Ephebopus murinus enclosure questions

[LV-426]

I am thinking of getting this particular species and I have a couple questions. Knowing that they are obligate burrowers with some arboreal tendencies, can i house them in a taller enclosure that will play to both their burrowing and arboreal tendencies? or should i just house them in a more horizontal enclosure with deep substrate?

 

[paassatt]

How big is the spider?

 

[Moltar]

They don't really have arboreal tendencies AFAIK. At least, i've never seen one set up like that. They do have feet that look arboreal but that's about it.

This convo has taken place many times here. Have you tried a search?

 

[NikiP]

They don't really have arboreal tendencies AFAIK. At least, i've never seen one set up like that. They do have feet that look arboreal but that's about it.

This convo has taken place many times here. Have you tried a search?

I was curious about the OP saying that, so I googled it. There have been discussions of arboreal tendencies sometimes in slings/juveniles. Interesting!

So I guess if the OP is getting a small one, they could try a half & half setup. Would be interesting.

 

[LV-426]

the size is 3+ inches

 

[NikiP]

At that size i'd go ahead & attempt giving it a burrowing setup.

I will say give it a horizontally burrowing setup (box shape) rather then a taller & thin (like a tube) burrowing setup. They can make very impressive webs around the entrance to their burrowing. Also, it it a hide or something pushed into the soil. They seem to like having something to burrow against. And lots of moist substrate

 

[LV-426]

i was thinkin about getting 2 E. murinus, i may experiment with both types. if anything i can use the taller enclosure when my P irminia gets bigger

 

[fartkowski]

When mine were slings, they showed some arboreal tendencies.
Now they all burrow.
At the size you said, I would set it up with deep substrate.

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

When mine were slings, they showed some arboreal tendencies.
Now they all burrow.
At the size you said, I would set it up with deep substrate.

Agreed 100%.

 

[LV-426]

i got the deep substrate part, what i really want to know if i can go with a taller than wider enclosure.

 

[NikiP]

i got the deep substrate part, what i really want to know if i can go with a taller than wider enclosure.

Pretty sure I just addressed that above in my post.

And we touched on E. murinus housing space in here as well:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=201680&highlight=murinus

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

i got the deep substrate part, what i really want to know if i can go with a taller than wider enclosure.

Yes, you'll have a better chance at seeing it with a tall and narrow enclosure. They are more likely to make their burrow alongside the edge and typically you'll be able to see into their chamber at the bottom. I have 2 adult murinus and 1 cyanognathus all of which have done the exact same thing.

 

[LV-426]

Pretty sure I just addressed that above in my post.

And we touched on E. murinus housing space in here as well:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=201680&highlight=murinus

thanks, i will check it out. i may still experiment and see how it works out

---------- Post added at 11:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 AM ----------

Yes, you'll have a better chance at seeing it with a tall and narrow enclosure. They are more likely to make their burrow alongside the edge and typically you'll be able to see into their chamber at the bottom. I have 2 adult murinus and 1 cyanognathus all of which have done the exact same thing.

thats is what i have in mind

 

[Moltar]

If you give them a bit more room up top, they will make a very nice looking "trumpet mound" You can see it in the pics above but the web connects to the sides of the enclosure instead of the mound so it doesn't look the same.

Here, check this out.

You can see the trumpet isn't perfect here either because of the PVC elbow used as the mouth. You get the idea though. I think this genus makes more use of the "upstairs" than other Ob burrowers like haplopelma. Give her a big water dish and a little space up top and you can catch your murinus going walkabout all the time.

Like this:

Although what I see much more often is this:

Or this:

 

[NikiP]

 

[LV-426]

thanks you all for the input

 

[Lorum]

Maybe you would like to read:

Marshall, S. & R. West. 2008. An ontogenetic shift in habitat use by the Neotropical tarantula Ephebopus murinus (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae). Bull. Br. arachnol. Soc. 14(6), 280-284.

You can find it online, if you search well enough. And well, just to put some info, it says (abstract fragment):

"We found that early-instar spiderlings construct above-ground silken tubular retreats among low vegetation, and shifted to a fossorial lifestyle when subadult".