Burrowing molt

BooyaTarantula

Arachnosquire
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Mar 11, 2007
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Hey guys,

A couple quick questions about these danged underground species... I have both an C. Fasciatum and an A. Seemanni who I am assuming are in molt. My tiger rump has sealed her entrance to her burrow completely, which is a good indicator I guess! And the seemanni has a lump at the entrance to her burrow that resembles what the Fasciatum is using to block her entrance, so my question is... How long do i wait for these guys to re-emerge? It's been around four-five days since the process began and I haven't seen any noticeable activity in either tank since. I know adults take quiete a while to molt, but my Seemanni is a subadult and the fasciatum is a juvey. I know I stress too much, but it's difficult being a beginner with burrowers. I can't see them, so I really have no idea what's going on. I'll post pictures right now as well.
 

BooyaTarantula

Arachnosquire
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Mar 11, 2007
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allright, here are the pics. Top two are the C. Fasciatum enclosure and the bottom two are the A. Seemanni. As you can see, the A. Seemanni is not TOTALLY sealed off, but there is a huge buildup right at the entrance. Anyways, any thoughts you guys have will definitely be helpful
 

Nitibus

Arachnodemon
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Feb 7, 2007
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Patience young Padawan. Reveal themselves they will. When THEY are ready. The quick and easy route only leads to the darkside. Once you start down that dark path forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will

Let go ...
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Patience young Padawan. Reveal themselves they will. When THEY are ready. The quick and easy route only leads to the darkside. Once you start down that dark path forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will

Let go ...
I get the first part but you went all quasimotto on me for the rest of the message and I got lost.

In short yes they willl burrow and seal themselves off when they want some alone time to prepare for a molt. They dont need help getting out they will come out when they are good and ready.
 

Lover of 8 legs

Arachnoknight
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Oct 19, 2005
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"Let It Be"!!! They don't know that they are supposed to entertain us! In my few years with this obsession, I've learned that they don't dance to my tune. I rather like to imagine that they are buried in the hide planing my frustration. But I will PREVAIL. I hear them laughing at me!!!!!{D {D {D {D {D {D ;)
 

BooyaTarantula

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Haha you better beleive i get it Nitibus. Sweet stuff guys, stupid burrowers... Does the Aphonopelma look like that's what it's doing? BUT I WANT TO SEE THEM!!!
 

Alice

Arachnoangel
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sorry to disappoint you, young padawan;) - even for juvies it can take several weeks or even two months before they reemerge...

they do not hide only a few days before a molt, some prepare by burrowing weeks before the actual molt and will only come out after they have dried out.

as for the aphonopelma: she's not necessarily molting. many specimen just tend to hide a lot. so maybe your choice of first ts wasn't perfect, considering you want to see them as often as possible. both species can be very reclusive even when they are not molting. sooo...

but hey, there is a solution to your problem!!! get more ts! {D no honestly, go for a a. geniculata or a l. parahybana. once they have a decent size (big juvies) they will be out all of the time. or if you have the money, invest in a young female brachyelma - emilias are gorgeous.
 

Doezsha

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It can take month between the time of premult and the actual moult, then there can be a considerable amount of time after the moult before they are ready to emerge from they're burro and or hide, Give nature time to take its course, my B.vagans took about two and one half months before he reemerged from the point were it sealed its self in its burrow. I hope these pics help.



you can see the moult in this pic, its covered by a little substrate.

My B.vagans chilled in his hide for 3 weeks after he moulted...Hints that's why I try to design viewable hides that I can cover from the outside to give some of my Ts privacy and their comfort zone, but allow me to check up on them...food for thought.
 

Doezsha

Arachnolord
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The more Ts the merrier, they all go through different phases at different times. the more you have combined with variation between terrestrial and arboreal you will always have some thing to look at and take pleasure from their beauty.:D:clap:
 

BooyaTarantula

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Wow thanks for the helpful replies guys! The last thing I am wondering is whether or not I should be putting food in with my Aphonopelma, because I don't want to irritate her if she IS in premoult and I don't want to starve her if she isn't. I usually feed 1 crick at a time, so should I just go ahead and dump one in and try and pay attention and see whether or not it gets eaten or not? The problem with that is if it goes into her hide and chills there like most retarded crickets do I won't have any idea whether or not it's alive or dead or killing my moulting T. After all this burrowing bashing I did get another T, a N. Chromatus and sure enough this morning the guy had dug himself a little enclave to hide in... DAMN IT!!!
 

