Basking in the sun

[Diggy415]

Does anyone take their tank, indivual spiders, or open their window shades to allow some sun to come onto the cages?? is the sun good for them like it is for snakes?? or do they just run and hide cause their nocturnal. i wa thinking about taking my rose out into the sunbeam that comes into the house in the front room

 

[Talkenlate04]

She would bask in the sunlight I bet. The only problem is if you get distracted and leave her there for some reason you are going to bake her to death. Sunlight through glass gets magnified and will kill your spider in a short period of time.
So I think you are better off not doing it.

 

[Aunt Ant]

Nah, I think it's different for spiders, they don't require sun. BUT, my B.smithi seems to gravitate towards sunlight. She doesn't mind beams, she'll sit in them. Her tank sits about 3 feet from a window with blinds and a curtain. I also notice the sunlight shifts frequently
If you have to move the tank to the front room I don't think it's worth the trouble. And yes the tank could get too hot, that's a risk

 

[Diggy415]

yeah i agree too, they sit ontop of the snake tank(the smaller cages) and get the heat from the radiant heat panel, (smart eh) the rose gets a UTH and a light above, she basks in.

 

[Widowman10]

def not required, but as some others have noticed, my rosea seems to gravitate to rays of sunlight as well when they shine in her tank. biggest concern: baking.

 

[Diggy415]

well i have my tank in the livingroom and there is sun and shade throughout the tank and im right here and set a timer for her as well, i removed the plastic cover so it won't get humid and hot, she is cleaning her fangs, this is the most activity shes done, when i have the light on her she goes to it and when i had a climbing branch in there, she was ontop of that under the light, not hot ther either. is it the more their abdomen turns bald/blk they are ready to molt??

 

[Widowman10]

is it the more their abdomen turns bald/blk they are ready to molt??

typically, yes. you can usually see the new stuff forming under the old stuff. that's why most get darker.

 

[sick4x4]

ummm, i belive avics can benefit from some sun imo...i have read from observations in the wild, that they have been seen sunning themselves in the early mornings...of-coarse these were found near river banks, not sure if that has anything to do it with it but interesting none the less... CB's though are so assimilated to a constant temp, that i dont think it makes a big difference. unless you cycle your t's temps from winter(lower temps) to summer(higher temps)...

wayne

 

[Diggy415]

no i don't cycle, and as long as they can move out of the sun, then it's all good, she is in the bowl, cleaning her feet, fangs, it's cool to watch, like getting ready for a meal....lol

 

[jeepinwu2]

I have some of my t's in a room where the sun comes in as the south wall is all windows. I recently tried turning their cages to where the opening of the hide is facing south. All My t's seem to hate this. (G. Rosea, A. Avic, C. Fasciatum) the Fasciatum hated it soo much she would web up the hide entrance every morning. The Rosea just tries her best to scrunch up in the very back of the hide, The Avic hides behind the plastic on the top of the tank.

 

[Diggy415]

my rosea is tucked in the small feed bowl, out of the sun now but still cleaning.

 

[Cocoa-Jin]

As stated above in a previous post, i believe a Ts acceptance of light is based in part on temperature. In the summer time my Rosea's tank was in the mid-70s to low-80s. She would search out shade and avoid light. Now its winter time and her tank temps drops down to mid-60s with highs in the low to mid-70s. She'll seek out the light especially when the tank is in the low temp ranges...usually mornings or when I have the sliding door or window open during the day.

I assume the T bases its preference toward light based on body temp. If you keep your T warm without lights, it'll likly avoid light to prevent the [possibilty of over-heating.

Sometimes I question the whole blanket assumption that Ts are nocturnal and they avoid light because of this. Being cold-blooded, I tend to think Ts are certainly more active during warm nights of the summer, but would also make use of early mornings to warm up in the sun, would avoid mid-day sunlight due to over-heating in the summer months(but would still hunt by ambush under shaded cover) and make use of the residual ambient warmth of late afternoon and early evening to perhaps be a bit more mobile if desired.

