But she didn't seem to calm down at all.
She also sprinted further than I expected. Instead sprinting about 12 inches then stopping...she'd go 3-4 feet at a time. Made it difficult.
I agree with your theory on biting, though. I noticed that the whole time I was chasing her around (much of that time was used trying to guide her with forceps to an area that I could get a deli cup around her) she NEVER tried to bite. Only ran.
L. parahybana is still my favorite...but it's pretty early in my Pokey adventure, no?

 

[Phillip]

I'm with Bill.

I fully believe that worry is the biggest obstacle to get past when moving a quick one. Also the method he described works quite well. Another method I sometimes use to avoid a speedster getting under my shelves and having to chase it all over is to do the transfer outside on the lawn. This allows plenty of room for the unexpected speed burst as well as giving room to simply set the open container next to it's new home and slowly coax in in. Most of the time once they start up the side of the new container once hitting the top they go over the edge and down into it allowing you to close it up. To me the best thing about doing it outside would be that if you have a particularily uncooporative specimen you can simply let it run a bit till it tires. Then they seem to get it out of their system and are easier to manipulate. Another thing worth mentioning is that on the don't worry part... I have noticed that as you become less concerned about doing something wrong or getting bitten that you tend to move in a slower more controled manner which in turn upsets the T less and seems to cause less running. It almost becomes like you can suggest where you want them to go by gently touching them and they respond. Of course there are always some that don't play so nice and can be a real pain.

Phil

 

[SpiderTwin]

I've got a 4"+ P. formosa that I need to move to a larger container. Some of the ideas in this thread will be helpful when I get ready to move her.

Good luck with your pokie Inktomi

 

[SkyeSpider]

I don't know why no one mentioned this, but here's my method I use with my H. maculata and other fast agressive arboreals:

CHILL THE SPIDER. Tarantulas are cold blooded. If you stick them in the refridgerator for a short amount of time (around 20 minutes), they slow down A LOT. Be careful, because it is possible to kill the spider if you keep them in too long (or forget about them).

Once they're chilled, they're VERY easy to guide out using a paintbrush or other implement.

-Bryan

 

[Phillip]

Why I left out chilling...

I didn't mention the fridge thing because even though I know it can be done it simply is not worth risking the T to me personally. They don't do well when cold and the problem with the fridge is that to chill them enough to slow them down you have to come dangerously close to harming them. Or at least closer than I wish to come when there are other equally easy ways to move them.

Sure it works for some but it's just a risk I'm not willing to take when simply allowing enough room for them to bolt if they choose to and having a catch cup handy is really all you need.

Phil

 

[luther]

I'll chime in by repeating something mentioned above. For an arboreal setup it's common to turn the critter keeper on it's end, so that the opening becomes a front door. This gives the T more height to work with and lessens the chances of an escape when you need to change the water bowl. The pokey doesn't care much about floor space, just vertical height.

The transfer method I prefer is just to loosen the lid of the deli cup and place the whole thing unopened in the tank. The T will find it's way out after a short while. She'll find a vertical retreat, make a web and then you can "easily" remove the empty cup.

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by TheEternal
CHILL THE SPIDER.

Hi Bryan,
Even though I know this is an 'accepted' method, I could never bring myself to putting any T into a cold state, just to manouver it, I've never felt the need. Everything I keep I manouver in natural temps, if I couldn't, I wouldn't keep it. Thing I honestly feel is anyone can handle any T easily if given the right info and there are plenty of enthusiasts here who know these things, including the fast arboreals.

I'm not saying anything here regarding you personally Bryan, many other experts recommend this as an acceptable method for easier handling, I just believe there's no need to risk it. I can't agree with Co2 or Nitrogen either, unless restrained handling is required (injury).

Cheers,
Steve

 

[luther]

Here's a pic from the ATS web site that shows an arboreal pet pal setup:

 

[Iktomi]

For those putting the Keeper on end...do you just line the bottom of the lid with plastic?

I haven't used this idea yet, but I plan to. When I need to remove an exuvum or other "debris" from the tank (not a full cleaning) I'm going to open the door to the top and tape a piece of saran wrap over it. Then I'm going put put two puncture holes in it for the 18" forceps. This way if she runs, she can't get out. Once out of the way and not running I can remove the debris along with the saran wrap and close the lid. Kind of like an incubator with arm holes so people can work inside the tank. I know it's a bit of a pain, but with a small pokey and a small enclosure...no chance she'll bolt as soon as I disturb the wrong leaf or something.

 

[Joanie]

This is slightly off topic, but regarding sexual dimorphism in pokeys: is Inktomi's a male and Conipto's a female? I just want to make sure I have this right.

Joanie

 

[Static_69]

Inktomi,
i wrapped seran wrap along the bottom of the pet pal...and it keeps the substrate in perfect and allows the lid to be slipped on and off for my nephew's pinktoe.




Risto