A tarantula doing tarantula things with a ping pong ball

[Czech prime]

It's been over a month since i gave my G. rosea a ping pong ball and she was just ignoring it

But today was different

 

[basin79]

A massive guess but that could be stressful for her. She's trying to right herself thinking the ball is an anchor and is unable to.

Like I typed though. That's a guess.

 

[Czech prime]

A massive guess but that could be stressful for her. She's trying to right herself thinking the ball is an anchor and is unable to.

Like I typed though. That's a guess.

Could be yeah. But she ended up throwing it off pretty soon (she had it on for half a minute maybe)

 

[Nixphat]

I'm glad you posted this! I actually read about this a while back where someone put a ping pong ball in their T enclosure, which made me interested as well. I've done this with my two G porteri and have watched them both doing very similar and interesting things. I think it has been 3 or 4 months since I put them in? At first, like @basin79 says, the T doesn't quite understand what it is. They climb on it, and usually roll over (like in the video), then they take their fangs and use them to pretty much figure out what the ping pong is. They put some force into it, which made me pretty nervous about if they punctured the ping pong ball, but I never saw enough force to really dent the ball or anything.

After a while, they would push the ping pong balls around the enclosure from time to time. That is really the coolest part of the whole experience, they use multiple legs and push and roll it in this way I can't describe, but it's pretty fun to watch. Sometimes Chloe would bring the ping pong ball over to where she usually sits, and then she would kind of hug the ball on one side and stable herself on the other side.

Ultimately though, in time it seems they have both discarded their ping pong balls. Claire put hers in the corner, hasn't touched it, moved it, or acknowledged its existence. She even has been digging a relatively sizable hole, except where the ping pong ball is, it is up an inch or so now in the corner by itself . Chloe pushed hers into her hide where she usually has been leaving her bolus, so one can only assume. I moved it again and she pushed it aside later that night. I don't know if there is any real harm in putting a ping pong ball in their enclosure, but I can't say for sure that the T will eventually think of it anything other than trash. Still cool though! It would be interesting to see what another species would do with them, but who knows if it would be any different.

 

[JoshDM020]

I'm glad you posted this! I actually read about this a while back where someone put a ping pong ball in their T enclosure, which made me interested as well. I've done this with my two G porteri and have watched them both doing very similar and interesting things. I think it has been 3 or 4 months since I put them in? At first, like @basin79 says, the T doesn't quite understand what it is. They climb on it, and usually roll over (like in the video), then they take their fangs and use them to pretty much figure out what the ping pong is. They put some force into it, which made me pretty nervous about if they punctured the ping pong ball, but I never saw enough force to really dent the ball or anything.

After a while, they would push the ping pong balls around the enclosure from time to time. That is really the coolest part of the whole experience, they use multiple legs and push and roll it in this way I can't describe, but it's pretty fun to watch. Sometimes Chloe would bring the ping pong ball over to where she usually sits, and then she would kind of hug the ball on one side and stable herself on the other side.

Ultimately though, in time it seems they have both discarded their ping pong balls. Claire put hers in the corner, hasn't touched it, moved it, or acknowledged its existence. She even has been digging a relatively sizable hole, except where the ping pong ball is, it is up an inch or so now in the corner by itself . Chloe pushed hers into her hide where she usually has been leaving her bolus, so one can only assume. I moved it again and she pushed it aside later that night. I don't know if there is any real harm in putting a ping pong ball in their enclosure, but I can't say for sure that the T will eventually think of it anything other than trash. Still cool though! It would be interesting to see what another species would do with them, but who knows if it would be any different.

Ive read stories about A. genics going crazy on em. My genic is only 1/4 inch and I've already got a ball for when she gets big enough.

 

[Nixphat]

Ive read stories about A. genics going crazy on em. My genic is only 1/4 inch and I've already got a ball for when she gets big enough.

Nice! Yeah, that would be really cool to see, it was fun to watch with G porteri because they usally don't do as much. I was even wondering about something like a P muticus. I think the trick would be to add the ping pong ball either early, like you have, or unnoticed. Dropping the ball in right next to a T could make it think the ping pong ball is prey, and I'm sure there are species that have a strong enough strike to penetrate the small layer of plastic... But if they just discover it on their own, I think that let's them figure it out whatever way makes them feel most comfortable

 

[JoshDM020]

Nice! Yeah, that would be really cool to see, it was fun to watch with G porteri because they usally don't do as much. I was even wondering about something like a P muticus. I think the trick would be to add the ping pong ball either early, like you have, or unnoticed. Dropping the ball in right next to a T could make it think the ping pong ball is prey, and I'm sure there are species that have a strong enough strike to penetrate the small layer of plastic... But if they just discover it on their own, I think that let's them figure it out whatever way makes them feel most comfortable

Oh, no, it isn't in with her yet. She, and her enclosure, is way too small right now. I just got excited and BOUGHT a ball way early. A genic could definitely pop one, though. And itd probably be impossible to sneak one in with it. Itd attack it before it even hit the ground, i imagine.

