H. Chilense hostage behavior

[Briana1399]

Why is my H. Chilense constantly trying to escape through his air holes? I've tried drier substrate, l've tried more moist substrate. I've not moved him from the enclosure I purchased him in because I figured he was doing fine and it's good for his size.

 

[Ratmosphere]

If they don't burrow, they wander a lot, pretty common for this species. The second pic looks pretty dry, try adding a damp side of the enclosure while keeping the rest dry.

 

[Briana1399]

Thanks! I’ll keep a side more moist. I thought maybe he didn’t like it moist and was trying to get away, so I let it dry out but that didn’t help.

Should I put him in a larger enclosure with more space to explore?

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Am I missing something, isn't it, Homoeomma Chilensis? Or is this a different species?

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I have not had this genus, but found when I brought home a different T that was constantly on the move, she settled much better when I gave her somewhere to hide. Maybe try moving her to a container where you can make a starter burrow with a very small half cork round from a branch (I have some that are about an inch wide) placed above.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Am I missing something, isn't it, Homoeomma Chilensis? Or is this a different species?

ex. chilensis, now chilense.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

ex. chilensis, now chilense.

Lol what was the need for that

 

[Ratmosphere]

Lol what was the need for that

Right? Hahaha. I miss when they were just Euathlus sp. red.

 

[viper69]

Why is my H. Chilense constantly trying to escape through his air holes? I've tried drier substrate, l've tried more moist substrate. I've not moved him from the enclosure I purchased him in because I figured he was doing fine and it's good for his size.

Owned a few - normal. This is widely known- research!

 

[BoyFromLA]

Why is my H. Chilense constantly trying to escape through his air holes?

It is only natural trying to open the unopened door to explore further / wider.

 

[zsiciarz]

Lol what was the need for that

Grammar. Homoeomma is a neuter gender, chilensis is masculine/feminine - didn't match.

 

[l4nsky]

I have not had this genus, but found when I brought home a different T that was constantly on the move, she settled much better when I gave her somewhere to hide. Maybe try moving her to a container where you can make a starter burrow with a very small half cork round from a branch (I have some that are about an inch wide) placed above.

This.

The following is from a research paper on the impact of human population density on Chilean species, namely G. rosea, but ancillary species discovered during site population surveys are also investigated and reported on. One of the team's observations on sites that contained G. rosea, but little to no H. chilense is especially informative:

Notably, (G. rosea) can build its burrow directly on the ground, unlike Euathlus and Homoeomma chilensis, which require a stony substrate for their burrows.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6613233/

H. chilense are naturally poor burrowers. They need a substrate with many larger pieces mixed in to better support a burrow structurally. If that's lacking, then they can't burrow too effectively. If they can't burrow, then they roam around, looking for a place to hide.

Another thing to consider, and this is poorly understood by a lot of people, but it doesn't appear you have any top ventilation to pair with your cross ventilation. That means you have little to no air circulation in the enclosure as the air has to enter and exit the same ventilation holes, which are all at the same level. The specimen in the picture is keeping it's book lungs at the same level as your ventilation holes, which might be because that's where the oxygen is. A few holes in the top of the lid will allow air to exit from the top only and enter through the sides only which will provide circulation.

 

[viper69]

If we are getting on peeps for grammar, I’m all for it! Esp the capitals on species names

 

[Briana1399]

He does have a big burrow to the bottom of the enclosure that’s open, he molted down there as soon as I brought him home it’s just not in the pictures.

However I’ll get him set up in a new enclosure with more top and side ventilation, plenty of hiding spots with a starter burrow!

I did research roaming around activities from this species and read they were pretty active, but I didn’t want to take $150 risk that I knew what I was doing when I could just ask people far more experienced than I for suggestions haha.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[l4nsky]

He does have a big burrow to the bottom of the enclosure that’s open, he molted down there as soon as I brought him home it’s just not in the pictures.

However I’ll get him set up in a new enclosure with more top and side ventilation, plenty of hiding spots with a starter burrow!

I did research roaming around activities from this species and read they were pretty active, but I didn’t want to take $150 risk that I knew what I was doing when I could just ask people far more experienced than I for suggestions haha.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

The fact the sling does have a burrow to the bottom actually lends a bit of credence to my statements around ventilation IMHO.

If you're going to rehouse, my suggestion would be to poke a few holes about a 1/4" up the side from the bottom as well. The reasoning behind why is a complex topic that I'm working on explaining simply and without a shadow of a doubt, however that body of work still needs completed and reviewed by someone unbiased.

 

[Wolfram1]

how do you define "trying to escape through airholes", is it trying to chew the plastic?

looks to me it identified the air holes and gets close to them for one of two reasons

waiting for pray or breathing fresh air, or both

lots of my spiders like to hover close to the ventilation gaze as if they were waiting for prey to stumble through, especialy my Brachipelma sp. but some others too

if disturbed they return to their burrow

 

[Briana1399]

how do you define "trying to escape through airholes", is it trying to chew the plastic?

It’s sticking as many legs out of the hole as possible all the time like it’s trying to climb through. No chewing. I don’t think it’s prey related? It hasn’t taken anything down yet I’ve just been doing pre killed and it seemed uninterested from what I’ve seen. When I take off the lid he tries to come out.

 

[Wolfram1]

It’s sticking as many legs out of the hole as possible all the time like it’s trying to climb through. No chewing. I don’t think it’s prey related? It hasn’t taken anything down yet I’ve just been doing pre killed and it seemed uninterested from what I’ve seen. When I take off the lid he tries to come out.

yea, in that case your question makes sense

the picture you included didn't really express that

 

[Briana1399]

yea, in that case your question makes sense

the picture you included didn't really express that

no that’s so fair I should’ve been more descriptive with the behavior.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

It’s sticking as many legs out of the hole as possible all the time like it’s trying to climb through. No chewing. I don’t think it’s prey related? It hasn’t taken anything down yet I’ve just been doing pre killed and it seemed uninterested from what I’ve seen. When I take off the lid he tries to come out.

I see this exact thing in every spiderling I raise and it is so sad to see. When the little tarantulas start sticking their feet through the holes, you know they recognize there is an "outside" that they are trying to get to.

I only skimmed the other responses so what I suggest might be redundant, but the only way to stop this is to rehouse into something a bit bigger which allows it to burrow. I suggest a box, instead of a cylindrical container, with walls that form a 90 degree angle. Stick a drinking straw in one corner to form a small hole in the soil and the tarantula will eventually find it and use it as a starting point to burrow. They do this "get me outta here" behavior because there is something about the current housing that is no longer suitable and it is trying to leave to find something better. It might take some trial and error to figure out what it wants, but that is all there is to it. You know you solved the problem when the little tarantula runs into its safe space inside the enclosure instead of coming out.