Brachypelma Vagans behaviour

[Drenthrium]

I want to get a second Tarantula but I would love to have a reference about their behaviour. Are they somehow docile? I don't plan on handling I just would love to see it be somehow calm.

 

[AnObeseHippo]

My B vagans is pretty calm when she’s not flying from wall to wall to catch a couple crickets

 

[The Grym Reaper]

They're a mixed bag temperament-wise, it seems that for every docile one there's one that's skittish as heck and another that wants to eat your face.

 

[Ztesch]

Mine was a kind of defensive as a Juvinile. Now that she has a bit of size on her she is pretty calm.

 

[Theneil]

Depends on how hungry they are.

My female is USUALLY pretty chill and just sits there, however like any T if she gets spooked or thinks food she can be fast!

i Also have a mature male who is MUCH more sporatic and unpredictable. Granted that could just be because he's mature and it sounds to me like that is typical for MMs.

Hope this helps.

 

[Paul1126]

Skittish, Hair kickers and fossorial as very small slings.

 

[cold blood]

Vagans are one if the more high strung Brachys.. .they can be skittish and defensive.....but not terribly difficult to deal with....still considered a good beginner species.

 

[MrTwister]

Mine has been a little bi-polar. Kicked a bit of hair during rehouse, other times literally had to be pushed with the brush. Gets a little grumpy in pre molt and has started throwing threat postures at the water dish when filled. Also the only T I have that has fought me for the water dish.

 

[InvertAddiction]

I had 2 that were raised from half inch to 3 inches. I've never seen either of them calm for anything. Sling size, super skittish, after reaching an inch and a half to 2 inches, the attitude from Hades hit. I was always greeted with full threat poses and a very damaged straw with wet bites from each of them.

 

[FrDoc]

Mine is completely chill, doesn’t even generally care when I open the lid to do maintenance, always out in the open. However, like a couple folks above have stated, when it comes to eating you can stand the heck by, because it’s getting its meal. I always put a hole large enough to put super worms through when I make a DIY enclosure, and it’s my only T that runs over, jumps up on the side, and snags the worm as it’s being passed through. I gotta admit the first time that happened I drew back, surprised the heck out of me. They’re a fabulous specimen, and absolutely gorgeous in their own right. (cue infomercial voice) “Get yours today!”

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I want to get a second Tarantula but I would love to have a reference about their behaviour. Are they somehow docile? I don't plan on handling I just would love to see it be somehow calm.

What’s first one? My vote get some g rosea or porters slings .

Vagans are one if the more high strung Brachys.. .they can be skittish and defensive.....but not terribly difficult to deal with....still considered a good beginner species.

Before mine got stuck in molt trying to molt while super fat looking gravid. She never kicked hairs , and would show a threat pose anytime disturbed!!!
I prefer defensive not major hair kickers will miss this T a lot.

 

[Teal]

Our vagans (four of them - two females two unsexed as of yet) are all juvies in the 2-3"-ish inch range... they are all relatively calm to observe, but will skitter back to their hides if disturbed. They have very strong feeding responses... my partner likes to hold the roach with tongs at the entrance to their burrows/hides and they will come out to snatch it up. I am looking forward to seeing how their temperaments develop as they mature.

 

[Torech Ungol]

Our vagans (four of them - two females two unsexed as of yet) are all juvies in the 2-3"-ish inch range... they are all relatively calm to observe, but will skitter back to their hides if disturbed. They have very strong feeding responses... my partner likes to hold the roach with tongs at the entrance to their burrows/hides and they will come out to snatch it up. I am looking forward to seeing how their temperaments develop as they mature.

Feeding off the tongs like that isn't really recommended, as it has a strong chance of damaging or destroying a fang or two.

 

[Teal]

Feeding off the tongs like that isn't really recommended, as it has a strong chance of damaging or destroying a fang or two.

I am aware of that. In 17 years, I have never had a broken/damaged fang. We hold the very end of the roach, facing into the burrow/hide and let it go as the T comes out.

 

[boina]

I think B. vagans is a brilliant choice for a second tarantula. They are a bit more active/skittish/defensive than your usual pet rock Brachy, but nothing a beginner wouldn't be able to handle if careful. It gives you a chance to observe a larger range of behaviour, get more comfortable with a tarantula that actually moves a bit (or a bit more, e.g. during feeding ).

I've two adults, raised from sling, and I enjoy them a lot.

 

[Dannica]

I love mine, but I think I’ve probably made it clear in my past postings that “docile” isn’t a word I would ever use. Mine was my first tarantula (excluding ones of an ex boyfriends that I helped care for), and care wasn’t super difficult at all. As a sling, she hid most of the time, and cowered in her burrow at the slightest disturbance, but as she’s put on some size (she’s around 3 inches now), she has gotten essentially fearless, and prefers to slap at the ground and strike at anything that moves, all whilst holding threat poses for upwards of an hour at a time. This spider doesn’t know what retreating means, and would rather stand her ground, at all costs.

All that being said, I really consider B.vagans to be a staple in any keepers collection, and would definitely recommend picking up one...or five!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I am aware of that. In 17 years, I have never had a broken/damaged fang. We hold the very end of the roach, facing into the burrow/hide and let it go as the T comes out.

He meant holding the roach in the tongs without dropping can break a fang I guess . Well done I do the same thing , T can hunt the roach if it escapes and burrows.my big lp female caught two roaches that escaped her beforehand. A 20 gal long is my only tank bigger then a normal 10 gallon. A Goliath would be nice but I’m broke and the hairs are strong.

 

[Teal]

He meant holding the roach in the tongs without dropping can break a fang I guess . Well done I do the same thing , T can hunt the roach if it escapes and burrows.my big lp female caught two roaches that escaped her beforehand. A 20 gal long is my only tank bigger then a normal 10 gallon. A Goliath would be nice but I’m broke and the hairs are strong.

I hang on to the roach for one of my arboreals, because if I let it go then it will just fall (dubia)... but yeah, I get his point.

I like to let my Ts hunt for their roaches a lot of the time, but it IS fun to "hand feed" them and my new-to-the-hobby partner really gets a kick out of it

 

[DagmarV]

T can hunt the roach if it escapes and burrows.my big lp female caught two roaches that escaped her beforehand.

Oh yeah?? My B. albo and B. emilia both suck at dubias and let them become their roomates after they burrow. I found a dubia chilling in my albo's enclosure last week. I can't even remember the last time I gave her one! I'd tried to dig them out after they went uneaten but I apparently missed one and the T didn't seem inclined to go after it in the weeks it was in there. F- in hunting. :I

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Oh yeah?? My B. albo and B. emilia both suck at dubias and let them become their roomates after they burrow. I found a dubia chilling in my albo's enclosure last week. I can't even remember the last time I gave her one! I'd tried to dig them out after they went uneaten but I apparently missed one and the T didn't seem inclined to go after it in the weeks it was in there. F- in hunting. :I

Only larger species that are hungry seem to notice , and if full you can still find dead dubia scattered all over or hiding.