Fossorial keepers

KeGathings17

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Feb 26, 2020
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What are some of your favorite pet holes? Do you enjoy keeping them like any other species, what are some of the reasons you keep say, Pelinobius, Chilobrachys, and other obligate burrowing species, and how often do you personally see yours? I find most of them to look really spectacular, though it seems like the tasks of rehousing, molting, feeding, and of course never seeing your T kind of seems, different I guess, than keeping others. I think I would be interested in owning a couple though, namely Ephebopus murinus and perhaps some African or Asian species in the future. Mostly just wanted opinions and stories about these pet holes. Thanks.
 

DomGom TheFather

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P. muticus are the king of holes.
You don't catch them topside very often but they go up there at night. They leave evidence.
When you catch them out, it's always exciting.
If You set them up with a little less sub and narrower enclosures, they are easier to feed and keep track of.
 

andy1997

Arachnopeon
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Sep 28, 2017
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I like Hysterocrates species a lot. When I first got them I expected to never see them, but mine are pretty much always sitting outside of their burrow, so I see them all the time.

Hysterocrates sp. "Benin"
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KeGathings17

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P. muticus are the king of holes.
You don't catch them topside very often but they go up there at night. They leave evidence.
When you catch them out, it's always exciting.
If You set them up with a little less sub and narrower enclosures, they are easier to feed and keep track of.
Of course, and they are really good looking spiders as well, I don't mind the notion of big brown spider, they seem like an essential species in any somewhat advanced collectors hands, much akin to Pterinochilus, Poecilotheria, ect. They don't call them the King for nothing, have you named any of yours Elvis, or Presley? Seems suiting.

I like Hysterocrates species a lot. When I first got them I expected to never see them, but mine are pretty much always sitting outside of their burrow, so I see them all the time.
Nice, the Hysterocrates genus interests me as well, I enjoy seeing pictures of them, cool looking T's!
 

cold blood

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I really like A. ezendami. And I do see them fairly often.....they're typically not defensive...poor eaters and slow growers as slings, but just the opposite once they reach juvie size.

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BoyFromLA

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I personally love them. I love how they construct burrows, and tunnels. I also love them how they manage to pull out their old molt skins out of there, and display them outside.

My favorite of them all so far is, Ornithoctonus aureotibialis.
 

RoachCoach

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Sep 2, 2019
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I will probably be a C. Darlingi boi till I'm too old to keep them. I hated the silly horn at first. They don't have them as slings btw. BUT, it is one of, if not the best eaters I've come across. It will roam the surface for funzies sometimes but mainly when it is hungry. It is unbelievably fast, ya. It will stay in it's enclosure until no substrate remains though. So no clambering dangerous old world spider catch cup calliope music benny hill goofyness going on here. She digs and reinforces webbed tunnels like an MIT engineering grad. I know she loves me. But I don't want to find out how much. No matter how hard I want to.

oh ya, cute horney toad profile pic. Loved chasing those little gremlins and the anoles in the 80's in Texas.
 

KeGathings17

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I really like A. ezendami. And I do see them fairly often.....they're typically not defensive...poor eaters and slow growers as slings, but just the opposite once they reach juvie size.
Lovely species, great picture, and definitely on the want list.

I personally love them. I love how they construct burrows, and tunnels. I also love them how they manage to pull out their old molt skins out of there, and display them outside.

My favorite of them all so far is, Ornithoctonus aureotibialis.
Nice, I think they interest me as well, as I enjoy the web structures of the species I have now, just the "construction" of the tunnel sounds like a really neat process, my T. vagans has made a burrow I can see into, but likes to strut around outside a lot, pretty neat behavior overall. Ornithoctonus and Omothymus seem like really neat species, and I think I would try keeping some eventually.

I will probably be a C. Darlingi boi till I'm too old to keep them. I hated the silly horn at first. They don't have them as slings btw. BUT, it is one of, if not the best eaters I've come across. It will roam the surface for funzies sometimes but mainly when it is hungry. It is unbelievably fast, ya. It will stay in it's enclosure until no substrate remains though. So no clambering dangerous old world spider catch cup calliope music benny hill goofyness going on here. She digs and reinforces webbed tunnels like an MIT engineering grad. I know she loves me. But I don't want to find out how much. No matter how hard I want to.
Nice, another species I would also like to have at least specimen of, I find the horn to look funny, although I think the Ceratogyrus genus all seem like interesting T's, also that was fat a little juvie we found by our BBQ pit, just had to snap a picture, he was pretty puffed up and not too happy to be held, but i let him go and went about business as usual. Here in NM, we have a decent amount of lizard species, lots of these and Aspidoscelis inornata, and of course Crotaphytus collaris. Patiently waiting spring and summer time so I can the hatchlings and all life come back, winter can be a drag.
 

