Aphonopelma Seemanni waving its legs around?

[Squid]

I recently (2 days ago) purchased a 3.5” A. Seemanni. She didn’t move very much the first day, understandable because I wasn’t planning on buying one so my tank was a bit too small. The next day I moved it into a larger tank and she just sat in the corner, the only time I saw her move was to turn away from the wall. But today, I can tell she’s been walking around because the water dish is now filled with dirt and she’s dug a hole out the back of the hide.

When I checked on her in her hide today, she was moving her legs a little. Not like walking but she was waving them around slowly and it was hard to get a good angle in but it from what I could see it didn’t look like a threat posture.

Is that normal behaviour? Maybe stress? I have a g. Pulchra sling as well but I have not seen it do that before. Should I be worried or is that just a tarantula doing it’s tarantula things?

 

[Teal]

Can you get a video?

One of the signs of DKS is sporadic waving of the legs in jerky movements.

If the movement is more slow/fluid... Is her substrate moist/wet? If so, she probably doesn't like the feel of it.

 

[Squid]

Can you get a video?

One of the signs of DKS is sporadic waving of the legs in jerky movements.

If the movement is more slow/fluid... Is her substrate moist/wet? If so, she probably doesn't like the feel of it.

It was very slow, dry substrate. She seems to have stopped but I’ll try to get a video if she’s doing it when I get back from school

 

[Teal]

Also pictures of her set up will help, so we can identify any issues that might cause her trouble.

 

[Krystal Anne]

This species actually prefers moist (but not soaking wet) and really deep substrate. The movements you're describing don't sound like DKS, though; it almost sounds like your T is just moving and feeling around, but I agree with Teal - post a video/pictures of the spider and the whole enclosure when you can to make sure everything's okay

 

[MrTwister]

I’m gonna take a guess at normal behaviour. Almost all mine wave their legs around as a way to sense their surroundings.

 

[boina]

Is her substrate moist/wet? If so, she probably doesn't like the feel of it.

??? We are talking A. seemanni here... of course they want their substrate moist.

Waving the legs around a bit is part of their normal exploration behaviour. And I think it's agood sign that the spider already started on excavating a burrow.

 

[AngelDeVille]

 

[Djv44spider]

Ours was very quiet the first week we had a him (dont actually know the gender yet) and now he's exploring and string a little bit of web around. I think it's just an adjustment. Enjoy it because it's so cool to watch

 

[Squid]

Thanks for the replies! She’s just sitting out now so it must have just been exploration. I noticed she did dig out a hole behind the tunnel and piled some dirt up on the front as well. I’m still pretty new to tarantulas so I’m glad to know that was normal behaviour.

I have a picture of her tank, 16x8.5x10 inches(don’t mind the reflection of my textbooks). The substrate is about 4 inches deep. I took the cover off to take the picture from above.

 

[Teal]

??? We are talking A. seemanni here... of course they want their substrate moist.

I guess I just have to figure that every one of my Ts goes against what is normal for their species.

 

[Crone Returns]

Thanks for the replies! She’s just sitting out now so it must have just been exploration. I noticed she did dig out a hole behind the tunnel and piled some dirt up on the front as well. I’m still pretty new to tarantulas so I’m glad to know that was normal behaviour.

I have a picture of her tank, 16x8.5x10 inches(don’t mind the reflection of my textbooks). The substrate is about 4 inches deep. I took the cover off to take the picture from above.

They like at least 4 or 5" sub. Give them that, damp, and sit back to enjoy the show. Mine made the coolest tunnel system!

 

[Nightstalker47]

They like at least 4 or 5" sub.

At the very least, a little more would be better. Its also quite important to pack down the sub firmly.

 

[AngelDeVille]

Thanks for the replies! She’s just sitting out now so it must have just been exploration. I noticed she did dig out a hole behind the tunnel and piled some dirt up on the front as well. I’m still pretty new to tarantulas so I’m glad to know that was normal behaviour.

I have a picture of her tank, 16x8.5x10 inches(don’t mind the reflection of my textbooks). The substrate is about 4 inches deep. I took the cover off to take the picture from above.

What’s the cover made of?

The hide tube looks like it is a tube open only in the back, it will severely restrict the spiders ability to burrow. Just a semi circle of cork or pottery will work as a starter.

Add more substrate.

 

[boina]

As @AngelDeVille already stated the hide shouldn't be something solid for the spider to squeeze into but just a starting point for a burrow. Make a little dent in the ground and place something over it, like a piece of broken flower pot or, my personal favorite, a piece of cork bark, because it is light weight and won't hurt the spider if it comes tumbling down on her during excavation work. In 9 out of 10 cases that's where the spider will start her excavation work and make her burrow's entrance, or at least one of them. Give her enough moist substrate so she can create a tunnel below the surface. I found that 5-6" is necessary to support a system of tunnels without them collapsing.

 

[Squid]

What’s the cover made of?

The hide tube looks like it is a tube open only in the back, it will severely restrict the spiders ability to burrow. Just a semi circle of cork or pottery will work as a starter.

Add more substrate.

It is open in the back, there’s also an opening in the side but I do see how that would restrict its burrowing. I have early class today but when I get home I’m sure I have something else I can use instead. I’ll make sure I remember to add more substrate too

 

[Squid]

Give her enough moist substrate so she can create a tunnel below the surface. I found that 5-6" is necessary to support a system of tunnels without them collapsing.

Would just a light spray over the top be damp enough? I would probably have to do that about once a day?

 

[boina]

Would just a light spray over the top be damp enough? I would probably have to do that about once a day?

No, that doesn't moisten the substrate. Just pour water into it. Spraying is useless.

 

[Djv44spider]

No, that doesn't moisten the substrate. Just pour water into it. Spraying is useless.

I agree. The substrate below the surface needs to be moist so the spider can dig to the moisture that they like

 

[Squid]

I’ve been pouring her water dish into the substrate when I refill it (like, the amount that would be in her dish) I’ve also changed the tunnel to a flower pot I cut in half to expose the bottom but she still seems to prefer sitting between the pot and the glass. I’m not sure if I’m still doing something wrong or if she just doesn’t want to burrow? She ate a couple crickets yesterday and my mom said she saw her doing something with her legs this morning (but my mom also doesn’t know anything about tarantulas so I can’t figure out exactly what it was) so I guess I’ll wait a few more days to see if she’ll start digging soon. She did sit in the tunnel when it was in there but I have not seen her go under the flower pot at all.