Avicularia Husbandry?

[kevinlowl]

lol moths are the pinnacle of T feeding, arboreals will jump and catch them in mid air. just make sure to know which are poisonous in your area.

Do arboreal tarantulas have good eyesight? When you say jump I'm thinking jumping spider.

 

[cold blood]

Do arboreal tarantulas have good eyesight? When you say jump I'm thinking jumping spider.

Better than terrestrials.

 

[Venom1080]

Do arboreal tarantulas have good eyesight? When you say jump I'm thinking jumping spider.

No, very poor compared to humans, but better then most as cold blood said. They jump as a means to escape predators. They can go quite far. I have seen Poecilotheria leap and catch moths but I believe it was the rapid flapping of the wings that let the spider find it.

 

[TarantulaArvind]

Do arboreal tarantulas have good eyesight? When you say jump I'm thinking jumping spider.

Jumping spiders have the best eyesight among the spiders...
While the jumping spiders rely on eyesight mainly, the arboreals rely on vibrations (and better eyesight compared to terrestials/fossorials) as a means to locate their prey.

In general, Eyesight of Jumping spiders >arboreals >terrestials

 

[kevinlowl]

Jumping spiders have the best eyesight among the spiders...
While the jumping spiders rely on eyesight mainly, the arboreals rely on vibrations (and better eyesight compared to terrestials/fossorials) as a means to locate their prey.

In general, Eyesight of Jumping spiders >arboreals >terrestials

Yeah that's why I thought of them. Jumping spiders have binocular vision to gauge the distance of objects in their environment to help them jump around. Tarantulas on the other hand have those weird tiny eyes, even the arboreals, so I can't imagine them using jumping as an effective method of moving about. Aside from that, imagining an animal as large as a tarantula errantly jumping around somehow doesn't seem very rational. (Yeah I know arboreals are built for the trees but they're still large and fairly heavy animals.) I feel like with it's mediocre eyesight one would eventually get clotheslined HARD on some branch, do a 1080° ragdoll flip and break everything when they jump without looking.

 

[viper69]

Do arboreal tarantulas have good eyesight? When you say jump I'm thinking jumping spider.

It's believed they do. I've never seen any of my terrestrials react to movement that was 5-10 feet away, but some of my arboreals do, both NW and OW.

 

[USNGunner]

When they are hungry, you will often observe them pointing downward head first towards the sub floor, legs spread out a bit, not retracted to their 2 body segments.

This. My C. Versicolor was missing today when I checked on them. She was down under her web hammock on her cork bark looking down. AHA! I grabbed a roach, slipped it in there BAM! Take down.

"I learned something here yesterday!" Thanks Viper!

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Hey, @viper69 I have a few questions on my Avic avic.

So basically, the little idiot never wants to eat. Always thin but in the hunting posture. I’ve tried crickets, dubias, mealworms, and fruit flies as it is still 1/4”. It is currently in a 8oz tall deli cup with a bit of dry sub on the bottom and a water dish with a fake plant in the middle of the enclosure. I’m planning on adding cork bark when I get the chance. It is rather thin and I’m getting worried. This T is the most finicky out of any of my T’s, and let me say, all my T’s are extremely picky and skittish.

I’m guessing it isn’t premolt because it is quite thin and it is constantly in the hunting position. It also has the habit of killing the things I drop in and putting them in its tiny web hammock. I’m not sure if I should remove these or not but they are building up. I got it in October I believe and it has eaten 3 times overall never getting very plump or having a change in abdomen size either. I also was in the death curl in November and I had to gently prod it to its water dish because it was dehydrated. It drank for a while and was slightly more plump.

Ah, I’ve also noticed a lack of appetite in my C. versicolor (I’m not the only one a friend’s versis are like this too) and it hasn’t eaten since a monthish before it’s last molt which was just over a month ago. It is very thin and skittish. Also in the hunting position often but panics whenever it’s enclosure is opened.

Pictures of enclosures soon to come,

Thank you.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Hey, @viper69 I have a few questions on my Avic avic.

So basically, the little idiot never wants to eat. Always thin but in the hunting posture. I’ve tried crickets, dubias, mealworms, and fruit flies as it is still 1/4”. It is currently in a 8oz tall deli cup with a bit of dry sub on the bottom and a water dish with a fake plant in the middle of the enclosure. I’m planning on adding cork bark when I get the chance. It is rather thin and I’m getting worried. This T is the most finicky out of any of my T’s, and let me say, all my T’s are extremely picky and skittish.

I’m guessing it isn’t premolt because it is quite thin and it is constantly in the hunting position. It also has the habit of killing the things I drop in and putting them in its tiny web hammock. I’m not sure if I should remove these or not but they are building up. I got it in October I believe and it has eaten 3 times overall never getting very plump or having a change in abdomen size either. I also was in the death curl in November and I had to gently prod it to its water dish because it was dehydrated. It drank for a while and was slightly more plump.

