I posted about this T a few days ago regarding sexing the molt seen as it recently molted. It is a female, about 2.5cm body length and roughly 5-6cm leg span. So I saw an old thread from 2012 regarding someone else's Mexican Fire Leg doing the same thing but to mesh wiring. I don't have any of these things on my custom enclosures, but she has been trying to get out through the ventilation holes (which is impossible for a T her size since they are 4mm diameter). This behaviour only started when she last molted on the 2nd of December. I have given her the freedom to be handled (although I never handle my Ts) but this is only because I feel she wants to explore. She doesn't flick hairs at me, bolt or give any threat pose. She is extremely docile for what I expected. Is there any explanation to this behaviour? She is literally spending all day trying to escape, digging in the corners, turning over cork bark...etc.
Brachypelma boehmei trying to escape its enclosure
- Thread starter KdeBruyn
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The Seraph
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Could you post photos of the enclosure and the tarantula? It will help greatly.
Will do @The Seraph I am trying to upload my photos onto my laptop
Chris LXXIX
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Why are you under the (quite false, trust me) impression that 'handling' and 'freedom' can match in the same sentence, since we are talking about (especially in the case of 0.1, but actually even 1.0 specimens until they turns into MM's) quite "traditionalist", somewhat 'sedentary' (altough is a wrong term) animals?
Why do you think/feel that your Theraphosidae "wants to explore"? That's nowhere near the reality, man. I've kept basically every sort of T's in my life since early '90 (terrestrials; arboreals; obligate burrowers) save (unfortunately) for the 'Aussie' ones, and no Theraphosidae that "full settled" in his/her enclosure tried to escape. For that's the enclosure we provide at our best (supposedly) is their home, their world, and they don't want to leave that for no reasons -- unless a pure force majeure issue happens.
Digging (a bit, or more) means not that much at the end of the day... that's however one of the reasons why I'd love to offer to my terrestrial (which are very, very few, nowadays, and mostly rescued) at least a good 5/6 inches of substrate: because you never know if a T/T's feel/wants to 'burrow' a bit.
Climbing (in the case of terrestrials, like yours is, or obligate burrowers) may/could means that something is wrong with the set up and/or more with the parameters (basically the substrate moistness for certain terrestrial species or, the mandatory time needed for burrow, for obligate burrowers). Or maybe, everything is fine with your set up, nonetheless, your specimen is just climbing a bit.
Overall, without viewing a full picture or else, not something out of the ordinary
Why do you think/feel that your Theraphosidae "wants to explore"? That's nowhere near the reality, man. I've kept basically every sort of T's in my life since early '90 (terrestrials; arboreals; obligate burrowers) save (unfortunately) for the 'Aussie' ones, and no Theraphosidae that "full settled" in his/her enclosure tried to escape. For that's the enclosure we provide at our best (supposedly) is their home, their world, and they don't want to leave that for no reasons -- unless a pure force majeure issue happens.
Digging (a bit, or more) means not that much at the end of the day... that's however one of the reasons why I'd love to offer to my terrestrial (which are very, very few, nowadays, and mostly rescued) at least a good 5/6 inches of substrate: because you never know if a T/T's feel/wants to 'burrow' a bit.
Climbing (in the case of terrestrials, like yours is, or obligate burrowers) may/could means that something is wrong with the set up and/or more with the parameters (basically the substrate moistness for certain terrestrial species or, the mandatory time needed for burrow, for obligate burrowers). Or maybe, everything is fine with your set up, nonetheless, your specimen is just climbing a bit.
Overall, without viewing a full picture or else, not something out of the ordinary
Here's the setup. It's been kept similar all her life, 5-6cm substrate, a hide and a water dish. Like I said, this behaviour only started after she last molted. She's in the top left corner still trying to escape. This is a custom enclosure I made.
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I'm sorry for making the wrong impressions to your distaste. I am still learning how to keep these animals, and quite frankly if the spider can be handled, I will have a go. Like I said, I don't regularly do this, and out of the 4 months I've had her I've held her twice. I'm not some believer in handling my Ts. My 3 other Ts I don't handle baring in mind they are beginner species.Why are you under the (quite false, trust me) impression that 'handling' and 'freedom' can match in the same sentence, since we are talking about (especially in the case of 0.1, but actually even 1.0 specimens until they turns into MM's) quite "traditionalist", somewhat 'sedentary' (altough is a wrong term) animals?
Why do you think/feel that your Theraphosidae "wants to explore"? That's nowhere near the reality, man. I've kept basically every sort of T's in my life since early '90 (terrestrials; arboreals; obligate burrowers) save (unfortunately) for the 'Aussie' ones, and no Theraphosidae that "full settled" in his/her enclosure tried to escape. For that's the enclosure we provide at our best (supposedly) is their home, their world, and they don't want to leave that for no reasons -- unless a pure force majeure issue happens.