 

[ledzeppelin]

it could be the maternal instinct kicking in.. They roll the ball as it were a sac.. Just a wild guess

 

[Nixphat]

Oh, no, it isn't in with her yet. She, and her enclosure, is way too small right now. I just got excited and BOUGHT a ball way early. A genic could definitely pop one, though. And itd probably be impossible to sneak one in with it. Itd attack it before it even hit the ground, i imagine.

Oh oh oh! I get you. Yeah, smaller sized slings may not get much out of a ping pong ball, let alone trying to fit it in their enclosure! But yeah, I would be afraid of the T's fangs getting stuck, probably my only major concern with putting a ping pong ball in with a T

 

[Nightstalker47]

Isn't this only something people do when they take a females egg sac?

They supply a ping pong ball to distract her so she doesn't frantically search for her sac. Otherwise seems pretty pointless, unless your getting a kick out of watching her play with it...

 

[Nixphat]

Isn't this only something people do when they take a females egg sac?

They supply a ping pong ball to distract her so she doesn't frantically search for her sac. Otherwise seems pretty pointless, unless your getting a kick out of watching her play with it...

I've heard of people giving their T a cotton ball as a substitute egg sac, but ping pong ball would make sense as well I suppose, though it is a lot harder than a sac..

And yes, I got many a kick from watching my Ts play with ping pong balls. I would recommend trying it sometime

 

[viper69]

Stan always mentions to drop a ping pong ball in w/your T, as their reaction is interesting.

I don't know, but I wonder if it has to with the object being spherical. They don't encounter perfect spheres in the wild (aside from making a sac or boli), objects that roll so easily. I really don't know.

 

[Nixphat]

Stan always mentions to drop a ping pong ball in w/your T, as their reaction is interesting.

I don't know, but I wonder if it has to with the object being spherical. They don't encounter perfect spheres in the wild (aside from making a sac or boli), objects that roll so easily. I really don't know.

Yeah, especially not something so spherical and so light as a ping pong ball. I will have to try dropping one in an enclosure sometime and see what happens.

 

[viper69]

Yeah, especially not something so spherical and so light as a ping pong ball. I will have to try dropping one in an enclosure sometime and see what happens.

I'd be curious to see the same weight but with different geometries to see what gets the most response. The mass of the ping pong isn't the issue as they encounter lighter and heavier things in the wild. I think it's the geometry.

 

[Nixphat]

I'd be curious to see the same weight but with different geometries to see what gets the most response. The mass of the ping pong isn't the issue as they encounter lighter and heavier things in the wild. I think it's the geometry.

Yeah, it would definitely be interesting to see how they'd react to other shapes. Especially something that doesn't move in any one solid direction.

 

[Andrea82]

I'd be curious to see the same weight but with different geometries to see what gets the most response. The mass of the ping pong isn't the issue as they encounter lighter and heavier things in the wild. I think it's the geometry.

I could try giving one of mine a cube or rectangle shaped blocks. My daughter has loads of em. They are wood though, so maybe not the best material...I also don't know with which species since I don't have a G.porteri or A.chalcodes...I think my B.smithi will just hair the hell out of it...

 

[Nixphat]

I could try giving one of mine a cube or rectangle shaped blocks. My daughter has loads of em. They are wood though, so maybe not the best material...I also don't know with which species since I don't have a G.porteri or A.chalcodes...I think my B.smithi will just hair the hell out of it...

That could be interesting still though! Who knows how your smithi will react when you give it a little time alone with whatever you decide to put in there.

I wonder if a bean shape would be interesting. Still round, but rolling it could prove some interesting results

Edit: couldn't find right emoji

 

[Xafron]

Isn't this only something people do when they take a females egg sac?

They supply a ping pong ball to distract her so she doesn't frantically search for her sac. Otherwise seems pretty pointless, unless your getting a kick out of watching her play with it...

Some would argue the entire pet hobby is "pretty pointless." The whole purpose of it is for our enjoyment and to learn about the animals we keep. Putting in a ping pong ball with a tarantula certainly looks to be at the very least amusing (enjoyment), and also brings up some fun and interesting questions about T behavior that clearly are making people think (learning).

 

[Xafron]

I could try giving one of mine a cube or rectangle shaped blocks. My daughter has loads of em. They are wood though, so maybe not the best material...I also don't know with which species since I don't have a G.porteri or A.chalcodes...I think my B.smithi will just hair the hell out of it...

Do you have styrofoam? A big enough piece could be cut into any number of shapes.

 

[Andrea82]

Do you have styrofoam? A big enough piece could be cut into any number of shapes.

I think that will crumble to pieces, and not the safest option. They manipulate with their fangs as well...I don't think I'd like it if one of my spiders gets foam stuck on its fangs...and I am the one who has to remove it