Transylvania

Gondorian
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Wow thanks for the helpful replies guys! The last thing I am wondering is whether or not I should be putting food in with my Aphonopelma, because I don't want to irritate her if she IS in premoult and I don't want to starve her if she isn't. I usually feed 1 crick at a time, so should I just go ahead and dump one in and try and pay attention and see whether or not it gets eaten or not? The problem with that is if it goes into her hide and chills there like most retarded crickets do I won't have any idea whether or not it's alive or dead or killing my moulting T. After all this burrowing bashing I did get another T, a N. Chromatus and sure enough this morning the guy had dug himself a little enclave to hide in... DAMN IT!!!
I'd say wait. Better safe than sorry if it is molting. If your T is hungry, I imagine it'll come out looking for food (but they can last a loooong time without eating). ;)
 

Arachnobrian

Arachnoangel
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Aug 27, 2004
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Before the A. seemani disappeared was the abdomen plump?



My A. seemani disappears for months at a time, only to emerge when hungry or thirsty.

The N. chromatus, another burrower...........but with a difference (at least mine) will emerge regularly when not in pre-moult.
 

Nitibus

Arachnodemon
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I just purchased a really obese B. Angustum, that disappered into its hide a day after getting it. With a plump belly like that I know it'll be good for months if it has to be. I just fill the water dish...

Like you I just have to wait :(

Hey Doezsha, how'd you do that hidey thing in your KK. That's great !
 

BooyaTarantula

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Looks like it's time to buy a T or two that will keep it's feet above ground... Or I could just remove ALL the substrate from my three environments... Haha just kidding. Any recommendations? a. geniculata or l. parahybana are both good ones? Are they docile/angry/thirsty for man flesh?
 

Arachnobrian

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I don't own an A. Geniculata, but from what I heard these are huge eaters and very visible "T's". Somebody else will have to fill you in on temperment.


B. smithi would be a sure bet. They are the classic hobby "T". Always on display, and beautiful colouration. Relatively docile and handleable (if that's your thing). They are slow growers though.
 

Transylvania

Gondorian
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Looks like it's time to buy a T or two that will keep it's feet above ground... Or I could just remove ALL the substrate from my three environments... Haha just kidding. Any recommendations? a. geniculata or l. parahybana are both good ones? Are they docile/angry/thirsty for man flesh?
I've only had my A.genic about 2 weeks, and I'd definitely recommend them. They get huge, pounce on anything moving that you put in there and mine recently started coming out into the open, where undoubtedly she will stay visible 90% of the time. I wouldn't necessarily label them as aggressive/defensive, they seem to have a nice temperament. They just happen to mistake many things as food, so definitely not for handling. :D
 

BooyaTarantula

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Sweet Stuff, I'll e-mail my dealer and see if he has some he's willing to part with. Seems like all of mine are at the sub-adult stage or below, which probably contributes to their hiding all the time habits. I hear that it is way more expensive to get an adult though, especially if they are definitely females, right? And the adult males don't live for very long... Haha finally I heard stories that genic's can jump, is that true? I read the pouncing comments, but i've heard horror stories about people opening the cage to insert a cricket or change the water when all of a sudden... Spider to the face. That's probably ludicrous, but I would prefer to know before I have a heart attack. Since you all have answered my thread, I owe each of you an answer to a question... any question. So get thinking.
 

BooyaTarantula

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Oh yeah and PS, just out of curiosity, but doesn't the A. Geniculata look exactly like my N. Chromatus except the rump is black instead of red? Still good looking T's, and they look like they get nice and big too. Wow, i've only been in the hobby for around a month now and i've already got three T's on the go.
 

Transylvania

Gondorian
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Dec 26, 2006
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593
Sweet Stuff, I'll e-mail my dealer and see if he has some he's willing to part with. Seems like all of mine are at the sub-adult stage or below, which probably contributes to their hiding all the time habits. I hear that it is way more expensive to get an adult though, especially if they are definitely females, right? And the adult males don't live for very long... Haha finally I heard stories that genic's can jump, is that true? I read the pouncing comments, but i've heard horror stories about people opening the cage to insert a cricket or change the water when all of a sudden... Spider to the face. That's probably ludicrous, but I would prefer to know before I have a heart attack. Since you all have answered my thread, I owe each of you an answer to a question... any question. So get thinking.
Yeah, females are going to be more expensive. Haha, I don't think they can jump very high (at least I hope not). {D Sounds like a myth to me; arboreals are notorious for taking leaps of faith though. ;)

Oh yeah and PS, just out of curiosity, but doesn't the A. Geniculata look exactly like my N. Chromatus except the rump is black instead of red? Still good looking T's, and they look like they get nice and big too. Wow, i've only been in the hobby for around a month now and i've already got three T's on the go.
Genics have red hairs on their abdomens also, but probably just not as vibrant. The white bands on the legs are thicker than Chromatus, which have a lighter carapace. A T that's very similar to geniculata is brocklehursti; they have close to the same colors, size, and attitude. Not sure about the price on brocklehursti.
 
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