G. porteri burrowing

[lunarae]

So I know in the wild G. porteri and G. rosea burrow but I remember reading that they will very rarely burrow in captivity? Is this true? What are peoples experiences with this? I got a G. porteri sling today and it's already started digging out under the hide and moving eco earth around half filling it's water dish with substrate. I have it in a 2.5x2.5x4.5 enclosure. It's only like 3/4" in size. I'm not worried or bothered by this, I just am a little surprised because I read they rarely burrow I had thought so was curious if I happened to get one that's going to prefer to burrow or if it's just gonna move substrate around but not actually burrow or what.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

It's just feeling out it's new surroundings . Give it a little time to settle down .

 

[Biollantefan54]

Slings generally always burrow, adults rarely do. With that being said, I have an adult female G. porteri who lives in a burrow she made.

 

[BobBarley]

I have a G. rosea that made a sort of burrow, there's a piece of cork that she dug under a bit but she never uses the hide anyway. She's a regular pet rock.

 

[lunarae]

It's just feeling out it's new surroundings . Give it a little time to settle down .

Oh I have no intentions of bothering it, was just curious to other peoples experiences on that subject with this species.

Slings generally always burrow, adults rarely do. With that being said, I have an adult female G. porteri who lives in a burrow she made.

What sort of substrate do you use for your AF G. porteri?

I have a G. rosea that made a sort of burrow, there's a piece of cork that she dug under a bit but she never uses the hide anyway. She's a regular pet rock.

Yeah that's what this one seems to be doing, dunno if it'll go any deeper then it already has but this is what it's done thus far...

I'm not disturbed by it by any means, I just thought it was amusing to have read they rarely burrow then find ours is burrowing a little. My first thought was 'trust ours to be different', but wanted to know if that really was the case or not. Now I know it's most likely not.

 

[Belegnole]

Funny thing, while slings are known for burrowing. My 4" G. concepcion decided to start digging away today. She piled up the dirt and is now sitting (?) on it like some sort of chair.

 

[lunarae]

Funny thing, while slings are known for burrowing. My 4" G. concepcion decided to start digging away today. She piled up the dirt and is now sitting (?) on it like some sort of chair.

She has made her throne, She is queen of the hill! All beware hehe.

 

[cold blood]

When I got mine it burrowed under the hide and cleared it out to the glass. She sat there for a day, walked away and literally hasn't used the hide or burrowed since, actually favoring the opposite side of the enclosure....that was 15 years ago.

But mine was an adult when I got her. With yours being a sling, and being in a little roomier enclosure, I'd expect it to be underground or hiding more frequently till it gets a bit larger.

Aside from basically avics, its normal for slings of most species to burrow when small.

 

[lunarae]

When I got mine it burrowed under the hide and cleared it out to the glass. She sat there for a day, walked away and literally hasn't used the hide or burrowed since, actually favoring the opposite side of the enclosure....that was 15 years ago.

That's funny, from different things I've looked up they can do some of the oddest and most amusing things.

 

[Biollantefan54]

I just used straight dry peat moss I believe

 

[Lander9021]

My g.rosea sling burrowed once, but I then realised I had Coco husk whitch after numerous kind people on this site explained to me why it is not good for a tarantula, I chucked them in the blender and chopped them down to a nice fibrey consistency ( please don't do this if you have a Mrs living with you , my fiance went totally nuts when she walked in the kitchen to see me stood there with substrate in the blender and a g.rosea sling on the kitchen side, all I'll say is that I got swore at). Since then though she's not burrowed, I've made a hide for her out of quarter of a coconut shell and made a dip under it with my hand and she likes it by the looks of things.
She also seems to like money too.

 

[darkness975]

My g.rosea sling burrowed once, but I then realised I had Coco husk whitch after numerous kind people on this site explained to me why it is not good for a tarantula, I chucked them in the blender and chopped them down to a nice fibrey consistency ( please don't do this if you have a Mrs living with you , my fiance went totally nuts when she walked in the kitchen to see me stood there with substrate in the blender and a g.rosea sling on the kitchen side, all I'll say is that I got swore at).
She also seems to like money too.

