Dangit, I guess I have a rosehair now

[Mushroom Spore]

One of those Ts I always told myself I wouldn't get, but...here I am, with a $15 rosehair that's been sitting unbought in the local exotics shop for months.

It was amazing how calm (or is that "frozen in terror"? ) it's been thus far. I had to resort to all manner of paintbrushing and poking and tilting to finally get the dang thing into the critter keeper. When I got my three Ts from Swift's back in January, every one of them (even my chaco sling!) shot out like a rocket. Though I guess they were in tiny vials and not decent-sized deli cups, but you know.

I'm going to wait a week or two to let it settle before I try feeding, it is decently fat already. The only thing that concerns me is the odd position, it's still in that same spot (not a problem, it's in a new place), but has one of the back legs up slightly off the ground and is just holding it there. Is it just staying prepared to kick hairs or what? None of my Ts have ever kicked, so I don't know what it looks like.

It's now sharing a shelf with my 2.5"+ GBB girl, a 1"+ chaco, and a 1/2" L. parahybana. Though...should I move it further away? I just realized there may or may not be a mite risk. I don't know, I've never bought a T from a store. :?

 

[Since I was 5]

One of those Ts I always told myself I wouldn't get, but...here I am, with a $15 rosehair that's been sitting unbought in the local exotics shop for months.

It was amazing how calm (or is that "frozen in terror"? ) it's been thus far. I had to resort to all manner of paintbrushing and poking and tilting to finally get the dang thing into the critter keeper. When I got my three Ts from Swift's back in January, every one of them (even my chaco sling!) shot out like a rocket. Though I guess they were in tiny vials and not decent-sized deli cups, but you know.

I'm going to wait a week or two to let it settle before I try feeding, it is decently fat already. The only thing that concerns me is the odd position, it's still in that same spot (not a problem, it's in a new place), but has one of the back legs up slightly off the ground and is just holding it there. Is it just staying prepared to kick hairs or what? None of my Ts have ever kicked, so I don't know what it looks like.

It's now sharing a shelf with my 2.5"+ GBB girl, a 1"+ chaco, and a 1/2" L. parahybana. Though...should I move it further away? I just realized there may or may not be a mite risk. I don't know, I've never bought a T from a store. :?

If it had mites, youd notice them crawling on his body, little black dots that either move, or stand still and look out of place. Rose hairs rule BTW, once saw a full grown one for 3 bucks when i was a kid.

 

[AfterTheAsylum]

Keep an eye on that leg. I had a P. cancerides that "broke" its leg while climbing my screen top. Its one foot got stuck on the lid when it let go, but since it couldn't grab onto anything to get the foot off, it just hung there. I took her off and the leg was sort of lifted off the ground. Over time, the leg kept getting higher off the ground until it was pointing straight up in the air. Of course, I had to do something I didn't want to - I had to amutate the leg. She is doing fine now, but I still find her once in a while trying to climb.

T.S.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Keep an eye on that leg.

Yow! That's a scary story. I don't think that'll happen here, though. When it finally started moving, it put the foot down. Maybe that part of the log was just still damp from me washing it.

Now it's doing something weirder, though. It's standing on top of the log with its face smushed into a corner and its belly pressed to the plastic. Am I about to get a molt on my first day? My chaco molted on its back, and my GBB molted in her hide, but I think I've heard of Ts molting in this position too?

 

[Mina]

I've heard of them moulting upright, but not often. You have to remember, this is a rosehair. That means expect the unexpected. My juvie male rosehair still thinks it is arboreal, in the period of a couple of weeks, my formerly sweet docile female rosehair went from angel to thinking she is an OBT, and my rosehair sling is afraid of its food. They are all different, but that is what is neat about them.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I've heard of them moulting upright, but not often. You have to remember, this is a rosehair. That means expect the unexpected.

I'd always heard this, but I didn't expect wackiness on the first day!

I'm actually really nervous if it's about to molt. My only other T big enough to sex was ID'd female by Swift, and my slings are quite a ways off from being old enough, so I haven't had to worry much about "surprise! male!" just yet.

All I can know for sure is that it's not a mature male *now*, but I am not looking forward to getting that kind of surprise right away. :wall: I guess I could try shifting the critter keeper VERY carefully...since it's already up against the side, I might be able to try that ventral thing. I've seen pictures, it may be worth a shot.

 

[jwasted]

Hope the leg is not a problem but the T looks good anyways

 

[MindUtopia]

It's just hanging out. Nothing unusual here. G. rosea, like most T's, is not especially active so you shouldn't really expect to see her move much at all over the course of a day. Also, being squished up against the glass is probably just a reaction to the new location, new light, vibrations, substrate, etc. and is more a defense mechanism than anything "weird". T's rarely molt upright so more than likely if she was molting, you'd see her flip on her back. If the carapace hasn't popped, I'd say your fine. If it has, then just leave her be. While it's a little more problematic, T's can molt successfully in an upright position.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Yeah, I guess it was just settling, it's mostly stopped being in the corners. Still likes the log, but it was half inside the cave for a while.

