A. Seemanni Burrowing

[BooyaTarantula]

Hey all,

First off i'd like to thank everybody on Arachnoboards who have answered the questions i've had, the replies have always been informative and helpful, you guys all rock. On everyone's advice I changed the amount of substrate in my A. Seemanni's KK so that there is only around 6-7 inches from the roof to the dirt, allowing her around 8-9 inches to burrow. She thoroughly enjoyed this change, and has now created what appears to be an underground labyrinth beneath her hide. This poses a new problem, since there is no possible way i can see inside her twisting and turning cavern i can't see her at all, and since she is a juve. this means i won't know when she's molting or really be able to reach in and take uneaten cricks out. What should I do? I'm glad she likes the amount of dirt she has to work with, but I can't even tell if she's actually in there or not! for all i know she could be molting right now, and being attacked by a cricket, or worse, she could have escaped and i'd never know. Anyways, your guys thoughts/opinions/answers are always greatly appreciated!

 

[cheetah13mo]

Don't worry about it. She will take out any cricket peices or molt exuvia herself and lay them somewhere else in the cage. When she is ready to molt, she will seel up the entrence to her home to prevent anything from getting in. It's up to you to make sure when you see the enterence webbed up, to remove any food before anything could happen. Most of my T's are in places where I can't see what's going on and there is nothing to worry about. They can take better care of themselves the you can so just trust that they know what they are doing and let them enjoy their privacy. I'm glad she likes the new setup. A little adjustment here and there can make all the difference.

 

[thunderthief]

My A. seemanni did the same thing. I havent seen anything of her/him for about 3 weeks. The entrance the the burrow is completely sealed off with a plug of substrate. All I can do is wait till she/he decides the come out again.

 

[Dustin]

mine dont burrow :| i kinda want it to i guess it might burrow if it dident have a hide that i put in there for her

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Yeah, they are nocturnal creatures right? So does that mean theres a good chance of catching a glimpse in the wee hours of the morning? How do you do that without turning the lights on which i assume would not be a good idea?

 

[thunderthief]

I have a couple of red bulb lamps setup for night time viewing. Works a treat.

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Red bulbs? I think I have one of those for my lizard, for night time. Do the black/blue lights work then too? The other thing is, since she's gone through this much work to get setup (there was another mound on her water dish this morning) what should I do about cage cleaning? I read once a month is appropriate, is that the case with diggers? Seems like it'll be a big shock for her when I have to tear up half the cage to find her and then fill it all in again with fresh dirt! Thanks for the replies, guys

 

[octoo]

I think cleaning once a month is very soon for cleaning out a t tank unless there is an outbreak of mold or mites that you need to clear up right away. You can refill their waterdish and take remains out, but other than that, you shouldn't need to clean you tarantula's enclosure out but once maybe every year.

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Allright, here is another question to do with my fiesty little burrower. I have been checking her cage meticulously and it looks like the entrance to her lair has caved in. I was wondering if this is what you all meant by "sealed" and when i should be concerned that she is stuck underneath all that dirt. Maybe i fret too much (probably) but i care for the critter and i want to provide the best environment i can for her. I suppose in the wild if something caved in on her she'd have to be able enough to dig herself out, but then again maybe they'd just die since they produce so many offspring that many of them are naturally disposed of like this? Thanks for the support, team. Hopefully i will soon be educated and removed of my noobie status.

 

[octoo]

I think the best thing to do is just wait. From what I've read, people with this problem have said they're burrowers had simply dug themselves out. Maybe give her a bit more time. Sorry I can't be of more help.

I envy you for your burrowing seemani. I had hoped mine would burrow, but she seems perfectly content living inside the little half log I have provided her. x)

 

[thunderthief]

Well my A. seemanni had dug a HUGE burrow then REALLY sealed over the entrance, I left her alone as I presumed she was premolt. Well today I took out her tank to mist and I couldnt see where the burrow met the side of the tank, so I lefted it up turned the whole thing around and eventually found she had dug all the way to the other sied and had dug a new entrance up to the top!!!! Very VERY impressive!!

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Haha, wow! That is some intense digging skill! It is kind of strange that some don't burrow at all considering the extent that t.thief and mine are going to on a regular basis, maybe it's because mine is young. If they have their adult coloration they are referred to as subadults right? I think that's what mine is, so maybe they are a little more intense when they are little because they are more vulnerable. Mine is only around 2 1/2 inches right now, but if she IS molting, i guess she'll be bigger now. I heard that the substrate should be kept relatively dry, and then i read a post that said it should be damp and i'm not sure which is right. It seems like spraying the surface won't do too much besides get them wet if they are huddling down below? Either way, i always make sure there is some moisture in the tank.

 

[octoo]

I just keep a waterdish full for her. I may mist a little while she's molting, but other than that I don't mist the tank on a regular basis. I do however, have books on either side of the tank to hold the lid down before I can purchase tank clips which helps hold moisture in a little.

Yeah it's funny how different their personalities can be. Maybe mine will burrow when she gets tired of her log. x) I heard that since they were oppurtunistic burrowers, if you provide a hide, some may just use that instead of digging.

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Mine has a hide, which she liked and then decided to burrow underneath. Found her today, she had rerouted her tunnel system and has a method to get back to the surface, so i am guessing she had some cave-in malfunctions. if she had molted she would be active and out and about right? i really don't know how to tell.

 

[octoo]

If she molted you could see a huge difference in her appearance, and I'm sure she'd be out stretching and drying out.