Haplopelma lividum Escaping

[Tym Hollerup]

So I have been on the forums researching and reading as much as I can about everything I can. However, I have been paying closer attention when I come across posts that deal with H. lividum's as I am too be getting one in next week. Amazingly enough I keep noticing people talking about Haplopelma lividum escapes like it's some sort of an everyday occurrence! Now typically (and correct me if I'm wrong), escapes from any species is usually the owners fault correct? How can all these H. lividum's be escaping!!??!! :wall: I would really like to believe that there aren't THAT many incompetent collectors out there! So where are all the Cobalt Blue escapes coming from? Are these species really this difficult to house? I'm using regular Large Critter Totes from PetSmart. Shall I place a book atop or what? This is all seeming a bit ridiculous to me! I refuse to believe that H. lividum's are that good at escaping! It has to be (mainly) the fault of the keeper. At least that is my hope. Help me out on this one...

 

[beckett5000]

I kept my H. lividum in a ten gallon aquarium with around nine niches of substrate, just about filled to the top, and a metal screen lid with clamps on top. Never had an issue with him getting out. He hung around the top of the cage for the first two days, dug a tunnle all the way to the bottom and around the cage, and was never seen again until he matured.

 

[gladmar]

my H. Lividum sling 1"(unsex: Bad if male/Great if Female) I got him for only 1.1k php. Sometimes can't see him bec. his always on his borruw. Its not easy to rehousing, his so fast I almost lost him. Thanks God his just under my bed. Bored for not seeing him everytime but when time to feed you will enjoy seeing H. Lividum(Cobalt Blue). Its just a sling, how much if his on full growth.
H. Lividum Sling(Fast but nervous).
H. Lividum Adult(Defensive(Will Bite)/Aggressive/Fast).
Not the same as other Tarantula Docile! but most of all So Beautiful(Female)

 

[LV-426]

mine almost escaped once, that was when i was messing with it. if you leave it alone and dont get it angry there should be no reason for it to escape

 

[becca81]

I think you can't discount the fact that H. lividum are pretty readily available in pet stores across the country and many people buy them without being familiar with the type of spider they are getting.

Add that to the fact that many are not properly housed in the pet stores they come from (a pet hole is hard to sell) and people who purchase them are likely not educated as to how to best house them, which can increase the chance for escape.

Your best bet is to realize that you're purchasing a spider that moves faster (and can be more intimidating) than you may be used to and plan accordingly.

Good luck,
Becca

 

[EndlessForms]

i keep my 4" female in a 5 gallon with what was originally, 7" of sub but has now compressed to about 5". and she dug strait down in a corner and then all around the tank. was awesome to watch these guys, despite being seldom seen, are definitely worth waiting for . just make sure it has a secure enclosure, sit back and enjoy

 

[baboonfan]

So I have been on the forums researching and reading as much as I can about everything I can. However, I have been paying closer attention when I come across posts that deal with H. lividum's as I am too be getting one in next week. Amazingly enough I keep noticing people talking about Haplopelma lividum escapes like it's some sort of an everyday occurrence! Now typically (and correct me if I'm wrong), escapes from any species is usually the owners fault correct? How can all these H. lividum's be escaping!!??!! :wall: I would really like to believe that there aren't THAT many incompetent collectors out there! So where are all the Cobalt Blue escapes coming from? Are these species really this difficult to house? I'm using regular Large Critter Totes from PetSmart. Shall I place a book atop or what? This is all seeming a bit ridiculous to me! I refuse to believe that H. lividum's are that good at escaping! It has to be (mainly) the fault of the keeper. At least that is my hope. Help me out on this one...

In the past I had a wild caught adult female I got from a reptile store that nearly escaped several times. I had a sliding lid that locked and I only opened it enough to fit tongs through the crack. She came out to attack the tongs every time, when biting them didnt work she climbed them like a pro. When this haoppened I had to drop the tongs and try to get them back with another set of tongs, she sometimes repeated. I once had to fish out nice feeding tongs and two cheap department store BBQ tongs.

I cant say anyone that has an escape with those beasts is stupid as I learned to take very paranoid precautions with her. Even then she made a dash for it after biting every non living object inserted into her cage.

I am proud to say I have had zero escapes and zero bites, but that little demon came close to damaging my perfect record more than once.

At night she would come out and constantly walk the cage appearing to trying to get out.

I suggest sliding lids. If you dont have them use additional weight to be sure.

 

[astraldisaster]

Ha...the one and only escapee I have had so far was an H. lividum. I noticed that I had somewhat overdone the moisture in the enclosure, so I decided to open up its acrylic enclosure and put a 2.5-gal screen lid on top to help it evaporate more quickly. Problem was, the screen top was ever so slightly too small, by about 1/4" on each side. I figured it would be okay, since I weighted it down more than enough...or so I thought...