Stories like this remind me why I am single ...

On topic inquiry: How is your sling doing now that you have broken up the substrate?

@lunarae generally slings burrow more than adults. As they age many species (think B smithi, G porteri, etc.) spend more time out in the open (at least in captivity). But as slings nearly all species are much more skittish (and edible for predators in the wild) so they burrow more.

 

[Lander9021]

Stories like this remind me why I am single ...

On topic inquiry: How is your sling doing now that you have broken up the substrate?

@lunarae generally slings burrow more than adults. As they age many species (think B smithi, G porteri, etc.) spend more time out in the open (at least in captivity). But as slings nearly all species are much more skittish (and edible for predators in the wild) so they burrow more.

She's doing good thanks, although still not eaten but I've been told they can fast for a long time. I'm going to fetch some waxworms later to try her on them incase she just dont wanna eat a cricket.

As for the blending, I can't see what's wrong with it, I mean I cleaned it after thoroughly and used it but she looks at it differently now lol.

 

[lunarae]

She's doing good thanks, although still not eaten but I've been told they can fast for a long time. I'm going to fetch some waxworms later to try her on them incase she just dont wanna eat a cricket.

As for the blending, I can't see what's wrong with it, I mean I cleaned it after thoroughly and used it but she looks at it differently now lol.

Some people look at non food items differently from food items when used with food specific appliances like a blender. It's not that it's any different from say blending something one would eat when blending something one wouldn't when looking at it technically. But when someone see's it, their first thought is consumption as that's what they associate with the blender. You eat what comes out. So when it's something you wouldn't eat it leads to automatic disgust as one thinks of what it would be like to try and eat what it is first and foremost. Then people have the odd notion that germs are a bigger issue for non-food items then with food items and that you'll never clean off the 'nasty' you just blended. It's all about perception really. I had to get over my own initial perception when using the blender to blend up dog food at one point. Now it doesn't bother me at all, once I logically went through everything rather then let my original reaction dictate myself.

 

[Walter1]

A few of my adults improve a starter burrow. Most do not, although many will back into a lean-to if nervous.

On the other hand, ALL of my littles up to about 2" burrow with great finesse.

 

[Lander9021]

She's doing good thanks, although still not eaten but I've been told they can fast for a long time. I'm going to fetch some waxworms later to try her on them incase she just dont wanna eat a cricket.

As for the blending, I can't see what's wrong with it, I mean I cleaned it after thoroughly and used it but she looks at it differently now lol.

Sorry not waxworms I ment mealworms and here's a pic of her enclose now

 

[darkness975]

@Lander9021 I hate to sound like a stick in the mud but ... from the pics you posted today it appears that the substrate is still not up to par. Take a browse through our Media/Pictures section on the boards and check out the substrate in people's enclosures. You notice that it is typically top soil (no additives!) or Eco-Earth type coco fiber. What you have in yours is not "fine" enough from what I can see.

 

[Lander9021]

@Lander9021 I hate to sound like a stick in the mud but ... from the pics you posted today it appears that the substrate is still not up to par. Take a browse through our Media/Pictures section on the boards and check out the substrate in people's enclosures. You notice that it is typically top soil (no additives!) or Eco-Earth type coco fiber. What you have in yours is not "fine" enough from what I can see.

Shall I blend it more? Only joking I am aware of this and i t shall be sorted asap will upload pic when done .

 

[cold blood]

1. Rose hairs are notorious for NOT burrowing and NOT using a hide.

2. Get wax worms, they get a great feeding response from most ts.

 

[mmfh]

My G. porteri likes to sleep in depressions that she scrapes out and for some reason she always digs to the bottom of her enclosure in one corner but never hangs out there.