Brachypelma hamorii stress-posing in burrow

[MontePython]

All right, so I came a bit late to the Brachypelma game, and have only had my two for almost three months. Bela, my B. hamorii juvie (probably roughly 5-7cm dls?), pretty much immediately (within the first few weeks) started using the half-buried fake turtle shell hide in his enclosure, and tunneled out a pretty sizeable area behind the back opening of it and blocked up the entrance. He's not moulted in the time I've had him, and he's eaten about five times - almost all in the month of November (plus one in the first week of December).

He dug his den pretty much right up against one side of the critter keeper and so while I keep it pointed towards another enclosure and therefore never in direct light, I'm able to easily see what he's up to (usually he's just kinda sitting in there in a pretty typical resting position) and if he's gone into premoult (he has a few little patches, but is very much not darkened in colour at all).

However, the past few days I've noticed that he's spending almost the entire time at the bottom-most point of the chamber, in a stress pose (pictured below). I'm not 100% sure when it started, but I would say probably within the past three days? Occasionally I've seen him move because I was doing some maintence and a little water got spilled and made its way down to that level and he got up normally and moved away from it, but otherwise he seems pretty much to stay put in that position, and I'm not sure if there's something going on that I should be worried about, or if I'm overthinking (which I do know is a possibility).

Any thoughts?

 

[Edan bandoot]

He's just chilling

 

[viper69]

normal- overthinking

 

[MontePython]

Thanks guys. I had a feeling I might be [overthinking], but it was a pretty sudden change, so I figured it couldn't hurt to get a second opinion just in case.

 

[Matt Man]

take that side where you can see the T and turn it to the wall. Check on them in the eve. They have a nice burrow but if they are getting a lot of light they won't feel as secure. It's a great observational thing for you, so just turn it from the light. It's just chilling so you have nothing to stress about

 

[Smotzer]

Normal spider things, just be grateful you have such a big clear window to see it through, doesnt always happen as nice as that!!

 

[MontePython]

take that side where you can see the T and turn it to the wall. Check on them in the eve. They have a nice burrow but if they are getting a lot of light they won't feel as secure. It's a great observational thing for you, so just turn it from the light. It's just chilling so you have nothing to stress about

Yeah, I'll try that! Right now, it's facing the G. pulchra enclosure, which IS right next to the wall, so I'll swap them around so that part is against the wall and less open to light (won't bother the pulchra - they're all barricaded up but with no windows). Usually I try to only peek at night so he's not too disturbed, but since classes have started back up, I've been in there more (it's also my office), so maybe there's been more light than usual.

Normal spider things, just be grateful you have such a big clear window to see it through, doesnt always happen as nice as that!!

Yeah! I've lucked out with a few of them - my N. carapoensis, T. vagans, and A. ezendami have also all made pretty nice against-the-wall window burrows, though the latter has layered in enough webbing that I can't always see very well except when they're right up against the side doing something.

Thanks again for putting my mind at ease, guys. I figured since nothing seemed overly amiss, and he was still moving, that it was probably nothing and/or something easily fixed like a little too much light, but figured asking wouldn't hurt.

 

[8 legged]

All right, so I came a bit late to the Brachypelma game, and have only had my two for almost three months. Bela, my B. hamorii juvie (probably roughly 5-7cm dls?), pretty much immediately (within the first few weeks) started using the half-buried fake turtle shell hide in his enclosure, and tunneled out a pretty sizeable area behind the back opening of it and blocked up the entrance. He's not moulted in the time I've had him, and he's eaten about five times - almost all in the month of November (plus one in the first week of December).

He dug his den pretty much right up against one side of the critter keeper and so while I keep it pointed towards another enclosure and therefore never in direct light, I'm able to easily see what he's up to (usually he's just kinda sitting in there in a pretty typical resting position) and if he's gone into premoult (he has a few little patches, but is very much not darkened in colour at all).

However, the past few days I've noticed that he's spending almost the entire time at the bottom-most point of the chamber, in a stress pose (pictured below). I'm not 100% sure when it started, but I would say probably within the past three days? Occasionally I've seen him move because I was doing some maintence and a little water got spilled and made its way down to that level and he got up normally and moved away from it, but otherwise he seems pretty much to stay put in that position, and I'm not sure if there's something going on that I should be worried about, or if I'm overthinking (which I do know is a possibility).

Any thoughts?
View attachment 372377

Nice spider!

 

[MontePython]

Nice spider!

Thanks! I'm very fond of both my Brachys - they're both a bit shy, but a nice break from the faster guys sometimes