Basking Tarantulas! Share yours

[WillowLovesSpoods]

(edit) This is 100% not basking. I was corrected by the wonderfully educated Nate from Microwilderness that this is in fact him feeling the ground for vibrations from a female.

I wish I could change the title of this to reflect that, but I suppose it stands as a correction for anyone assuming the same
Still a rather cute pose.

 

[jbooth]

Does it give off heat/uv? If so, measure the temp at the spot it basks and make sure it isn't too hot, and move the light away if necessary, and only have it shine on a small area... Lots do bask, but you are unlikely to get a good photo thread going on here, because it is generally frowned upon due to poor advice in the past and cooked spiders. That being said, there's vids on youtube of even pokies basking in sun lamps, you just have to be VERY careful the rest of the enclosure stays cool enough it can escape the heat, and the basking spot doesn't cook it. Good luck finding pics...

 

[WillowLovesSpoods]

Does it give off heat/uv? If so, measure the temp at the spot it basks and make sure it isn't too hot, and move the light away if necessary, and only have it shine on a small area... Lots do bask, but you are unlikely to get a good photo thread going on here, because it is generally frowned upon due to poor advice in the past and cooked spiders. That being said, there's vids on youtube of even pokies basking in sun lamps, you just have to be VERY careful the rest of the enclosure stays cool enough it can escape the heat, and the basking spot doesn't cook it. Good luck finding pics...

Oh it gives of zero heat as it's an LED meant for extremely sensitive plants, and it's also set extremely far and only in a corner of his enclosure. The other side is completely shaded, more so in his hide.
But yes, I got the idea after watching a YouTube video on another keeper debating zero use of light being an outdated theory for these ectothermic creatures, who puts a lamp out for one of his. Mind you he has legitimate basking footage.
I have caught him completely tilting his underside towards that light in the same spot with his legs on the wall before though, confused the heck out of me at first.

However I found out that this is actually not him basking, but him feeling the ground for a female.
Today I learned!

 

[Charliemum]

Awww bless him hopefully you can find the lady he is waiting for

 

[curtisgiganteus]

(edit) This is 100% not basking. I was corrected by the wonderfully educated Nate from Microwilderness that this is in fact him feeling the ground for vibrations from a female.

I wish I could change the title of this to reflect that, but I suppose it stands as a correction for anyone assuming the same
Still a rather cute pose.

View attachment 441548

I would love to see the scientific article that information was published in. Tbh it sounds quite far fetched. It looks like your T just molted and is doing the typical post molt “stretch.” Unless your T is a mature male with tibial hooks and emboli, it isn’t going to care where a female is.

In regards to Ryan’s videos and theory on full spectrum lighting and thermal gradients. I agree with a lot of what he proposes, and after having several conversations with him about it I’m sold on pretty much everything. With that being said there is a VERY specific way to set up all your lighting and basking spots. And prior to even attempting it, I would research the natural history of the species you keep.

Here is a small excerpt from my correspondence with Ryan from MarshallsArachnids

“All of our adult enclosures have…grow lights…positioned above them. These lights help simulate natural day/night cycles and we program them with digital timers to come on maybe 30 minutes after sunrise and about an hour before sunset, so the natural light from our windows still gives them a transitional period of lighting. These lights also put out just a little bit of warmth that help provide a few degrees' difference in temperature gradients from the bottom to the top of each enclosure…

As for heating…use your heat sources in conjunction with plug-in dimmers, thermostats, and other adjustable accessories - and ALWAYS measure your heat output with a temperature gun and/or digital thermometer…

Regardless of the equipment you decide to use, it is of highest importance that you monitor your thermal output and always aim for temperatures that are consistent with those that each species you keep would have access to in nature, which includes both the high end and the low end…”

 

[WillowLovesSpoods]

I would love to see the scientific article that information was published in. Tbh it sounds quite far fetched. It looks like your T just molted and is doing the typical post molt “stretch.” Unless your T is a mature male with tibial hooks and emboli, it isn’t going to care where a female is.

In regards to Ryan’s videos and theory on full spectrum lighting and thermal gradients. I agree with a lot of what he proposes, and after having several conversations with him about it I’m sold on pretty much everything. With that being said there is a VERY specific way to set up all your lighting and basking spots. And prior to even attempting it, I would research the natural history of the species you keep.

