Desert Tarantulas

[AphonopelmaTX]

Yeah valid point!! but it was just that I just made a bunch of new enclosures and have no intention just to buy something impulsively just cause I want a desert enclosure. This was meant to purely be an act of gathering information on species that I could then research and might work in that type of set up.
Plus I just enjoy building enclosures!

Building enclosures is definitely a cool hobby in itself. I wish I had the eye for design to do it myself. I've seen so many cool enclosures that were essentially dioramas of various biotopes that I thought they stood out on their own and didn't need a living thing inside of it.

It may help to post some pictures of what you created to get a better idea of what tarantula species would best utilize the enclosure. For instance, you may not want a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens since they have a tendency to web up the entire interior which would ruin all of your hard work. Other tarantula species may tear up your creation in attempts to burrow or otherwise make it more to their liking. That's the trouble with adding a living thing to your nice terrariums. Your tarantula may know what it needs better than you do.

 

[Smotzer]

Building enclosures is definitely a cool hobby in itself. I wish I had the eye for design to do it myself. I've seen so many cool enclosures that were essentially dioramas of various biotopes that I thought they stood out on their own and didn't need a living thing inside of it.

It may help to post some pictures of what you created to get a better idea of what tarantula species would best utilize the enclosure. For instance, you may not want a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens since they have a tendency to web up the entire interior which would ruin all of your hard work. Other tarantula species may tear up your creation in attempts to burrow or otherwise make it more to their liking. That's the trouble with adding a living thing to your nice terrariums. Your tarantula may know what it needs better than you do.

That’s a very good point that they may in essence destroy it! Here’s one that I’ll be making into some type of biotope that was originally all glass and open at the top. It’s an odd shape but that why I thought it would be a pretty display enclosure When set up.

 

[Feral]

I'm usually a huge proponent of planted enclosures... big, big fan... but only where the plants benefit the animal inhabitant. Care and knowledge is needed here!

Besides the obvious fall risks of a plant's spines or stiff leaf tips, possible toxins and/or irritants, and possible contaminants, there are many things to consider.

"Desert" flora and fauna are a catch twenty two. To have any plants in an enclosure, even "desert" plants like succulents and cacti, is to add more moisture than some "desert" invert species can comfortably tolerate. For one, these plants require more moisture in captivity than they do in the wild, and many people underestimate their captive water needs. One reason they require more water is because, in nature, they would have far-reaching root systems that could tap into water reserves far beneath the dry desert surface. Since we can't imitate that in captivity because we keep them in small shallow pots, we must increase water availability by watering more often. This can easily put moisture levels outside of what our "desert" inverts can deal with. Additionally, each plant creates a humid microclimate around itself through 'respiration'/gas exchange. So this also increases ambient humidity above a point that some "desert" species can tolerate.

And for two, moisture/humidity in a very enclosed space, like in a typical invert enclosure, seems to have a dramatically disproportionate effect on Ts. Like, many species of Ts can't handle in captivity a level of humidity similar to that which they would have in the wild, or even sometimes handle any additional moisture at all, because of a lack of sufficient airflow magnifying humdity's effects. (Lookin at you, Avics and GBBs, among others.) [edit- it could also be a contributing factor that the intolerable level of moisture and the decreased airflow (compared to nature) cause them to be immunocompromised, then they are particularly useptible to any possible pathogens that might grow in moist substrate.] Increasing airflow is always good, for any species, but we have to be mindful of how the limits of enclosure's ventilation and airflow exaggerate humdity's effects when we're increasing humidity with the addition of plants.

And then there are the light requirements. "Desert" succulents and cacti often require much more light than many people think because they're used to nearly full sun all day... there's pretty much no over-story of plants to help filter the sun in deserts and scrublands. We can't put enclosures in direct sunlight, so then comes artificial light. So light is a whole other thing... More info/opinions can be given, if wanted.

In addition to lighting, substrate is a whole thing that needs careful consideration, especially where drainage and nutrient availability are concerned. Also, we must be absolutely sure we give at least eight hours of full darkness every night, and timers on lights are a must as are lights that don't give off heat. More info/opinions can be given, if wanted.

