Arboreal Grammostola aureostriata?

[SPJ]

Hello all. I have been reading this board to get information on what would be a good docile tarantula and found the the chaco goldenknee fit the bill for what I was looking for so now I have joined to try and get more information.

I currently have 2 G. aureostriata. One likes to burrow (which makes sense from what I have read) and one likes to climb the wall of the cage and hang out on the top. I did not know these would climb. This one actually seems to prefer being an arboreal T.

Any idea why it likes to stay up on top (and how it gets up there)?

The enclosure is a plastic exxo-terra faunarium (similiar to a kritter keeper but more surface area since it's designed to house terrestrial animals).

The substrate is peat moss. There is corkbark for hides and a shallow water bowl.

Both of the Grammostola aureostriata are set up identical. One prefers to burrow in the peat moss and the other prefers to hang out on the top of the cage.

The one that burrrows is about 1 inch while the one that climbs is about 2 inches. No idea what sex they are.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
I have attached a picture of the climber (one of the few times he was actually on the substrate).

Thanks.

 

[Talkenlate04]

How long have you had them? Sometimes they need to pace around and get to know their new inclosure. That might be one reason........... other then that I cant think of anything off hand that is wrong, sometimes Ts just go through phases like that.

Just make sure in your setups there is enough peat in there so that when they fall climbing around like that they are not falling farther then the leg span of the T. This safety will just lessen the chance of the Ts abdomen bursting from a long fall.

Welcome to the boards!

 

[mikeymo]

my little guy does the same thing everytime i move him to a new enclousure. In time he will come to the ground and will start to dig. Like talkenlate04 said, just make sure to add more substrate to lessen the distance it will fall should it fall.

welcome to the boards.

 

[SPJ]

Thanks. I'm going to have to add another 6 inches or more of peat moss to the cage.

Odd little thing. Climbs straight up the plastic side. I thought these couldn't climb smooth surfaces. He does it with no problems.

I get him down only to have him climb right back up again.

Thankfully he is very docile and doesn't get mad that I am disturbing him up there.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Oh yes, if they want to climb something they will find a way to get there. Smooth surface just slows them down a bit.

 

[edesign]

Odd little thing. Climbs straight up the plastic side. I thought these couldn't climb smooth surfaces. He does it with no problems.

you're thinking of scorpions and centipedes...and a few species of roaches if memory serves. All T's can climb smooth surfaces.

 

[midnight_maiden]

Arboreal aureostriata

My little 1.5 incher does the same thing. I have had it for a week now, and everytime I look in on it he or she is up on the wall somewhere. Every now and then it'll be on the substrate but not too often. Very active T so far.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I thought these couldn't climb smooth surfaces. He does it with no problems.

Uh. Spiders can climb anything, dude.

 

[P. Novak]

Uh. Spiders can climb anything, dude.

Thats not necessarily true. For the most part it is though. Especially with Ts.

 

[Kagekumo]

Thanks. I'm going to have to add another 6 inches or more of peat moss to the cage.

Odd little thing. Climbs straight up the plastic side. I thought these couldn't climb smooth surfaces. He does it with no problems.

I get him down only to have him climb right back up again.

Thankfully he is very docile and doesn't get mad that I am disturbing him up there.

I have a 2.5" G. aureo and she (i think) will often climb after I disturb her (cleaning, handling, etc...). I currently have her in an 18" tall exo terra. So you can iamgine my paranoia when she heads up to the little lip near the screen a foot and a half up. I stopped her by simply placing a hide directly over top of her. Be extremely careful not to get one of its legs caught. She stayed in there and now is a tenant.

p.s. I am putting her in a new enclosre on sunday.

p.p.s I know this is off topic but do any of you know a good way to resize pics into a format that fits on the boards. I have some pics I would like to share

 

[Mina]

I have a G.aureo that I have had since it was under an inch and is now almost 3 inches. It is always on the sides of its enclosure. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong, its healthy, it eats, drinks, and poops, so I don't worry about it. I've seen a lot of my slings and juvies act differently when they are young. Think about it as them being babies and wanting to experiment. I figure as long as mine wants to climb it should do it now, before its body is to heavy for it to climb safely.