A couple of hours later, I noticed that all three of my cats seemed oddly fascinated with a certain area right behind my nightstand. I moved it, and lo and behold, there was the little blue demon. There were absolutely zero signs of escape in the enclosure, but now I know that Ts can magically squeeze through spaces a fraction their size when determined. Lesson learned! I'm lucky I found the spider before any harm came to it or to my cats.

Maybe Cobalts are particularly adept at jailbreaks, or particularly inclined to be dissatisfied with their homes...?

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Hopefully my Critter Keeper will be more than enough to hold it in. It has "snapping" tabs. Four (4) of them in total. If any of you have used (or even seen) them, then you should know what I'm talking about. I don't think I'll be needing to place anything atop, but I just may to be extra safe with her.

 

[Armstrong5]

The only thing with putting something on top is your going to lose that extra ventilation which you need with this species because it requires so much humidity. You should be fine with the critter keeper just respect your T and you will be fine.

 

[Tym Hollerup]

By covering some of the vents in the enclosure should help maintain the humidity though shouldn't it? Less air into the tank, less humidity out?

 

[LV-426]

to tell you the truth, i think H. lividums are really not great of a T. i got mine with the mindset it gonna a awsome T, it does nothing all day except hide in its corner. if your gonna get a pet hole get a King Baboon (dont wanna butcher the scientific name), thats the ultimate obligate burrower.

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Those aren't as easy for me to locate. I did find one, the only problem is that the seller has nothing else I want with it. It makes no sense (as you very well know) to pay that kind of shipping for 1 Tarantula! Plus, I've had a fondness for the Cobalt Blue ever since I first saw one! It was like an instant "I want that for a new pet" type of reaction! Same thing with the OBT. Well, I got my OBT - Now it's time for the H. lividum. I do like King Baboons and may someday own one, however, there is something about the Cobalt... I just need that one. :?

 

[LV-426]

Those aren't as easy for me to locate. I did find one, the only problem is that the seller has nothing else I want with it. It makes no sense (as you very well know) to pay that kind of shipping for 1 Tarantula! Plus, I've had a fondness for the Cobalt Blue ever since I first saw one! It was like an instant "I want that for a new pet" type of reaction! Same thing with the OBT. Well, I got my OBT - Now it's time for the H. lividum. I do like King Baboons and may someday own one, however, there is something about the Cobalt... I just need that one. :?

i feel you, im in love with Ephebopus murinus. i got 7 within the past 2 weeks along with a KB sling.

 

[gladmar]

i feel you, im in love with Ephebopus murinus. i got 7 within the past 2 weeks along with a KB sling.

Yeah! "Ephebopus murinus" you can see you're E. murinus everyday by doing webhousing not like H. Lividum always stay on his borruw.

So I have been on the forums researching and reading as much as I can about everything I can. However, I have been paying closer attention when I come across posts that deal with H. lividum's as I am too be getting one in next week. Amazingly enough I keep noticing people talking about Haplopelma lividum escapes like it's some sort of an everyday occurrence! Now typically (and correct me if I'm wrong), escapes from any species is usually the owners fault correct? How can all these H. lividum's be escaping!!??!! I would really like to believe that there aren't THAT many incompetent collectors out there! So where are all the Cobalt Blue escapes coming from? Are these species really this difficult to house? I'm using regular Large Critter Totes from PetSmart. Shall I place a book atop or what? This is all seeming a bit ridiculous to me! I refuse to believe that H. lividum's are that good at escaping! It has to be (mainly) the fault of the keeper. At least that is my hope. Help me out on this one...

That's why lots H. Lividum escape when they do rehousing bec. when they out of there borruw they never stop crowl until they get into some hole. You think H. lividum just crowl like Brachypelma Species but not they are so Fast. advice :"For me I rehousing my H. Lividum when they are on premolt" :? Go for "H. Maculata" The Grease Lightning T's

 

[Mez]

Just out of interest, how come all these lividums aren't down their burrows?

 

[Formerphobe]

I've had a fondness for the Cobalt Blue ever since I first saw one! It was like an instant "I want that for a new pet" type of reaction! Same thing with the OBT. Well, I got my OBT - Now it's time for the H. lividum.

i feel you, im in love with Ephebopus murinus.

Me, too!
Both I and my OBT survived the unpacking "incident"..., and we had a successful, uneventful rehousing. H. lividum and E. murinus are both near the top of my want list. I'm working on enclosures for both in the event one or both happen to 'follow me home' one day. LOL

I think, as others have suggested, that escapes are due to unsuitable substrate and/or improper enclosure and/or underestimating the T.