The assumption that they shut down during the day doesnt sit well with me(though Im sure some do). I tend to think you dont see them during the day so much is because they are making use of cover...not because they are "sleeping" the day away. The warmth of the day is too precious to completly disregard, espeically in the non-summer months.

Yeah I assume there may be some inate "understanding" that the cover of darkness has some benefits, but lets be real...what predator of Ts wouldnt be active and able to see just as well at night as during the day? Why would a relativly small, cold-blooded animal choose nights as its prime activity time?

 

[Danahan]

An old rosea of mine used to stay in her den at night, and come out first thing at dawn and sit in the light. From my experience, there are Ts that seem to like dim, ambient sunlight.

 

[Stan Schultz]

Does anyone take their tank, indivual spiders, or open their window shades to allow some sun to come onto the cages?? is the sun good for them like it is for snakes?? or do they just run and hide cause their nocturnal. i wa thinking about taking my rose out into the sunbeam that comes into the house in the front room

In west Texas, Marguerite and I have seen Rio Grande Golds (Aphonopelma moderatum) and a large "Texas Brown" (unidentified Aphonopelma) come up to the top of their burrows and bask in the sun briefly right after sunrise. We hold the strong opinion that they did so to warm up quickly after a cool night below ground.

And, we have heard reports of some of the arboreal species (some species of Avicularia - the pinktoes - and Poecilotheria regalis - Indian ornamental) coming out of their nests or lairs to bask in the morning sun in cages that allowed it, presumably for the same reason.

So, no. They do not shun bright lights because they're nocturnal.

Having said that, over the decades it's become evident that tarantulas do not need exposure to direct sunlight or to any strong artificial light in order to thrive. Neither do they seem to benefit from light of any exotic color balance.

They probably shun bright lights and direct sunlight most of the time for two reasons:

1. Bright light, including sunlight as well as the light from your desk lamp, throws a lot of heat. While tarantulas can tolerate high temperatures about the same as you, they also get uncomfortable at high temperatures, about the same as you. And, of course, all that heat tends to dry them out about like a shrivelled grape. Have you seen any living raisins lately?

So, the party line is "No bright lights," mostly because sooner or later there's going to be some "yahoo" who can't understand or deal with analogue systems, and who'll kill their tarantula with direct sunlight or a 500 watt heat lamp, and we don't want to be responsible. If you CAN deal with analogue systems, understand the risks, and can arrange fool proof, fail safe ways to avoid killing your tarantula, go for it!

2. Being in bright light means that you're very visible, in the spotlight so to speak. Nobody knows predation better than a tarantula, and they fully appreciate the wisdom of hiding in the dark to avoid being eaten.

Keeping a tarantula in bright light or sunlight is about the same as staking a goat out on the Serengeti. It's only a matter of time before something with big teeth and a bigger appetite wanders by and has you for lunch. In your cage there probably isn't anything big enough to eat the tarantula (at least one would hope not!), but tarantulas don't operate on logic; they operate on instinct. And, instinct makes them extremely anxious in bright light. An anxious tarantula is not a happy tarantula.

Keep the lighting low, and enjoy your relaxed tarantula.

 

[Strix]

I noticed my rosea is a lot more active when she is in darker settings and becomes a rock when there is light (unless she is grabbing her food )

 

[desertdweller]

I avoid setting my T's in direct sun, even in winter, for just the reason, I think it was Ryan said, I'm such a sketchwad I am always forgetting the return trip on things and being a lifetime vegetarian I don't plan on having baked T any time soon!

I do however notice my rosea hanging her bottom side up to the warmer side of the glass and basking in warmer temps in the room she is in with a gas stove.

 

[Diggy415]

if you have a t in a cage, with part sun, part shade and temps 60-80 the T is capable of moving where it wants, give it the opportunity to do so, just keep an eye on it for temps is all.