Ground Pounder Pokey?

WhyUBiteBite

Arachnosquire
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Feb 14, 2017
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104
Wondering if anyone has encountered a pokey that prefers the ground? I have a P Regalis that no matter the space cork or vines provided always makes a half assed Web then goes and digs a trench to lay in. It sucks alot as well given she looks really nice but I can't get her to act like any of my other pokeys.
 

WhyUBiteBite

Arachnosquire
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Feb 14, 2017
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Add to this she eats like a champ, and aside from her weird behavior has been an ideal p regalis.
 

Spidermolt

Arachnoknight
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May 29, 2015
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I have a MM regalis that has always stayed close to the ground, he refuses to go higher than 6" no matter what.
 

DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
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Dec 4, 2016
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I also had a MM P. regalis that preferred being close to the ground. He would sit in a signature pokie stance horizontally in a little trench against the glass wall of his enclosure.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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Jun 27, 2010
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My MM (or close to it) P. vittata has only made his dirt curtain about 6" up the tank and persists in ignoring the bark and plants I've provided. He's dug himself a little burrow below his dirt curtain and that's where he prefers to hang out.
 

cold blood

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Every pokie I have ever kept has spent extensive time at ground level.
 

AphonopelmaTX

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In my past experience with 3 adult female Poecilotheria species (fasicata, regalis, ornata) and one male P. metallica, they all stopped living on the ground when they were provided with a cork tube instead of a cork flat leaned against the enclosure wall. I can't say all individuals of Poecilotheria will adopt a cork tube, but a behavior change did occur in my experience.

As their burrow dwelling relatives in India and Sri Lanka are referred to as "pet holes" consider Poecilotheria species as "pet tree trunks". I have observed that Poecilotheria, like their burrow dwelling cousins, are high strung with a strong instinct to stay out of sight and need a safe secure place to hide. It has appeared in my case that they react the same way without an adequate retreat off the ground in the same manner the obligate burrowers act without the ability to dig- huddled in a corner with web curtains. When I provided a cork tube, they acted just like their their burrowing relatives in the following ways: all were observed in their cork tubes during the day stretched out with silk covering the cork tube opening (burrowers close the burrow opening with silk), at night they tore away the silk cover and I could see their toes sticking out, late at night they came completely out and assumed their hunting posture (all 8 legs spread out) on the enclosure wall. When disturbed out of their cork tube, they quickly dashed to the very bottom of the cork tube.

Poecilotheria species are not like Avicularia species that you can see out and about all the time. Nor will they construct tube webs in the top corner of an enclosure. Their behavior, to me, appears to be the same as a "pet hole" just situated off the ground. As much as one might want them to be, Poecilotheria species are not display animals.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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My 2 have large cork bark tubes that they live in but sit at the bottom on the sub rather than stay on the side.
 

WhyUBiteBite

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Feb 14, 2017
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Good stuff. I haven't tried a tube yet. Mainly due to availability in my area.
 

cold blood

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In my past experience with 3 adult female Poecilotheria species (fasicata, regalis, ornata) and one male P. metallica, they all stopped living on the ground when they were provided with a cork tube instead of a cork flat leaned against the enclosure wall. I can't say all individuals of Poecilotheria will adopt a cork tube, but a behavior change did occur in my experience.

As their burrow dwelling relatives in India and Sri Lanka are referred to as "pet holes" consider Poecilotheria species as "pet tree trunks". I have observed that Poecilotheria, like their burrow dwelling cousins, are high strung with a strong instinct to stay out of sight and need a safe secure place to hide. It has appeared in my case that they react the same way without an adequate retreat off the ground in the same manner the obligate burrowers act without the ability to dig- huddled in a corner with web curtains. When I provided a cork tube, they acted just like their their burrowing relatives in the following ways: all were observed in their cork tubes during the day stretched out with silk covering the cork tube opening (burrowers close the burrow opening with silk), at night they tore away the silk cover and I could see their toes sticking out, late at night they came completely out and assumed their hunting posture (all 8 legs spread out) on the enclosure wall. When disturbed out of their cork tube, they quickly dashed to the very bottom of the cork tube.

Poecilotheria species are not like Avicularia species that you can see out and about all the time. Nor will they construct tube webs in the top corner of an enclosure. Their behavior, to me, appears to be the same as a "pet hole" just situated off the ground. As much as one might want them to be, Poecilotheria species are not display animals.
Wow, have we had different experiences. I consider this genus to be by far the best OW arboreal display species...mine are almost always out, even the 2 with the "hole in a tree" type hides.
 

Moonohol

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Aug 8, 2016
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115
Wow, have we had different experiences. I consider this genus to be by far the best OW arboreal display species...mine are almost always out, even the 2 with the "hole in a tree" type hides.
Yeah same here. My P. metallica is literally always out and visible, despite being given plenty of hiding spots.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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My 2 are very rarely out. And when they are they quickly disappear when I enter into their room. Much to my annoyance.
 

AphonopelmaTX

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Wow, have we had different experiences. I consider this genus to be by far the best OW arboreal display species...mine are almost always out, even the 2 with the "hole in a tree" type hides.
That's not really surprising as there could be other factors in play that would cause difference observations/ experiences with keeping them. For example, I kept my Poecilotheria adults in large Kritter Keepers positioned on end. With those plastic screen-like lids, the containers were very airy. I also always kept them in a room with lots of natural light. There wasn't a point to doing that or anything, it was just the best room to house my tarantulas at the time. The adult P. regalis I had was huge so it got a 10 gallon glass aquarium which stood on end with a metal screen top so again the cage was very airy. I'm sure the airiness of the cages combined with being exposed to daylight caused them to be insecure enough to hide all the time.
 

cold blood

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That's not really surprising as there could be other factors in play that would cause difference observations/ experiences with keeping them. For example, I kept my Poecilotheria adults in large Kritter Keepers positioned on end. With those plastic screen-like lids, the containers were very airy. I also always kept them in a room with lots of natural light. There wasn't a point to doing that or anything, it was just the best room to house my tarantulas at the time. The adult P. regalis I had was huge so it got a 10 gallon glass aquarium which stood on end with a metal screen top so again the cage was very airy. I'm sure the airiness of the cages combined with being exposed to daylight caused them to be insecure enough to hide all the time.
Excellent point...mine are all in large sterilite tubs...well vented, but not like yours...and again, mine are basically kept in darkness, with the light they get being almost like twilight....it is indeed much darker by me...that in its self is probably a big, if not the biggest factor.
 

MetallicArachnid

Arachnosquire
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Jan 22, 2016
Messages
51
My pokies have always burrowed during the day but once the lights are off they come out and hang around the top of their enclosures, think it just has to do with what you give them and the individual spider.
 
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