Digging (a bit, or more) means not that much at the end of the day... that's however one of the reasons why I'd love to offer to my terrestrial (which are very, very few, nowadays, and mostly rescued) at least a good 5/6 inches of substrate: because you never know if a T/T's feel/wants to 'burrow' a bit.
Climbing (in the case of terrestrials, like yours is, or obligate burrowers) may/could means that something is wrong with the set up and/or more with the parameters (basically the substrate moistness for certain terrestrial species or, the mandatory time needed for burrow, for obligate burrowers). Or maybe, everything is fine with your set up, nonetheless, your specimen is just climbing a bit.
Overall, without viewing a full picture or else, not something out of the ordinary
The Seraph
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Are her legs poking out of that slit? If so, make sure that she cannot fit her cephalothorax through it. If she can, then she can fit her whole body through.
She can only fit her legs through the slits.
Chris LXXIX
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Distaste? Oh, you don't know me at all
I've only pointed out facts, man: no matter what you may think about 'handling', or about what you may think that spider 'may want', that's not how the reality is.
Reality: no Theraphosidae is docile. That's impossible. Impossible. I know that in the hobby this term is used since forever, but is a nonsense. They are eight legged animals moved by ancient, pure instinct... they can't be 'docile'. They aren't 'docile'.
It's only a question of 'potent venom Vs weak/mild venom'; 'fast as heck/insane speed Vs pet rock speed'; 'more defensive bitey attitude Vs flicking hairs - less defensive attitude'. That's all, not considering the care/parameters, obviously.
If you want to handle, then handle, I'm not judging you. But don't tell me that "if the spider can be handled", for that this is simply wrong, at every level
The Grym Reaper
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Substrate looks a little moist for this species (they should be kept mostly dry once they reach juvie size or they tend to climb) and it appears that there isn't a suitable hide that it can burrow underneath, both things might explain this behaviour.
I've just mixed in new substrate today which is very very slightly moist because I always remove the top layer when cleaning the enclosure out. Secondly, she had 2 adequately sized hides she was using which she toppled over and stuffed with substrate.Substrate looks a little moist for this species (they should be kept mostly dry once they reach juvie size or they tend to climb) and it appears that there isn't a suitable hide that it can burrow underneath, both things might explain this behaviour.
Paul1126
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Pack down the sub, it is okay to add moisture every now and again it does look a bit too moist in there and you need a suitable hide.
Example of a hide
Another example of a hide
Another
A hide should be buried into the sub spiders feel safe inside tight and dark places, also make sure it is not a dead end, most of my spiders will create a second "entrance" to the hide, assuming this is to escape predators if they were to get into the hide they have an escape.
A hide should be buried into the sub spiders feel safe inside tight and dark places, also make sure it is not a dead end, most of my spiders will create a second "entrance" to the hide, assuming this is to escape predators if they were to get into the hide they have an escape.
The Grym Reaper
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There's literally no need to to this, just pick out boluses as and when you find them and change the water dish as needed. Your tarantula lays down webbing all over the enclosure and uses this to find its way around, every time you remove or replace substrate the T is back to square one in an unfamiliar environment, this coupled with the moisture in the new sub will cause it to roam until it gets settled again.
That doesn't really look suitable as it is. Hides should be slightly larger than the tarantula, should be part buried horizontally so that they remain fixed in place and the starter burrow should be little more than a crawl space that the spider can fit snugly into (spiders like tight spaces). Some examples of suitable hides
Cheers for the assistance @The Grym Reaper and @Paul1126. I'll find a more suitable hide such as the ones you have shown and avoid removing the top layer of substrate again to clean the enclosure. If changing the hide does not do anything I will let you know.
Paul1126
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You can let it dry out no problem, are you 100% sure it cannot squeeze through the gap?
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Doing what? Your first few sentences don't make sense, so I stopped reading.
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This is exactly why your T is so unsettled. It is completely unnecessary to clean out the enclosure, and especially to remove the top layer of sub which has fine threads of webbing on it. Let your T settle into her environment once you have added a proper hide and then leave the enclosure be.
SteveIDDQD
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Everyone else has you covered on the care, just here to say I really like your enclosure with the spiders name etched into it.
Lil Paws
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It looks like you are getting loads of really excellent advice. Just came on to share my sling (who is about half the size of yours) is usually out until I open the lid. Then it zips into its hide and huddles down. It's been the most skittish invert we've owned so far. Even though it's the smallest T, it was the biggest PITA to rehouse the first time I changed it over (and that was the only time it ever tried to escape). Hoping as it grows, it will mellow out a little. They are beautiful when they get their hairs and color in!