Do H. gigas really like to swim?

[dtknow]

She raises excellent points, regardless.

I also see no evidence here in this thread that H. gigas are particularly aquatic. I'd bet big money also on any tarantula(even a grammostola) eating a fish if you placed one in its waterbowl.


Hysterocrates gigas are really cool species-I have a female myself. But insofar as this thread is concerned I see no evidence of aquatic behavior. Actually, I'd like to see a scientific paper describing this in the wild-it(the "fact" that this sp. dives for fish) seems to have been passed around quite a bit with little backup evidence.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

This is my Cyriopagopus schioedtei. Evidently she is a water tarantula as well. Guess I'd better get her a large water bowl and some snorkeling gear cause she is in the water dish almost every day and I mean feet, legs, ALL of her. This girl is 8 inches or more.
Diane

I just fell in love with your T!!! I must have one of those! She is quite the sight! You can tell she has a built in swim suit. I love that texture!

 

[Redneck]

Actually.. Diane... You notice how she stops at the water dish and drinks? Notice how mine actually went in the water & actually tried to submerge itself? No.. There was not alot of water in the dish.. It was feeding/watering day last night.. The was enough water that the T could have sat on the edge of the dish & drank...

Do I feel there is need in pissy BS attitude? In a thread *I* started... Just to share pictures of my H. gigas climbing in a water dish alone.. Not prodded in the water.. NO!

If you feel they cant swim.. Greeeaat! :clap: Thats your damn opinion.. State it...& move on! I dont mind hear what others have to say.. If you want to make smartass comments & post pictures.. Feel free to start your own thread... Thats what the "new post" button is for.. Click on it..

Yes.. Robc had a video of a H. gigas in water.. No it was not swimming.. Robc poked & prodded that damn spider.. The spider was running for safty.. Hiding..

Does it look like I was poking or prodding mine? No... It went in there on its own..

 

[AmbushArachnids]

Well i used the term "semi aquatic". My definition is more like a T thats instinctively attracted to the water. Im sure we could set up a little experiment. A water bowl in various Ts enclosures and monitor if you see lets say a T. blondi or P. murinus and other burrowers and terrestrials. actually submerge themself willingly. Even try to push the T in the water. I doubt G. rosea would even go into the water by force. Im sure that H. gigas would come out as the top water loving T. I think they have more of an instinct for fishing than a G. rosea would. But it would be better to test out a T from the same general habitat. What else is found where H. gigas is from? Or at least a similar climate.

 

[BlackCat]

Nice photos. At first I thought "..its just drinking".. but then I scrolled down.. lol. Awesome catch!

Dinae, your T is gorgeous, but it is only drinking just like they all do. Unless you're saying my G. rosea likes to swim too.

 

[possumburg]

Wow some people just have to make controversy out of everything :?
Anyways awesome pics Tommy, can't wait til mine get that size, which probably won't be that long the way these jokers eat

 

[Redneck]

OK.. To offer more proof.. I just rehoused my G. rosea slings.. They are about an inch.. Maybe!

Here is a shot of one drinking.. Not climbing in the water.. Though.. It can if it wants to.. It could climb in and go swimming if it wanted to.. But guess what.. It didnt.. See?

Here is one... It sat on the edge.. Drank.. Then left the water..

Here is another.. Sat on the edge.. Drank.. Then left the water...

If either wanted to swim.. They could have.. But didnt..

 

[BlackCat]

You're clearly not prodding them to go into the water enough. lol

 

[Terry D]

Woah! There must've been some considerable editing going on somewhere above....guess I missed it and probably all for the better.

edit- oops! Just saw it on page 1. Shame on you Diane!

Tommy, Guess I might have to consider an in-ground for my sling within a few years ..........interesting observation.

Terry

 

[Skullptor]

Well i used the term "semi aquatic". My definition is more like a T thats instinctively attracted to the water. Im sure we could set up a little experiment. A water bowl in various Ts enclosures and monitor if you see lets say a T. blondi or P. murinus and other burrowers and terrestrials. actually submerge themself willingly. Even try to push the T in the water. I doubt G. rosea would even go into the water by force. Im sure that H. gigas would come out as the top water loving T. I think they have more of an instinct for fishing than a G. rosea would. But it would be better to test out a T from the same general habitat. What else is found where H. gigas is from? Or at least a similar climate.

It would be interesting to see if/what others in the same habitat does this as well.

Wiki says: This species lives in tropical and sub-tropical environments. According to Sam Marshall (an arachnologist, and subject of the book "The Tarantula Scientist"), they dig particularly intricate burrows. They need temperatures of 70 - 95 degrees F. and high humidity in their environment (between 60%-90%). They are naturally found at ground level in tropical rain forests.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

It would be interesting to see if/what others in the same habitat does this as well.

Wiki says: This species lives in tropical and sub-tropical environments. According to Sam Marshall (an arachnologist, and subject of the book "The Tarantula Scientist"), they dig particularly intricate burrows. They need temperatures of 70 - 95 degrees F. and high humidity in their environment (between 60%-90%). They are naturally found at ground level in tropical rain forests.

Good info. Mine is a bull dozer for sure. They are like little kids in a mud puddle!

 

[Titandan]

Check out this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XpMupQiLF0

I think you can safely say that they do swim! Nice looking Tarantula btw Redneck! Blessings!

 

[zonbonzovi]

Jury's still out on this one. No one has witnessed it in the wild(that I'm aware of). I personally suspect that their propensity to 'swim' has much to do with an intense rainy season wherein burrows become flooded and all sub-dwelling life is forced to surface.

As for video 'proof', any creature that can break free from the surface tension of water will appear to be capable of swimming when prodded into doing so. All of my centipedes are capable of this. Does this mean they will be trying out for the 2010 Invertebrate Olympics? Only if the sponsor calls back...

 

[Scorpionking20]

Redneck...Awesome pictures, sweet T! Thanks very much for taking the time to post these! I appreciate it! Now I want one though and I spent WAY too much money on Ts lately...hmm...