Harpactira pulchripes

[Anjeeezzy]

Hi is it normal for harpactira pulchripes to hide and close its burrow for weeks?

 

[Poonjab]

Normal for many tarantulas to do this. It’s going to molt. Leave it alone.

 

[Anjeeezzy]

Should i drop a feeder once a week? Or just wait till it open its burrow?

 

[Poonjab]

It’s molting. It won’t eat. Don’t put food in as a live feeder could eat your molting T. In the meantime, Do more research on your T so you can recognize these behaviors and understand what it’s doing.

 

[Anjeeezzy]

Okay. Thank you

 

[8 legged]

Hi is it normal for harpactira pulchripes to hide and close its burrow for weeks?

Yes, weeks or even month

 

[Shinn]

Yes. Most terrestrial or fossorial Ts will burrow itself every now and then. They take their personal spider cave very seriously.

H. pulchripes are fossorial. Mine just burrowed itself 5 days ago but it is well fed and plump and stopped accepting food 19 days ago so likely molted and waiting to harden up before it is secure enough to surface again. I have had 1 inch Ts burrowing itself for over a month and heard of longer periods from other keepers. Nothing to be concerned about.

Don't feed if it is not out and about looking for prey. Dropping live feeder at this point can be disastrous as some feeders may burrow and snack on a molting/molted T which lack any means of defending itself. Tarantulas can go long periods without food. Even slings can go months without food. Just do your basic tank upkeep - keep water dish cleaned and filled and you should be good.

When you do see it again pay attention to make sure it has hardened up before attempting to feed.

 

[viper69]

Yes

 

[Smotzer]

Yea it’s totally normal! As normal as the tarantulas are themselves. Don’t try and feed and don’t try to dig it up to check on it. It will molt and come back out eventually, likely not before it’s ready.