A seemanni color change - molt?

[Nightinghoul]

The water dish game and I am losing.

• Drea
• Apr 21, 2019
• 2
• aphonopelma aphonopelma seemanni costa rican zebra tarantula male seemanni striped-knee tarantula

Why do I feel like he can think and is saying, “ I want to play a game. I have completely...

A. seemanni looking extra pretty today

• Drea
• Apr 16, 2019
• 1
• aphonopelma aphonopelma seemanni costa rican zebra tarantula seemanni striped-knee tarantula

There is a tunnel that leads down from there just behind her. Ever since I moved her future...

Male and female. The male is the devious one who mucks up his water dish every day. Every.... day.... :0

They’re gorgeous!

 

[Drea]

Yep! I keep it slightly moist. I actually haven’t even sexed her due to her not molting lol, I just call it a her.

Mine are all hers to proven male. My wishful think. I will it so it will be so. You can always post a clear picture of her unmentionables and people her will give it shot.

I was told the same thing in the past and she did not do well in an enclosure that had deep substrate. She didn’t burrow at all when I set her up that way. She is much more active in this new setup. Respectfully disagree.

I am on board with the extra vertical space not being a plus. The reason is that A. Seemanni’s are big bodied T’s and they like to climb. If your T climbs to the top and loses her footing, she could easily rupture her abdomen or break a limb.

I have a G. Porteri that fell no more then 3 inches and she broke her leg. Terrestrials should not be given much climbing space because they think they are spider monkeys and find out the hard way that they are not.

Another thing to consider, usually when T’s claim a place as a home, they won’t move around much because they stay very close to their hides/ borrows.

Sometimes they move around a lot because they don’t feel cozy and want to keep searching.

And sometimes, the behavior makes no sense at all.

 

[Thekla]

I was told the same thing in the past and she did not do well in an enclosure that had deep substrate. She didn’t burrow at all when I set her up that way. She is much more active in this new setup. Respectfully disagree.

A. seemannis often need months to adjust and start burrowing, and they're obligate burrowers, it's in their nature. So, to make them feel comfortable, I'd provide what they need to feel comfortable.

Also, this set up could be fatal if she decides to climb and fall, especially with those scattered stones in there.

I'm not sure about your ventilation as well. I suppose this is a converted little greenhouse, something designed to keep humidity in, but what you need is some kind of ventilation to have some air flow. Otherwise, it'll get stuffy in there and stuffy conditions are never good for tarantulas.

Disagree as much as you like, I'm just worried about your T.

 

[Nightinghoul]

A. seemannis often need months to adjust and start burrowing, and they're obligate burrowers, it's in their nature. So, to make them feel comfortable, I'd provide what they need.

Also, this set up could be fatal if she decides to climb and fall, especially with those scattered stones in there.

I'm not sure about your ventilation as well. I suppose this is a converted little greenhouse, something designed to keep humidity in, but what you need is some kind of ventilation to have some air flow. Otherwise, it'll get stuffy in there and stuffy conditions are never good for tarantulas.

Disagree as much as you like, I'm just worried about your T.

The enclosure has cross ventilation. I’ll add more substrate. She is very weird when it comes to behavior. Some days she does nothing, some days she moves around. She was in deep substrate for months and didn’t burrow. I gave her a starter burrow and she just sat in it all the time. In the past, she would often tuck herself together like she was stressed. It’s only lately that she has started to stop that. I’ll definitely adjust the height, I wouldn’t want her to fall. She’s just a weird T to be honest lol. Thanks for the help.

 

[Drea]

The enclosure has cross ventilation. I’ll add more substrate. She is very weird when it comes to behavior. Some days she does nothing, some days she moves around. She was in deep substrate for months and didn’t burrow. I gave her a starter burrow and she just sat in it all the time. In the past, she would often tuck herself together like she was stressed. It’s only lately that she has started to stop that. I’ll definitely adjust the height, I wouldn’t want her to fall. She’s just a weird T to be honest lol. Thanks for the help.

She definitely falls in the behavior makes no sense at all groups. My Ephebopus murinus is the only full fossorial in my collection. Deepest substrate and never went into the borrows.

In fact, she covered the holes and made her home on top of the hide for almost 8 months. I rehoused her 5 times and she still didn’t dig and covered holes. I gave up and figured, she eats, she drinks, she webs up the top of her hid, she is fine. The next morning, she dug all the way down and I hardly ever see her now.

You T is healthy looking, drinking water, decent weight, just being a weird. After you add more substrate and reduce the the height, I would say you are doing all you can and not to worry.


If any time you have questions or concerns, just remember that is what AB is for. Please update soon.

 

[PidderPeets]

I was told the same thing in the past and she did not do well in an enclosure that had deep substrate. She didn’t burrow at all when I set her up that way. She is much more active in this new setup. Respectfully disagree.

For what it's worth, it took my female months to finally start expanding upon the premade burrow I made for her. But once she finally did start burrowing, she made a nice long tunnel for herself. This species seems to take a while to get properly settled in, but that just means it should be treated with a little more patience than some other species. I know it was already mentioned, but it can't be stressed enough that another big part of why high substrate is important is for the safety of your T.

I'm also going to mention that there's absolutely no need for you to keep trying to feed her. She's not eating because she's very full. As someone else already mentioned when this thread was originally started, she might not even need to eat again until after she molts. With slow growers like this, being overweight is particularly dangerous, because they spend a longer time between molts and therefore spend a longer time with an increased risk of an abdomen rupture (which is fatal). Tarantulas aren't like most other animals that need food frequently. Tarantulas have very slow metabolisms, and a good meal keeps them going for a long time. I've fed my girl maybe 2 or 3 times in the past 6 months because she has a healthy sized abdomen and isn't that interested in food.