Ah, I’ve also noticed a lack of appetite in my C. versicolor (I’m not the only one a friend’s versis are like this too) and it hasn’t eaten since a monthish before it’s last molt which was just over a month ago. It is very thin and skittish. Also in the hunting position often but panics whenever it’s enclosure is opened.

Pictures of enclosures soon to come,

Thank you.

Deli cup is avic, acrylic enclosure is C. versicolor. Critique welcome.

 

[viper69]

Hey, @viper69 I have a few questions on my Avic avic.

So basically, the little idiot never wants to eat. Always thin but in the hunting posture. I’ve tried crickets, dubias, mealworms, and fruit flies as it is still 1/4”. It is currently in a 8oz tall deli cup with a bit of dry sub on the bottom and a water dish with a fake plant in the middle of the enclosure. I’m planning on adding cork bark when I get the chance. It is rather thin and I’m getting worried. This T is the most finicky out of any of my T’s, and let me say, all my T’s are extremely picky and skittish.

I’m guessing it isn’t premolt because it is quite thin and it is constantly in the hunting position. It also has the habit of killing the things I drop in and putting them in its tiny web hammock. I’m not sure if I should remove these or not but they are building up. I got it in October I believe and it has eaten 3 times overall never getting very plump or having a change in abdomen size either. I also was in the death curl in November and I had to gently prod it to its water dish because it was dehydrated. It drank for a while and was slightly more plump.

Ah, I’ve also noticed a lack of appetite in my C. versicolor (I’m not the only one a friend’s versis are like this too) and it hasn’t eaten since a monthish before it’s last molt which was just over a month ago. It is very thin and skittish. Also in the hunting position often but panics whenever it’s enclosure is opened.

Pictures of enclosures soon to come,

Thank you.

What are your temps?

It is highly unusual. Avics that don’t eat are either too cold chronically or under hydrated. It sounds like yours are not hydrated.

Also the setup doesn’t have enough cover, not saying that’s THE reason, but could be a factor.

Almost all Ts are skittish. Versi are particularly skittish compared to others like M6.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

What are your temps?

It is highly unusual. Avics that don’t eat are either too cold chronically or under hydrated. It sounds like yours are not hydrated.

Also the setup doesn’t have enough cover, not saying that’s THE reason, but could be a factor.

Almost all Ts are skittish. Versi are particularly skittish compared to others like M6.

75° during the day, 68° during the night. I keep refilling their dish, what do you suggest I do?

 

[viper69]

75° during the day, 68° during the night. I keep refilling their dish, what do you suggest I do?

Those are reasonable temps. I've kept Avics at lower 72-70 no issues. How are you giving them water?

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Those are reasonable temps. I've kept Avics at lower 72-70 no issues. How are you giving them water?

They both have a water dish. I’ve seen both drinking. One at the bottom for the avic and one glued to the side for the versi.

 

[viper69]

They both have a water dish. I’ve seen both drinking. One at the bottom for the avic and one glued to the side for the versi.

They won't always drink from a dish. The fact yours are skinny as you describe them at least makes me think they are dehydrated. Certainly not the temps, if no toxins etc, then it's either water, or something unknown. Either way, chronically slender Avics are usually problematic IME, and normally don't make it IME.
But every so often one pulls through.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

They won't always drink from a dish. The fact yours are skinny as you describe them at least makes me think they are dehydrated. Certainly not the temps, if no toxins etc, then it's either water, or something unknown. Either way, chronically slender Avics are usually problematic IME, and normally don't make it IME.
But every so often one pulls through.

I could try giving them water through a syringe but it may be difficult to lure the C. versicolor out.

 

[viper69]

I could try giving them water through a syringe but it may be difficult to lure the C. versicolor out.

Never had to lure them out, I place it right near them, sometimes I put a drop or two right on them to give them a hint. Usually they back off OF COURSE, but I come back later and find them drinking. The best sign of drinking is when they are cleaning their toes.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Never had to lure them out, I place it right near them, sometimes I put a drop or two right on them to give them a hint. Usually they back off OF COURSE, but I come back later and find them drinking. The best sign of drinking is when they are cleaning their toes.

Okay, thank you. I’ll dribble a bit through the top in front of them. I’ve seen the avic cleaning it’s toes.

 

[viper69]

Id remove the dead prey, attracts mites and flies

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Id remove the dead prey, attracts mites and flies

I’ll do that. It’s much more plump after drinking. I’ll just offer it water by hand from now on.

 

[viper69]

I’ll do that. It’s much more plump after drinking. I’ll just offer it water by hand from now on.

I always leave a water dish.