D. Pentaloris buried herself??

Homiecide

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 26, 2024
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2
Hello! I want to start this out by saying I’m new to owning a tarantula, my only other spider experience was a small jumping spider that did not last very long. I have done a lot of research on my tarantula but because of my experience in the past I tend to worry.

I’ve owned my D pentaloris for about a year but she was 3 years old when I purchased her. She has not molted yet but I thought she might be showing signs of molting in the last few weeks.
Today I came home and seen she has closed off the entrance to her hide and looks as if she has burried herself. I read online that baby spiders tend to do that but she is not a baby.
I’ve filled her water dish and misted alittle in her enclosure just in case she has started molting. Is there anything else I can do? I can’t see her at all, she has her hide over where she’s buried and I don’t want to disturb that, I’m just worried.
thanks for reading and please be nice! 😊
 

Mustafa67

Arachnoknight
Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
265
Hello! I want to start this out by saying I’m new to owning a tarantula, my only other spider experience was a small jumping spider that did not last very long. I have done a lot of research on my tarantula but because of my experience in the past I tend to worry.

I’ve owned my D pentaloris for about a year but she was 3 years old when I purchased her. She has not molted yet but I thought she might be showing signs of molting in the last few weeks.
Today I came home and seen she has closed off the entrance to her hide and looks as if she has burried herself. I read online that baby spiders tend to do that but she is not a baby.
I’ve filled her water dish and misted alittle in her enclosure just in case she has started molting. Is there anything else I can do? I can’t see her at all, she has her hide over where she’s buried and I don’t want to disturb that, I’m just worried.
thanks for reading and please be nice! 😊
NO, NORMAL
 

kingshockey

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
973
only thing left for you to do is alot more reading to learn about pre molt signsand proper care of your pet good luck
 

IntermittentSygnal

Arachnotic
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Aug 7, 2022
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1,036
T’s of all ages can dig burrows and hide out in them from time to time. My bet, is that yours will come out in a brand new dress soon.
 

Brewser

AraneaeRebel
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Nov 28, 2023
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1,098
She wants some Alone Time, No Worries.
Be Patient,
Let Her Be,
and Keep Her Water Bowl Topped Off.
 
Last edited:

Scoot

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 14, 2023
Messages
42
This behaviour might suggest that she's preparing to moult in there. Equally, it might not! Sometimes they will seal themselves off for no apparent reason only to re-emerge again some time later and abandon the same burrow. They're little 'black boxes' in the sense that we rarely fully understand why they do what they do.

In either case, the main thing is that this is perfectly normal behaviour. Keep the water bowl topped up and wait! 🙂
 

bonewax

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
Messages
5
My davus pentaloris is my least visible T by far. I got it as a likely subadult or adult female last january. When I brought her home I fed her once or twice and then she buried herself for about 3 months before molting. When she came out of the burrow, I fed her about three more times and she's been buried for 4 months now. So she has been not closed up in a burrow for only about 1 month out of the past 10.
 

Matt Man

Arachnoprince
Active Member
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Jul 4, 2017
Messages
1,848
DPs tend to burrow and hide a lot. What you are describing and all of us are responding to sounds very much like a pre molt behavior, T's are quite defenseless during a molt so it only makes sense they barricade themselves in while it happens.
As everyone has said totally normal. Keep the humidity level up and wait.
 

TheraMygale

Arachnoangel
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Joined
Mar 20, 2024
Messages
879
The last prey you gave her, was it bigger then her carapace? How did she react to it?

sometimes its premolt. Sometimes is protection.

if you can see her in the burrow, you can always, delicately and slowly, remove substrate to open up a bit. I do that when its been a while and nothing has happened.

note: i dont DIG UP the hide. I just remove tiny bits. Then i place a prekilled over the opening.

its been a while since a molt for you. So maybe it is premolt. At this point id avoid live prey.

if you cant see in the burrow, then dont bother yet.

after a month, maybe investigate, DELICATELY.

dont worry though. Nothing hear smells like trouble.

its a captive tarantula though. Which is why its important to keep notes.

any recent pictures of your d penta? I have two. Both are so different in personalities too. Three years of age should be a nice size. Photos of enclosure would be nice as well thanks!
 
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