Aboreal Home for OBT

[AudreyElizabeth]

I've been wanting to set up a nice aboreal home for my OBT, and well, I did, but it isn't exactly what I want. I'm using a critter-keeper turned on it's side with vine branches for climbing and web anchors. I'm tired of trying to think of a way to keep the substrate in the enclosure, and Dante hasn't built a very impressive web in the past month, and was a prolific webber before I moved him. It seems like I read a thread ( ) about how they tend to web more in round enclosures and would like to try a nice big jar setup with branches and fake plants and stuff. What sort of round container should I use? Any ideas or pics? Thanks!!

 

[sunnymarcie]

OBT's, P. murinus, Usambara...........................
whatever you want to call them, are
old world terrestrial burrowers, why an arboreal home?

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

Because I've read that they are comfortable either way. Before I moved mine the first time it had made an aboreal web, moved underground to molt, then built a 'surface' burrow, then moved to the mid-section of the tank, and finally to the top. I thought, well, it spends more time in a web above ground than under, so why not provide it with anchors and vertical space as well as enough substrate to burrow.... Really mine has lived at every level of the tank.

 

[bigTimeLoser89]

i keep a usumbara in a 10 gallon tank she has a house to hide in loads of fake plants also around the house she stays in there alot of the time shes about 4" inches very aggresive i wouldnt keep her in a tall tank for 1 reason easier for them to web the lid and get you when you wanna feed,give them water,or clean it up, id just keep your p.murinus in a kritter keeper/10 gallon tank so they cant climb as much safer for you and the Trantula will probley be happier

 

[sunnymarcie]

I just moved one of mine today. You can see it in another thread.
I still have one in a jar.
While in the jar it has been quite busy.
It has a web like a spiral staircase, with a web lined burrow
at the base.

I hope the other one will make a new web now that I have moved it.

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

I saw that thread.... Yours has never made an aboreal web?? I thought that the either/or was charateristic (for a T anyway) of this species. Mine seems to be just a content in a web above ground than in a burrow underneath, and can't seem to make up it's mind as to which one it wants. which is why I'd like to try the jar and give it a choice! The spiral staircase seems cool. Is that one still small? Mine has about a 2.5 inch legspan.

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

Well, I decided to compromise. I bought a bigger, taller critter keeper, so, more vertical space, and put 4 inches of peat in the bottom, more burrowing space. While mine isn't aggressive yet I know that could change when it hits the 4 inch mark, and I cant see myself reaching into a jar to change the water. I did however set up a new pink toe home in a gallon glass jar with branches and leaves.

So, thanks for the replies!

 

[sunnymarcie]

Both of them are about 1.5 inches, just tiny babies

 

[sunnymarcie]

Well, I looked in on my little OBT and guess what it did:?

It made a web up in the corner of the critter keeper!
So I guess it changed its mind. Maybe the thought of making
a new burrow was too much work and it opted for a small
arboreal home These critters amaze me sometimes.

 

[Psycho]

We have three P. mirinus's. 1 in a 2 gallon critter keeper, and the other 2 are in tall deli cups. They're all less than 1 inch. The only one that webs in the top corner is the one in the critter keeper. The ones in the deli cups web above ground, but the stay in their covered burrows most times. Also i've noticed that when the one in the critter keeper is done eating a cricket he wraps it in web and lowers it to the ground. It's kinda neet.

~~~Psycho~~~

 

[phoenixxavierre]

In the wild, P. murinus are found both in burrows in the ground and up in trees in tree hollows, cracks, crevices, etc. They're very adaptable, which is good when rainy season hits Africa. When the burrow floods they can always adapt to an arboreal existence. Most of my P. murinus Usambara variant live arboreally. I've also noticed that with a circular shaped enclosure they're more apt to build an arboreal hide, while in rectangular setups, they tend to go downward to the ground. This has just been my experience in keeping them and others experiences may differ.

Take care.

 

[Aviculariinae]

P murinus is more likely to burrow and the usambara is more likely to go arboreal,there webs are so thick they dont really have to burrow that much,ive kept both of these sp and have found this to happen, i would keep my usambara in a arboreal setup with the other form to be more terestrial!
I kept them in sweet jars and they did fine and these were subadults

 

[phoenixxavierre]

True P. murinus are pretty rare in the hobby anymore. Most of what is brought in are actually P. lugardi. Not saying P. murinus aren't in the hobby at all, just a lot less than there were. Some people mistake P. lugardi for P. murinus. The revision on Pterinochilus shows that in the wild it was the tan morph of P. murinus that were found some 12 feet up in trees (unless I'm mistaken), so in the wild they exhibit arboreal behavior as well as burrowing behavior. The Usambara variant comes from the Usambara mountains and there aren't a lot of details regarding their conditions in the wild (what types of retreats they use in the wild) The P. lugardi I have all pretty much burrow, but then I fill their containers with substrate, so they don't have all that much room to build arboreal retreats, even if they wanted. I'll have to try some arboreal setups to see what they do! But then captivity differs a great deal from what they experience in the wild!

 

[chuck]

my 2.5" OBT is an opportunistic burrower, she took to the PVC pipe the day i got her and never made an arboreal web. she has a funnel web in her pipe

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

Ok, I have a question. What is the scientific name of the Usambara Orange baboon? I always thought it was P. murinus.

Oh yeah, and the T opted for the branches and fake vines in the new setup . I have also noticed that it builds the web in the corner opposite of the water dish every time, like it is trying to get away from it.... =D

 

[sunnymarcie]

Ok, I have a question. What is the scientific name of the Usambara Orange baboon? I always thought it was P. murinus............... :?

I did to. There was a thread about it a while back.
I can't remember all that was said. I know there was
a change in the name and that there are at least 6 recognized
OBT types.
The T's we have are the orange ones that have been labeled
"Usambara"

Hey experts help me out here
:?

 

[phoenixxavierre]

I'm no expert, however, I've read the Pterinochilus revision, thanks to a friend sending it to me. Structurally P. murinus and what we know as OBTs, Orange Pterrors, or Usambaras, are exactly the same. So the name is Pterinochilus murinus, Usambara variant. It's a color morph of Pterinochilus murinus, also called orange morph or red morph.

 

[Lopez]

^^ correct ^^

I keep both forms, the Orange Usambara normally lives in a semi-arboreal manner and the gold generally builds a messy burrow/web affair.

 

[sunnymarcie]

Here is one of the old threads about it.
It took a while to dig into the old posts

http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8437

 

[AllenG]

I just call my little tike a Pterinochilus sp. cuz I don't know what he is hehe