I personally would never try to use plants of any kind in the enclosures of species that require dry substrate in captivity, like (for NWs) GBBs and most of the Aviculariinae type Ts. IMO, too risky. I also probably wouldn't use it with a lot of the Grammostola, Brachypelma , Tlilctocatl, and Aphonopelma species we typically keep dry in captivity. The notable exceptions would be A. seemanni, T. albopilosum and vagans, G. pulchra and quirogai, etc. that we can keep a bit damper, so could do well with the moisture/humidity plants require and create. (OWs are a whole other thing.)

It's important to give planted enclosures quite a while to establish before adding Ts. I aim for two or three months. Not only is this initial period vital to ensure a balanced system (in many facets), which is important on its own, but it also allows strong root systems to develop before stocking so that plants have protection against burrowing inverts (if you didn't use the indivual pot method).

Also, I've found that planted invert enclosures (once you've acquired the needed knowledge to safeguard the animals' wellbeing) to be an excellent exercise in Budhism lol... Meaning, you have to let go of your control and rigid preconceived notions, adopt a state of equanimity, and just accept that it's a team effort where you, the inverts, and the plants work together equally to create something wonderful as one. If you can do that, it's a beautiful thing!

I'm happy to explain more, if wanted. But yes, while I think plants, properly done, can be of HUGE benefit to inverts... also much, much care and planning and knowledge is needed!

 

[Smotzer]

I'm usually a huge proponent of planted enclosures... big, big fan... but only where the plants benefit the animal inhabitant. Care and knowledge is needed here!

Besides the obvious fall risks of a plant's spines or stiff leaf tips, possible toxins and/or irritants, and possible contaminants, there are many things to consider.

"Desert" flora and fauna are a catch twenty two. To have any plants in an enclosure, even "desert" plants like succulents and cacti, is to add more moisture than some "desert" invert species can comfortably tolerate. For one, these plants require more moisture in captivity than they do in the wild, and many people underestimate their captive water needs. One reason they require more water is because, in nature, they would have far-reaching root systems that could tap into water reserves far beneath the dry desert surface. Since we can't imitate that in captivity because we keep them in small shallow pots, we must increase water availability by watering more often. This can easily put moisture levels outside of what our "desert" inverts can deal with. Additionally, each plant creates a humid microclimate around itself through 'respiration'/gas exchange. So this also increases ambient humidity above a point that some "desert" species can tolerate.

And then there are the light requirements. "Desert" succulents and cacti often require much more light than many people think because they're used to nearly full sun all day... there's pretty much no over-story of plants to help filter the sun in deserts and scrublands. We can't put enclosures in direct sunlight, so then comes artificial light. So light is a whole other thing... More info/opinions can be given, if wanted.

In addition to lighting, substrate is a whole thing that needs careful consideration, especially where drainage and nutrient availability are concerned. Also, we must be absolutely sure we give at least eight hours of full darkness every night, and timers on lights are a must as are lights that don't give off heat. More info/opinions can be given, if wanted.

I personally would never try to use plants of any kind in the enclosures of species that require dry substrate in captivity, like (for NWs) GBBs and most of the Aviculariinae type Ts. IMO, too risky. I also probably wouldn't use it with a lot of the Grammostola, Brachypelma , Tlilctocatl, and Aphonopelma species we typically keep dry in captivity. The notable exceptions would be A. seemanni, T. albopilosum and vagans, G. pulchra and quirogai, etc. that we can keep a bit damper, so could do well with the moisture/humidity plants require and create. (OWs are a whole other thing.)

It's important to give planted enclosures quite a while to establish before adding Ts. I aim for two or three months. Not only is this initial period vital to ensure a balanced system (in many facets), which is important on its own, but it also allows strong root systems to develop before stocking so that plants have protection against burrowing inverts (if you didn't use the indivual pot method).

Also, I've found that planted invert enclosures (once you've acquired the needed knowledge to safeguard the animals' wellbeing) to be an excellent exercise in Budhism lol... Meaning, you have to let go of your control and rigid preconceived notions, adopt a state of equanimity, and just accept that it's a team effort where you, the inverts, and the plants work together equally to create something wonderful as one. If you can do that, it's a beautiful thing!

I'm happy to explain more, if wanted. But yes, while I think plants, properly done, can be of HUGE benefit to inverts... also much, much care and planning and knowledge is needed!

Thank you for writing all this valuable information!I feel like we could have some in-depth convos about plants(back ground in horticulture). And I loved your reference to buddhism about living enclosures and inverts! I also think anything that can simulate nature with a living enclosure with an invert is a practice in observing the Tao, where all living things work together harmoniously just as nature as as whole does!