Blue Fang Questions

[Sor4tron]

Ive done a lot of research on Blue fangs and i recently just got mine. Mines came in from and import and I left him/her alone in a small acrylic container with 2" substrate and plenty of room to climb. I didn't disturb it for almost 3 days and every time I checked on it , it always seemed to climb? Ive read they are fossorial, but mine is acting like an arboreal! Is the substrate too damp? I didn't mist the substrate a ton since it came out of the bag moist, not dripping wet damp, but moist. I didn't give it a hide since I added a small pothos plant with only 1 leaf in there, I thought it would use that as a hide or anchor for it's burrow. Im still confused, and when I tried opening its enclosure, it just starts to panic and run around really really fast. It also seems to like to walk around the container (on the sides) so Im not sure what the problem is. It is 2cm, in a 4x4x4 container, with moist substrate, a pothos leaf for hide, and 2" subs for burrowing. Not sure if Im doing something wrong, but my main questions are : a) are they like OBTs where they are semi-arboreal? b) should I be worried about it pacing around the enclosure? c) Any other tips on care for these guys?

 

[Arachnohorn]

Ive done a lot of research on Blue fangs and i recently just got mine. Mines came in from and import and I left him/her alone in a small acrylic container with 2" substrate and plenty of room to climb. I didn't disturb it for almost 3 days and every time I checked on it , it always seemed to climb? Ive read they are fossorial, but mine is acting like an arboreal! Is the substrate too damp? I didn't mist the substrate a ton since it came out of the bag moist, not dripping wet damp, but moist. I didn't give it a hide since I added a small pothos plant with only 1 leaf in there, I thought it would use that as a hide or anchor for it's burrow. Im still confused, and when I tried opening its enclosure, it just starts to panic and run around really really fast. It also seems to like to walk around the container (on the sides) so Im not sure what the problem is. It is 2cm, in a 4x4x4 container, with moist substrate, a pothos leaf for hide, and 2" subs for burrowing. Not sure if Im doing something wrong, but my main questions are : a) are they like OBTs where they are semi-arboreal? b) should I be worried about it pacing around the enclosure? c) Any other tips on care for these guys?

A picture please?

 

[magouilles]

Ive done a lot of research on Blue fangs and i recently just got mine. Mines came in from and import and I left him/her alone in a small acrylic container with 2" substrate and plenty of room to climb. I didn't disturb it for almost 3 days and every time I checked on it , it always seemed to climb? Ive read they are fossorial, but mine is acting like an arboreal! Is the substrate too damp? I didn't mist the substrate a ton since it came out of the bag moist, not dripping wet damp, but moist. I didn't give it a hide since I added a small pothos plant with only 1 leaf in there, I thought it would use that as a hide or anchor for it's burrow. Im still confused, and when I tried opening its enclosure, it just starts to panic and run around really really fast. It also seems to like to walk around the container (on the sides) so Im not sure what the problem is. It is 2cm, in a 4x4x4 container, with moist substrate, a pothos leaf for hide, and 2" subs for burrowing. Not sure if Im doing something wrong, but my main questions are : a) are they like OBTs where they are semi-arboreal? b) should I be worried about it pacing around the enclosure? c) Any other tips on care for these guys?

picture would help alot to see if there's truly an issue with the enclosure or sub
that being said, some spiders can take weeks to adapt to a new environment and feel safe in it so it's usually just fine if a spider is still stressed and hangs out on the walls only 3 days in

 

[viper69]

Fossorial I’ve raised many. Captivity will make many animals do abberant things.

If brand new to you, most new Ts go vertical for a bit.

Its the most nervous fast species terrestrial out there IMO other than incei

Don’t be so surprised or concerned about speed etc. You should have came across this normal behavior in research

 

[Sor4tron]

sorry i forgot to add, so forgot to mention that i added a bottle cap and add an entrance by digging a bit of the soil as a "hide" to see if it likes it. also hasnt moved for a couple hrs or so.

Fossorial I’ve raised many. Captivity will make many animals do abberant things.

If brand new to you, most new Ts go vertical for a bit.

