Blue Baboon behaviour

[Baby T]

Hi all

I've had a juvenile blue baboon for about 6 weeks now. She's adopted a coconut husk as her hidey place, but instead of hiding inside she's plugged the entrance with substrate and has made an intricate web of tunnels behind it! This is where she stays. My question is how will I know when she moults? How will I get the skin out without wrecking her good work?
I'm sure she's eating the crickets I poke into the labyrinth of hell.... I can sometimes see her if I shine a torch down the side of the tank but apart from that she's illusive.
I know this isn't a show tarantula and they burrow, but it's my first in this category so would appreciate some tips. Thank you!

 

[viper69]

What the heck is a Blue Baboon?? Common names shouldn’t be used generally.

There’s 2 Ts you could have based on that ridiculous name.

Also sealed up means do not disturb they are getting ready to molt. Shoving crix in their can lead to death of T

If that’s I mira you have an entirely wrong setup.

 

[jaw6053]

If you want anyone to help you here you need to do the following:

1. Post pics of entire setup/enclosure
2. Post pics of tarantula if possible
3. Use scientific names only

 

[EulersK]

As @viper69 said, I'm not sure which species you have. Off the top of my head, a "Blue Baboon" is either an I. mira or a M. balfouri... and in either case, the setup is entirely wrong. Unfortunately, those species have different requirements for husbandry and setup, so we can't help until we know what you have. Do you have any pictures of the tarantula? Those species I mentioned look entirely different, so it shouldn't be hard to identify it.

My question is how will I know when she moults?

When it comes to obligate burrowers, you'll know that they've molted when they emerge bigger and hungry. That's about it. Many burrowers keep their exuvia (shed "skin") in their burrow indefinitely.

How will I get the skin out without wrecking her good work?

You don't, simply put.
The old "skin" is called an exuvia, by the way. Arthropods do not have skin, they have an exoskeleton.

I'm sure she's eating the crickets I poke into the labyrinth of hell...

Please do not do this. Webbing up the entrance to a burrow is their "Do Not Disturb" sign. Crickets can and do munch on vulnerable prey, including a molting tarantula. If you feel that you must try to feed, drop the crickets on the webbing and simply leave them. If your spider wants food, it will come out. Be sure to remove any uneaten prey the following day - never leave them in there indefinitely. That Do Not Disturb sign can last for months, depending on the size of your tarantula. Simply keep a full water dish and leave it alone.

 

[Baby T]

WOW. What a helpful response viper69.

It's a monocentropus balfouri. I don't think it's ready to molt yet. It's natural behaviour is to hide/burrow and is a heavy webber. It hasn't buried itself inside the husk so don't worry I haven't been shoving crickets inside there!! Merely dropping them outside the entrance to her web tunnels and they've definitely been eaten.
I just wanted to know if anyone had a useful tip on retrieving its molt once it had done so?... I'd really like to not disturb the house it's made. Also these are quite an aggressive species so would like to keep my fingers intact.
The picture is pretty much the whole set up apart from another smaller hide in the other corner.

Thanks in advance

Right so I get that using non scientific names is unacceptable round here.

Thanks for the response EulersK. Despite how I've clearly come across I do have experience with other Ts, this one is a bit different in behaviour, and I thought this might be the place for advice.
I'd like to now how the set up is entirely wrong if anyone can help with that?

 

[Reezelbeezelbug]

Sometimes they kick the molt out, sometimes they shove it down and web over it. If you're lucky they'll kick it out, otherwise you'll have to mess up their webbing to get it. Luckily making web is kinda their thing, so they won't hate you forever if you mess it up.

 

[Baby T]

Thank you. I wondered if this might be the case. I've always been told it's best to remove the molt.

 

[StampFan]

WOW. What a helpful response viper69.

It's a monocentropus balfouri. I don't think it's ready to molt yet. It's natural behaviour is to hide/burrow and is a heavy webber. It hasn't buried itself inside the husk so don't worry I haven't been shoving crickets inside there!! Merely dropping them outside the entrance to her web tunnels and they've definitely been eaten.
I just wanted to know if anyone had a useful tip on retrieving its molt once it had done so?... I'd really like to not disturb the house it's made. Also these are quite an aggressive species so would like to keep my fingers intact.
The picture is pretty much the whole set up apart from another smaller hide in the other corner.

Thanks in advance

You don't really need to retrieve a molt for any reason, really. If its in the burrow the T will likely houseclean itself.

 

[Baby T]

Ok thanks. I'll leave her be. She's been a tidy T so far

 

[vancwa]

Need pics of entire enclosure. Looks like you have it in an arboreal enclosure. M. balfouri need a terrestrial set-up. There is no reason to destroy webbing/hide to remove the exuviae.