How long should I wait before trying to handle it? I'm looking forward to learning how, cause I know I'll need that skill sooner or later, if only for rehousing emergencies. None of my other three are good handling training--the chaco would be, if it wasn't too small and scared to walk onto my hand, heh.

 

[P. Novak]

well rose hairs arent a bad thing, they are very gorgeous!! Im glad they are sooo cheap, because after other gorgeous Ts being so expensive, there is a T thats beautiful and cheap! =D

 

[Henry Kane]

I'd give it at least a couple weeks, if not a month before doing anything other than allowing it to acclimate. If it was in that deli cup for months as you said, it's got a lot of unwinding to do. Give it as long as it needs to get used to it's enclosure and the substrate. You'll likely see a silk matting gradually getting thinker and thicker and eventually covering the entire floor. Rosies seem to abhor fresh substrate and definitely do not favor constantly moist substrate.
I'm not saying handling it before then is going to make it fall over dead but if I was that T, my greatest desire would be for some peace and serenity, far away from the poking, shaking and fish-tank life of a pet store shelf deli cup.

BTW, rosies can be fascinating if not completely perplexing. They're as rewarding of a pet T as any.

Take care.

Gary

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'd give it at least a couple weeks, if not a month before doing anything other than allowing it to acclimate. If it was in that deli cup for months as you said, it's got a lot of unwinding to do.

Oh no no no, it was only in the deli cup between when I bought it and when I got it home. Before that, it was in a decent-sized (if dirty-looking) critter keeper with some sort of substrate that they claimed was like bits of cardboard (it looked like gravel, bah).

 

[Henry Kane]

Oh no no no, it was only in the deli cup between when I bought it and when I got it home. Before that, it was in a decent-sized (if dirty-looking) critter keeper with some sort of substrate that they claimed was like bits of cardboard (it looked like gravel, bah).

Ah! Well, that's not quite so bad. lol
I'd still stick by my reply but maybe not quite to the extreme. How's it doing so far? Has it reached the "riding a unicycle while juggling" phase of it's acclimation yet? Rosies. You never know what you'll peek in a find them doing.

Gary

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Ah! Well, that's not quite so bad. lol
I'd still stick by my reply but maybe not quite to the extreme. How's it doing so far?

It's started moving around more, finally came down off the log (and not in another ceiling corner) sometime last night. I never actually see it move, but whenever I look, it HAS moved, hehe. Right now it's sort of in the entrance to the space under the log, resting on the peat moss. It's been there most of the time today, but it's gone back to the log sometimes.

It's strange, two of my other Ts pretty much found themselves a spot immediately and stayed there. The chaco made himself a trench pretty quickly, and likes to cram up against the side of his deli cup. But this one? Seems to be fidgety despite also (at least for now) also seeming a bit like a relaxed pet rock.

 

[tvelez1]

she is gorgeous!

 

[Zoltan]

How long should I wait before trying to handle it? I'm looking forward to learning how, cause I know I'll need that skill sooner or later, if only for rehousing emergencies. None of my other three are good handling training--the chaco would be, if it wasn't too small and scared to walk onto my hand, heh.

Give it a few weeks, give it a few meals, after it settled down in its new home, you can get it on!
There's basically two ways of handling.
The first: carefully but firmly place two of your fingers (probably index finger and your thumb) to the two sides of the T, between the 2nd and 3rd pair of legs, then gently apply a little pressure (basically "grab" the T) and slowly lift the t up.
The second one is to place your hand on the ground and gently manoeuvre the T to onto your hand (you know, brush, other hand etc.). You can do it it in a way where you place your hand just outside of the enclosure and guide the T out of the enclosure to climb on to your hand.
Just make sure that the T is in a good mood everytime before handling, and while handling always be careful, do not take sudden moves and you'll be fine.

 

[unitard311]

Give it a few weeks, give it a few meals, after it settled down in its new home, you can get it on!
There's basically two ways of handling.
The first: carefully but firmly place two of your fingers (probably index finger and your thumb) to the two sides of the T, between the 2nd and 3rd pair of legs, then gently apply a little pressure (basically "grab" the T) and slowly lift the t up.
The second one is to place your hand on the ground and gently manoeuvre the T to onto your hand (you know, brush, other hand etc.). You can do it it in a way where you place your hand just outside of the enclosure and guide the T out of the enclosure to climb on to your hand.
Just make sure that the T is in a good mood everytime before handling, and while handling always be careful, do not take sudden moves and you'll be fine.

I am still hesitant to do this, I really want to hold her but she makes me nervous when she comes toward my hand. Someday I will get the nerve

 

[Zoltan]

The first time is always the hardest, so to speak. Don't do it without confidence. It's best if someone who is good with handling is with you, shows you, teaches you personally, but that option is not always possible. But then, there's nothing wrong with not handling your T at all, in fact it's probably better.

 

[hairmetalspider]

The info is appreciated, but you guys do realize how old this thread is right?

 

[Zoltan]

Damn, I did not. :wall: I usually check the dates. Heck, it was wierd that MS has only 3 T's but I didn't realise... Thanks for pointing it out.