That said, please understand that the others and myself aren't bringing this up to pick on you or give you grief. We truly care for your new pet and only want what's best for it. As @Drea already mentioned, if you ever have questions, ask. There's always someone here to help.

 

[Paul1126]

A. seemanni have low food requirements, dig a lot and prefer moist substrate.
Mine is 10cm roughly and I feed it pre killed because it literally stays underground all the time. He takes pre killed just fine, he comes up to the top in ambush mode but when I open the lid he bolts back down into the burrow.
You 100% need to give these deep substrate, as mentioned it is in their nature to borrow.

Aphonopelma seemanni

• Paul1126
• May 6, 2018
• aphonopelma aphonopelma seemanni costa rican zebra tarantula feeding seemanni

Feeding

 

[Vanisher]

Ignore that inept lol idk where it came from

I’ve actually changed her enclosure a couple times now. I had her in an enclosure with deep substrate for months and she didn’t burrow, so I decided to give her a new enclosure with a hide that she is now digging underneath.

Lol, true! I’ve actually changed her enclosure a couple times now. I had her in an enclosure with deep substrate for months and she didn’t burrow, so I decided to give her a new enclosure with a hide that she is now digging underneath. She seems to be most comfortable in this new setup.

That angle on the top of terrarium in combo with to little sub is not the best! You need to ad much more sub. What kind of bentilation is there. Even if the tank is beutiful, there are better suited cages

 

[Nightinghoul]

That angle on the top of terrarium in combo with to little sub is not the best! You need to ad much more sub. What kind of bentilation is there. Even if the tank is beutiful, there are better suited cages

I will add some. It has plenty of cross ventilation.

For what it's worth, it took my female months to finally start expanding upon the premade burrow I made for her. But once she finally did start burrowing, she made a nice long tunnel for herself. This species seems to take a while to get properly settled in, but that just means it should be treated with a little more patience than some other species. I know it was already mentioned, but it can't be stressed enough that another big part of why high substrate is important is for the safety of your T.

I'm also going to mention that there's absolutely no need for you to keep trying to feed her. She's not eating because she's very full. As someone else already mentioned when this thread was originally started, she might not even need to eat again until after she molts. With slow growers like this, being overweight is particularly dangerous, because they spend a longer time between molts and therefore spend a longer time with an increased risk of an abdomen rupture (which is fatal). Tarantulas aren't like most other animals that need food frequently. Tarantulas have very slow metabolisms, and a good meal keeps them going for a long time. I've fed my girl maybe 2 or 3 times in the past 6 months because she has a healthy sized abdomen and isn't that interested in food.

That said, please understand that the others and myself aren't bringing this up to pick on you or give you grief. We truly care for your new pet and only want what's best for it. As @Drea already mentioned, if you ever have questions, ask. There's always someone here to help.

I appreciate that! I haven’t tried to feed her in a long time. Just waiting for a molt.

 

[Vanisher]

The enclosure has cross ventilation. I’ll add more substrate. She is very weird when it comes to behavior. Some days she does nothing, some days she moves around. She was in deep substrate for months and didn’t burrow. I gave her a starter burrow and she just sat in it all the time. In the past, she would often tuck herself together like she was stressed. It’s only lately that she has started to stop that. I’ll definitely adjust the height, I wouldn’t want her to fall. She’s just a weird T to be honest lol. Thanks for the help.

I couldnt see any crossventilation on the picture. Yes change the set up. It would be best! Good luck

 

[Nightinghoul]

I couldnt see any crossventilation on the picture. Yes change the set up. It would be best! Good luck

I added holes along the top and bottom on all sides.

 

[Vanisher]

I will add some. It has plenty of cross ventilation.

Ok! Is your A semanni defenssive? My female was very defenssive!

 

[Nightinghoul]

Ok! Is your A semanni defenssive? My female was very defenssive!

Yes, she is. She doesn’t ever bolt or strike, she always throws up a threat posture. But it’s always a slow and lazy one lol. She’s actually never even locked hairs at me. She came like that from the seller. Idk what they did to make her kick so much, cause I’ve never even seen her try with me.

 

[cold blood]

I was told the same thing in the past and she did not do well in an enclosure that had deep substrate. She didn’t burrow at all when I set her up that way. She is much more active in this new setup. Respectfully disagree.

Fossorials are notorious for taking excessive amounts of time to acclimate to new enclosures, seemani is no different It could take several months before they start burrowing....changing housing for these is exceptionally stressful and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

You need to give it more time and not freak out and change things so quickly.....if its not burrowing, its not a big deal , nor is it an indicator that the t doesn't like the set up.

 

[Drea]

Yes, she is. She doesn’t ever bolt or strike, she always throws up a threat posture. But it’s always a slow and lazy one lol. She’s actually never even locked hairs at me. She came like that from the seller. Idk what they did to make her kick so much, cause I’ve never even seen her try with me.

My male runs and stays out of sight unless I am changing the dirty water dish... which is almost every day. That is the only time he stays under his leaf with pedipalps up like he is truly enjoying his handiwork work.

My female just stays right where she is. Doesn’t bolt, doesn’t threat, doesn’t move unless I am about an inch from her. She would be the type that would give no indication of an imminent bite if I got to close. I always use the tongs with her.

 

[Warren870]

My A seemanni sat under her cork bark hide for 5 months. Then all of a sudden one day something clicked and she dug very extensive tunnels all throughout her enclosure. We're talking around two feet of zigzagging tunnels with a large burrow in the deepest part.