Help! Escaped Grammastola Pulchripes sling, or Burrowed?

BakedReptiles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
11
Can't find my Chaco Golden Knee Sling ? Only had him for 2 days. Did not know slings could escape critter keepers until too late. But maybe he's about to molt and is burrowed? Any help?
Click link below to see pictures of setup and sling.
https://imgur.com/a/VRynD
 

user 666

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Messages
355
Can't find my Chaco Golden Knee Sling ? Only had him for 2 days. Did not know slings could escape critter keepers until too late. But maybe he's about to molt and is burrowed? Any help?
Click link below to see pictures of setup and sling.
https://imgur.com/a/VRynD
It might have escaped, but -

I got one in late December and only saw it when I transferred it to its current home. But I'm not that worried because crickets keep disappearing, and I found a molted skin.

But I haven't seen the T.
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Sadly, if your house is messy at all, it's like finding an off grain of dust in a haystack. I would quarentine the area around the enclosure if you think it's escaped. If it's not there, I would bet it's probably just burrowed and in premolt. Do you have a pic of the surface of the enclosure? Any spots where it looks like something was covered up? Otherwise, you will have a hard time finding it. Hope you can find it though, good luck!
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Dec 25, 2014
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5,845
I blame Petco. For real. The vey moment I saw that weird 'Tarantula Hut' enclosure the 'vision' of what happened went down strong like Mastro Titta's axe during the good old days of the 'boot'.

It's not your fault at all, you were in good faith. That cursed bottle full of (of utmost class A informations) labels is the cause of all evil. A powerful enough alien-artifact able even to suggest to people to house a little sling into a KK, 'warping' the perception of said keepers of the air holes, everything.

The only option is search. I'm with you, Man/Lady, in this darkest hour.
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
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Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
it very likely escaped. regardless, dig through that giant cage and try to find it. if youre lucky and find it, rehouse it into a appropriate container. a 16oz deli cup with a few inches of substrate, a water bowl will do nicely. tp rolls are not good hides, the spider can rip them up and they mold and collapse if water touches them. be wary of silk pants as well, some have harmful chemicals on them.
best of luck.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
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Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Yeah ts smaller than 1.5" can basically walk right out of a Kritter Keeper.
 

BakedReptiles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
11
it very likely escaped. regardless, dig through that giant cage and try to find it. if youre lucky and find it, rehouse it into a appropriate container. a 16oz deli cup with a few inches of substrate, a water bowl will do nicely. tp rolls are not good hides, the spider can rip them up and they mold and collapse if water touches them. be wary of silk pants as well, some have harmful chemicals on them.
best of luck.
Is it safe to dig through the substrate if he's molting ? From the picture of him and his dark abdomen, does he look like he's in pre molt? What if I disturb it in molt and it dies
 

BakedReptiles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
11
Sadly, if your house is messy at all, it's like finding an off grain of dust in a haystack. I would quarentine the area around the enclosure if you think it's escaped. If it's not there, I would bet it's probably just burrowed and in premolt. Do you have a pic of the surface of the enclosure? Any spots where it looks like something was covered up? Otherwise, you will have a hard time finding it. Hope you can find it though, good luck!
Is it safe to dig through the substrate if he's molting ? From the picture of him and his dark abdomen, does he look like he's in pre molt? What if I disturb it in molt and it dies
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
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Sep 24, 2015
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4,611
Is it safe to dig through the substrate if he's molting ? From the picture of him and his dark abdomen, does he look like he's in pre molt? What if I disturb it in molt and it dies
he likely escaped anyhow. if you disturb it while its molting, it might still make it. but its a risk. might as well buy a new spider, that ones probably long gone.
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Is it safe to dig through the substrate if he's molting ? From the picture of him and his dark abdomen, does he look like he's in pre molt? What if I disturb it in molt and it dies
IMO, I would. Not knowing whether your T is gone is worse than finding/disturbing it's molt to me. If you decide to do it, just be very careful. It may still be in there, and it could make it so long as you are very careful in your digging. If you disturb it and it dies, then you know never again to use Kritter Keepers for slings: don't mean to be brutal, but it seems like the only plus through this whole situation. Hope it is in there and fine though, would seriously be a shame if it escaped or died in molt :( Again, good luck!
 

BakedReptiles

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
11
IMO, I would. Not knowing whether your T is gone is worse than finding/disturbing it's molt to me. If you decide to do it, just be very careful. It may still be in there, and it could make it so long as you are very careful in your digging. If you disturb it and it dies, then you know never again to use Kritter Keepers for slings: don't mean to be brutal, but it seems like the only plus through this whole situation. Hope it is in there and fine though, would seriously be a shame if it escaped or died in molt :( Again, good luck!
umm.. i came home and found a small clear white looking molt almost with webs around it , except it was outside the kritter keeper, underneath the part where the lid closes, in between 2 pieces of plastic , but like on the outside of the cage..
 

BakedReptiles

Arachnopeon
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Feb 20, 2017
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Sure it's not the T? Usually molts aren't "white" IME. Pics would help, not quite sure what you mean...
I searched the whole entire KK, all the dirt, everything. But nothing. The molt thing I found was a false alarm.
But I'm almost certain now that it's not inside the KK, and must be out and about. I kept my KK in a desk just with 3 or so shelves and I keep my Beardie tank on top the shelf as well as vitamins and other reptile food below, I also put the KK tank in one of the shelves. I looked thoroughly through each shelf.. and I checked all my shoes, and looked around it. I kinda looked under but it's a hard angle, but I did see a big daddy long leg.. so hopefully he doesn't get ate by that thing. Where else should I look? Is there any bait I should set up ? Like a warm by the KK, or water ?
 

FishermanSteve

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Jan 11, 2008
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I'm a firm believer that ts don't get very far when they escape. In my half dozen escapes the t was always within 6-7 ft of where it got out. I had a half inch cambridgei sling that I found alive under my floor lamp in a crevice where a screw was.
 

Andrea82

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I'm a firm believer that ts don't get very far when they escape. In my half dozen escapes the t was always within 6-7 ft of where it got out. I had a half inch cambridgei sling that I found alive under my floor lamp in a crevice where a screw was.
You've had half a dozen escapes?
Time to change some things as a keeper maybe...?
 

user 666

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Messages
355
You've had half a dozen escapes?
Time to change some things as a keeper maybe...?
That many escapes suggest a flaw in the keeper's methods, yes.

Me, I have had a dozen escape attempts (which lasted a few minutes at most) but only two actual escapes, both by a single T. And i fixed his enclosure so it's not happening again.
 
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