H. Maculata is burrowing

missy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
35
my H. Maculata has made its self a burrow, do you reckon i could have been sent a Pterinochilus murinus by mistake, as my one is also brownier, than a
Hetroscoda maculate. or is this usual behaviour ?
 

CedrikG

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 26, 2004
Messages
3,041
Well, My Heteroscodra maculata will make tunel of web at the surface of the ground, wich is usuallly normal behavior for the captive specimen, they mostly stay low in the container, instead of making a cocoon high.

Pterinochilus murinus and Heteroscodra maculata are totally different:

P. murinus :
Lets just start with the carapace, wich has totally different marking. Most of the P. murinus wont have the oculae area dark, but the rest is always similar to this.


Heres another example, without the dark ocular area



The abdomen now, the mark are also very different :


Heteroscodra maculata now :
the carapace:


and the abdomen also differ a lot, the bars are mostly dots


Heteroscodra maculata has large tibia and femur on leg IV (depending on the size of your specimen, this feature appear at 3 1/2 inch leg span or so. H.maculata has no long setae on the chelicerae, like most of the Harpactirinae (exception in Augacephalus species)

The sternum of the Pterinochilus murinus is dark


The one of the Heteroscodra maculata is pale
 
Last edited:

Bark

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
266
my H. Maculata has made its self a burrow, do you reckon i could have been sent a Pterinochilus murinus by mistake, as my one is also brownier, than a
Hetroscoda maculate. or is this usual behaviour ?
I have 6 H Maculatas around the 3/4" to 1" range. All but one of them prefer to burrow.
 

Rizzolo

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
163
mine have both above and below ground tunnels. all 3 of mine have at least one elevated entrance (~6") and one that is a burrow. they are all connnected somehow, but it is hard to figure out, sort of like the P murinus, except less so.
 

CedrikG

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 26, 2004
Messages
3,041
I have 6 H Maculatas around the 3/4" to 1" range. All but one of them prefer to burrow.
Its normal for arboreal juvenile to have burrowing behavior. It change a little as time go.
 

Bark

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
266
Its normal for arboreal juvenile to have burrowing behavior. It change a little as time go.
Not always. I have had 2 adult (males unfortunately) maculatas before. They always had a burrow in the ground. The good news about this is that it is easier to get the lid off to throw food in. :cool:
 

CedrikG

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 26, 2004
Messages
3,041
Yes, as I said earlier its not rare for adult to have these behavior either
 

kitty_b

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 28, 2006
Messages
1,110
mine burrowed as babies and my subadult female (only one i still have) prefers to live in a web/dirt tunnel over living an "arboreal" lifestyle.
 

tmanjim

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 24, 2004
Messages
671
My female burrowed so much I never saw her. I changed the substrate and put a hollow cork bark in there and not enough room to burrow and she made a home in the bark. I can always see her if I want and it is easier to clean the enclosure if I know where she is.
 

missy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
35
thanks for all your replys i have out it in a different tank now , ie for a burrower or ground dweller, and it has gone in to the coconut shell hide , there is still enough for it to climb up if need be.
 

Johnny_27

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
257
this is just my input...

I had a mature male that burrowed a little. I hope thats not what you have, its hard too tell cause the tibial spurs are pretty small on these guys. Mature Males are BROWN in color. How big is yours? Are the ends of the palps swollen? Try to post pics.
 

Stylopidae

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
3,203
I was just going to point out that H. maculata is predominately gray, whereas P. murinis is predominately orange, red or even tan in other pternochilus species.
 

missy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
35
your be lucky on picture front hiddenin new home (cocunut shell), it is 3" legspan about.(sub adult) i was told.
 
Top