Enclosure placement

Egon

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 15, 2014
Messages
61
I'm new to tarantulas and got three slings several weeks back. Yesterday I picked up a young G. pulchra because it was too good to pass up. It's probably a little bigger than a quarter, which feels huge to me right now since I only have tiny slings.

My question is: Are tarantulas more likely to hide if their enclosure is located somewhere with a lot of foot traffic and activity? I've kept fish for a long time so I know some species of fish don't care while others are noticeably skittish if they feel exposed.

What are tarantulas like? Could I keep my G. pulchra on a table in my living room exposed from all sides? Should I make sure 1, 2 or 3 sides are blocked from human view/activity? (That's a common thing for fish -- cover the back so they're only exposed from the front and two sides.)

I live alone so there's no chance of others interfering with it, and I would put it away when hosting large gatherings or children.
 

kingshockey

Arachnoangel
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
826
better off keeping em in a designated spot thel iving room table i dunno about might forget and use cleaner on or around it and ending up with dead slings from chemical exposure
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Are tarantulas more likely to hide if their enclosure is located somewhere with a lot of foot traffic and activity?
maybe maybe not, just try it. Some species or specimens are more sensitive to the visual movement than others- applies to vibration as well.

What are tarantulas like? Could I keep my G. pulchra on a table in my living room exposed from all sides? Should I make sure 1, 2 or 3 sides are blocked from human view/activity? (That's a common thing for fish -- cover the back so they're only exposed from the front and two sides.)
Fish see well- Ts don’t. I’ve kept fish, never used my fish knowledge for Ts.

There is no right or wrong answer on this until your T tells you.
 

Tarantuland

Arachnoprince
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
1,354
Yea I think they're more likely to hide more if there's more foot traffic. If I walk into my T room a bunch of the ones that are out will hide. As slings it matters less I'd think, but @kingshockey makes a good point. You want them to be somewhere you're not going to spray anything around them
 

Egon

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 15, 2014
Messages
61
Thanks for all of the great input, everyone. I'll probably keep it on a shelf in the back of my dining room.

I only use baking soda and a water/vinegar solution to clean my house so chemicals aren't much of a concern. I typically only dust my tables and shelves.
 

Hardus nameous

Yes, but only on Tuesdays!
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Feb 24, 2018
Messages
274
I find most of my tarantulas tend to be either indifferent to me or just photophobic. I used to have a P. pulcher who like my P. muticus is a bit more sensitive to my vibrations, but neither are as sensitive as my Amblypygi.
I live alone and don't have much foot traffic in the house, but after the spiders got used to their surroundings and routines they really don't run and hide when I walk by.
 
Top