Fossorials - what's the point of keeping them? 😂

[Matt Man]

remember if you under feed them they will hang near their entrance more frequently

 

[loon4ever]

I love my pet holes! It's honestly one of the highlights of my morning wondering who I'll get to see.

remember if you under feed them they will hang near their entrance more frequently

What would you say is under feeding?

 

[Matt Man]

I love my pet holes! It's honestly one of the highlights of my morning wondering who I'll get to see.


What would you say is under feeding?

once a week max, more like once every week and a half to 2

 

[Marlana]

I find I love all my spiders for completely different reasons and they all fascinate me no matter how often I see them. I even keep a trapdoor spider that I never see. But it’s so fascinating the way it constructs its door and tripwires.

With that being said I do find I need a good mix of different types. Arboreal, fossorial, terrestrial, true spiders (jumpers, eresus sp). It helps to have a good mix so there’s always something going on!

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

I cannae believe me eyes!

It let me see it!!

Like fairies, turns out if you believe hard enough, you may be rewarded with a sighting

Now where's the other one....

View attachment 375217

Now what'd I tell ya!?

 

[basin79]

Miss Bach Ma again. Because why not.

 

[WolleWolf]

I kept many fossorials, but over 10years now I am only keeping T´s which don´t hide and are only terrestrial. A cup of dirt is not that what I want to look at.

I don´t know why, but I am itching again to get at least one fossorial (C. lividus or schmidti or doriae). No doubt, fossorial T´s are often the most beautyful T´s but I want see my T´s regurarly (once every 2-3days would be okay, and not only the feets). I think I will buy one if I find one juvenil female Cyriopagopus sp.

And Megaphobema robustum is also a dream T. Maybe I should get 2 fossorials then

 

[Jess S]

I kept many fossorials, but over 10years now I am only keeping T´s which don´t hide and are only terrestrial. A cup of dirt is not that what I want to look at.

I don´t know why, but I am itching again to get at least one fossorial (C. lividus or schmidti or doriae). No doubt, fossorial T´s are often the most beautyful T´s but I want see my T´s regurarly (once every 2-3days would be okay, and not only the feets). I think I will buy one if I find one juvenil female Cyriopagopus sp.

And Megaphobema robustum is also a dream T. Maybe I should get 2 fossorials then

I hear you. I've got a young M robustum. At least I can see it in the hide. The bigger they get, the more they spend time in the open. The other thing I love with them, is how frequently they change and enlarge their burrows. You never know what they are going to do next! A couple times I've been astonished as it's been like looking at a completely different enclosure!

 

[Smotzer]

I’m sitting here like hmmm....maybe I should get another fossorial, I’ll certainly see it more than my Psalmopoeus Irminia......LOL...,haven’t seen the stinker in two full molt cycles

 

[0311usmc]

Because the C.lividus is not arboreal or terrestrial. (Rehousing pictures)

 

[Reezelbeezelbug]

Queen Nefertiti allowed me to marvel in all her glory tonight, and with the lights on to boot! Eucratoscelus pachypus

 

[CommanderBacon]

I think about 1/3 of my collection at least are fossorial. The only one I don’t see regularly is my Sahydroaraneus raja, but since it’s gotten larger now, it has expanded its burrow against the glass, so I can peek in.

Tbh I’m perfectly happy with all of them and would only consider the S raja a pet hole. Depending on its behavior when mature, I may not get another one.

 

[Matt Man]

Miss Bach Ma again. Because why not.

View attachment 375439 View attachment 375440

purdy girl

 

[Steaminpies]

I own 11 tarantulas, all different species and all are either fossorial, arboreal, or somewhere in between with the SE Asian arboreals. I should understand the nature of owning them as well as anyone. Of course, I prefer them since that’s what my current collection comprises. However, I’d actually been having similar thoughts regarding the one I just can’t say I see everyday, my Cyriopagopus albostriatus. Not only do I catch it out hunting less than the others, but even if really hungry it will bolt down its ten inch burrow when taking off the lid without fail, not to be seen for at least another hour. Part of the burrow is a proper turret erected a couple inches out of the ground. Judging the fact I’ve never seen it wandering around the rest of the enclosure in the seven months it’s been with me, I reckon it doesn’t feel too safe doing so. Last night though, I coincidentally happened to catch it completely out of the burrow clinging to the face of its turret - and as the fossorial law states, it was totally worth it!

 

[RezonantVoid]

My experience with trapdoors has shown that housing them in what they would naturally burrow in greatly improves your chances of seeing them waiting at their entrance each night, either lidless or lidded. Im still in the process of trying this with T's but I'd imagine it'd be similar. The substrate mixes 99.9% of us use are likely nothing close to what they'd be living in in the wild, and probably stresses them somewhat without us even realising. We have a genus in Australia that is known to quite literally starve itself to death in some cases if not given correct substrate, and I don't think that's a characteristic exclusive to Selenotypus only. I'm always one to believe natural environment = natural behaviour, so maybe a bit more effort towards recreating a T's habitat instead of putting it in straight peat+sand might make them feel comfortable enough to show themselves a bit more. Just a thought.

 

[voidwitch]

I own mostly terrestrial/obligate burrowers and one fossorial (C. Marshalli) who I haven't seen since I brought it home in January I'm assuming it molted recently since it hasn't been taking any prekilled prey for a couple weeks and has collapsed its previous burrow/rebuilt a newer, bigger one. I think this means I may have a male though. Which is cool but was hoping for a female unicorn... oh well. I look forward to the day where I will be graced by his or her presence...might need to break out a flash light the next time I'm awake early enough!

 

[Steaminpies]

I own mostly terrestrial/obligate burrowers and one fossorial (C. Marshalli) who I haven't seen since I brought it home in January I'm assuming it molted recently since it hasn't been taking any prekilled prey for a couple weeks and has collapsed its previous burrow/rebuilt a newer, bigger one. I think this means I may have a male though. Which is cool but was hoping for a female unicorn... oh well. I look forward to the day where I will be graced by his or her presence...might need to break out a flash light the next time I'm awake early enough!

Your terrestrials are what we’d refer to as opportunistic burrowers, whereas your unicorn would be the obligate burrower. But, even they are a bit more terrestrial than other fossorials. That means you’ll hopefully get to see him more now

 

[Matt Man]

cause in less than a week they dig a tunnel 5" deep and make a big ole cave at the bottom of the enclosure and are nice enough to do it right against the glass
sorry about the refelection

 

[Benson1990]

In the 6 months I've had my H. gigas it's only ever done minor burrows, I rehoused it recently and when I checked the old enclosure it hadn't actually dug down that far, might of dug down maybe half or a bit less but he was always close to the surface.

I moved it to a 3l rub a few weeks ago and it still hasn't burrowed, i gave it a cork bark hide and a little starter burrow and he just sits in that under the hide, I actually always saw a lot of him, he comes out regularly when doing maintenance.

 

[Matt Man]

In the 6 months I've had my H. gigas it's only ever done minor burrows, I rehoused it recently and when I checked the old enclosure it hadn't actually dug down that far, might of dug down maybe half or a bit less but he was always close to the surface.

I moved it to a 3l rub a few weeks ago and it still hasn't burrowed, i gave it a cork bark hide and a little starter burrow and he just sits in that under the hide, I actually always saw a lot of him, he comes out regularly when doing maintenance.

it took my Darlingi a few months. She made some minor foxholes with the some webbing, including a cool one under a branch, and then all of a sudden, one day she went dig crazy. Just be patient, it will happen. Check the photo above. She has a big lair at the bottom