Help ease my mind!

[Martian Man]

So, we got an H. Mac July 12 . I’ve seen many say that they teleport. Please tell me this isn’t the case. My husband takes care of them with feeding and rehousing. I just view them, research and purchase them. It was 1/2 inch when we got it. Not sure if they burrow until they get a certain size or not, but this one went down on the ground even though it had an aboreal sling enclosure that I had set up for it and burrowed or used the cork bark as protection. We hadn’t seen it a whole lot. Well, I told my husband to look for it. He had found a leg. Could have been part of a molt, right? Then he said that he had found something that he said was the body. It didn’t look like one to me. He’s digging looking for it and being cautious as if it’s in there and still live. Well, I told him to still act as if it’s in there alive until he can dig through the dirt. I have only seen one actual leg during this whole process. But he swears that it has died. He always spots any tarantulas before he opens the enclosure. If he doesn’t see them, he assumes that it’s burrowed. He uses a butterfly enclosure that he doesn’t zip up when he’s feeding and rehousing. I’m worried that the H. Mac had teleported on him and is loose in the house now. If it had gotten out of the enclosure on him, he would have known, right? Or does he know that it got loose and isn’t saying anything? I’m ok watching tarantulas in their enclosures and researching them and adding to the collection, but I don’t like surprises and any 8 legged creature roaming free in my house.

 

[Tarantulafeets]

They don't "teleport," they just get from point A to point B really fast. Molts are hollow and light, but if you aren't sure, smell the enclosure to see if something stinks. Posting pics might help too.

 

[Smotzer]

They are just really fast, but no one can tell you whether or not it was a molt or the spider or whether or not it escaped or not outside of you and your husband. There’s only one way for you to find out: search 100% of the enclosure. Just be careful Heteroscodra maculata pack quite a nasty bite sure to mess up your month.

 

[kingshockey]

yes the leg was probably part of a mol tbut when did it molt? if it was day off or while it was still hardening up from recent molt you might have just killed it telling your husband to dig for it usually ts will stay hidden. out of sight during/up to and right after molt. until their exo hardens up. even if its alive still you just stressed it out so much more during an already stressful time during a molt. would be good if your husband read/ learned about keeping them i feel like your setting him up to get bit with him being unprepared and not having done any research at all and then having to take care of your purchases

 

[cold blood]

Aside from Avic types, nearly all other arboreals burrow at least to some degree, especially when young....H. mac is exceedingly reclusive and will burrow away nearly to adulthood IME.

 

[Matt Man]

H macs will burrow, and then they will hide in the bushes as adults. They are really fast and aggressive, but I'd assume he'd have seen it escape. Unwise to dig after it, better to watch and wait and use one's nose to detect possible mortality.

 

[ThatsUnpossible]

If he's intent on digging up the whole of the substrate to find this half inch sling, I hope he's doing it in the bath tub. With the plug in the plug-hole (or whatever you call that in America), very carefully and with a catch cup handy. If it's still alive and doesn't get squashed with the digging you don't want it running off!

Best of luck

 

[DustyD]

If he's intent on digging up the whole of the substrate to find this half inch sling, I hope he's doing it in the bath tub. With the plug in the plug-hole (or whatever you call that in America), very carefully and with a catch cup handy. If it's still alive and doesn't get squashed with the digging you don't want it running off!

Best of luck

Drain, drain hole, is usually what I call it. Cheers.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

So, we got an H. Mac July 12 . I’ve seen many say that they teleport. Please tell me this isn’t the case.

Well, at least you folks didn't get a S. calceatum, bit of solace

Very, very fast. Quite potent venom. Very reclusive (sort of vampires). But just use caution and you'll be fine.

 

[Martian Man]

I have smelled and never smelled a thing. I had another sling that we lost awhile back and never smelled it either. He took a paintbrush, several days before my post, and swept the dirt away gently to see if he could find a sling. There was no live spider at all in this pile of dirt. All that was found was what was mentioned in my post. I didn’t get any pics because I never even thought. So, I was wanting to know if by chance this thing got out without him ever seeing it. He uses a butterfly enclosure, but does not zip it at all when he feeds, waters and excavates for slings.

 

[Tarantuland]

Not only are H mac fast and reclusive, the slings are notoriously fragile. Best of luck