A very shy Nhandu chromatus

[DflyBri]

I had researched the species before picking one up at the local reptile show a couple months ago. She's about 2" and was in a delicup. She conintually tried to burrow in it, but it was simply not enough room for her to get a good burrow so I moved her up to a tarantula-custom 5 gallon tank with about 4.5 to 5 inches of substrate, a live plant, shallow water dish and a pice of cork bark. She has proceeded to disappear down a hole she has dug, apperently trying to make her way to China.

My question is, I had read that while they do tunnel, they spend most of their time out and usually only use the tunnel as a safety retreat. I haven't seen but the tips of her toes from under the cork bark since I put her in there. Do they usually grow confidence with maturity? Or have a just acquired a set of pet tarantula toes?

 

[heatfreakk3]

I am a total newbie, but I just recently got a N. cromatus at my local reptile show this month also. It is still a juvie, I have it in a 160 oz. tub, with an inch or two of coco fiber and a shallow water bowl and a hide. It actually is out quite a bit. When it gets scared it will retreat to its hide or try and burrow, but its mostly out and active.

 

[Nhanduchromatus]

Scaredy cat N. chromatus

When mine was small it would burrow and hide. Now at 6" it spends most of its time out in the open but if I cause any vibrations in the vicinity of her cage she sprints to the back corner and hides with her butt up in the air.

Craig

 

[Spidershane1]

I got a big ol' 7in+ girl and she does like to hide, but comes out often enough to still see her regularly. I'd say she's out about 1/3 of the time. I always see new random webbing all over the cage, so she apparently comes out when alot when I'm not looking too.

 

[Rob1985]

yep, mine did that and became very defensive when anything disturbed her!

 

[curiousme]

We have had our N. chromatus since it was a speck. I was really surprised at how incredibly tiny the spiderling was, but it is now probably about 2-2 1/2" now. It has done both out in the open, or recently it has burrowed and been a set of pet toes. We rehoused it last week and are finally seeing it out in the open on a regular basis again. We have also noticed that it is also one of our most light sensitive Ts.

 

[Rob1985]

We have had our N. chromatus since it was a speck. I was really surprised at how incredibly tiny the spiderling was, but it is now probably about 2-2 1/2" now. It has done both out in the open, or recently it has burrowed and been a set of pet toes. We rehoused it last week and are finally seeing it out in the open on a regular basis again. We have also noticed that it is also one of our most light sensitive Ts.

mine was a pet hole

 

[RoseT]

Dont own a chromatus but i have a 4" colortovilosis which is fairly the same in actions. It spends most of its time at the entrance of her hid and at night i can sometimes catch her sneeking a drink from her shallow bowl. Not a very good display T if you ask me, but then again thats why I have other ones to take that job.

 

[Elithial]

I'm sure she or he is just shy while getting used to his/her new surroundings and enclosure. He or She will probably come out more when she gains some confidence or some size. I'd hide too if I was an itty bitty spider baby!

 

[DflyBri]

Thanks for all the responses. She's not going to be part of one of my breeding projects, so as a pet I'm not really looking for just a hole. I guess I'll just give her some time and hope I get to see her a bit more as she gets larger.

 

[Shrike]

Perhaps your T will become less nervous as it gets bigger? My albopilosum burrowed extensively as a sling. Now she's on display virtually all of the time.

 

[Abby]

I have two N. Chromatus, and they were extremely shy as slings.
They spent most of their time in their underground burrow.

They are now about 4" and they spend a lot of time out in the open. I love seeing them so big and beautiful....but....the minute I make noise like open their lid to give them food or refill their water dish, they both zoom back under their hide.

They don't burrow anymore, so even though they hide from all activity in their enclosure, I can still see them in their hide. Once they think the coast is clear, they go back outside or on top of their hide.

 

[Armstrong5]

all of my nhandus are always in the open accept when you touch their enclosure they do burrow when they r slings but will start sitting in the open as they grow dont worry they do become nice display T's..they r awesome imo

 

[DflyBri]

all of my nhandus are always in the open accept when you touch their enclosure they do burrow when they r slings but will start sitting in the open as they grow dont worry they do become nice display T's..they r awesome imo

Thanks! That's encouraging!