Friends I done screwed up big...

[Methal]

Team I'm in a bad spot!

Fed and watered my Tarantula's before going elk hunting. Was gone for at least 4 days.

Came back with the intent to rehouse one of my little OBT's that has out grown his enclosure.

Picked up the little enclosure and instantly knew I royally screwed up:
Bad part...my 4 year old was in the room when I said "oh shiz! it got out!" of course his little mouth has no volume control and he proceeds to say loud enough for the wife to hear "YOUR TARANTULA GOT OUT!?" I hear from upstairs "WAHT!? WE ARE MOVING NOW!"

I've been searching 2 hours now.

 

[Methal]

smokes thats a big picture....

 

[N1ghtFire]

How big was the sling?
About all you can do is go room by room tearing it apart and looking in every nook and crany. It could be anywhere such as in shoes, gloves, cabnets.. You could also wait until night and search with a flashlight and look for glowing eyes. It will likely die eventually if left out since it has no good water or food source. Id also keep your kids and pets out of that room for now..

 

[darkness975]

@Methal I hope you find it. It could literally be anywhere by now although hopefully it settled somewhere relatively close to the enclosure.

@N1ghtFire While it will eventually need some form of moisture it is important to keep in mind that this is a species from a dry area and can likely survive for a while on the stray wild invert running around the house. That being said, if it is a sling as evidenced by the size of the enclosure I doubt it could last as long especially without a steady water source.

 

[borotasinisa]

You didnt close it good?

 

[Andrea82]

Were your kid and wife at home during your elk hunt?
If yes...that spider could be anywhere due to opening doors and closets. Or do you keep the T room locked?
How big is it?

 

[Teal]

Ohhh no! Those darn little deli cup lids. I hope the fella turns up for you!

 

[darkness975]

Attempt to cheer you up @Methal : I could use some of that Elk. Haven't had any in a few years

 

[Methal]

little guy was no bigger than your average thumb nail. He was well fed and watered when I left. god im so pissed at myself.

Heres the stupid thing, He was sitting on top of another tarantula's enclosure, the kind with the metal mesh lids. I'm about 90% sure he couldnt get in there, and even if he did, the other T (I hope) would ignore him because shes in premolt. She is about 5 inches (full grown Aphonopelma Iodus)

 

[Methal]

Think hes been gone long ehough to have found a spot and webbed it up? He is a good webber even as small as he his....

 

[Thistles]

He's probably dried up and dead on the great carpet desert.

 

[Methal]

yeah no, I didn't close it good enough, problem is its deceptive, now i'm not making excuses for my negligence, but after opening and closing that little deli lid a million times, it gets hard to tell if its closed since it no longer makes that crisp *snap sound....I think im done with the deli cups.

 

[Marijan2]

Well, since it's so small he could literally be anywhere, and since OBT's are very hardy i wouldn't be surprised if he survives for some time. Good luck with finding that mate

 

[Methal]

He's probably dried up and dead on the great carpet desert.

after 4 days? when well fed? I dont think so. He'll go another 30 days easy.

 

[Teal]

He's probably dried up and dead on the great carpet desert.

Really? That's not only mean, but unrealistic.

 

[darkness975]

He was sitting on top of another tarantula's enclosure, the kind with the metal mesh lids.

Not trying to derail this thread but those metal mesh lids are really bad for Tarantulas. You should change that lid ASAP.

 

[Andrea82]

I think i would start with your kids room, take everything out, and put everything you searched in plastic bags. Then search the empty cupboards, bed,mattress, floor, ceiling, nooks and crannies. If it turns out empty, shut the door and tape the slits. Do this in every room/ space.

 

[viper69]

There's no way to predict where it will be, nor if it's alive or dead.

You aren't the first, and won't be the last to report this.

Really? That's not only mean, but unrealistic.

How is that mean???
How is that unrealistic, regardless of an OBTs typical hardy nature?

Slings die all the time when they escape. What Thistles wrote is a fact that happens frequently, more often than reported I suspect.

 

[Teal]

How is that mean???
How is that unrealistic, regardless of an OBTs typical hardy nature?

Slings die all the time when they escape. What Thistles wrote is a fact that happens frequently, more often than reported I suspect.

Well it was worded insensitively. This is someone worried about their escape sling... responsing with some tact never hurt anyone.

I DO think it is unrealistic to think an OBT sling would be shriveled and dead after only 4 days lose, but that is just my personal opinion.

 

[viper69]

Well it was worded insensitively. This is someone worried about their escape sling... responsing with some tact never hurt anyone.

How would you have phrased it... "It might have passed on to the OW Pearly Gates of Heavenly Bliss" ?

Was it the "dead" part, or the "great carpet desert" part that got you?

I don't put anything past a wild animal and survival, regarding life/death. Any outcome would surprise me hah.