Here is a small excerpt from my correspondence with Ryan from MarshallsArachnids

“All of our adult enclosures have…grow lights…positioned above them. These lights help simulate natural day/night cycles and we program them with digital timers to come on maybe 30 minutes after sunrise and about an hour before sunset, so the natural light from our windows still gives them a transitional period of lighting. These lights also put out just a little bit of warmth that help provide a few degrees' difference in temperature gradients from the bottom to the top of each enclosure…

As for heating…use your heat sources in conjunction with plug-in dimmers, thermostats, and other adjustable accessories - and ALWAYS measure your heat output with a temperature gun and/or digital thermometer…

Regardless of the equipment you decide to use, it is of highest importance that you monitor your thermal output and always aim for temperatures that are consistent with those that each species you keep would have access to in nature, which includes both the high end and the low end…”

I guess you haven't looked into my history of posting or where I got this guy.

Anyways, no article needed unless you want to ask the expert I got that info from.
This is a wild caught mature male from my junkyard after finding a cat trying to kill him. I've been advised and guided by Nate from Microwilderness, who deals with the local species here, both breeding and keeping track of the population of these kind of Aphonopelma.
He's actually got a ton of awesome video on his IG of these guys mating in the wild if you're interested.
He's also the reason I know he's a mature male as well as what species he is (Aphonopelma iodius) since the minute I got him I started searching for local T experts to help advise me as I'd only ever had a Chilean rose hair years ago.
I definitely realize that that is a horrible picture to show off his tibial hooks and emboli though, so I can't blame you for all of the assumptions, all things considered.
But it's the main reason why I was corrected on my own assumption that he was actually basking, as Nate knows he's a mature male in his ultimate molt as well as knows their behavior.

That's all definitely a lot of great information for somebody who isn't living in the environment their T came from by the way. I guess I'm lucky in that regard. So I'm really not worried about emulating the environment he already lives in when it's already here.
And like I said, the light only a small corner of his enclosure, 80% is in shade, the hide that he uses at times is even darker. The light is on a consistent timer along with all of my other plant lights. And again, it doesn't put out any heat, I bought it for that purpose as I'm an avid plant keeper and I can't have it burning my extremely sensitive understory plants, so it really doesn't affect anything but add UV light for him.
I appreciate the information though!

 

[IDMiriam]

(edit) This is 100% not basking. I was corrected by the wonderfully educated Nate from Microwilderness that this is in fact him feeling the ground for vibrations from a female.

I wish I could change the title of this to reflect that, but I suppose it stands as a correction for anyone assuming the same
Still a rather cute pose.

View attachment 441548

Dealing with Covid right now... he looks like I feel. Glad it's for a better reason in his case.

 

[WillowLovesSpoods]

Dealing with Covid right now... he looks like I feel. Glad it's for a better reason in his case.

Oh no, Covid!! I haven't managed to get it, but I know a lot of people who did. I hope it's over quick for you 🫶

Nugget here sends his well wishes too

 

[IDMiriam]

Oh no, Covid!! I haven't managed to get it, but I know a lot of people who did. I hope it's over quick for you 🫶

Nugget here sends his well wishes too

Thank you Nugget! It's the first (and hopefully last) time for us. Thankfully we're fully vaccinated and so far my Mom, who lives with us, is still testing negative. Plus we caught it early enough that we were able to get the anti-viral and that has helped a lot too. You and Nugget stay safe out there.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

However I found out that this is actually not him basking, but him feeling the ground for a female.

That doesn't seem right considering male tarantulas are the ones actively moving in pursuit of females which they can find at a distance by pheromone detection and not by ground vibrations. The females are the ones sitting around waiting for a male and recognize them by their movement and courtship "dances." Males then recognize receptive females by their own courtship "dance." It is quite extraordinary seeing it in real life in nature since males appear to be able to lock onto the location of a female from a considerable distance which ultimately results in both having a conversation before getting down to business. Besides, female tarantulas also do this type of stretching from time to time within an intermolt period without any discernible reason.

 

[WillowLovesSpoods]

That doesn't seem right considering male tarantulas find females at a distance by pheromone detection and not by ground vibrations. The females recognize males by their movement and courtship "dances" and males recognize receptive females by their own courtship "dance." It is quite extraordinary seeing it in real life in nature as both male and female tarantulas are obviously having a conversation before getting down to business. Besides, female tarantulas also do this type of stretching from time to time within an intermolt period without any discernible reason.

