A. Seemanni Closed Off Its Burrow?

[yoursuperman01]

My Aphonopelma Seemanni seemed to be doing just fine in its enclosure the first month and a half. It dug a beautifully large burrow and used its log hide as the entrance. It was eating regularly and was very explorative. I noticed sometime after that it sealed up the burrow’s entrance with substrate and doesn’t come out anymore. I got worried and moved some substrate to expose its burrow so I could attempt to feed it a few days ago. It sealed up the hole I made once again. Is this normal? Should I be looking for evidence of a trap door? Does it have something to do with the time of year? Please help.

 

[magouilles]

My Aphonopelma Seemanni seemed to be doing just fine in its enclosure the first month and a half. It dug a beautifully large burrow and used its log hide as the entrance. It was eating regularly and was very explorative. I noticed sometime after that it sealed up the burrow’s entrance with substrate and doesn’t come out anymore. I got worried and moved some substrate to expose its burrow so I could attempt to feed it a few days ago. It sealed up the hole I made once again. Is this normal? Should I be looking for evidence of a trap door? Does it have something to do with the time of year? Please help.

it’s completely normal she’s most likely just in premolt don’t try to open up her burrow she’ll do just fine down there without eating

 

[yoursuperman01]

it’s completely normal she’s most likely just in premolt don’t try to open up her burrow she’ll do just fine down there without eating

Thanks. I’ve been following the advice of “The Tarantula Collective” on YouTube. I know that Ts can go about 2 years without food as long as they have water available. So, I should just continue to drip water down the corners of its terrarium weekly, make sure the water dish is full and occasionally overflow it?

 

[magouilles]

Thanks. I’ve been following the advice of “The Tarantula Collective” on YouTube. I know that Ts can go about 2 years without food as long as they have water available. So, I should just continue to drip water down the corners of its terrarium weekly, make sure the water dish is full and occasionally overflow it?

A.Seemanni are dry species so I wouldn’t drip water down the corners except if its a sling
Is your substrate damp? and at what stage is your T? sling, juvenile or adult?

 

[Hakuna]

A.Seemanni are dry species so I wouldn’t drip water down the corners except if its a sling
Is your substrate damp? and at what stage is your T? sling, juvenile or adult?

A. Seemanni should be kept on moist substrate whether they are slings or adults; so yes dribble some water down the side every once in a while to have a moisture gradient in the soil depth. Your spider will be able to choose what it wants.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I noticed sometime after that it sealed up the burrow’s entrance with substrate and doesn’t come out anymore.

They do this when approaching a moult or when they otherwise don't want to be disturbed.

I got worried and moved some substrate to expose its burrow so I could attempt to feed it a few days ago.

In future don't do this, it likely won't eat and you don't want to risk losing a live feeder down the hole and having it eat your tarantula while its moulting.

It sealed up the hole I made once again. Is this normal?

Yes.

A.Seemanni are dry species

No, they're not. They're a subtropical species and actually appreciate some moisture in the substrate.

 

[magouilles]

They do this when approaching a moult or when they otherwise don't want to be disturbed.



In future don't do this, it likely won't eat and you don't want to risk losing a live feeder down the hole and having it eat your tarantula while its moulting.



Yes.



No, they're not. They're a subtropical species and actually appreciate some moisture in the substrate.

they can do completely fine with just overflowing the water dish when juvenile and adult
they come from tropical countries but live in drier forests so therefore can live completely good on dry substrate with a bit of moisture but they can also live on damper substrate, but it’ll just come to molding issues so I keep mine on dry substrate with overflowing her water dish once in a while and she’s been doing fine for a long time
so overflowing the water dish give them the tiny amount of moisture they enjoy when juvenile and adult
but you can choose weither to keep it on damper or drier substrate, it’ll thrive either way
as slings it’s different though

 

[The Grym Reaper]

but it’ll just come to molding issues

That's either an issue with your setups or you're overwatering, mould is the result of excess moisture and insufficient airflow.

it’ll thrive either way

Nope, they're hardy enough to survive in dry setups (they tend to straddle the water dish a lot when kept like this though), they thrive in moist setups.

 

[justanotherTkeeper]

they can do completely fine with just overflowing the water dish when juvenile and adult
they come from tropical countries but live in drier forests so therefore can live completely good on dry substrate with a bit of moisture but they can also live on damper substrate, but it’ll just come to molding issues so I keep mine on dry substrate with overflowing her water dish once in a while and she’s been doing fine for a long time

This is a hardy species. Just because your T is surviving your husbandry doesn't necessarily mean it's "doing fine." It means your care hasn't been bad enough to kill your animal. T's can be incredibly resilient and adapt to survive. But there's no question they'd do better under ideal conditions

 

[magouilles]

This is a hardy species. Just because your T is surviving your husbandry doesn't necessarily mean it's "doing fine." It means your care hasn't been bad enough to kill your animal. T's can be incredibly resilient and adapt to survive. But there's no question they'd do better under ideal conditions

hmm..interesting
that’s not what I’ve read before but the people I know that keep theirs this way could also be wrong
I own books about spiders and tarantulas and I know for a fact that live in drier forests but experience many moisture changes throughout the year so I usually drip water in their enclosures once in a while to recreate their natural habitat
but thanks for letting me know they thrive even more on damper substrate I’ll drip water more often
I wasn’t trying to give false informations

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

A. Seemanni should be kept on moist substrate whether they are slings or adults; so yes dribble some water down the side every once in a while to have a moisture gradient in the soil depth. Your spider will be able to choose what it wants.

Aphonopelma seemanni slings definitely in a humid environment. Aphonopelma seemanni as sub adults and adults can be kept dry with a water dish in the enclosure. This species adapts well in dry conditions. No such thing to keep this species in moist substrate all its life. It’s an old urban legend.

Aphonopelma seemanni 100% dry substrate hehe .

 

[Hakuna]

Cool story bro. They still benefit from moisture. They’re also fossorial so I hope you have some depth in that sub.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Cool story bro. They still benefit from moisture. They’re also fossorial so I hope you have some depth in that sub.

Tarantulas natural habitat most if not all terrestrial tarantulas will live most of their life in a burrow. In captivity tarantulas don’t always live in their burrows. I have yet to see a new world tarantula live in her burrow for a week lol.

 

[magouilles]

Cool story bro. They still benefit from moisture. They’re also fossorial so I hope you have some depth in that sub.

I’m a strong believer that every tarantula has their own preferences
I have fossorials that don’t burrow at all even if they have enough depth to do so and arboreals who don’t climb that much even if they have alot of height to do so
if you know your tarantula enough, you can make an appropriate enclosure for what it personally enjoys (that doesn’t go for moisture and temperature obviously)

 

[bchristie]

Mine was in her burrow, capped off for 12 months. I occasionally would mist the top layer of substrate and kept water dish filled. One day she emerged and ate a few days later. She now goes in her burrow for a few days and sits at the entrance when she wants food.