Crazyarachnoguy

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I love the look of the P.muticus, but if I could only have a couple t’s, pelinobius probably wouldn’t be one of my choices.
 

RoachCoach

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Lovely species, great picture, and definitely on the want list.


Nice, I think they interest me as well, as I enjoy the web structures of the species I have now, just the "construction" of the tunnel sounds like a really neat process, my T. vagans has made a burrow I can see into, but likes to strut around outside a lot, pretty neat behavior overall. Ornithoctonus and Omothymus seem like really neat species, and I think I would try keeping some eventually.


Nice, another species I would also like to have at least specimen of, I find the horn to look funny, although I think the Ceratogyrus genus all seem like interesting T's, also that was fat a little juvie we found by our BBQ pit, just had to snap a picture, he was pretty puffed up and not too happy to be held, but i let him go and went about business as usual. Here in NM, we have a decent amount of lizard species, lots of these and Aspidoscelis inornata, and of course Crotaphytus collaris. Patiently waiting spring and summer time so I can the hatchlings and all life come back, winter can be a drag.
Bring your quick fingers over here and try to catch some of our wild bluetail skinks. Those dudes teleport. And I can snatch a Red Runner individual. Anoles are quick, but the bluetails are stim packing on them.
 

Matt Man

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I lean to my Ceratogyrus and am stuck between my marshalli and darlingi. I lean to the darlingi, but both are fun as heck to watch dig, they make crazy tunnel systems and web, and they are out fairly regularly.
Plus the Horns just make them a bit more than a 'typical brown spider'
 
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agep4

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Mar 2, 2018
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29
I will probably be a C. Darlingi boi till I'm too old to keep them. I hated the silly horn at first. They don't have them as slings btw. BUT, it is one of, if not the best eaters I've come across. It will roam the surface for funzies sometimes but mainly when it is hungry. It is unbelievably fast, ya. It will stay in it's enclosure until no substrate remains though. So no clambering dangerous old world spider catch cup calliope music benny hill goofyness going on here. She digs and reinforces webbed tunnels like an MIT engineering grad. I know she loves me. But I don't want to find out how much. No matter how hard I want to.

oh ya, cute horney toad profile pic. Loved chasing those little gremlins and the anoles in the 80's in Texas.
One of my first Ts was a C. darlingi and it was my first ever sling, made the Ceratogyrus genus my favourites to work with, I’m begging for Ceratogyrus attonitifer to enter the trade, I love their absolutely ridiculously large horn 😂
 

RezonantVoid

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Jan 7, 2018
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Selenotypus sp. champagne robustus all the way. See her at the surface most nights unless it is very cold
IMG_20210107_213241.jpg
 

KeGathings17

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Selenotypus sp. champagne robustus all the way. See her at the surface most nights unless it is very cold
Nice, Australian T species seem like cool animals, I've seen Selenocosmia crassipes the most available here in US. Really dig these T's, love the Australian music scene right now, so it seems a couple of upside down T's are in order for my want list.
 

Royalty

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Mar 11, 2020
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my h. "bach ma" is one of my favs@ Look how shy she is, not wanting her pic taken! This was during a rehouse. I had to dig her out but she went into the new enclosure very nice. I often see her dark legs with gold bands peeking out of the hole. I have her on my computer desk. I also love my e. murinus and I. Mira. I almost never see the I.Mira but she pops out when I "tickle" her traps door to let her know food is coming.

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KeGathings17

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Nice. I think the Bach ma are seriously good looking tarantulas. I have seen the pictures of Basin's, and yes, they are stunning. I love almost all the Asian species to be quite honest, with the former Haplopelmas and ornithoctoninae having some of my favorite looking species.
 

KeGathings17

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I have another question about burrows, and don't really want to start another thread, but how often/do burrow collapses happen? In the event of a collapse, what can someone do/will the T be fine? I would assume that is somewhat the point of having moist substrate, and also experimenting with different substrate material, resulting in something pliable and sturdy?
 

DomGom TheFather

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I have another question about burrows, and don't really want to start another thread, but how often/do burrow collapses happen? In the event of a collapse, what can someone do/will the T be fine? I would assume that is somewhat the point of having moist substrate, and also experimenting with different substrate material, resulting in something pliable and sturdy?
Collapses seldom happen. They are lined with web and unless you bump them pretty hard, they keep shape. Spiders will rearrange burrow size, shape and orientation periodically. If a collapsed does occur they're really good at digging themselves out.
I've never seen a spider get stuck. I have seen them intentionally block themselves in.
 

KeGathings17

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Collapses seldom happen. They are lined with web and unless you bump them pretty hard, they keep shape. Spiders will rearrange burrow size, shape and orientation periodically. If a collapsed does occur they're really good at digging themselves out.
I've never seen a spider get stuck. I have seen them intentionally block themselves in.
That is what I assumed, but it's good to know. They are after all the result of millions of years of evolution to do just that. Thanks.
 
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