 

[Baby T]

In all honesty the enclosure could be better set up which I plan to change. Plenty of burrow depth but its an exoterra front opening tank (advised as they are lightening quick and this makes it easier to spot clean etc..) Which makes it more difficult to build up the substrate. I have just watched some useful videos on the set up and how to create more burrowing opportunities.
Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[Vanessa]

Right so I get that using non scientific names is unacceptable round here.

The use of scientific names is emphasized on this forum and this thread is literally the best example of why that is. There is no 'Blue Baboon' tarantula. Monocentropus balfouri is the 'Socotra Island Blue Baboon' tarantula. Maybe if you had used the correct common name, you wouldn't have been given a hard time. As it was, you used the wrong one and illustrated why common names are problematic and should be avoided at all costs.

 

[EulersK]

I'd like to now how the set up is entirely wrong if anyone can help with that?

At the very least, it's actually quite dangerous. Those heavy river stones I see in the first picture can cause a cave in and crush the spider if it decides to burrow beneath them. I've seen that happen several times to others in the hobby. You say it has plenty of burrow room, but that's a pretty subjective term. I'll take your word that it has vertical burrowing room, but the bigger issue comes from the enclosure itself. Falls are often lethal to tarantulas, especially non-arboreal species. When it climbs to the top (not if, when), there is a chance of it falling and rupturing its abdomen. This risk is increased by, again, the rocks you have in there.

 

[ColeopteraC]

In all honesty the enclosure could be better set up which I plan to change. Plenty of burrow depth but its an exoterra front opening tank (advised as they are lightening quick and this makes it easier to spot clean etc..) Which makes it more difficult to build up the substrate. I have just watched some useful videos on the set up and how to create more burrowing opportunities.
Thanks for the advice everyone.

Lighting quick? If you mean that by the convenience of the lid opening other enclosures are just as simple and convenient to use.

For a small juvi like that you want a top opening smaller enclosure, (storage box etc.) filled with sub using 1.5X DLS of the spider. The current enclosure poses a fall risk, is far too big and hasn’t got enough substrate.

Don’t bother with expensive enclosures for juvi O/W’s, they’ll outgrow them pretty quickly. You can do so when they mature.

 

[cold blood]

Get a new, proper enclosure ASAP. Your set up is the opposite of whats required. Front doors prevent the addition of enough sub to have a safe home.

How much sub your terrestrial or fossorial needs is almost completely dictated by the depth of the enclosure. The deeper the enclosure, the more sub it will require.

Whomever suggested this home, for this t, was either just trying to make money or was totally clueless...either way, take them off the list of potential helpers.

 

[Baby T]

I've kept all my other Ts in smaller enclosures with top opening lids until they were big enough so am aware of that. I found quite a few care sheets that said to house them in this type of enclosure, and that puting this species in one larger than it needed was advised due to their speed and aggressive nature, to avoid multiple rehousing.
I will remove the stones immediately and plan to increase the depth and hight of the substrate.

I'll look to order a top opening enclosure as soon as available. I have an old one which would work for now but if other peeps are right and she is preparing to molt I'll do this once she resurfaces

 

[cold blood]

that. I found quite a few care sheets that said to house them in this type of enclosure, a

Theres your issue...care sheets are the bane of the hobby....NEVER trust or even read care sheets, theyre horrific learning tools. Its especially bad to see one suggesting a tall arboreal enclosure for a fossorial species.

that puting this species in one larger than it needed was advised due to their speed and aggressive nature, to avoid multiple rehousing.

You are misunderstanding completely. More space is just fine, vertical space is not, its dangerous

Balfouri arent generally very defensive either to be honest.

Re housing is also not something to look to avoid, its one of a keepers most valuable tool for learning.

 

[Baby T]

Care sheets written by hobbyists are horrific learning tools???
I do understand completely actually.
Thanks for making me feel welcome everyone

 

[moricollins]

Care sheets written by hobbyists are horrific learning tools???
I do understand completely actually.
Thanks for making me feel welcome everyone

I'll present my observations from having been on this forum for 15 years now.

On a scale of 1(low) to 10 (high):
People's concern for your tarantulas' wellbeing: 10
People's concern for your feelings: 2-3

Everyone here is offering you advice on how to keep the tarantula safely and properly. No one is trying to be unwelcoming.

What caresheet were your referring to? Sending a link can help people to tell you how worthwhile/worthless it is.

 

[ColeopteraC]

I've kept all my other Ts in smaller enclosures with top opening lids until they were big enough so am aware of that. I found quite a few care sheets that said to house them in this type of enclosure, and that puting this species in one larger than it needed was advised due to their speed and aggressive nature, to avoid multiple rehousing.
I will remove the stones immediately and plan to increase the depth and hight of the substrate.

Care sheets are usually inaccurate and often feature this sort of product placement. Just come here for info.