Cobalt not wanting to burrow...

Faunya

Arachnoknight
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Well, I've had my H. Lividium for about a week now, (got it on the 11th), and she's doing very well. I gave her her first meal 2 days ago, and she took 3 large crickets happily.

When I set up her tank, I gave her ~5" potting soil, and pre-dug a burrow for her (covering the outside with black construction paper too). Although she does spend a lot of time in her burrow, she hasn't done any more digging, webbing, etc. She also spends a lot of time out and about. I would have expected her to do some modifications by now, since I didn't really make it deep enough for her to fully hide in the first place.

I have been keeping a damp handtowel over the top of her cage to help keep the moisture up for her. Maybe the whole container is dark enough that she feels she doesn't need to hide...could this be the case?

-Faunya
 

Arachnopuppy

Arachnodemon
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Looks like you have a mutant cobalt there. Cobalt that doesn't burrow... ha, there's a new one. ;P
 

Mojo Jojo

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Oh yeah, I use a mixture of peat and vermiculite in my setup -- probably 70% peat.

Jon
 

Weapon-X

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re

yeah sometimes cobalts won't burrow for a while, has it webbed up a corner at all?, it should go down in the pre made burrow and web it up, give it some time it does take them time to get used to their enclosure, was it wild caught , i had one that did'nt accept its burrow for 2 weeks, but once it did i never saw it so enjoy seeing it in the open while you can,lol, has it eaten yet?, is it kinda scrunced up when you see it?--Jeff
 

belewfripp

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My cobalts have all burrowed readily, but I have had other Ts that just sat around in open view for months and then suddenly decided to start an earth-moving project. Just today I noticed my formerly burrowless A. geniculata performing an earth-moving project when I saw him/her inside a half-escavated horizontal burrow along the bottom of the tank, sitting upside down no less with a big wad of dirt in its chelicerae. I watched the T slowly back out, flip right side up and head back to the surface. I'll give you three guesses where it decided to deposit its load of dirt, and the first two don't count.


Adrian
 

Faunya

Arachnoknight
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Thanks for the reassurance...

Thanks, guys...

Now, to answer your questions:

Jon,
I would have used a peat/vermiculite mix, but for some reason, it just isn't sold in my area during the winter months...had to go with plain old potting soil for now.



Jeff,
No, no webbing at all (except for wrapping up cricket leftovers)

I don't know if she is wild-caught or CB...I bought her (a-hem, saved her) from a petstore about an hour from where I live, and I wouldn't have asked them ANYTHING judging by the way they treated her in the first place. All I know is that she's nice and plump, has great color, and is healthy in general (although minus one leg).


BTW, those of you who don't know already, I may be just over-reacting...this is my first Tarantula, so I'm just a little worried about doing everything right.

-Faunya
 

Gillian

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Faunya,
Quite by accident, I discovered why some of my t's don't burrow, when they are known to. My blondi, for example. Wanting her to have a secure place to call home, I placed one of those reptile half logs they sell, in her enclosure. She seems to view this as a burrow. Pulls soil around the back and front. As does my scrofa, my pulchra, and my PZB.
Peace,
Gillian
 

Faunya

Arachnoknight
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Gillian,

I'm beginning to think she may consider her entire enclosure to be one big burrow; it stays nice and dark in there with the handtowel covering the majority of the container.

-Faunya
 

Gillian

Arachnoblessed
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Faunya,
How lucky you are, though. You get to actually see her...*g* Most people wonder if their cobalt is even alive. Hmmmm..I just may copy your design...if I may. I have my eye on a Cobalt.
Peace,
Gillian
 

Joy

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Originally posted by Faunya

I have been keeping a damp handtowel over the top of her cage to help keep the moisture up for her. Maybe the whole container is dark enough that she feels she doesn't need to hide...could this be the case?

-Faunya
I suspect this may be the key to the situation. If you remove the handtowel and allow the air in the vivarium to dry out a little, it may encourage her to burrow, so as to obtain a higher humidity belowground as they do in the wild.

Joy
 

Jobe

Arachnoknight
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Oct 9, 2002
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I wouldnt worry too much...My cobalt was a surface dweller too, as like you, i kept my cage quite covered up mostly...then lately, withought the dark cover in place, she took up hiding in a little white jar i gave her....and after awhile, she went and dug herself a nice little burrow next to the jar...

Btw, she didnt burrow for more than a month...but in all other aspects, was fine... ;)

-e-
 
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