B. Smithi walled herself off

RedDrgn

Arachnopeon
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Dec 18, 2006
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I have a 2.5 inch female B. Smithi, and I've had her since December. She's been doing wonderful, eats a large cricket weekly (though twice now I have let her go for two weeks before feeding just to mix it up a little). I keep her in a circular, 9 inch diameter, 3.5 inch deep Kritter Keeper on approximately 0.5 inch desert substrate comprised of English walnut shells.

She's got a water dish with stone in it and half of a coconut shell with a hole cut in it for a hide. She spends most of her time lingering just insider her hide, bolting out to grab prey and then going back in to feed. Two days after feeding, I lift her hide to remove leftover cricket bits with tweezers, and then put it back in place. She is otherwise left alone since she is rather skittish thus far.

However, this morning, she did something completely new. When I checked on her this morning, I found that she had made a large ball of webbing and substrate just large enough to plug the opening of her hide! I've heard of T's closing their burrows with webbing, but not of rolling a ball of substrate. Has anyone else had a T do this? I'm assuming it's normal and I don't plan to bother her since she took the effort to "shut the door", but is there any time period at which I should check on her or remove the plug myself, or should I wait until she decides that she wants to come out?
 

cheetah13mo

Arachnoking
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It sounds like what your discribing is not just a ball of substrate but an egg sack of hundreds of little baby T's. Am I reading this right? Wait until she decides to come out before doing any kind of inspecting to see what's up. If they want to close themselves off, they will just put up a wall of webbing. Not roll up a ball of substrate and silk. B.T.W., you might concider changing the substrate to somthing softer like peat or cocoa fiber. Walnut shells are too abrasive to the belly of the T.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Very normal.... with a nice secure hide they will roll up substrate and block the enterance and web it up till they are done molting. So the next time that you see her she should be showing off a brand new body!
And if at some point she needs something like water or what not she will open the enterance to get that and return back and re block it......... This is a good sign actually, it means that you have given her a nice safe place to call home.
 

RedDrgn

Arachnopeon
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Dec 18, 2006
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What your discribing is not just a ball of substrate but an egg sack of hundreds of little baby T's. Congrats. Wait until she decides to come out before doing any kind of inspecting to see what's up.
I am quite certain that it is not an eggsac, as she has never ever seen a male before (at least not while I have had her), and I'm pretty sure she's too small/young to be sexually mature yet.

I could be wrong as she is my first T, but I am doubtful. I'll keep an eye on things, though. :)
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Its not an egg sac................... shes not nearly big enough for that and I know she could not have been bred...........
 

RedDrgn

Arachnopeon
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Dec 18, 2006
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That's good to know, though I am definitely apprehensive about a molt. I've read too many molting horror stories, so if it is a molt, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a good one!
 

cheetah13mo

Arachnoking
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Ok. I've never had a T roll up a ball of webbing and dirt to block an area before. If your sure, then Talkenlate04 is correct. It's a molt comeing.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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She will be fine.... as long as you gave her access to water and fed her well she will be just fine...... Smithi will molt in bone dry setups just fine I have never had a complication from a molt with a dry setup.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Ok. I've never had a T roll up a ball of webbing and dirt to block an area before. If your sure, then Talkenlate04 is correct. It's a molt comeing.
Well the dead give away is that its a 2.5" smithi I have never had a sac from a female under 4".5................ I use coconut hides more now and I have found that they will block themselves in with substrate and webbing when molts come. It makes it so the whole hide is like a burrow and nice and dark.
 
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