Burrowed? Should I be worried

[Deliverme314]

So either my L.Cristatus or my A.Geniculata(not sure which... they are slings and look identical) is no where to be found in its little tuperware enclosure. I see no signs of burrowage... but I guess thathas to be the only place it could be... there is no way for it to get out... Havent seen it since early yesterday... with a small sling (1/4") should a burrower be apparent?

 

[pelo]

You may not see any signs of burrowing as they will often cover up the entrance completely sealing themselves off.Could be a sign of an impending molt.With very small slings I don't give them enough substrate to burrow but just a thin layer..enough to hold some moisture and give them a surface to live on rather than directly on the plastic.It gives you a chance to always see the tiny sling.Once they start getting some size I add more substrate to allow some burrowing if they want. When they're bigger,so are the burrows which then are much easier to spot along with the tunnels they make.....peace..

 

[Deliverme314]

Originally posted by pelo
You may not see any signs of burrowing as they will often cover up the entrance completely sealing themselves off.Could be a sign of an impending molt.With very small slings I don't give them enough substrate to burrow but just a thin layer..enough to hold some moisture and give them a surface to live on rather than directly on the plastic.It gives you a chance to always see the tiny sling.Once they start getting some size I add more substrate to allow some burrowing if they want. When they're bigger,so are the burrows which then are much easier to spot along with the tunnels they make.....peace..

I thought I saw dried up spider parts so I dug around a little and accidently uncovered him. He is alive and well... maybe he is molting as he quickly covered him self back up.

 

[SpiderTwin]

Give it some time, if it approaching a molt, it is best to just leave it alone and let it do its thing. You'll see the T a few days or so after its molt when it comes out of hiding looking for food.

 

[Deliverme314]

Well it hasnt molted... it came up that night to eat a pin head or two... but now he is as deep as the tupperware will allow. I can see him pressed up against the bottom plastic... an inch of substrate that he is completley burrried under... not even burrowed but burried... can it breathe? Its been down for two and a half days...

 

[Code Monkey]

One of the top newbie mistakes is thinking a burrowed T needs your help or is otherwise in danger: it's not in danger, it put itself there; it doesn't need your help and never will.

If your T is in a burrow, leave it alone. If you see it's moulting down there and think it doesn't have enough room, leave it alone. If it covers the entrance with dirt and you think it might suffocate, leave it alone.

The more you try to help a sling, the more likely you are to kill it with kindness. Keep'em slightly moist and offer food once a week or so except when you know they're in pre-moult. Done and done.

If a sling is genuinely sick, the odds you can do anything to help it that being down in a nice, humid, comfortable burrow can't do for it are slim and none.

 

[vulpina]

I agree 100% with CM, the T put itself there for a reason (molt, safety, etc.) It will come out by itself when it is ready, it needs no human intervention.

Andy

 

[Deliverme314]

right on. I wont mess with him/her. Thanks a lot guys.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally posted by Deliverme314
So either my L.Cristatus or my A.Geniculata(not sure which... they are slings and look identical)

Just out of curiosity, where did you get this s'ling and what did the vendor sell it to you as?

Jon

 

[Deliverme314]

I bought an A.genic and the freebie was the L.cristata... I didnt mark the tupperwares... guess I wasnt thinking and they like Identical as 1/4 inch slings... got them from Swiftinverts. Im sure after a moly or two they will be distinguishable. But this did make me wonder if vendors take advantage of this and try to rip people off by selling slings as a diff species than they are... not that Swift has done this. He as a wonderful rep. but just curious if this happens.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Deliverme314
But this did make me wonder if vendors take advantage of this and try to rip people off by selling slings as a diff species than they are...just curious if this happens.

It does happen but motive is hard to prove. This past year has seen P. rufilata sold as P. miranda, P. fasciata sold as P. subfusca, and P. something sold as P. formosa (I'd look up the details but it's not important). I purchased a B. annitha that turned out to be B. pallidum. The question is whether it's intentional deception or sloppiness passed on. Now, it does happen that all of these screw ups originated with a single source, but knowing that source, I'm inclined to blame gross negligence and careless stupidity rather than malice.

 

[Deliverme314]

Hmmm IT STILL HASNT COME OUT!!! I dug it up a few days ago and no molt either. I see it moving along the bottom of the tupperware... I was under the impression that both L.Cristata and A.Genics were terrestrial non-burrowers. I think its my L.C. It has a fairly exstensive tunnel system down there... is this normal for L.C. slings?

 

[Telson]

I have an L.cristatas as well, and mine is also intent on it's burrow, and very quick to dive in to it if disturbed while roaming the enclosure.

Several ppl have responded that this is normal behavior and that messing with it can cause problems, up to and including killing your T. You are endangering your T by digging it up to check on it. It will spend most of it's time in it's burrow if it is kept correctly and digging it up will not break it of this habbit. Many Ts are like this. If you simply want to see it out and about, set your alarm for about 2AM and sneak up on the enclosure with a red light. Beyond that, just enjoy viewing it in it's burrow through the plastic.

 

[Deliverme314]

Originally posted by Telson
I have an L.cristatas as well, and mine is also intent on it's burrow, and very quick to dive in to it if disturbed while roaming the enclosure.

Several ppl have responded that this is normal behavior and that messing with it can cause problems, up to and including killing your T. You are endangering your T by digging it up to check on it. It will spend most of it's time in it's burrow if it is kept correctly and digging it up will not break it of this habbit. Many Ts are like this. If you simply want to see it out and about, set your alarm for about 2AM and sneak up on the enclosure with a red light. Beyond that, just enjoy viewing it in it's burrow through the plastic.

I am a wretched insomniac and watch my guys at night every night but he never comes out. I know I shouldnt have dug it up but quite frankly I was worried that it had died and was rottign since I hadnt seen it on the bottom in two three days where I generally see it burrowing. I did not hurt it and its back with the most elaborate of tunnels yet. I will not be disturbing it again until it is time to move it to a larger enclosure... wish that my slings would hurry up and molt!

 

[NEMESIS_112]

Hey Deliverme314!
Same thing happened to me! 4 of my T's did this at the same time! C. Fasciatum, Curlyhair, Chalcodes, and A. Hentzi. Up to now the curly hair and the C. Fasciatum have just molted. But the Chalcodes is still burried. He even cut off his entrance. there is no way in or out and he is just kicking it there. I am still worried because he has been down there for 2 weeks and he is only about 2 inches. Just drives me crazy. But i still let him be. I try not to trip on that though.
Adrian

 

[Sean]

CM said it best, dude dont worrie my a.wichitanum was in its burrow for probably a month month in a half and i didnt see it at all till feeding day this week it finally came out grabbed a cricket and ate it then went back into its burrow T's burrow alot more as slings imo.