Its the most nervous fast species terrestrial out there IMO other than incei

Don’t be so surprised or concerned about speed etc. You should have came across this normal behavior in research

yeah youre right... i guess i just overreacted to it being super bolty haha. the faatest T ive kept so far was a irminia, i just didnt expect it to be that fast

 

[Edan bandoot]

They are arboreal as slings and fossorial as adults. Set them up with a slanted corkbark and they'll make a turret and burrow under it. Ime

 

[viper69]

They are arboreal as slings and fossorial as adults. Set them up with a slanted corkbark and they'll make a turret and burrow under it. Ime

Is this according peer-reviewed literature? I would think if so, maybe Rick West’s paper.

mine were not arboreal- these are terrestrials, all of mine burrowed. I’m curious where you heard this?

 

[Edan bandoot]

Is this according peer-reviewed literature? I would think if so, maybe Rick West’s paper.

mine were not arboreal- these are terrestrials, all of mine burrowed. I’m curious where you heard this?

Unsure if it's like that in nature (although i recall someone else saying that the slings were found at the bases of trees and in the bark) but that's my experience with mine in capitivity.

i set it up like a psalmo and it made a turret, most other people ive spoken with have had similar experiences.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is this according peer-reviewed literature? I would think if so, maybe Rick West’s paper.

Quote from the 2008 West, Marshall, Bertani & Fukushima paper.

"We have also observed that early instars of E. murinus live in arboreal refugia, constructing retreats of silk in terrestrial bromeliads (SDM & RCW, pers. obs.)
(Fig. 12). Unlike spiderlings of E. murinus, spiderlings of other Ephebopus species have not been found living in silk tubes in vegetation."

Many keepers have observed E. cyanognathus specimens behaving arboreally as slings and then burrowing as they put on size. That was certainly my experience with raising this species anyway, my rufescens has always been fossorial though.

 

[AlbaArachnids92]

Likewise, mine chose to ignore the premade hide and burrow, picked a corner, made a web tunnel from soil to lid and moved some of the moss/litter around it.
I found a good number of keepers reporting the same. Apparently, once they get a couple inches on them it's digging time.

 

[Rick_C_West]

Quote from the 2008 West, Marshall, Bertani & Fukushima paper.

"We have also observed that early instars of E. murinus live in arboreal refugia, constructing retreats of silk in terrestrial bromeliads (SDM & RCW, pers. obs.)
(Fig. 12). Unlike spiderlings of E. murinus, spiderlings of other Ephebopus species have not been found living in silk tubes in vegetation."

Many keepers have observed E. cyanognathus specimens behaving arboreally as slings and then burrowing as they put on size. That was certainly my experience with raising this species anyway, my rufescens has always been fossorial though.

Early life stages of all the known Ephebopus spp. go through an arboreal life style before shifting to a fossorial one. Hope this paper helps.

In captive situations, you will always see exceptions to what naturally occurs in a theraphosid species within their natural environment. Colleagues and I have found Hysterocrates 40' up in palm axils, Psalmopoeus cambridgei living on the ground in a log, Hapalotremus living under snow. Some theraphosid species adapt well to captive living conditions while others do not adapt and will stress and die.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Early life stages of all the known Ephebopus spp. go through an arboreal life style before shifting to a fossorial one. Hope this paper helps.

In captive situations, you will always see exceptions to what naturally occurs in a theraphosid species within their natural environment. Colleagues and I have found Hysterocrates 40' up in palm axils, Psalmopoeus cambridgei living on the ground in a log, Hapalotremus living under snow. Some theraphosid species adapt well to captive living conditions while others do not adapt and will stress and die.

i feel validated

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Replying on this thread, as that is where the info I'm drawing from is located, though my question is about E Murinus slings. Given Rick West's paper above, has anyone tried setting up an E murinus sling semi arboreal? Thinking of a couple of small, fake bromeliad leaves in a 3.5" x 4.5" container with 2.5" sub for a 1.25" sling (I also have a 4"x5"). Since mine molted, she doesn't go down into her burrow anymore, nor does she attempt to hide when I open her condiment cup. She is currently set up in l4nsky's moisture dependent sling setup with a 5.5oz condiment cup. It was difficult trying to hold part of the lid closed while reaching in to clean boluses and poop without squishing her in the shallow spot between the sub and the lid, so she is ready for a rehouse.