Very interesting, two Aphonopelma experts with two different opinions.
I appreciate both explanations though as they teach me more about this species and their behaviors. And he definitely displays a ton.

I would love to think he's maybe relaxing? He's definitely at his ultimate molt, so a previous commentor saying it may be molt related is unlikely.

While I have you by the way, is there a reason he'd be pulling around a paper towel scrap with his fangs and pedipalps?
A little later after taking this picture that day he decided to start trying to pull a little paper towel piece that I'd left by his water dish into his hide. Anthropomorphizing him would lead me to want to think he's doing it to drag it in to make the space more comfortable, but he ended up just moving it across his enclosure and abandoning in a corner. Not to mention I doubt Ts care about comfort.

Thank you Nugget! It's the first (and hopefully last) time for us. Thankfully we're fully vaccinated and so far my Mom, who lives with us, is still testing negative. Plus we caught it early enough that we were able to get the anti-viral and that has helped a lot too. You and Nugget stay safe out there.

That's really good news then!

Hoping your mum continues that neg testing.

And thank you so much, we will.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Very interesting, two Aphonopelma experts with two different opinions.
I appreciate both explanations though as they teach me more about this species and their behaviors. And he definitely displays a ton.

I would love to think he's maybe relaxing? He's definitely at his ultimate molt, so a previous commentor saying it may be molt related is unlikely.

While I have you by the way, is there a reason he'd be pulling around a paper towel scrap with his fangs and pedipalps?
A little later after taking this picture that day he decided to start trying to pull a little paper towel piece that I'd left by his water dish into his hide. Anthropomorphizing him would lead me to want to think he's doing it to drag it in to make the space more comfortable, but he ended up just moving it across his enclosure and abandoning in a corner. Not to mention I doubt Ts care about comfort.

No, I don't think the stretching has anything to do with molting even though it is exactly what you would see from one that had recently done so. As I stated, female tarantulas do this too from time to time in between molts and at any life stage. Thinking of them as relaxing during this stretching is just as good an interpretation as any other (except for listening for females LOL) since I would expect any tarantula in this position to jump back up into a "ready" position if disturbed.

The only reason I can think of for your tarantula moving a piece of paper towel around is that it is just trying to keep its territory free from debris. Fangs/ chelicerae and pedipalps are the chelicerate equivalent of arms and hands. Tarantulas are clean and tidy creatures and in captivity often use a corner as their dumping ground. In nature, tarantulas use the furthest end of the burrow chamber as their garbage dump or toss their garbage outside. In captivity with four walls and a roof over their head, we get to see them actively searching for the best place to put their garbage. Now here is an interesting question. If you were to put a bunch of junk in a tarantula's cage and leave the lid off, would the tarantula try to toss the junk out of the cage?

 

[JDS123]

Maybe that's why I'm single still cuz that's all I do to find a mate as well.

 

[taranbandido]

The different stretches is simply that the new suit adapts and hardens perfectly... There is no other mystery...

 

[Mountaindani]

No, I don't think the stretching has anything to do with molting even though it is exactly what you would see from one that had recently done so. As I stated, female tarantulas do this too from time to time in between molts and at any life stage. Thinking of them as relaxing during this stretching is just as good an interpretation as any other (except for listening for females LOL) since I would expect any tarantula in this position to jump back up into a "ready" position if disturbed.

The only reason I can think of for your tarantula moving a piece of paper towel around is that it is just trying to keep its territory free from debris. Fangs/ chelicerae and pedipalps are the chelicerate equivalent of arms and hands. Tarantulas are clean and tidy creatures and in captivity often use a corner as their dumping ground. In nature, tarantulas use the furthest end of the burrow chamber as their garbage dump or toss their garbage outside. In captivity with four walls and a roof over their head, we get to see them actively searching for the best place to put their garbage. Now here is an interesting question. If you were to put a bunch of junk in a tarantula's cage and leave the lid off, would the tarantula try to toss the junk out of the cage?

Would that be the reason water dishes are buried or dragged into burrows? I always thought it was a lot of effort just to troll me.