Close Call

[Bjorgly]

Today I was feeding my spiders and when I came to my A.seemani's cage I did not see her because she is on a bottom shelf and i did not notice she was clinging to the glass, no biggie i thought. Then a few minutes later she had her legs on the roof (which is NOT woven screen, it is a screen that looks like it's been dipped in metal or something to get rid of the weaves). I had no idea she was caught until all of her other legs let go and she was dangling by one leg and trying to get uncaught and pushing her self off one side of the corner, then the other. I too my forceps and gently tapped the screen near her leg because it was not a far fall and there was silk leaves under her to soften the impact. It took quite a while but she finally fell. I replaced her screen with a piece of wood with holes drilled in the MIDDLE for air so when she climbs up the sides she can't get stuck in any air holes. I just put a bunch of stuff on top to hold it in place. I hope she is not hurt, she is walking around fine so i would assume all is good. Ive also seen her in the hide i created for her often so that is a good sign. Anyways i thought id post this also as a caution to those using screen tops they deem to be safe and might not be.

Any ideas how she got caught in the screen top? the holes are not especially small, and they are not woven and somehow her claw got stuck in there?

What do you use for a top to prevent this?

thanks!

Mark

 

[Alonso99]

Plexiglass can be a better cover sometimes, Im too lazy to buy it and then have it cut

 

[Immortal_sin]

I have been using door screen for my terrestrials, it doesn't catch their claws like the metal sometimes can. The bad news is that they can chew their way out if they are so inclined. I only use it for the 'non escape artist' tarantulas!
There is supposed to be a certain type of metal screen that you can use that they don't get stuck in, but maybe someone else can tell you, I can't remember what it is.
Glad you found her in time!

 

[Exodus]

I have the Screen that Holley mentioned,the one they can't escape from,I bought it at the East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley CA, These are some people who actually know there tarantulas,They actually sell more than a Avic. and a Rosehair, They sell Usambara,Cobalt Blue, Suntiger,and King Baboons. visit www.eastbayvivarium.com

 

[arachnopunks]

We had the same problem with our A. seemani when we first got her. She was given to us by someone who didn't care for her properly. She was huge enclosure with only a thin layer of gravel and was always trying to escape. We gave her 6-8 inches of substrate and she has not been hung up since. She now has an elaborate tunnel system in which she stays most of the time, but for the first two weeks we would catch her hanging like that almost every day. We have used the same covers on our spiders for years and never encountered this until she came along. I am just glad she stopped because I had nightmares of coming in and seeing her bleeding with her leg still stuck in the screen.

 

[Jono_mad]

i just use the plastic lid that came with the tank with a few holes cut in it for ventilation.
Jono

 

[Tarantula Lover]

hey

i agree, my pinkie(pinktoe) is going to have its top with pixieglass!!

James

 

[JacenBeers]

I think the plastic roofs are the best. That is all I use with my spiders.

 

[Bjorgly]

The only problem i have with my 10 gal aquarium is that the top is not totally even, so when i put a nice flat top on it there are very small openings at 2 of the corners. Im sure the spider cannot get out but i need to devise something that is more permanant and useful than my piece of wood with holes drilled in the middle and stuff on top to hold it down. I will probabaly go out and buy some plexiglass or something and make a ledge in it that fits the un-even top of my cage perfectly.


Mark

 

[arachnopunks]

You can always build a frame that fits around the top out of wood or something and then put the plexiglass on top of it.

 

[Rookie]

Up instead of down

Bjorgly,
As a Tarantula keeper of about 2 months now (yeah, it's been two months!) I've had one experience similar to yours. As I've said, Peso used to spend a lot of time on the sides of his enclosure. Before his moult, I used to be cautious opening his container. However, whenever I did, he would climb down the plastic, onto the substrate. After a while, i was lulled into a sense of ease, and I stopped paying so much attention to him when I lifted his lid. Once, I casually lifted his lid to mist, and he made a break for it before I could even react. Man, when you have 8 legs, you can move. Before I could do anything, he was on the lid I was holding, hovering above my wooden bereau at a dangerous 3 or 4 inches. I quickly and slowly turned him from upside-down to rideside-up, and tilted the lid towards his home. He casually walked down the lid, back onto his substrate as if he hadn't wanted to escape in the first place. No big deal, but when it's your first T, and you've only had it for a few weeks, it's a stressful event.
Just thought I'd share,
Paul