Grammastola rosea burrowing.

[Royal_T's]

I rehoused my 3/4 inch Grammastola rosea recently and decided to set her up like an obligate burrower. She is housed in a deli cup with 3 inches of substrate and now she has burrowed to the bottom diagonally (nice 3-3.5 inch burrow). Hopefully she continues this behaviour into adulthood.

 

[ArachnidJackson]

good luck

I highly doubt it will continue this behavior, but you can hope.

 

[Ictinike]

Many slings of many species will burrow or use "dirt curtains" to reside in their early years. Think of it more as a preservation technique than how they later will become.

Nearly every sling of mine has done this less my A. brocklehursti. It was the only one, even at less than a 1/4", who readily was out and about all the time.

 

[bobusboy]

In my experience all of my slings burrowed; but when they reached juvie/adult stages they stopped and used a normal hide.


Burrowers are cool but lots of Ts just don't do it.

 

[Royal_T's]

1.5 inches now and recently re-housed... in a tall deli cup filled half way with substrate and only substrate. She has burrowed straight down and is working her way around the bottom of the deli cup now. Her burrow now measures 6-7 inches (4inches straight down and 2-3 inches of to the side).

"BURROWING (***NEW DATA***):
For a long time enthusiasts were puzzled by roses' apparently
unwillingness to burrow in a cage. It was thought that they might be
vagabonds in nature, seldom if ever actually living in a formal burrow.
However, recently Dr. G. B. Edwards (Curator: Arachnida & Myriapoda
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, FDACS, Division of Plant Industry)
on a trip to Santiago Chile, examined Chilean rose tarantulas in large
numbers living in burrows some 45 centimetres (18 inches) deep. Now we
know: Their apparent reluctance to dig a burrow in captivity is apparently
an artifact of being captive, not a "natural" life style."

They can and will burrow if housed properly.

 

[Rob1985]

1.5 inches now and recently re-housed... in a tall deli cup filled half way with substrate and only substrate. She has burrowed straight down and is working her way around the bottom of the deli cup now. Her burrow now measures 6-7 inches (4inches straight down and 2-3 inches of to the side).

"BURROWING (***NEW DATA***):
For a long time enthusiasts were puzzled by roses' apparently
unwillingness to burrow in a cage. It was thought that they might be
vagabonds in nature, seldom if ever actually living in a formal burrow.
However, recently Dr. G. B. Edwards (Curator: Arachnida & Myriapoda
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, FDACS, Division of Plant Industry)
on a trip to Santiago Chile, examined Chilean rose tarantulas in large
numbers living in burrows some 45 centimetres (18 inches) deep. Now we
know: Their apparent reluctance to dig a burrow in captivity is apparently
an artifact of being captive, not a "natural" life style."

They can and will burrow if housed properly.

my adult female G.rosea did a half burrow under a hide. I had a plastic smaller flower pot cut in half and she burrowed about 3-4 inches deep inside it. Her front legs would stick out... lol

(RIP my little girl, she died suddenly in 2007)

 

[Royal_T's]

The equivalent of keeping a 1 inch sling in 4-5 inches of substrate would be keeping a 5 inch adult in 20-25 inches of substrate. I highly doubt that anyone houses their G.rosea in that much substrate. If anyone is having trouble getting their terrestrial tarantulas to burrow I would suggest that they add more substrate. I don't have any difficulties with my adults burrowing either... The following is a list of adult females living in burrows constructed by themselves:

1 A. geniculata
1 B. vagans
1 C. fasciatum
1 G. rosea
2 N. chromatus (male and female both with elaborate burrows)